Today

By Peggy Kleckner

“This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Psalm 118:24 (NIV)

Today is a new day: a one-of-a-kind. There will never be another one like it. It is unique, and it is a gift from our sovereign God.

Have you declared this verse over your day? I know that you, like me, have probably already weighed your new day out on your own scale. You have viewed it from your own perspective. If it is raining and that doesn’t fit into your idea of a “good” day, you have labeled the rain “bad” and perhaps the day “bad,” as well. If you feel prepared, it is “good” day. If you feel weak, it is “bad.” Have you considered that these are your  labels?

“This is the day the Lord has made.”  These words alone should encourage us. We know the One who made this day! We can, and should, make the choice to actually plan on rejoicing and being glad in this day. I must choose to look for Him in my day.

I love that the verse says “we.” This reminds me to enter my day with Jesus…as well as with others.

If I am going to choose to rejoice, where do I start? Where do you look when you are in chaos?  How can you see when the days seem overwhelming? Start by asking God Himself to open your eyes.  Even if you have to come to Him with a bad attitude, open your mouth and ask Him to open your eyes to the smallest glimmers of His goodness in this day. Next, start watching and praising.

Where have you seen His provision in your day? Look past the one answer you are continuing to look for and actively look for all of the other ways that He is providing, and praise Him for those. Where have you seen His kindness displayed? Perhaps in a sales clerk, in a woman at work, in your spouse? Who has displayed His patience? What or who reveals His caring nature to you? What remembrance from your past helps to stir up hope in this day?

You may need a friend to help you “see” Him in your darkest days. Let someone in to help. I am sure that God has placed people in your life who are willing to walk with you.

What instruction, what encouragement, what is it that God is trying to help you see in this gift of today?

GOING DEEPER:

1.  What circumstance has you so consumed that you are missing God’s goodness in this day?

2.  Can you declare God’s goodness even when you cannot see Him or feel His nearness?

FURTHER READING:

Lamentations 3:24-25; Phil 4:6-7; Ephesians 3:16-19

Peggy is a wife and mother of four adult children - - two sons and two stepsons, and she is an active encourager at Oakwood Church in Delafield.

Lord, I Need You

By Brita Crouse

“And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groaning that cannot be expressed in words.”

Romans 8:26 (NLT)

This past year, I had the opportunity to nanny for a family with a precious baby girl. Now I will readily admit…babies are not my favorite. Their fragility and dependency frighten me (and so do their protective mothers). But after spending several weeks and months with baby L., I became more comfortable looking after her and making sure her needs were met. She went from lying on the floor, to rolling over, to crawling, to pulling herself up to stand, to finally taking steps. And I was witness to it all. Amazing!

There is one day with baby L. that I remember in particular. She was playing with her brother in the living room, and I was in the kitchen.  I had my back to the kiddos, getting them something ready to eat. When I suddenly turned around, L. was sitting in front of me: smiling. I said, “Hi.” And then I went back to what I was doing. Moments later, L. crawled over to me, reached up, and tried grabbing onto any part of me she could.

She wanted to be held. She wanted to be comforted. In that moment, L. needed me.

The reason this moment struck me as so profound is because I do the very same thing with my Heavenly Father. I approach him… sometimes quietly, sometimes abruptly, wanting to interact, wanting to be held, wanting to be comforted. I need Him.

We all have our own unique ways of coming before God - - of recognizing our need for Him. We see it daily, in our own lives, as we encounter difficulties. We see it in the outstretched arms and the “amens” during worship. We see it in the bent-over-crying-till-it-hurts days of trial. We see it in the faces of loved ones suffering with terminal illness. Abba, we need You.

Some days we may not know how to pray for what we need. In these moments of need, we have the Holy Spirit intervening for us, coming before God, to communicate our needs that we cannot adequately express.

How fortunate we are to have Someone who will intervene on our behalf when we cannot find the words to say. Even when we aren’t sure what to ask for, we still have a God who knows and hears our needs.

GOING DEEPER:

1.       Listen to “Lord, I Need You” by Matt Maher. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuvfMDhTyMA)

2.  In Greek, “Abba” is a term of affection for Father, similar to “Papa.” How are you expressing your daily need for God in this way?

FURTHER READING:

Exodus 14:14; Psalm 116:1-7

Brita is currently working toward her Master’s in Counseling at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. She has called Oakwood her home church for the past seventeen years.

Ordinary
By Tracy Smith

“The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.”

Acts 4:13 (NLT)

Recently, our church had a sermon series titled Ordinary: Like You.  The subtitle was, “What difference do I make?”

Isn’t that the question we all wrestle with at some time or another? Do I really matter? Does what I do/don’t do really make a difference? And the big one, “There is nothing special about me, so what can I do?”

At the end of his sermons, our pastor has something called “The One Thing” to remember from the sermon. My favorite “One Thing” from that sermon series was this: “My ordinariness is the key to my impact on others.” Let me give that to you again, “My ordinariness is the key to my impact on others.”

That thought stopped me in my tracks and really made me think. The fact that I am ordinary is the key.

Think about the men Jesus surrounded Himself with - - a lot of ordinary fisherman. In the New Testament, Hebrews 11has a “Hall of Faith” full of ordinary people who did extraordinary things for God.

            Abel …who obeyed and brought a favorable offering.

            Noah…who obeyed and built the ark.

            Moses…who thought he was too ordinary and unqualified to lead.

            Rahab…a prostitute who trusted.

I also think of the men who worked to build the Church after Jesus’ resurrection.

            Paul…who used to persecute Christians.

            Peter…who seemingly had his foot in his mouth more often than not.

Are you ordinary? If so, then you are perfect for God to use!

GOING DEEPER:

1. Has thinking of yourself as “not special enough” stopped you from serving God? If so, what can you do to change that?

FURTHER READING:

Hebrews 11

Along with being a wife and mother to two teenage sons, Tracy is a ministry assistant at Oakwood, serves on the Women’s Ministry Special Events Team and works with a great group of Junior High girls.

Wild Cards

By Elin Henderson

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

Romans 8:28 (NKJV)

Nothing is more frustrating in a good game of Uno than to be one card away from winning and someone throws out a Wild Card. You know, the one that changes everything. You had it all planned out and, BOOM, just like that, you are drawing yet another card from the stack!! Back to square one!! BUT at the same time, nothing is more exhilarating than to play or benefit from a Wild Card that’s IN your favor just one card before “going out.” 

God is in the habit of throwing Wild Cards into our lives. Just when we think we have everything under control and figured out, He throws it onto the table and changes things dramatically. Or, just when things look hopeless and helpless, He comes along and throws a Wild Card that changes things and suddenly it all comes together beautifully. Either way, He does it to remind us that HE is the One in charge of the cards! 

So the next time you wonder why life has taken a very unexpected turn, either for the worse or the better, keep in mind that in this game of Uno (the one we call “life”), God holds all the cards. He is playing them out strategically in our lives to keep us dependent on Him, to keep us from trusting our own plans and understanding. Embrace those Wild Cards and trust Him with the game.

GOING DEEPER:

1.  Looking back on some of the Wild Cards you have come across in your life (positive and negative), what are the things that God has taught you in and through them?

2. How can that help you as you face future Wild Cards?

3.  How is the story of Joseph a good example of God’s using some Wild Cards? What does Genesis 50:20 teach us about how he viewed these Wild Cards?

FURTHER READING:

Proverbs 3:5-6; Genesis 37-50 (Story of Joseph)

Oakwood’s missionaries Elin Henderson (a registered nurse) and her husband Phil serve as church planters with New Tribes in Mozambique, Africa.  Elin is mother to fourteen-year-old Callie and twelve-year-old Elias.

Secret Sins

Jeannine Sawall

“He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”

Proverbs 28:13 (NIV)

Walking along the beach, I was enjoying the morning sun, a slight breeze and the conversation of my walking partner when we suddenly noticed several dark splotches in the water. The “splotches” turned out to be a small type of stingray called a skate. The skates also seemed to be enjoying a morning at the beach. Every once in awhile, one of them would break away from the group they were swimming with, catch a wave and body surf into shore. It was fun to share the morning with them.

As my friend and I moved away from these creatures, she asked me if I still planned on taking a paddle board lesson later that week. I told her it was still in the plans. She expressed her hesitation after seeing the skates. She asked, “You still want to take a lesson even after seeing all those creatures in the water?” I told her that whether I saw the creatures that morning or not, they were still in the water. I wasn’t going to let those skates come between me and my lesson.

As we continued walking, it came to me that oftentimes as Christians, we consider sins we can plainly see (promiscuity, addiction, murder, adultery…the list could go on) as serious sins. They are obvious to anyone and, therefore, more ungodly. However, just because others can’t openly see our sins, doesn’t mean they aren’t there, lurking below the surface, coming between us and the Lord.

The Bible teaches that any sin - - obvious in-your-face sins and those concealed from anyone’s sight - - carry the same guilt. All sin is serious and interferes with our relationship with the Lord. It doesn’t matter if it’s hatred or murder, lustful thoughts or adultery, a white lie or stealing; sin is sin whether kept hidden or acted on openly. Just because no one else may see it, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.

The fact is that the ocean is full of sea creatures. It would be easy to live in a world where I can pretend if I don’t see them, they don’t exist. However, it’s impossible to live that kind of Christian life. There is no secret sin because God sees below the surface. Nothing is hidden from Him. Thankfully, believers are given the promise that God forgives any sin we acknowledge to Him. When we keep our relationship honest with God, He’ll take us deeper than we expected, and we won’t worry about getting in the water with Him.

GOING DEEPER:

1.  What sins are you keeping hidden?

2.  What stops you from going deeper with God?

FURTHER READING:

Numbers 32:23, Acts 10:43

Jeannine is a wife and mother of four active boys. She works in the property management business. Jeannine serves in the Oakwood Cafe and is actively involved in ministry to those walking through grief.

A Good Antidote

By Susan Klein

“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”

Matthew 12:25 (NIV)

As I look back over my fifty-some years of life, I have to wonder how much of that time was spent worrying about things I couldn’t control. How many days, weeks even, did I lose to worry? (I believe the converse of the above verse to also be true.) And the thing is, none of my worrying changed the outcome of any of those situations. In God’s sovereignty, He allowed the rain to fall and the sun to shine. The outcome was in His divine control, and my fretting did not change a thing. The only things worry did change were my peace of mind and my health.

So why do we do it? Why do we spend so much of our time fretting about matters small and large that are going to happen, or not happen, regardless? I used to think it was a major design flaw. God must have given us a faulty wire somewhere along the way. After all, He created us with a vast and detailed emotional network, so He must have made a mistake. But, wisdom eventually knocked on my faulty thinking and showed me that worry is a choice, not an emotion. Granted, some people are more prone to worry or even have anxiety disorders, but they will be the first to tell you that they have to make a conscious choice to “not worry.”

God has equipped us with the ability to choose, and we must choose trust over worry. Jesus tells us in the Gospels that we will  have trials in this life. He also exhorts us to not worry about things we need because our heavenly Father knows what we need before we do. He will not leave us high and dry! He may not give us our desired outcome, but He will give us what we need to sustain us in each and every situation. Perhaps if we could truly fathom His outrageous love, mercy and grace, we’d choose to worry a whole lot less. Maybe that’s the antidote: wonder, not worry. Learn more about God, His character, and His attributes so we can choose to be secure in Him. Besides, the time we spend with Him is time we won’t spend worrying.

In the words of Corrie Ten Boom, “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows. It empties today of its strength.”

GOING DEEPER:

1.  What types of situations trip your worry trigger?

2.  Try increasing your time spent in God’s Word and in prayer, getting better acquainted with Him.

FURTHER READING:

Matthew 5:45; Luke 12:27-31; Philippians 4:6

Susan is married to Mark, and has two adult children. She enjoys teaching Bible studies, writing, and tutoring with the Literacy Council. She is a member of the Peace Team at Oakwood.

Headed Home

By Brita Crouse

“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33 (NIV)

Confession: I have an irrational fear of frogs. Something traumatic with these animals must have happened to me in my childhood to evoke the reaction I have as an adult whenever I see one. Fear cripples me, anxiety overwhelms me, and irrationality makes me do things I normally wouldn’t do to escape the glassy-eyed gaze of one of those lumpy creatures. I know it is ludicrous to be afraid of something so harmless, but I can’t help it... frogs scare me!

I live off of a winding country road that runs parallel to a wide river. On this road, there is an abundance of wildlife, which is great for hunters and fishermen, but unfortunate for me. Whenever there is humidity or rain, the amphibians migrate toward the river, and to reach their destination, they have to cross the road I take to get home.

Driving on this road in these conditions, for me, is like going through the gauntlet. Frogs hop wildly in armies, trying to avoid my car, while I, with a white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel, do a terrible job of trying to dodge them. But, this is what I have to do if I want to get home.

While this experience is harrowing for me, it makes for a good life lesson. We are all traveling on this winding road of life, headed toward a final destination. Sometimes challenges or fears will jump out at us and we can either dodge them or “run them over.” Dodging our fears won’t make them disappear; they will just keep jumping in our path.  

If we face life’s challenges head on, we are promised we will not be doing it alone. Jesus doesn’t guarantee an easy life for those who follow Him, but He does guarantee to be with us always, even when we find ourselves paralyzed by our fears.

After driving down a road full of one of my greatest fears, I always feel a huge sense of accomplishment and relief once I finally make it home. As Christians, I think we will also feel these things once we make it to our eternal home in Heaven.

While we are on earth, many fears will jump at us, but if we “run over our fears,” trusting that Jesus is always with us, we will have a much easier time traveling down the winding path of life as we head Home.

GOING DEEPER:

1.  What fears do you need to “run over?”

2.  This week make 2 Timothy 4:7 your prayer.

FURTHER READING:

2 Timothy 6:12; Romans 8:15

Brita is currently working toward her Master’s in Counseling at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. She has called Oakwood her home church for the past seventeen years.

Be Still

By Peggy Kleckner

“The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

Exodus 14:14 (NIV)

Still: without sound; silent; not moving; tranquil, calm (Webster’s New World Dictionary)

What battle is raging in your life at present? In the lives of those around you? What fear is tapping incessantly on your shoulder or nipping at your heels? What chaos is threatening to overwhelm you?  What concern dogs your every moment?

How do we be “still” in the midst?

While the words of Exodus 14 were spoken by Moses to the Israelites, I believe there is a beautiful principle for us, as well. This verse says that the LORD will fight for us, and it also gives us our instruction, “be still.” Why are we so willing to try and do the LORD’s part but fail to practice our part?

We, as believers, seem to be willing to do, to go, to take up, to take on, but we are not very willing to be still. Stillness feels unproductive. Keyword in that sentence: feels.

I think God would be pleased to see us lay down our doing and come before Him in stillness. He would delight to have us step away from our doing, to lay aside our pleading and to get quiet, to get comfortable, in His presence. Certainly lay before Him our concerns, but then just be still with Him. Give Him the gift of our time and our presence and accept the same from Him. Time set aside to let Him search our heart and for us to search His.

There is a time for doing, but not until after we have become still before Him. Stillness denotes trust. We aren’t still when we don’t feel safe. We must learn to feel safe in Him. It is to Him that we surrender our all, not to our enemy. It is to Him that we bring our time and our efforts. It is Him that we seek for counsel, protection, direction, fellowship, love. He is the answer that we seek.

To be still in the midst of our present chaos is to have practiced being still in the midst of all of our other days. We must be like a batter who can hit when the crowd is booing or cheering, because he has practiced when no one was watching.

Practice: to do or engage in frequently; make a habit of, to do repeatedly so as to become proficient

May we each spend time practicing our part: stillness, so as to better trust Him to do His part: fight for us.

GOING DEEPER:

1   Will you come and sit before Him long enough to become still?

2.  Can you let go of your painful circumstance and trust that He will fight for you?

FURTHER READING:

Psalm 46:10; Psalm 37:4; Psalm 40:1

Peggy is a wife and mother of four adult children - - two sons and two stepsons, and is an active encourager at Oakwood Church in Delafield. 

From a Distance

By Lisa Boyer

“But He gives us more grace.”

James 4:6a (NIV)

I love taking pictures and capturing nature and wildlife has become one of my favorite hobbies of late. This summer, I’ve had the privilege of photographing indigo buntings, a red squirrel, hummingbirds, a baby bunny nursing, male and female orioles, a baby cardinal, twin fawns, a red-tailed hawk, a pair of mallard ducks, and more birds than I can identify…all in my yard. And when I’m not home, I find I’m subconsciously looking for nature scenes worth capturing….

Several times, I’d driven past an amazing-looking apple tree with the brightest red apples I’d ever seen. Eventually, I found a moment to stop to take a picture. As I stood under the tree, I saw the apples weren’t as wonderful as they appeared from the road. Yes, they were bright red, but up close I could see bruises and insect damage. Not wanting to give up, I searched the tree for the right angle to take a picture from, but the wasps swarming the apples made the perfect picture impossible to get. I was seriously disappointed.

As I drove away, I considered how often life is like that. From a distance, things can look so perfect, but get close enough and flaws are revealed. Relationships are ideal for bringing out flaws. The fall of man  - - Adam’s sinful act in the garden - - and our own sin affect us in such negative, and often painful, ways. Let’s face it: We are imperfect beings living in an imperfect world.

But just because getting close to someone reveals our and their imperfections, let’s not keep others at a distance because of it. How we handle imperfections can speak louder than words themselves.

Consider what the response might be if we graciously accept others when their imperfections are painfully obvious. They may see the love of Jesus being lived out for the first time. And what if when our own imperfections come to light, we respond humbly and ask for forgiveness? People will recognize that there’s something extraordinary about us, providing an opportunity to share Jesus with others!

While imperfections may indeed ruin our picture-perfect image, they can also reveal that we live lives of grace, ever dependent on God’s grace…and that is truly a beautiful picture! 

GOING DEEPER:

1.  Are you living out God’s grace in your life? Today, will you take time to thank Him again for all He’s done for you?

2.  Do you hide your imperfections, or pretend they don’t exist? Today, will you ask God how to deal with them in a way that pleases and honors Him?

FURTHER READING:

2 Peter 1:3; Ephesians 1:7; Romans 8:10

Lisa has been married to Ted for 23 years and they have two sons in college. Lisa serves in Quest 56 on Sunday mornings at Oakwood. 

Grace²

By Elin Henderson

“…but where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.”

Romans 5:20b (NKJV)

We all know that things these days are getting uglier and uglier. Sin, in its variety of forms, plagues us all and isn’t a favor of persons; quote unquote saved people are often exposed to serious sin just as unsaved, worldly people are. Some of us come from families where deep-rooted shame and sin were prevalent. Others are working in an atmosphere that is inundated with sin. Very few, if any of us, escape the grips and consequences of it. 

This verse in Romans 5:20 gives us a tremendous piece of hope. Where sin exists, it’s like Grace exists in ² or “squared” form.  For those of us who aren’t up on our math, to “square” something is to multiply it by itself, in other words “to the power of 2.” So, if the sin in your family was a “5” then Grace was 5² (5x5=25).  The more the sin, the more the grace that abounds. If your workplace rates a whopping “50” then Grace rates a SUPER WHOPPING 50² or 2,500!  Granted, this is just our number system, God’s could very well be WAY more!!

No matter the dysfunction you are in or come from, where sin abounds, grace abounds MUCH MORE! It turns us from victims to conquerors! True, we may have been wronged, but the grace available for healing and restoration is SO MUCH MORE than the hurt and sin ever was, if only we will embrace it! 

So, even more than just the word sufficient, we find His grace to come in the square form of abounding to compensate for the pain! This concept is really mind blowing (in my opinion) and has the power to change the view of our past, present and even future if we allow it!  Let Grace² be the motto of our lives today!   

GOING DEEPER:

1.  Do you think that Grace³ (to the power of 3) or even Grace⁴ (to the power of 4) could exist?  Or could we also call it Grace^God  “Grace to the power of God”? WOW!

2.  How can we share our Grace² with others when we tell our life story?

FURTHER READING:

2 Corinthians 12:9; Hebrews 4:16

Oakwood’s missionaries Elin Henderson (a registered nurse) and her husband Phil serve as church planters with New Tribes in Mozambique, Africa.  Elin is mother to fourteen-year-old Callie and twelve-year-old Elias.

Getting Back to “One Nation, Under God”

By Susan Klein

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”  

2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV)

In his book One Nation,  Dr. Ben Carson challenges readers to consider the above verse. He states, “It is appalling how far our country has strayed from the principles of the founding fathers.” He quotes our second president, John Adams, as saying, “Our Constitution was made only for moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

Dr. Carson responds to this quote by saying, “Adams’ quote makes it clear that the founders did not want to extract God from our lives, but rather intended for his principles to be a central feature of our society. What they wanted to avoid was a theocracy-like state where the church dominated public policy or where the government dictated religious practice. That was the whole point of the separation clause of the First Amendment.”

He goes on to say, “The fact that people want to take the words ‘under God’ out of the Pledge of Allegiance and others want to remove the words ‘In God we trust’ from our money, demonstrates the depth of misunderstanding of the First Amendment’s separation clause.”

So how do we, as Christ-followers, respond to these deviations from our forefathers’ intent? First of all, we respond. Sitting idly by is not an option. Believers must use their voices to defend not only the Constitution as it was intended and is written, but we must also proclaim God’s Word as it is written. We must vote for godly people, pray for God’s intervention, and speak truth at every opportunity… not fearing personal risk.

Pastor Tommy Nelson claims, “When Jesus spoke, ten percent of His words were quoting Scripture.” What if we were to follow that example today? What if parents, in rearing their children, used ten percent of their words to share what the Bible says? What if ten percent of what is taught in schools was scriptural? What if the government spent ten percent of their time discussing what God’s Word has to say about laws and public policy? This may be far-fetched, but we must definitely do more than we are doing.

As Paul exhorted Timothy, “Guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith” (1Timothy 6:20-21).

GOING DEEPER:

1. How might you stand up for the Truth?

2. Are you willing to take risks?

FURTHER READING:

Joshua 1:8-9; 1 Corinthians 15:58; Jude 17-23

Susan is married to Mark, and they have two adult children. She enjoys teaching Bible studies, writing, and tutoring with the Literacy Council. She is a member of the Peace Team at Oakwood, and she also co-leads a Wednesday Night Community small group.

Making Plans

By Brita Crouse

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

Ever since I was sixteen I knew.

It was when I realized counseling was what I wanted to do when I grew up. So I set my sights on achieving this dream. During my freshman year of college, I was led to a specific population to work with: traumatized children. I was called crazy for wanting to focus on this group, but I knew that’s where I was being called.

Throughout college and my “gap year,” I had several opportunities to work with this population. I worked with the underprivileged, the minority, the impoverished, the abused, the victimized, the homeless and the parentless. Each experience was more empowering for me, lighting the fire inside to help these kids realize the potential they possess. 

So last year, when my parents asked what I thought about hosting a seven-year-old orphan for the summer, you would think that I would be on board. But I wasn’t. Wondering what twenty-three-year-old me was going to do with seven-year-old him, I was pretty apprehensive.

It was with this attitude that I first greeted my now brother.

I’m so glad that God is a God of redemption and mercy - - because I was in need of forgiveness for my attitude. Throughout the summer he was with us, I learned about patience, compassion and unconditional love. In the middle of his time here, I traveled to his home country and stayed at the orphanage where he lived. This is where I met his younger brother. Meeting his younger brother went much differently than when I met him. When I met the younger brother, I knew he would be my brother, too.

It’s amazing to see God’s plan play out before your eyes. How would sixteen-year-old me have the foresight to know this would be my life in eight years? That the passion He instilled in me all those years ago would be so relevant and (hopefully) helpful to my family.

I’m thankful God took my once hesitant attitude and changed it to one of joy. I get to love on these two boys. I get to help them realize their true potential as people who are loved by our family, by our church community, and by our God.

I couldn’t have imagined my life would turn out like this. It makes me so grateful that God is in charge of our lives. His plans are so much better than mine.

GOING DEEPER

1.       What plans are you trying to make in your life right now? How can you be trusting God with your future?

FURTHER READING

Proverbs 16:9; Proverbs 19:21

Brita is currently working toward her Master’s in Counseling at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. She has called Oakwood her home church for the past seventeen years.

His Command

By Peggy Kleckner

“My command is this:  Love each other, as I have loved you.”

John 15:12 NIV

A command is given to those under authority. It is Jesus who is speaking in this verse. So the question is, “Am I under His authority?”

Sometimes, we seem to jump at any loud, overbearing voice. We jump and do what someone asks because they spoke it with what sounded like true authority, or at least what we imagine authority to sound like. Other times, we ignore the voice of authority for the simple reason that in our hearts lurks that old anger stomping its foot, proclaiming, “No one is ever going to tell me what to do again!”

Maybe it is time for us each to examine our hearts and ask, “Whose authority am I under?”

If I say that I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord (Master), then I am under His authority and this verse applies to me. To accept Him as Redeemer is to also accept His right to rule, His authority over my life because of the life He gave.

Too often, we want to be saved, but then we want to try and rule our own life. We don’t seem to recognize that it is this faulty authority that continues to lead us back to bondage.

Oh, to walk in the freedom of being under His authority! Authority that is powerful, yet compassionate; truthful, but kind; firm, yet gentle.

In this verse, Jesus declares that He is the authority by boldly proclaiming His command. And then, how does He go on to complete the command?  With the words “as I have loved you.” Amazing. We’re commanded to love by being rooted in His love toward us. Love that came for us, love that cared for us, not when we were deserving of it, or perfect. No, love that came for us “while we were yet sinners” (Romans 5:8).

We are called and empowered by  His rightful authority to love the unlovely, just as He loved us in our “unlovely” state. We continue to walk this earth with weaknesses and imperfections, but He loves us as if we are already completed. Do I acknowledge His authority and love others in that same way, laying aside their imperfections?

GOING DEEPER:

1.  Have I come under the authority of Jesus?

2.  Have I allowed His love to change me, so I in turn can love others?

FURTHER READING:

John 3:16; 1 Peter 4:8; 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Peggy is a wife and mother of four adult children - - two sons and two stepsons, and is an active encourager at Oakwood Church in Delafield.

Hello, My Name Is…

By Tracy Smith

“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—.”

John 1:12 (NIV)

There is song by Matthew West that really resonates with me. It is called “Hello, My Name Is.”  It starts,

Hello, my name is regret
I'm pretty sure we have met
Every single day of your life
I'm the whisper inside
That won't let you forget.

Hello, my name is defeat
I know you recognize me.
Just when you think you can win,
I'll drag you right back down again
'Til you've lost all belief [1]

Oh, how we can focus on all the things we feel we have failed at or the personality traits that make us feel “less than.” Focusing on the negative like this can make us feel defeated and ashamed.

The song goes on to say,

These are the voices, these are the lies
And I have believed them, for the very last time

Hello, my name is child of the one true King
I've been saved, I've been changed, and I have been set free
"Amazing Grace" is the song I sing
Hello, my name is child of the one true King [1]

Child of the one true King! Let that sink in. If you have put your faith in the Lord, you can claim this! Whenever the voices and the lies start up in your mind, remember they are lies and not from God (John 8:44).

Sometimes, we define ourselves by the sins we’ve committed. We identify ourselves with the things we once struggled or continually struggle with. We need to remember we are not defined by what we’ve done but who we are - - a child of the one true KING! 

GOING DEEPER:

1. Watch the video for the song by Matthew West. (http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=0F9EB1NU) Is there a negative name tag you see that you particularly identify with?
2. Will you commit to reminding yourself, “I am a child of the one true King” when you start believing the lies?

FURTHER READING:

Galatians 3:26; Romans 8:17

Along with being a wife and mother to two teenage sons, Tracy is a ministry assistant at Oakwood, serves on the Women’s Ministry Special Events Team and works with a great group of Junior High girls.

[1] West, Matthew. “Hello My Name Is.” Into the Light, Sparrow Records, 2012.