I hope everyone had a blessed and amazing Holy Week last week – I know I did!

Today, I wanted to talk about identity. In this modern day, it’s hard to know who exactly we are. More specifically, who we are in Christ. There are so many outside forces telling us who we SHOULD be or what the world expects us to be. But friend, I want you to know that in Christ:

You are loved- (1 John 3:11)

“For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.”

You are forgiven- (1 John 1:9)

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

You are redeemed- (Ephesians 1:7)

“In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.”

You are a new creation- (2 Corinthians 5:17)

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

You are holy- (Hebrews 10:10)

“By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

You are set apart- (Romans 8:30-39)

“Moreover whom he did predestinate, then he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified: and whom he justified , them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, not powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

You are a temple of the Holy Spirit- (1 Corinthians 3:16-17 ; 6:19-20)

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”

“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore, glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

You are made with purpose- (1 Peter 2:9 ; 4:10)

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light”

“As every man hath received the gift, even though minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”

You are loved beyond compare by a Savior that died to know you and save us from ourselves. 💜🌿

This might make some people uncomfortable-

Shouldn’t we all be prayer warriors?

I hear people say, “Oh, she’s such a prayer warrior!”

Or, “thankful for my prayer warriors out there!”

“Thank you for being the prayer warrior we all need!”

But shouldn’t we all be prayer warriors?

There’s nothing wrong with using the term, but if we are going to be using the term prayer warrior then it should be used to describe each and everyone of us. If we are praying like God says we should in the Bible, then aren’t we all prayer warriors?

But here’s the problem, we aren’t praying like we should. We might say a little prayer before we eat or sleep or that little time after worship but before the sermon. But that’s just the bare minimum!!

1 Thessalonians 5:17 says “pray without ceasing.”

Can you ask yourself this question – how often are you really praying?

Are you just doing the bare minimum?

Or are you praying without ceasing?

John 17: 20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Easter.

It’s a big, heavy awesome week. If you have time this week read all of John 17. In it Jesus is about to head to the garden of Gethsemane and He prays for Himself, His disciples who were with Him and me……and you.

It’s hard to wrap my head around what God planned and Jesus accomplished on the cross. It seems too much, it’s too big and I am so unworthy.

This prayer that Jesus prayed is one of unity. He wants us to be united with each other. We have the same Spirit dwelling within us so why is it so hard? The difficulty lies in the fact that unity is how we are to reach the lost world. If we are separated that makes the world doubt our message. Thank goodness the Holy Spirit still draws people despite our shortcomings.

Jesus also prays for us to be united with Him. The Holy Spirit within us as believers unites us with Christ. We can walk and talk with Him at all times. God is in Jesus and His Spirit is in me. How much do I take that for granted? 😭. Jesus forgive me. It is so hard to keep a grasp of that, to walk in it and live that reality.

As we reflect on Jesus this week let’s try to stay in unity. What does that look like? It looks like me decreasing so He can increase in my life. I need to connect with the Spirit in a more conscious manner; allowing Him to rule and reign within me so my thoughts and actions become His.

Why do all this? Why not just jump on the world bandwagon of self?

Because He alone is worthy.

Sunday is coming.

Do you know the Lord has a perfect plan for your life? He wants to use you, but it’s not always going to look the way you expect it to look. I am completely humbled by the opportunity to write today. And I mean COMPLETELY humbled by the Lord! Two months ago, Mrs. Daisy so graciously asked me if I would be willing to write a devotion for this page. As I had a baby due in one month, I didn’t want to commit to a date sooner than that and then the baby decide to make an early arrival, so I asked to push it back to now. For some reason, I thought I would remember without putting a reminder on my phone, but I have terrible mom brain, and didn’t remember that I made this commitment until Mrs. Daisy texted me, “I need your picture, bio, and devotion by tomorrow, thanks!”

I immediately felt sick to my stomach that I had completely forgotten. Then I heard the Lord speak to me. “You have been asking me to use you as a vessel; here’s your opportunity. You don’t have time to make up eloquent words on your own, so lean completely on me.” Wow! YES, LORD. So here goes…

Many of you know the story of Joseph found in Genesis 37-50. For the sake of time, I am going to borrow part of Stephen’s sermon found in Acts 7. Stephen summarized the text for us.

“Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt. So Pharaoh made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace.”

“Then a famine struck all Egypt and Canaan, bringing great suffering, and our ancestors could not find food. When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our forefathers on their first visit. On their second visit, Joseph told his brothers who he was, and Pharaoh learned about Joseph’s family. After this, Joseph sent for his father Jacob and his whole family, seventy-five in all. Then Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our ancestors died.” Acts 7:9-15 (If you don’t know the details of this story, I would encourage you to go read in Genesis.)

What can we learn about forgiveness, God’s providence, and why He would want to use little ol’ me (us) for furthering His Kingdom? What we can learn is that when we step back and view our lives through a biblical or Godly lens, we can give forgiveness and have peace knowing that God has a perfect plan for us. We can forgive our wrong-doers knowing that God didn’t use them for evil, but that He used evil to bring about goodness and provision in our lives. We forgive because He first forgave us. He is THE God of possible. He is not a God who only lives in the moment, but He lives in the past, He’s with us in the present, and He is planning our future. When you commit your life to Christ, it doesn’t stop there! He wants to take you further than you’ve ever been in His presence. He is calling you for more! Don’t let un-forgiveness and bitterness hold you back from stepping into the calling that God has on your life.

Like many educators, I find myself burnt out. I’m tired of carrying the burdens of the world, the pressure of my job, and the stress of raising a family in a broken world. I’m also a little fed up with the normalization of sin. What is wrong with the world? How can I pull myself out of the darkness and feel hopeful again?

Like me, hundreds of thousands of teachers are running on empty or left the profession altogether. We are losing good, God-fearing teachers every day.

Being a classroom teacher has never been more challenging. Teaching in the information age means we are up to our eyeballs in data, differentiation, IEPs, accommodations, unprecedented behavior problems, and a global pandemic.

Teachers have been through the wringer. And what solutions have been offered? Not much besides the age-old jeans pass, and the ludicrous panacea called “self-care.” Even a pay raise isn’t enough to keep teachers from burning out.

How do we keep good teachers from giving up and throwing in the towel? Well, teachers are asked to be superheroes every day. What we need is supernatural healing, restoration, and inspiration.

We must remember this is not about what we can do but what HE can do.

There is only one solution for dry, thirsty, burned-out teachers—the living, restorative water of Jesus. Of course, this thirst-quenching love isn’t just for teachers but anyone seeking Him.

When I began to seek the presence of God in a more purposeful way, He gave me a renewed hunger for the Word and a thirst for the Holy Spirit. The deeper I went, the more I heard that still, small voice telling me to share this with teachers–telling me to move!

What happens when God says, “MOVE?” You pray! And hopefully, you are swiftly obedient. I am moving into a new calling. Part of that call is starting a new Instagram account to support teachers with the love of Jesus (@JesusLovesTeachers).

I want to encourage educators who have lost hope in their calling. And if you hear that still, small voice pushing you to do something, I pray you are obedient. What God has in store for us is so much better than anything we could imagine. I can’t wait to see where He is leading us!

Things stay busy for me. To be sure, I’m not a victim of my busyness. I choose it. I have an extroverted, highly productive personality, and I like to keep my days full. On top of that, I am raising two small kids and working full time (and then some) to coordinate a large nursing program. I joke with people saying that I’m a firefighter. Part of my role as a parent and a program coordinator is putting out fires I didn’t start, solving everyone else’s problems. When the day finally calms, I don’t want to do anything that makes me think so I usually fill my mind with a random book or TV show. Maybe I binge some snacks. Over time, I have bought into this idea that rest will be found in this place that lacks structure and discipline. After all, I deserve this, right? In Psalm 23:3, King David says, “He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” The reality is that God is inviting me to a place of restoration that only comes from Him. There is a temptation to buy in to the world’s version of rest, which is sometimes just a fancy word for sin. God knows that only He can provide what we need, and it will not be found in a self-serving heart. No amount of “treating yourself” will restore our souls. Restoration will be found as we humbly let the Father lead us on paths of righteousness. May we not take the bait to check out after a long day or believe that we deserve to sin. We tend to reserve that word for the “big” things, but that’s how the enemy gets us. Binge eating at the drive through and reading a trashy romance novel can be just as deadly as cocaine. Don’t flirt with destruction. The only way we can provide Living Water to fight the daily fires is to allow the Father to fill the well from which we draw. Beloved, the world needs the Living Water that God wants to pour out of you.

Above all

An excerpt from an advice book given to my 12 year old daughter:

“Above all… love yourself! Loving yourself and learning to accept all your quirks is…. truly the most important thing you can do to boost your self-esteem. Whether you start by recognizing the little things or completely fall head over heels for your fabulous self, you can start your journey to promote self-love.”

I threw it away. 

I thought about just ending this whole piece with the aforementioned statement. But somewhere between “mic drop” and “well, that was arrogant,” it may be helpful to see why I responded that way. 

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” 

“…For the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.”

“And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.”

“‘You shall shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’”

“‘And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’” 

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

I cannot reconcile the two messages. Can you see the dilemma? I cannot possibly love myself above all AND love God above all (“with all my heart/strength/mind/might/soul”). So, this means I have to choose. I’m tempted to say this issue is layered and complicated, but really, it isn’t. This isn’t about human dignity or value. The heart of the problem here is a problem with the heart. If I love myself above all else, then nothing else matters. If I love myself above all else, then nothing else matters, because loving myself is the only thing that matters. 

How can we commit to Love Ourselves Above All Else and Love the Lord our God With ALL of Our Everything? We can’t. It seems that loving all involved with a whole-hearted “die for the whole world” kind of love belongs to God alone. So, human love doesn’t have the capacity to engulf ourselves in a whole-hearted love that also gives the same attention and affection to something bigger and more superior to us simultaneously. To love something above all means I’m going to go head first and forsake other things because what I’m pursuing out of love is most important. If I teach my daughter that she is number one and to “love herself above all,” then that also means that the lesser thing is forsaken. If she’s first, then God cannot be. If I’m first, then God cannot be. 

Know what the ironic thing is here? When God is first, all these other things are added to us.** The other ironic thing? In order for us to love ourselves above all else, unable to commit to loving God above all, then we do the one thing that God promises to never do, which for Him, is to never leave nor forsake us  (Hebrews 13:5). If I want my daughter to be kind, compassionate, considerate, and a host of other desirable characteristics including loving, then how could I possibly expect that her pursuing “self-love” above all is going to produce an outward focused human? 

Throwing away books might not be your thing. But… what message is taking up space on your shelves? That poor book. I did toss it and not only that, but I took liberty to re-write the author’s paragraph using a different Book I own. Now, you try. 

“Above all.. love the Lord your God! Loving yourself and learning your quirks is… truly the most important thing you need to surrender. Whether you start by expressing gratitude or completely fall head over heels for the God who created you, you can start your journey to living a life built on a strong foundation.” 

*Deuteronomy 6:5, Deuteronomy 13:3, Deuteronomy 30:6, Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27

**Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Ashley Behn

business:: https://www.facebook.com/ashleybehnembroidery/

blog:: https://mommentarybyashleybehn.wordpress.com

In every season I have a reason to sing.

Let me start by saying that I am NOT a singer.

I have zero musical bones in my body.

Regardless, I have learned to sing to my King.

I have always loved singing along with worship music.

I let it play in the background of my quiet times.

I keep K-LOVE on in my car.

I have some go-to favorites:

“Worthy of it All” by David Brymer

“Standing in Miracles” by Emmy Rose

“I Can’t Get Away” by Melissa Helser Naomi Raine

Worshipping along to pre-recorded songs and written words gives Him glory and honor, but there have been times when no predetermined lyric could quite reach the depths of my spirit.

When my four-day-old son was rushed to Texas Children’s in an ambulance.

When I walked through the deepest, darkest season of depression.

When I finally broke free from anxiety-induced drinking.

No words previously written could have captured my own spirit and soul.

No worship song already released properly relayed my message to God.

We were made that way.

We were created to sing our own songs.

We were made to worship from within our own spirit.

So, I just started singing.

It started out very simply.

I repeated words that resonated with me from other songs. While the worship team continued to the chorus, I sometimes stayed on the bridge, repeating the words that sparked my spirit.

Then, I began worshiping with instrumental music. I let the sounds wash over me as I waited for a song to spring up from within. Little by little, I sang words of worship strung together. Songs that were specific to my season, straight from my Savior, to be sung to my Savior.

In a time of waiting and longing, I sang this:

“I believe You will do it.

I will trust You through it.

I will praise You to it.

God, I know you are moving.

You are my victory, you defeat the enemy.

You have overcome, you said it was done.

So, I will believe. I will praise.

I will honor you all of my days.”

Over and over, I could come back to these words.

While I did the dishes. On my way to work.

“I believe You will do it.”

In a season of loneliness, isolation, and uncertainty, I sang:

“I’ve been wandering, wondering

where you went, where you have been.

I don’t feel the same. I’ve lost my flame.”

Something supernatural happens when we

open our mouths and let our message out.

We connect with God in a deep, intimate way.

We build our faith and strengthen our spirit.

We worship Him in spirit and truth.

Colossians 3:16 says, Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

There is a song inside of you.

There is a song inside of me.

And He wants us to sing.

You have words of worship in this season.

You have a voice that He wants to hear.

Your praise is a testimony of His presence.

You may simply sing, “You are here. You are near.”

Your worship is a way to wait.

You may sing, “I will wait for You. I will wait for a breakthrough.:

Your song is a plea for peace.

You may sing, “Still the water. Calm the sea. Won’t You draw near to me?”

You may just sing, “Jesus.”

No matter your season, sing.

Sing in your waiting, healing, grieving, wondering, resting, weariness.

Sing your song of deliverance, hope, waiting, believing, thanksgiving.

Psalm 96:1

Sing a new song to the Lord;

Let the whole earth sing to the Lord.

Psalm 40:3

He put a new song in my mouth,

A hymn of praise to our God.

Many will see and fear,

And they will trust in the Lord.