A New School Year Begins (and Scripture Memory Verse for September)

Welcome Back!! We hope you had a wonderful summer and we are so excited to connect here together in this upcoming year! We have been praying for you as some of you have started and been in school for a couple of weeks, for those who just started this week, and for those that have yet to begin. What an amazing year the Lord has in store for us coming up!

As we shared last year, one of the heartbeats of Grace Engaged is the scripture memory program that we hope y'all will join in with each month! Each school year we will be picking one "theme" to look at in scripture. Last year our theme was "grace" and this year we have chosen "purpose". For the month of September we will be memorizing a portion of one of my favorite verses- Psalm 138:8 which states, "The Lord will fulfill His purpose for you."

What a beautiful verse to ponder and think about as we start this new school year. A year filled with unknowns and unexpected things ahead. A year that will be filled with highs and some lows and a year that we have an opportunity to fall more in love with the Lord and to share that love and grace to each person we encounter.

This verse is such a beautiful verse to memorize as we embark on this new adventure of this year. God has amazing things in store for you and you have a unique purpose that He has created you for. 

Throughout this month of September, let us memorize this verse and imprint it on our hearts. Let's pray for the Lord's guidance to show us what purpose He has in store for this year and in each of our lives. We are so excited to connect here with you and jump into this new school year! We are cheering you! 

Staying Motivated

Sometimes going back to everyday life after all the excitement of the holidays is challenging. The newness of 2016 is over and now it's back to school, back to everyday chores, and back to normal life. I used to try to start out every year with ideas of what I wanted to accomplish. Hoping to work harder, to get more done, to be a better person. But after a while the newness wears off, life gets busy and soon I don’t feel like using energy to do my best, even in the little things. The other day I read that about 45% of Americans make New Year’s Resolutions and that only 8% of people actually keep them. I guess a lot of people have the same problem!

Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be that way. God has given us in His word everything we need for “life and godliness” and the scriptures mention over and over how to live a fruitful life.  Here are a few verses that I have come to love that encourage me to strive to do my best.

Do it in Christ - “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in Him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5) We can do nothing apart from Him. We can have good intentions and good ideas. But if we really want to make a difference it has to be in Him. Spending time in His word and in prayer is a vital part of our relationship with Christ.

Do it for God’s glory - "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31) My life is not my own and when I am doing things for God’s glory it gives me a special desire to do my best.

Do it Joyfully - "The Joy of the Lord is your strength." (Nehemiah 8:10)  Whatever you set your hands to do, do it in joy! Joy can only be taken away if our focus is in the wrong place. Knowing what God has done for me through Jesus Christ gives a peace and joy that really does give strength to carry on even when I’m tired. 

Do it Willingly - “Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve…For I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you.” (Matt 20:26-28, John 13:15) A lot of doors are opened just by being willing to serve others. I’ve read books about missionaries and heard so many stories of people that had a huge impact for the gospel by serving those around them.

Do it Faithfully - “The one who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much.” (Luke 16:10) It might seem that the tasks are little and insignificant, but maybe God is using them to prepare us for something greater. Be faithful in all things!

My prayer for all of us is...

 “That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and long-suffering with joy.” Colossians 1:10-11

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We here at Grace Engaged have been so blessed by Hannah's blog contributions and the entire Wissmann Family's love and devotion to the Lord. If you would like to connect with them, view their schedule of concerts, or purchase their music (which we highly recommend), you can connect with them at their website, on instagram, or on their Facebook page. Thank you Hannah for your beautiful blog post contributions this year! You are a blessing!! 

Monthly Scripture Memory Program: March (Hebrews 13:9)

As we shared in September, one of the heartbeats of Grace Engaged is the scripture memory program that we hope y'all will join in with each month! Each school year we will be picking one "theme" to look at in scripture and for the 2015-2016 school year we have chosen "grace" as our theme. For the month of September we memorized a portion of 2 Corinthians 8:7 and for October we memorized a portion of Ephesians 2:8. For November we memorized Hebrews 4:16 and for December we memorized John 1:14 and in January we memorized I Peter 4:10. For the month of March we are memorizing a portion of Hebrews 13:9 that states; "Your strength comes from God's Grace". 

One of the things that we are passionate about here at Grace Engaged is encouraging ladies to know that we have a Savior who not only loves us big and beautifully but one who is fully involved and present in our lives and pours out His lavish love on us each day.

These past two months things have been quiet around the website and here on the blog. We appreciate your patience as several of our team members (and myself included) have been dealt some difficult life circumstances, including deaths in the family, illness, difficult relationship issues, and several other personal issues. In the midst of all of these circumstances we are seeing more than ever the wonderful blessing of grace in our lives. We see how our strength for the daily battles and issues that we face are able to be faced because of the Lord's strength. In our brokenness we are driven to the Lord and to His faithful and loving grace. 

As we celebrate Easter this month we are beyond grateful for the Lord's grace in our lives. We are praying for you dear friends and we appreciate the way that you have lovingly understood our struggles these past two months.

Happy March friends! May you be encouraged as you memorize this verse and may we all see the beautiful grace of God in our lives in fresh ways in the days ahead!

Friendship

Friendship can be tough, especially in high school where everything and everyone

changes. Your middle school friends aren’t even recognizable, they have each gone

their own way and you are left to hurriedly find your new crowd, your new best

friends, the people that will make you survive high school. It’s a tough time really

and I certainly struggled the first year because everything was so new and fitting in

was definitely tempting.

While you are on your search, to find yourself, to find your friends, to find where

you belong, it’s important you stay true to yourself. I know you might be thinking,

“How can I stay true to myself and fit in?”. High school is all about trends, and doing

what everyone else is doing but most of the time, what everyone else is doing, isn’t

the right thing at all. It can be hard to willingly not fit in, but you will grow true

friendships from it. You will find people that understand you and that have the same

interests and that like you for who you are.

In Corinthians chapter 1, verse 15:33 it states, “Do not be deceived: “Bad company

ruins good morals” You are righteous for you are a woman of God, you are blessed with good morals and changing that just to “fit in” is not worth it, I can guarantee it. So do not change for anyone! Do not become someone you are not, so you can fit in with people that do not care about you. Instead focus on God and his ways and He will lead you to

similar minds, similar people, people of God and together, you will survive high

school and develop your newest friends in Christ.

Cultivating a Heart of Worship

Photo Credits: Kori Wissmann

Hello from across the miles! My name is Hannah and I am the ninth of 13 siblings who, with my parents, are my very best friends and role models. God has given our family the incredible opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus Christ through music all over the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This was not something that our family had ever imagined doing, but God opens doors that no man can open and I am so grateful!

Photo Credit: Bethany Beasley

I’ve seen God answer so many different prayers over the years, and we’ve been able to tour places that most people only get to read about. But life on the road is also a significant amount of work and I have my challenges just like you. Life doesn’t always go as we plan, and we often run into unexpected problems. Maybe we are discouraged, or having health issues. Maybe something happened with a school or home project. Perhaps it’s just a wrong attitude that we are having a hard time changing.

That is the perfect time to cultivate a heart of worship, because God is so much bigger than our problems. I’ve found that when I take my eyes off of myself: what I feel like or what my “problems” are and instead focus on who God is and what He has done, then I am left in awe of God’s awesome power, faithfulness and goodness. He sees the big picture. If I fully trust that He will mold me into who He wants me to be for His glory, then worshiping and surrendering to Him with my whole heart is the best thing I can do. You can read in Psalms where David worshiped God when he was on a mountain top and you’ll find that he had the same heart of worship when he was in a valley with King Saul in pursuit of his life. Having a heart of worship and gratitude is not based upon outward experiences, but it is a constant trust in who God is. 

Sometimes worshiping Jesus is exactly what it takes to help me change my attitude or surrender my problem. Here are a few practical ideas which I have found to be helpful in cultivating a heart of worship:

                        Start each day in the Word.

There is nothing like starting each day with a firm foundation of truth! The Bible is living and active, and it is His very precious gift to us. There is nothing that can take the place of God's Word!

                    Memorize Scripture.

We need spiritual food just as much as physical food, and memorizing scripture is a wonderful way to keep God’s Word constantly before you.

                  Play worship music.

Music can be an extremely powerful tool and is often used to create an atmosphere in a room. Sometimes when I don’t exactly know what to pray I simply sing the lyrics of a worship song that says it for me.

Look to the needs of others.

Usually when I take time to see the needs of others, my wants become so minor, and I am soon just grateful for the blessings God has given me.

Photo Credit: Wissmann Family

Life is not about me. I don’t want it to be. It’s about Him! Having a heart of worship not only changes us and our perspective, but as we worship our Creator for Who He is, people around us get to “taste and see that the Lord is good!” 

Our family has adopted Psalms 40 as our theme, because it sums up the work God has done in our lives:

“I waited patiently for the Lord: and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth — praise to our God: Many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord.” 

-Psalms 40:1-3-

That is who God is. It is what He has done in our lives. And I pray it is a description of what He does in yours as well.

Who I Am In Christ

Who I Am In Christ sheet found HERE.

“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not to men.”

-Colossians 3:3-

In high school, you’d never find me on the basketball field or on the cheerleading team and certainly not running laps around the track. You’d probably find me in play practice or in a music rehearsal. I was totally the theater girl and would often get too wrapped up in the different roles of women that I would play in shows rather than focusing on the unique woman that Christ made me to be. 

I think that it’s so important in a high school experience to get involved because, hey, you only high school once (isn’t that how the saying goes?), but so often what we do becomes our identity of who we believe ourselves to be.

During my freshman year Health Class (moment of silence for those awkward times), a friend’s mom came in and we were talking about body image and self worth. She handed us a small, pink, laminated piece of paper that was titled ‘Who I Am In Christ". I took it home and taped it to my bathroom mirror and would read through the promises while I was getting ready in the mornings. 9 years later - that little pink paper filled with truth still hangs there.So, ladies, let me encourage you in 

saying that what you do is not all that you are. You are deeply loved as a daughter of Christ and, because of that, all of these promises are yours.

Isn’t this wonderful news?! You see, it takes the pressure off of our performance when we know that it’s not about us. As daughters of the King, everything that we do points to our infinitely greater heavenly Father. Eternally, whether we know every line perfectly in the play, know every dance step, sing or play every note correctly, or score the most points doesn’t matter. You are so much more than the things that you choose to fill your free time with. 

I love old hymns and this is a line from one of my favorites: 

“The bride eyes not her garment, but her dear bridegroom’s face. I will not gaze on glory, but on my King of Grace. Not at the crown he giveth, but on his pierced hands. The Lamb gets all the glory in Emmanuel’s land.”

The Lord recognizes our beauty and the proper use of the good gifts that he gives us. But, more importantly, let us delight in His beauty and the free grace he gives us to utilize the gifts that he freely gives us each day. 

So print your own version of the ‘Who I Am In Christ’ out and put it on your mirror, or throw it in a Ziploc baggy or a page protector and put it up in the shower. Be tenderly reminded that you already are everything you need ever be in Christ.

Monthly Scripture Memory Program: December (John 1:14)

As we shared in September, one of the heartbeats of Grace Engaged is the scripture memory program that we hope y'all will join in with each month! Each school year we will be picking one "theme" to look at in scripture and for the 2015-2016 school year we have chosen "grace" as our theme. For the month of September we memorized a portion of 2 Corinthians 8:7 and for October we memorized a portion of Ephesians 2:8. For November we memorized Hebrews 4:16 and for December we are memorizing John 1:14 which states: "The word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

One of the things that we are passionate about here at Grace Engaged is encouraging ladies to know that we have a Savior who not only loves us big and beautifully but one who is fully involved and present in our lives. 

This is especially important for those that are struggling with a difficult season of life. Despite the joy of the Christmas season, the holiday season can be especially difficult on people who are dealing with painful seasons of life. As much as there are things to celebrate there is just as much pain to cry through. The contrast of joy with the abundance of heartbreak and pain seems especially poignant at this time of year. It is at this season more than others the beautiful names of God, specifically the name Immanuel, God with us, becomes even more important. Immanuel is with us as we live and breath. This Christmas season and beyond let us celebrate the joy of having a Savior who has fulfilled the promise stated so long ago from the book of Isaiah. The beautiful promise of Immanuel, God with us. 

What a beautiful thing to be thankful for in this month as we celebrate the birth of our Savior. Happy December friends! May you be encouraged as you memorize this verse!

A Soldier’s Gear: The Importance of Bible Study

I want you to take a minute to imagine this: A war has started, soldiers have been recruited from all over the place to fight in what could be the most difficult war of their lives. As some of you might know, soldiers spend an extensive amount of time in training. Training their endurance, their skill, and getting prepared for when the war breaks loose. Now, imagine if war had broken loose and all those soldiers hadn’t spent their time in training. Getting to know the ins and outs of war, strengthening their bodies for what’s to come. Imagine they didn’t have the necessary tools to work with and imagine they didn’t have the protection they needed, what would happen? I cannot predict the future, but one thing is for sure: That battle would have been lost. Just like anything else you dive into without being prepared. 

In Ephesians 6:13-17 the bible states: “Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, hold your ground…… In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God”. 

Now, I’ll be one to admit, bible studying definitely took time to grow on me. I would sit, and read, and not understand and simply close the bible. Not one bit of motivation to go back and read some more. Time was always an excuse; exhaustion after a long day was one as well. Until one day, where it all changed.  You see, I couldn’t take it anymore. 

People would ask me about my faith and I wasn’t able to give concrete proof or even answers for that matter. People would ask me for advice and I could not refer to one bible passage to soothe their crying hearts. I was loosing the battle. That was the day I DECIDED I wanted more of God, more of his word, more of his Spirit flowing through me, strengthening me for when I was weak, loving me for when I was unloved, forgiving me for when I could not forgive myself, and with his word I became stronger. I became prepared for battle. 

I am here to tell you to put on your armor of God. You have to make the choice. Dive into what is the most love-filled experience. May you ask the Holy Spirit to give you understanding so you may fully dive into the words God has prepared for you. We find time for so many unimportant things in our lives, find time for what actually matters. 

May God continue to bless you and your journey, and may your battle be fought with love and compassion. Put on your armor, darling! You have been chosen!

Trust

photo: Zoey Orlans

“You lead me beside still waters….” 

-Psalm 23:2-

My senior year of high school. What a roller coaster of thoughts, emotions and events. At times my heart would be bursting with all of the blessings and joyful moments that the Lord brought in that special year. However, at other times the tears would come. That’s the thing about senior year. There are so many unknowns and change is racing towards you. Some of my classmates were extremely excited to go to college and leave our hometown behind. I, however, was not one of those. The Lord greatly blessed me with friends, teachers and mentors who poured in to me and encouraged me. I loved my life and was not ready for it to change. 

Photo: Zoey Orlans 

(Rebecca, thank you for having such a huge impact in my life. The three of us were so blessed to have you as a teacher, mentor and friend!)

Photo: Zoey Orlans

(“The Fabulous Five", Thanks for loving me unconditionally!)

But the Lord had different plans for me. He gave me that strong foundation of community and encouragement so that I could be launched in to a new phase of life. College was new and crazy, scary yet exciting. The one word that keeps coming to mind when I think of my first year in college is trust. It is clear now that trust is what the Lord taught me through all of the transition and change. I learned that the hard way and through many tearful nights, but the Lord was faithful through it all and kept saying to me – Zoey trust me. I have you in the palm of my hand. God blessed me with a new community at UGA and I had a deeper sense of community than ever before. I am forever thankful for the people He placed in my life.

photo: Zoey Orlans

(The most amazing group of people. They represent every sense of true community.)

My relationship with Jesus changed my first semester of college. He became the only one who could satisfy me and the only one who was there every moment of every day. It’s a hard but beautiful thing to be in that place of full reliance on the Lord. Your beliefs and faith really must become your own once you move out and make decisions for yourself. It’s a new time in life that comes with a lot of fun and excitement, but also makes you think about what you believe and who or what you are going to believe in.

Through all of the different lessons and growth in my relationship with the Lord that first semester of college, He was constantly changing my heart and teaching me to fully trust in His word. Little did I know that He was preparing me for one of the biggest tests of my life. One morning, towards the end of my freshman year of college, I woke up and the world was spinning. I could not maintain my balance and could barely even open my eyes. This strange vertigo spell was the first sign of what was coming my way. About three months later I found out that there was definitely something wrong. One doctor diagnosed me with Lyme Disease. Another said I had absolutely nothing wrong with me. Still another said that I had fibromyalgia and the list went on and on. While doctors could not decide and diagnose what I was dealing with, I continued to feel worse and worse and became a shell of myself.

 Fast forward two years and I’m taking a trip to Baltimore to see a team of experts. Still no answers. And now, almost three and a half years later I still don’t have answers. However, there has been a constant theme; the fact that trusting the Lord was and is the only thing that I could do and can do now. He gave me joy in that. I was never worried about what would happen during this time. I knew that God was sovereign and He would take care of all of the details. I just had to trust that He would bring me through it. Now it wasn’t easy, and every doctor appointment brought along anxiety, some fear, and sometimes anger that American doctors could not figure out the problem. But I was consistently reminded that doctors are human beings and they can’t have all of the answers. Only God knows all.

I share all of this to say, how did God teach me to trust? By giving me hard things. By turning my world upside down. All while consistently leading me and guiding me and loving me. When I had answers and when I didn’t have answers. I could have decided not to trust at all. To believe that God was not sovereign. However, Psalm 46 became my constant encouragement and came to my mind over and over again.

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within HER, she WILL NOT FALL; God will help her at break of day. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”

Friends, the Lord is good all of the time. He is good when we are hurting. He is good when we are excited for what’s to come. He is good when we are doubtful about the future. I encourage you to take a leap of faith in whatever circumstance you might find yourself in right now. Trust in Him. The one who knows your heart, is full of grace and who is sovereign above all. 

Monthly Scripture Memory Program: November (Hebrews 4:16)

As we shared in September, one of the heartbeats of Grace Engaged is the scripture memory program that we hope y'all will join in with each month! Each school year we will be picking one "theme" to look at in scripture and for the 2015-2016 school year we have chosen "grace" as our theme. For the month of September we memorized a portion of 2 Corinthians 8:7 and for October we memorized a portion of Ephesians 2:8. For November we are memorizing Hebrews 4:16 which states: "So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most."

One of the things that we are passionate about here at Grace Engaged is encouraging ladies to know that we have a Savior who not only loves us big and beautifully but that we can come to at any time, especially in our hour of need. He is always ready to meet us with grace and mercy. 

What I love about this verse is that there is great promise and hope that we can come just as we are. So many of our humanly relationships that we have are based off of what we have to offer someone. Lots of time in high school it always seems that we have to be "popular" enough to fit in with a certain group of people. The beautiful thing about the gospel is that we can come BOLDLY to our Heavenly Father and Savior knowing that we are approaching the King of Kings and that we will receive His mercy when we come and that we already completely belong. We don't have to do anything but come. 

Joni Eareckson Tada once said: "Scripture calls everyone of s to the throne of grace, but doesn't tell us how to get there. Maybe it doesn't matter. Run, walk, or crawl on your stomach through the muck. Come in your tears, come in your rage, come in your perplexity, come in your anguish of soul, just come and mercy awaits you."

What a beautiful thing to be thankful for in this month where thanksgiving and gratitude are the focus. Happy November friends! May you be encouraged as you memorize this verse!

Meditating On and Memorizing Scripture- Journal Ideas

Today I (Rebecca) wanted to share a subject that is precious to my heart- spending time meditating on scripture. Over the years I have studied scripture in different ways. In college Theology was my major and became the deepest study of my life. After college I felt incredibly blessed to have had the foundation of theology so that the relationship that I cultivated with the Lord grew more and more and was beyond just being based on emotion. I loved having the opportunity to study and understand the Bible and memorize scripture. The truth is I still  love getting into God's word everyday - and I see how "living" His word is in so many ways.

But one area that I used to struggle with is on memorizing scripture. Do any of you struggle with this to?  Honestly I would try so hard in my quiet time with the Lord but I just struggled. Memorization has not always come easy to me and I would marvel at those who seemed to be able to quote entire books of the Bible with no problem! 

Several years ago I came across Psalm 119:11 which states, "your word I have treasured in my heart" and immediately I was convicted as I wanted to memorize and treasure God's word in my heart. I started to pray about how I could memorize scripture better. I started thinking about how I am "wired" and how I could meditate on scripture so that it truly went deep into my heart. I bought a new Bible (I will share more about this in the future) and since I am a "journal writer/drawer/alterer" I knew that for me I needed to do something artistic with scripture.  I have found by writing, drawing, paining, and scrapbooking into a journal I have been able to truly mediate and memorize scripture. Here are a few examples:

One of my favorite projects I have done is to cut up strips of paper and then write down all of my fears, worries, or concerns. I then paint over them and then write scripture truths on top of that. I have done this many times and it is a beautiful way to treasure God's word in my heart.

{the picture below was an attempt at making a flower out of all of that *smiles*}

Sometimes I like to decorate certain words that are really speaking to me and things that are going on in my life!

I love cute stickers so sometimes I like to use them to write out the words of the scripture verse I am memorizing or meditating on. 

A couple of years ago I was on a precious trip with a senior class and I came across a precious and simple verse from Ezekiel. It was perfect for the time as I was struck by the hope, promise, and security that the verse promised.  At the time I had no idea that in the upcoming year I would be diagnosed with Advanced Late Stage Lyme Disease and Cancer but the Lord was already writing this precious truth on my heart for the future! I spent time journaling it but I also "paper sewed" it into my journal. To this day it is still one of my favorite verses I have ever memorized!!

Last year I wanted to write down scriptures that I am praying for a dear friend of mine. I have also been working on memorizing these scriptures so this was a fun project I found the perfect picture frame to do this with and I love how it turned out!

These are just a few of the small ways that I meditate and memorize scripture through journaling. Some other ways I will show you in the upcoming weeks but in the meantime I would love to know if y'all use journaling to help meditate on scripture and memorize it?

Monthly Scripture Memory Program: October (Ephesians 2:8)

As we shared in September, one of the heartbeats of Grace Engaged is the scripture memory program that we hope y'all will join in with each month! Each school year we will be picking one "theme" to look at in scripture and for the 2015-2016 school year we have chosen "grace" as our theme. For the month of September we memorized a portion of 2 Corinthians 8:7 and for October we are memorizing a portion of Ephesians 2:8 which states, "For it is by Grace you have been saved."

One of the things that we are passionate about here at Grace Engaged is encouraging ladies to know that our only hope of salvation is through the grace that God offered through Jesus Christ alone. If our hope is placed in anything besides Jesus Christ and His finishing work on the cross then we have no hope. Nothing that we can do - no matter how wonderful or awesome it may be will save us. 

As women I think we often feel pressure in our society to look a certain way, dress a certain way, act a certain way, etc., but the wonderful news about the gospel is that there is nothing that we can do to earn this beautiful gift of salvation. Instead, it is entirely a gift of grace from God that saves us. Isn't this the most beautiful part of the gospel? We have received the opposite of what we have deserved and it is a gift given to us free of charge. Jesus Christ paid our debt completely on the cross and it is by grace we have been saved. 

I once heard a pastor define GRACE as: "God's Riches at Christ's Expense". Isn't this a beautiful reminder that it is Jesus Christ who paid our debt completely? Throughout this month of October, let us memorize this verse and imprint it on our hearts and in our minds. Let us live our lives in thankful humility for the one who has given us everything! 

Happy October y'all!

Press on to Know the Lord

Photo Credit: Laura Kinney

“Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know Him. 

He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn 

or the coming of rains in early spring.”

-Hosea 6:3 NLT-

I just moved to a beautiful little city in North Carolina. I moved here to start graduate school, but it’s not at all where I thought I would end up. I had my sights set on a completely different school in a completely different state. God didn’t open that door because he knew what I needed better than I did. Ever since I surrendered my decision to attend school here and chose (very reluctantly) to be obedient to where he’s been calling me to go, I can walk in absolute confidence knowing that this was his plan all along. Nothing about my hesitance to spend 2 years in a city (that I had never been to before I committed) caught my Jesus by surprise, and I just love that!

Something that I’m still getting used to is the fact that it seems to rain every afternoon. Even knowing that, I still forget an umbrella or I accidentally leave my pink rain jacket in my car. But, in these moments where I found myself stranded on campus in a strange building until the pouring rain subsides, I have stumbled upon some of the sweetest spots on this BIG campus. There’s a cool solarium on campus with beautiful natural light, waterfalls, and cool music playing. It’s one of my favorite spots and I wouldn’t have found it had the rain not stranded me inside. This room is full of windows and I can even sit and watch the rain gently falling while I sit in awe and forced rest.

I was walking back to my car in the freshly fallen rain and there was a beautiful rainbow and everything was fresh and clean and new. I began to think to myself that this is such a good representation of what it feels like to walk with the Lord and to be sanctified by Him. I love Hosea 6:3’s promise that Christ will appear as surely as the dawn. It may seem that we’re stranded or caught in the rain and stuck and unsure of where to go, but our God will appear as surely as the dawn! He will appear as surely as the sun after it rains. It won’t rain forever; the sun has to come out. And when it does, everything is new and fresh and somehow makes sense. This is grace! He appears to us even when we find ourselves caught in the rain with no umbrella or raincoat, reminding us of our need for Him. Then, he gloriously appears to us in all His beautiful splendor having kept us in the palm of His hand all the while (Isaiah 46:9).

My encouragement to each of you this year is that you would press on to know the Lord, and grow to know Him more deeply. I’m thrilled to grow in grace with each of you ladies throughout this year as we both deepen in our relationship with our faithful Heavenly Father.

(Check out Ellie Holcomb’s song “As Sure As the Sun” to reinforce this great scripture memory verse! )

Monthly Scripture Memory Program: September (2 Corinthians 8:7)

One of the heartbeats of Grace Engaged is the scripture memory program that we hope y'all will join in with each month! Each school year we will be picking one "theme" to look at in scripture and for the 2015-2016 school year we have chosen "grace" as our theme. For the month of September we will be memorizing a portion of 2 Corinthians 8:7 which states, "But since you excel in everything- see that you also excel in grace."

This verse can be a challenge for us as women as it is tempting to create lists and accomplish the responsibilities before us in this school year as things to be merely checked off one at a time. Sometimes it is tempting to look around and see how much sin and brokenness there is in the world and silently pat ourselves on the back for how well we are excelling in our lives for not being apart of the "bad". 

But this verse stops that in our tracks. What does it mean to excel in giving grace? I think this verse is a beautiful challenge for us to look at what grace is and how to excel in giving grace. As Christians we often define and think about grace as: "the free and unmerited favor of God". How beautifully true, but grace is also defined as "to give honor to someone or something by one's presence" and "simple elegance or refinement". 

The question we can ask ourselves is does my life excel in grace? Do I honor Jesus with my presence? Do I live in such a way that brings simple elegance or refinement to the situations around me and give glory to Jesus? Do I act in such a way that gives grace to those around me? Do I extend grace to those who are not my friends? Do I give grace to the adults in my life? Do I excel in giving grace to those that frustrate me? Am I excelling in grace?

Throughout this month of September, let us memorize this verse and imprint it on our hearts. Let's pray for the Lord's help to live out this verse and to excel in grace. Share with us in the comments about how you are excelling in grace and ways that you are seeing this verse encourage your life this month! 

A Wedding, Dirty Water, and the Miracle of Jesus's Cleansing Powers

I have read the book of John many times, but the other day I was rereading John 2 and the story of Jesus's first miracle, and God spoke to me through the passage in a whole new way. 

In this story, Jesus gets invited to a wedding where the bride and groom begin to run out of wine. You can probably imagine how embarrassing it is to run out of something at a party your hosting, now imagine its your wedding and your entire reputation and social standing rests on the quality of the food and drink your serving. Jesus is made aware of the situation and then three important things happen: the servants are to to trust Jesus without question, they obediently fill six stone jugs with the water left over from washing the guest's feet, and then Jesus turns the dirty foot water into the best wine that anyone there had ever tasted. Originally, I read this verse as an example of how Jesus cares about even the smallest of troubles in our life and no worry is too trivial for Him; you can't waste His time in prayer.

All this is true, but what I noticed this time is the amount of faith that the servants put in Jesus and also what the water and wine represent. The servants were told by this random guy to serve their master nasty foot water to drink. They could have lost their jobs or even been thrown in prison!

But as ridiculous and scary as it sounded, they did it anyways. Jesus said, "Now draw some out and take it to your master. They did so." (John 2:8) No questions asked, they trusted Him fully. Now, there are a lot of stories of ultimate faith in the Bible, what is so special about this one? Well maybe because it was Jesus' first declaration fo His power, but maybe it's because the nasty water that has been sloshed around and rubbed on everyone's dusty feet is actually us. 

Like this water, our lives are polluted by dirt and grime and impossible to clean ourselves, but with faith, Jesus turned water to wine. If we have have faith, what can He turn us into? Simply the sweetest wine that saves a party, or something so immeasurably more than we can only imagine (Ephesians 3:20)! Trust God and follow with faith! If we let Him He will clean us and use us beyond our wildest imaginations!