Month: October 2019

With it He touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” Isaiah 6:7

Isaiah had a face to face encounter with the LORD. It was glorious, but what Isaiah saw in the presence of God’s Holiness was his own sinful nature, his unclean lips. He was awed, yet overwhelmed with unworthiness.

Moments away from hearing God’s call, “Whom shall I send?” (verse 8) and shooting his hand in the air calling, “Pick me! Pick me!”  Isaiah felt catastrophic unworthiness.  God sends an angel to touch Isaiah’s lips, the organ in question, and he is forgiven, purified.  Atonement for sin is quickly and freely given.

Satan’s weapon of choice is man’s natural instinct to compare himself to God’s beautiful Holiness and find himself lacking. Disarm your evil foe!!  Heaven’s caress is for you too. Lift your face to the Son, feel the touch of God upon you and stand strong in the power of His purity.

Blessings,

Gretchen

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! THANKS FOR EVERYTHING!

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  Hebrews 12:1

Imagine you are warming up for the race of your life. You glance into the stadium seats and recognize many elite champions who once stood at your same starting line, run a similar race and crossed the finish line in victory.  Now they are cheering for you, sending encouragement and screaming, “God’s got this, you can do it!”  You are pumped and able to get in your zone where nothing distracts or inhibits.

When you need an extra portion of faith, borrow from those who have triumphantly gone before you. Stand in the power of your redemption and stay the course with your eye on the cross where indisputable victory was won!

And if you’re feeling strong today, stand in someone’s cheering section or run beside them, take their baton and run a lap on their behalf. It’s the legacy of the faithful, it’s what we do.

Go Get Em’!

Gretchen

He humbles you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that people do not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. Deuteronomy 8:3

Manna was a new food created for the sole purpose of satisfying the newly freed Hebrew’s palette and nourishment needs. That’s amazing and awesome!

It was not God’s plan that His people stay in one place long enough to cultivate fields for food, nor were they to spend their time hunting and gathering. They were on their final journey to the Promised Land. God’s plan was to love and restore a faithful people by providing all their needs.

God has NOT retired from the manna business. With humble heart, look to Him to supply all your needs and with the greatest glories of the universe He will design a fulfilling, sustaining and unending manna, new and specific to you. Growing strong and faithful in the wilderness leads to the rest of the Promised Land.

Feasting,

Gretchen

I thank my God every time I remember you. Philippians 1:3

All of Paul’s letters being with some variation of this beautiful salutation.

When I finally finished college and secured a teaching job, I posted these words above my desk so I would never forget the gift of students and the people invested in who I became. As the years have come and gone, my gift list has grown considerably.

Today, I encourage you to consider those you share life’s intimate moments with. Reflect on the miracle God has woven together in this moment in time and space. You won’t be able to help smiling and feeling all big inside. And, you will be compelled to live worthy of the privilege and long for their eternal life.

Happy Friday!

Gretchen

Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.  Be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with His own blood. Acts 20:28

Paul is bidding farewell to the Elders of the Ephesian churches.  He is on a quest to reach Jerusalem by Pentecost where he knows his passionate proclaiming of the Gospel will end with him in chains.  He does not expect to ever see these friends again this side of Heaven.

Over 200 times in the Bible, God’s people are referenced as sheep, members of a flock. My skills and knowledge of husbandry are limited. However, there is google, and I learned sheep are hardy, social animals that can exist in almost any habitat on earth. They have excellent hearing, but poor eyesight making them constant prey to the hazards of the wild and frequently victim to the tame.  Does this sound like anyone you know?

Paul’s plea to the shepherds, who happen to be sheep also, is to be wary of the evil that never sleeps and who’s sole work is to destroy the church. 

My friends, if I knew that I would never write another word, never see, hear or talk to you again, I would spend my final breath telling you this…..Listen to God’s voice, He will guide you and keep you out of those pits and the mouths of wolves. His loving staff will bring you safely home.

All My Love,

Gretchen

Therefore I will praise you, LORD, among the nations; I will sing the praises of your name.  II Samuel 22:50 

David’s biography is full of unprecedented triumph and devastating failure. In all circumstances he recognized God alone as worthy of praise. 

Praise was vital to David’s spiritual victories:

It turned his face to the Throne of God.

It drowned out the voice of doubt.

It kept his focus on God’s power.

It granted clarity to every situation.

Praise will do the same for you.

Love,

Gretchen

At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. Daniel 6:4

Ethics: What you have when no one’s looking.  Hypocrisy:  What you have when the person everyone sees and the person no one sees aren’t the same.

There are many things to be learned from Daniel’s story, (I encourage you to read it) but the bottom line is this:  Daniel’s ethical behavior made a difference in the world and glorified God to both kings and serfs. 

If the only bad thing someone can say about you turns out to be fictitious, then you’re in good company with Daniel and you will probably change the world too.

Live Boldly!

Gretchen