A Season of Change

The leaves are changing, the cool breeze has set in, and in the Pacific Northwest, the clouds and continual light rain have returned. While in this neck of the woods, we tend to only experience sunlight for a couple of months in the summer, I do have a certain appreciation for the overcast skies and wet surroundings. It makes me want to stay home, snuggle up with a good book, and indulge in a hot mug of herbal tea. Fall is also a good enough excuse for me to keep an endless supply of pumpkin bread on hand for friends, my husband, and our colleagues. I plan to make my first batch this week. :o)

In our lives, the weather is not the only thing that is changing. Through much prayer and thought, we have felt the Lord leading us to move away from the church that we have called our home for the past year and a half. This was not an easy decision, considering that the members therein are people whom we love and with whom we have developed genuine relationships. We realize that ultimately the Church exists beyond the confines of denominational and church boundaries, and regardless of our affiliations, we are part of the same Body.

Change can be tough. It is challenging and often painful, but when the change is constructive, growth is typically the result. We hope that through our present trials we will be further refined into the image of our Creator.

I am reminded of Romans 5:3-5:

And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

As the leaves wither and the flowers breathe their last breath in the approach to Winter, so also a season of our lives is coming to a close. We are venturing into a new chapter of our lives, and I am in great anticipation of the treasures that we will find on our journey.

The Sameness of God

This past weekend, the women's ministry of my church held our first-ever Ladies Retreat. We travelled up to Camp Casey Conference Center on Whidbey Island, WA. How beautiful it was to look out the window of our lovely (gigantic) house and watch deer grazing in the yard and sailboats out in the water just 500 feet away! I could get used to that. :o) It was so serene.

The theme of the weekend was "Loving Well." We used Beth Moore's "Retreat in a Box," and although I was at first a skeptic of using a template, it proved to be amazing. The Lord truly blessed us with that resource. Beth explained to us the importance of loving others (they will know we are Christians by our love...), and that the only way we can do that is if we are continually allowing God's love to fall on us. We must take time to receive God's ministry to our own hearts. It was beautiful message, and I think we all received it with openness.

The Lord totally blew me away with how He answered prayer for the retreat. From the beginning of the planning phase of the retreat, Psalm 127: 1 was our credo. Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain. We knew the truth of this passage, and we were in prayer the God would show up and change our hearts. We were quite aware that regardless of how much planning we did, if the Lord was not present, we would be wasting our time. I praise You, Jesus, for joining us this weekend and being our honored guest!!!

What a special time... This morning, I am back into the daily grind. I got up with my husband, prepared his breakfast and lunch and got him out the door, did a short workout, and then I started to get in the Word. The interesting thing is that I found myself resorting to some bad habits I had before this amazing retreat. I found myself unsure where to study, unsure of my standing with God, and with little confidence to even talk with Him. These are doubts that I believe that the Devil plants in my head to keep me from drawing close to God.

As soon as I realized what was going on, I had to make a deliberate mental acknowledgement that the God that I knew so intimately on our retreat this past weekend is the same God that I meet in my living room. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow; just because my mood or my feelings about God vary does not mean that He is any less consistent. He is always there when I want to talk.

The Lord Jesus is powerful to produce a sustaining work in my life regardless of where I am and what I am doing. Lord, please help me to remember this truth. Oh, how I long for you to produce fruit in me that lasts!