Microcosm of Life's Journey

The RSVPs are coming in! It is so exciting to see the names of folks who are making the journey to Florida from California, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Alabama, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, Iowa, Rhode Island, North and South Carolina, Texas and other locations around the country. Ayla and Rob have friends and family all over our nation, so to bring them together for this special occasion is so fun. I have delighted in hearing from precious friends who have messaged me with "Got my tickets!" or "We coming!"  or "Looks like we'll see you in Florida!" My heart is overflowing with joy at celebrating this day with folks near and dear to our hearts. God has truly blessed our family in this life journey with friends who are loving, fun and willing to carve time out of their busy lives to witness and celebrate this marriage. Praise Jesus!

We know to come for this wedding this is quite a sacrifice for many, and we pray will bless them as much as it will bless us and Rob and Ayla. And we look forward to celebrating again with Anton and Kayla in June of next year. I think what is so amazing about these celebrations, is that the guest list is a microcosm of our children's and their fiance's lives. People they have known and loved since infancy or met as young children. Some they have met in high school. Others in college. And still others from life post-college. Some from various churches they've attended. People from the different locations they've lived in. When you couples stand in front of these guests to say your vows, you truly will have your whole lives leading up to this moment sitting right behind you, supporting you, encouraging you, loving you, mentoring you and blessing you. These folks have helped shape who you are today. Some have prayed for you your whole lives. The conversations and stories these people could share with one another about this common tie they all have in you! To go around that reception hall and just simply ask, "How do you know the bride? How do you know the groom?" What a fun time!

My dear ones, how honored you must be to know the ones who love you will be part of the beginning to great new adventure for you! And the best part is ... it's a worship service! They will gather to witness your marriage and worship the One True God together with you! Glory to Him!

We want you to take time to reflect on the names of the souls who will make this journey to be at your wedding. Pray for them. Pray for their safe travels. Pray for the quality time you'll spend with them. Pray the Lord blesses them as they will bless you. And thank God for them. Philippians 1:31 says, "I thank my God every time I remember you." Thank God for the part they've played in your life, what they've witnessed in your life and will soon witness. What a marvelous journey this life has been and will continue to be. May it always be to God's glory!

Discussion: Share with one another some unique stories about some of the guests attending your wedding. Why is it important these folks witness your marriage? Share also about friends or family you wish could attend.

Prayer: Father God, thank You for each individual who will come to our children's weddings. We thank you for having our lives intersect theirs and thank you that they are coming to celebrate with us. Lord, You are amazing and we are blessed indeed by Your children. In Christ we pray, Amen.

Infectious Character

Recently Daddy and I spent some time with a couple who were not getting along. The bitterness, snippiness and arguing was getting wearisome. While it exhausted the two of us, that wasn't the worst thing to come out of the encounter. After visiting with them, Daddy and I started snipping at each other. In the middle of this, I commented to your Daddy, "Whatever demon was egging them on, was infectious and is taking a turn at us. We need to stop this right now." We took a step back from the ridiculous conversation we were having and realized the attitude of our friends was rubbing off on us. It was a lesson for us on many levels.

First, to be choosy about who you hang out with. Be sure to spend time with friends who are encouraging, uplifting and make wise choices. Who you spend time with will certainly affect your behavior. If you hang around people who are negative, argumentative, gossipy, bossy or unsupportive, it can be influential in your own relationships. Yes, you can be the shining light for them, but you want to be careful they aren't bringing you down instead. And second, that there truly was a lying demon at work doing some whispering and persuading to try to get Daddy and I pick at one another. We know this because the arguments were ridiculous, unfounded and such a waste of time. It was the only explanation that made sense. When you look at situations from a spiritual perspective, you can see it from a more holy and wise place. Like our post on July 6 about our battles against the "spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12), we knew this situation was of that ilk. It just had an evil feel about it.

So first examine yourself. What is your demeanor? Are you joyful? Are you encouraging? Are you empathetic? Are you kind? If you can answer those questions positively, then take a look at the people you are spending the majority of your time with. Ask those same questions of them. If you get negatives about any of those, perhaps you needn't spend as much time with them. You can, of course, start praying for them that their attitude change. The Bible has many verses about selecting companionship carefully. Proverbs 12:26 says, "The righteous gives good advice to friends, but the way of the wicked leads astray." Proverbs 13:20 says, "Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools suffers harm." Proverbs 22:24-25 say, "Make no friends with those given to anger, and do not associate with hotheads,or you may learn their ways and entangle yourself in a snare." 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, "Do not be deceived: 'Bad company ruins good character.'”

The righteous is a guide to his neighbor, But the way of the wicked leads them astray. - See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Choosing-Friends#sthash.NvfWhpNU.dpuf

The righteous is a guide to his neighbor, But the way of the wicked leads them astray. - See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Choosing-Friends#sthash.NvfWhpNU.dpuf

The righteous is a guide to his neighbor, But the way of the wicked leads them astray. - See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Choosing-Friends#sthash.NvfWhpNU.dpuf

The righteous is a guide to his neighbor, But the way of the wicked leads them astray. - See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Choosing-Friends#sthash.NvfWhpNU.dpuf

The righteous is a guide to his neighbor, But the way of the wicked leads them astray. - See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Choosing-Friends#sthash.NvfWhpNU.dpuf

Surround yourself with high caliber people. And even better, people who love Jesus Christ and are obedient to His Word. People who are happily married and with good communications skills. People who speak well of their spouse or significant other. People who love first. Because just as the ugly is infectious, so is the beautiful. And that makes our relationships so much more blessed.

Discussion: Share a time when the attitude of someone you were spending time -whether good or bad - with rubbed off on you. Are there any friends you spend time with who are not beneficial to your emotional well being?

Prayer: Lord we thank You for the sweet friendships in our lives. Those who love us and whose attitudes are examples of goodness. We pray we will be picky about who we spend too much time with that they will be encouraging to us as we are to them. In Christ we pray, Amen.

Let The Morning Bring Me Word

I try to imagine Christ sitting in my kitchen tapping his fingers on the table watching me as I walk back and forth. Watching me throw in one load of laundry, put out the garbage, grab a bowl of cereal ... waiting for me to just be still and know that He is God. To visit with Him. To share my thoughts, hurts, fears, worries and joys with him. To hear, through His word, what He wants to share with me today. There are some mornings when Christ would be left sitting there all day tapping his fingers waiting. And that's a tragedy. Think of all I'm missing.

A friend tweeted a meme the other day saying the five people you most hang out with are the ones who influence you the most. The meme was designed to get you to think about who your friends are? If they are negative and bitter, are you becoming likewise? If they are gossipers, are you also? If they make poor choices, are you following that example? And contrary to that, if they are enthusiastic, loving, encouraging, are they inspiring those traits in you? As soon as I saw the meme, I thought about those I most hang out with. The first name that came to mind was Christ. And I praise the Father for that. While I may let the busy-ness of my day or my distracted thoughts to take away from time I could and should be having with Him, for the most part, I try to make sure my life revolves around my Lord. And I pray His influence shows. And shouldn't we all have our Lord as one of those top five?

Not everyone has time each day to spend a portion of their mornings in devotion. Nor would we say you absolutely should. But we would certainly encourage it. A time of prayer. A time of Bible reading. Mornings are not my best time of day. I'm a late afternoon gal. Everything kicks in and I'm at the top of my game. You want me to complete a project at peak efficiency with the greatest results, have me do in the afternoon into the night. That said, I still make time nearly every morning for my Father. I have to make the time, because if I'm honest, I'm brain sluggish, have stuff to do and want to get started on my day. But then really, is there any better way to get started? Some folks say their devotion time is right before bed, which is great cause then you're sleeping all filled with the Word. But shouldn't our day begin that way as well? Before our feet hit the floor in the morning, give your day to our Father. Have your Bible sitting right there on your nightstand to reach out and grab His Word for your day. Even if it's just a bit, it's better than nothing at all. Let the Word fill you for the whole day.

I am sitting here writing this in the morning. Eyes half open, sun barely up, bed recently made. I've not had breakfast, coffee or even my devotion time with the Lord (unless you count this). So perhaps, my "not an early riser" comments above should be tweaked a bit. Because with the right motivation (my sweet, precious Father in heaven) you can do good things even during the times of the day that are typically your sluggish times.

Who are you spending time with? How are they influencing you? Can we encourage you, our dear children, to set time aside every single day for God? Psalm 143:8 says, "Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life." In Revelation 3:20 it says, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me." He's waiting. If you can give Him just a few minutes of your morning, you will find you become addicted to Him. You may find you cannot begin your day without that time. And then you may end up giving Him a few more minutes and then a few more. Give it a shot. We promise it will bless you, your relationships and your day in abundant ways.

Time for my morning devotions. Jesus is waiting.

Discussion: Do you spend time each day in prayer or reading God's Word? Do you pray together? What is a good time for your devotions? Have you tried giving Him a bit of your morning?

Prayer: Good morning, dear Father Almighty! Glory to you! Thank you for your Holy Spirit to teach and guide us this day, and we pray my focus is on you this entire day. Help us to remember to carve time in our day just to spend time with You. Bless me to be a blessing to others through your Word. Holy, holy, holy are You! In Jesus, Amen.

Friendships

Anytime someone who is on Facebook celebrates a birthday, a reminder notification pops up. It's a wonderful opportunity to wish friends far and wide a blessed birthday. A couple days ago - same day as Kayla's birthday - a notification showed up for my friend, Marlene Deatsch. Marlene was a line lady in food service at the University of Iowa. I worked with her for several years and just loved her to pieces. She was a like a mom away from home for me. When the notification popped up, I wished Marlene a Happy Birthday, but she will never see it. Marlene passed away in January 2013. I found out when I was getting ready to wish her a Happy Birthday on her Facebook page that year and noticed her granddaughter's birthday wish with a RIP next to it. I was startled and contacted her granddaughter to get confirmation. It was heartbreaking for me. I loved her very much. The last time I saw her was when she visited me in Tennessee the summer of 1992. I was pregnant with Anton and we spent the afternoon swimming in our apartment complex pool. We had a wonderful visit. She would live 21 more years, but I would never see her again.

I bring this up because I want you four to know the importance of the blessed relationships in your life, even the fleeting ones. You will have many, many people cross your path as singles and as couples. some will love you dearly. Others may not get along with you at all. That last batch, you can pray for and show compassion for, but the first batch ... you must cherish. Our world got smaller with the internet, allowing us to keep in contact with family and friends all over the world, and that is a blessing. But sincerely work on your face-to-face relationships. Our Father did not intend for us to be alone. He designed us to be a piece in His great plan, so in order for us to be effective at our part, He expects us to interact with His children. We love them, uplift them, correct them and tell them about Jesus.

Is there someone you haven't spoken too in awhile that means a lot to you? Write them a letter. Give them a call. Send them an email or text. Plan a visit. Let them know you were thinking about them. Are there people in your life currently that could be dear friends? Make the effort to reach out to them.Those who love you, love them fully. While it seems like you have the whole world ahead of you, our time here on earth is just a blip. So make dear friends and build up those relationships. These people will have your back and you will have theirs. Proverbs 17:17 says, "A friend loves at all times." So be one.

Discussion: Who haven't you heard from in awhile? Who is someone you could send a little sunshine to today? What are ways to make and enrich friendships?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we thank You for being our greatest friend and setting the example for how we are to love those around us. Nudge us this day to contact the souls we can uplift and encourage. Bless our friendships and let us not take advantage of those who love us. In Jesus, Amen.

Iron Sharpens Iron

We have groomsmen ... for both weddings! Rob will have his brother, Anton and two friends. Anton will have his best buddy, Carter, three other friends and Kayla's brother, Tommy. So the guys are covered. Now it's tux, shoes, cummerbund, tie and boutonniere deciding time.

Like the bridesmaids, groomsmen were selected to confuse evil spirits or enemies as to who the groom was, thus they all dressed like the groom. They groomsmen would protect the bride and bridesmaids from any potential kidnappers.

Nowadays, they are pretty much responsible for supporting the groom (keeping him relaxed, having fun, running last minute errands, reminding him of what he needs), holding a bachelor party for him, seating people and accompanying the bridesmaids down the aisle. The best man is responsible for holding the wedding rings (unless there is a ring bearer) and giving a toast at the reception.

These fellows are an important part of the ceremony and reception, because guys need all the support and encouragement they can get on this special day. But not only that, guys need friends, support and encouragement throughout their lives. God has men as the spiritual heads of their home, providers and leaders. It's a tall order for men, so to have a support group of friends in these endeavors is very important.

Scripture tells us in Proverbs 27:17 "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another," showing how important it is to have male friends in your life that can hold you accountable, don't hesitate to correct you and can support you when you need it. A friend like that is a treasure indeed and needs to selected carefully. In Proverbs 12:26 it says, "The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray." Then in Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up." Everyone needs a good friend.

Thankful that both Anton and Rob will be surrounded by men they count as dear friends and family.

Discussion: For the guys, who is the one person you count as your closest friend (aside from your fiance) and why? Why are close friendships important?

Prayer: Lord, we thank You for close friends that we can count on. Thank you for bringing those souls into our lives that mean so much to us. We pray that we can be the friends you ask us to be, loving at all times (Prov. 17:17). In Jesus, Amen.