This last weekend I went to Galena, IL for the Labor Day weekend.  This was a mom and daughter trip.  My mom and I usually go earlier in the summer, but with the wedding and RAGBRAI, we delayed the trip a bit.  It was a busy weekend, where we got to go hiking and running, as well as do our favorite thing  of checking out the shops. One new thing we were able to do was go to a few museums, such as the Dowling House (Oldest House in Galena) and President Ulysses S. Grant house.  I learned a lot about Galena and the town’s history as well as some of the important individual people who lived there.  

One point consistently made in these museums was how big Galena once was to how small it is now.  Not to say Galena isn’t a busy town.  Many people, including my mother and I, travel to it, but it is not a huge town.  There are not many people actually living in town or a part of the population.  The town did a very good job of pivoting and making their town an antique or old school town of sorts, filled with cute local shops, and museums to help grow its attraction after the initial loss of people.  

So how exactly did Galena go from being the biggest city in Illinois at one time to being a small cute shop town? Galena really became big because of the river.  It was a river town, when the river was the main point of transportation. Because they were on the river, many people came to town and helped with its growth and its wealth.  Galena also was a town where many miners found lead. This being the main reason the town was called Galena, which is the name for the mineral form of lead sulfate.  At the time, lead could make a person a lot of money.  

However, many things changed over time.  After years, the lead mineral became less and less in value.  It went from 50 dollars a ton (50 dollars meant a lot of money in the time) to 2 dollars a ton (Still money, but not near as profitable).  There were many people then who went to find jobs and profit in other areas, leaving Galena behind.  Along with that, they had to chop down the trees in order to use their machines to get up the lead.  Because there was a lack of trees now, erosion occurred and the river began to shrink and shrink.  This gave people less reasons to travel to Galena as well as the main form of travel quickly becoming the railroad.  

What I learned from this, is nothing in this world is concrete or is meant to last forever, even the items and things we think are meant to be the most valuable. This town of Galena thought they had it made.  At one time they were the biggest city in Illinois as well as the wealthiest.  Then they were very poor and hardly had anything.  Many of the original houses and businesses were left desolate. We have been taught to believe certain items are the most important, whether this be money or certain name brands, etc.  However, if those are the kind of things we build ourselves on, then we will very easily be able to fall. 

Living in the United States right now, there has been a lot of discussion on money.  I am not saying that there isn’t a good reason.  Our prices are really high right now.  There are a lot of people who are struggling.  There are a lot of people who are living paycheck to paycheck or not even having enough from their paychecks.  I too have been really stressed about money a lot recently.  I have been very distracted by the high prices, the amount of savings I had to dip into for the wedding expenses, and the consistent car issues I have been having, making more and more payments I wasn’t ready to make.  

There is a verse, I myself, as well as many others need to look at for encouragement which is Hebrews 13:5.  This says, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” I love this verse because it is a reminder to avoid the love of money and greed.  We need to remember to be content with what we have and not so focused on the things not in our possession.  The Lord will take care of his children.  Not saying we won’t have struggles, but we will have God’s sovereign protection.   

The challenge for this week is to spend time in prayer.  This is to spend time in prayer over the things that we can sometimes depend on more than God.  This could even be money.  I know money is tight for a lot of people, and I don’t want to take that away from anyone.  I know it can be very stressful.  I just want us to remember as God’s people to not depend on money but instead to rather depend on God for everything and all time.  

I have talked a lot about running in my blog posts throughout the years. I have talked about my triumphs and the times I have accomplished certain goals.  I have talked about my struggles and finding it very hard to run at a pace I had been able to run in the past, and I have also discussed getting to run with others and the growth coming from the practices and runs we do together.  I have been so blessed in my life where I have been able to be a cross country coach where I am able to help other student runners become better. 

I have been in the cross country season for a few weeks.  These weeks have already been great.  I have had a middle school student who decided to sign up and try running xc for this year.  When she first started, she could hardly run a half mile. However, now she is able to run two miles this morning without stopping.  She just accomplished that this morning as I am writing.  I was so very proud of her.  I was so happy to see her accomplish this.  

I have loved this moment as a coach. I need to remember to think this way similarly for those who have become Christians.  I need to remember to see the growth in the people who I have discipled or who I have talked to about God.  There have been many kids I have had the pleasure and blessing to work with who are developing their own thoughts and opinions and knowledge about Christ.  Every week, I need to remember to find ways to encourage these kids to work with.  

Sometimes we don’t always focus on the growth all of us make when it comes to our Christian Walk or the walk of others.  Maybe we don’t always take the time to really see if there has been growth made in people’s walk.  Are they learning more about Christ?  Are they growing in their Spiritual Disciplines?  Are you yourself, growing, that you can tell others about to help encourage them.  

Galatians 6:9 is a beautiful verse which says, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”  This is a very uplifting and encouraging verse about how we need to continue working hard for the Lord.  We need to make sure to not give up because if we don’t give up, then we will be able to see more of what we reap and what we sow.  We also need to make sure to hold one another up.  We need to be willing to help our brother or sister in Christ.  We also may need to help those who are not yet Christian.  How can we help create an environment where people want to become a Christian or want to enter into a life with Christ. 

The challenge for this week is to spend time thinking about who you could encourage and support.  I am very blessed to have the opportunity to encourage these young runners.  It is a great chance to meet with them all and see them improve over time.  However, there are many other places where a person can be encouraged and can be supported.  This support can really be a thing that helps a person understand Christ and his love.  I also need to be challenged as I have a friend who needs to be encouraged through a very challenging and difficult health and life experience.  

The second challenge is to spend time thinking about those who have supported and encouraged you lately.   There are many people who have encouraged me.  My mom helped encourage me to finish RAGBRAI a few weeks ago.  My friend Hillary has always been an encouragement when it comes to following Christ.  Then Cole has been very good about encouraging me in my running journey as well as my general exercise journey.  There are days I come, and I have been very discouraged because my pace is a lot slower than it usually was in the past.  I need to make sure to spend time thanking him for that.  I need those pieces of encouragement to really make me feel good about the days I don’t do as well. 

Through my devotional Bible reading time, I have been learning about David and his journey to become king of Israel while comparing that to the journey of Christ becoming the ultimate king.  We see through David’s journey, he had some suffering and some pain to experience.  This includes his relationship with Israel’s first king Saul.  Saul eventually started hating David, being filled with rage and jealousy.  He was jealous of the promise of who David would be.  This means he started to plan how to kill David. David had to live on the run and fear for his life. Saul would catch up to David, and while David had the opportunity to kill Saul, the Lord was with him and helped him to forgive Saul and to let him go unhurt. 

Through this devotional Bible reading, we are also reminded of Christ’s tough life he had on earth.  He didn’t have it easy.  He was very much abused and was even killed by crucifixion.  Before that, however, he was mocked by the Pharisees and Sadducees, he was left in the desert to fast and was tempted by the devil for 40 days and nights.  None of these experiences were easy, yet he was able to overcome all suffering for the sake of his people.  This should serve as an encouragement to us all.  We need to remember this during the times of our personal suffering.  Jesus has experienced pain and suffering and has come out stronger from it all. We too can conquer through our suffering and come out stronger, with the help of Jesus Christ, our lord and savior.

I have seen many people in my life go through recent suffering.  I have had some friends and family members who are struggling through their health, while others are struggling through their friendships or personal relationships.  I have also seen some struggling after the death of a family member or a friend they know.  It has been hard to watch and hear about this all surrounding me.  I have tried to keep the prayers long and to keep all these people in my thoughts. 

I personally have been going through some minor struggles, very minor in comparison to most.  I have had so many blessings in my life recently.  I just had a blog post about getting married and finishing RAGBRAI.  Those were two very great things.  However, I have also had a car that keeps struggling to work.  As of writing, it has been in the shop for the past month and a half.  While I have been blessed to borrow a car from others, I still would have an easier time knowing my car is going to be completely fixed.  I also have been struggling with a bit of a cold the last few weeks.  I can remember during these minor inconveniences to be strong in Christ. 

There are a lot of verses and tales in the Bible about suffering.  However, one of the verses was James 1:12, which says.  “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”  I love this verse because it is a reminder for all of us believers to live steadfast and to stay steady, even during the times of intense suffering and pain.  If we do choose to stay steadfast and strong, then we will receive a crown of life and this isn’t just regular life but rather it is eternal life.  

There are two challenges for this week.  The first one is to spend time thinking and reflecting on whether or not you have been learning a lesson from one of your struggles.  Is there something in particular you are developing from your time in this suffering?  Maybe it is not going to be a struggle you are experiencing right now.  Maybe you are too close to the hurt to really see the growth you have made.  Maybe it is from a past hurt or experience. What is something you have learned from a past amount of suffering that can help you overcome future struggles? 

I know one area where I have struggled is in the area of friendships.  I have had some amazing friendships in my life.  I have had many women who have helped me out through life and have helped me develop a deeper relationship with Christ. However, I have also had friendships who have hurt me throughout the years.  I have been left out, and dismissed by some friends.  I have really struggled with a feeling of hurt.  Through those friendships, I have learned how to focus more on Christ for my validation and not the thoughts of others.    

The challenge for this week is to spend time in prayer to God about any suffering you are experiencing today as well as the suffering of others. The best way to overcome this suffering or this discouragement from suffering is through prayer.  Similarly a way to show love and care  about others is to spend time in prayer for them.  

I have been reading the devotional book from The Voice of the Martyrs.  This has been a really good book to read stories and devotions from Christians who are giving their whole heart, soul, and body into spreading God’s love and goodness to everyone.  These are the Christians that are willing to risk it all in order to spread the good news of Christ.  

“‘It’s not a matter of keeping a commandment,’ Richard replied gently.  ‘When I became a Christian it was as if I had been reborn, with a new character full of love.  Just as only water can flow from a spring, only love can come from a loving heart.’” (Extreme Devotion, The Voice of the Martyrs, pg. 71.)  This comment from Richard really struck me.  There are many times I don’t necessarily have a heart that is just so filled with love where I am willing to forgive even those who are torturing me.  

There are times I am filled with a great love, like when I am with my husband, with my friends, or with my family.  Then there are other times I am definitely not filled with love.  These are typically the times I am driving.  I often get very frustrated with the other drivers going down the road, whether they are going too slow or too fast or driving too close to me.  I also have times when I am filled with frustration when I am at work and there are people who are maybe not easy to work with.  While my job is awesome and I absolutely love my coworkers, there are some people outside of our organization who make the job a little more difficult.  

I also am not very loving when people are straight up mean to me.  When people are not very nice to me, especially strangers I meet down on the street, I will probably not be nice to them.  I also feel this way when there are others who are cruel to the ones I love.  I find I am very judgemental when someone is mean to those who are my friends and family.  

In order to really love others with all my heart, I have to really be filled with love of the Lord.  I need to make sure I am filled with the love of Christ before I start to head into conversations with others.  I need to make sure before I am really about to talk about Christ that I also am properly filled with God’s love.  I should be spending more time soaking up God’s love and really putting it into my heart.  On a daily basis, I spend some time with God in devotion.  However, there are many times, I don’t take all the words as fully as I should.  I need to make sure to really soak up all of what He is trying to teach me and how he is trying to shape me.  

There are many verses about love.  One example of a verse about love is 1 John 4:7, which says, “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.”   This is a reminder for us to love one another.  This verse doesn’t get specific about who we need to love.  The church leaders had already been told we need to love everyone.  We need to love all those who are in the world.  Now this verse is a reminder to love from the heart, but this heart needs to be changed from God, not from ourselves.  

This devotional book does a very good job of showing how the love these Christians have is shown to even their enemies.  This is really the big motivator to big anti-Christians to turn their life to Christ.  There are many ways to plant the seeds of Christ into someone’s life.  However, those who have a very hardened hearts to Christ, the best way to win them over is those who are willing to love and be kind to those who have hurt them, those who are beating them, those who are mocking them, and those who are hurting their loved ones.  

The challenge for this week is to spend time diagnosing your heart. How do you feel about people, even including every person, even those people who are not always that kind to you.  I need to remember this with those who have been unkind to me, who have sometimes patronized me, or who have even mocked me.  Go this week in God’s love and show that love to many others. 

This past week my life took a major change.  I got to marry Cole, my best friend and the love of my life.  It was a day I had been waiting for, for a very long time.  There were months of planning going into this day.  I spent a lot of time picking the wedding party, picking how the decorations should look with my mom, the food and desserts, who would officiate our big day,the DJ and photographer, etc.  It was fun planning the big day, up to the final details and knowing at the end of it, Cole and I would be married. 

First, I just want to comment on how beautiful the day was.  I can not believe we were blessed with such a beautiful day.  I have lived in Iowa my whole life.  I love it, but I am aware weather can be a major factor on a day to day basis.  There is humidity, there is just plain heat, there is a lot of rain or cloudy days, and there is a lot, and I do mean a lot of wind.  How Cole and I managed to get a day in August, no less, in the mid 70s temperature, sunny with a little cloud coverage, hardly any wind and no rain is beyond me.  I was just praying for sunshine and wind to be minimal.  I could not have believed I would have had this perfect of weather if I tried. 

I also was blessed with the people around me. My mom helping me plan really helped things go smoothly.  There really were only a few last minute details we had to buy or were forgotten, like a basket for the bubbles for example.  (Thanks Izzie-matron of honor for getting one the night before for me!) Then really the only major issue on the actual day was forgetting my veil at the hotel and my mom needing to run back right before the ceremony.  (Thanks mom-hoping this is just a funny story for the future).  

I am also grateful for my friend Caleb who was willing to officiate my wedding only a few short months before it occurred when our original officiant had something major pop up.  It was wonderful.  He did such an amazing job and he really helped capture everything Cole and I wanted to do in the wedding ceremony from signing of the marriage license, completing a unity candle, and doing our own personal vows.  Plus, there was also a wonderful speech he gave at the very beginning of the ceremony to build Cole and I up for our lifetime of marriage.  

There are many times I can look back on meeting Cole, and I can see how God was at work. Cole and I met through a dating app.  However, he was one of the first people I connected with on the dating app once I moved to Cedar Falls and had been very persistent in talking to me and starting conversations.  As I mentioned in my vows, he kept seeking me out and pursuing me, even before we officially met.  Then, since that first date, it has been natural and continuously growing stronger.    

There are some verses about becoming one body of Christ that I believe really captures what I want to do, stepping into this new life chapter of marriage.  These verses are Ephesians 5:30-33 which says, “for we are members of his body.  ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

I love these verses.  We used quite a bit of them for our wedding ceremony.  I do want to make sure I am a very respectful and loving wife to my husband.  We are now one body.  We are one unit.  I am not just a single person on my own anymore.  For my whole life, I have been a single person.  Not to mention, I have also been an only child and for the first 18 years, was the only grandchild on my mom’s side.  All that to say, I have gotten really good about doing my own thing and being on my own.  Now I need to learn how to best work as a continuous team with my now husband.

The challenge for this week is not necessary to get married.  However, if you are about to get married, congrats! It is rather to think continuously about any new future endeavors.  Are you going through any major changes in your life?  Are you getting a new job or trying to go back to school?  Are you starting a new relationship  or a new friendship? Whatever new adventure, big or small, you are about to encounter, remember to go about it with God in mind.  

The second challenge is to be encouraged to be someone who prays over marriages.  A marriage is supposed to be a beautiful example of Christ and the church.  And it is also important to realize that many times Satan does want to take out these marriages.  There are temptations coming from Satan, so it is important that all members of the body, pray for the body, including praying over marriages. Cole and I would appreciate prayers as we step into this new life together. I pray we can be a good Godly example of Christ and the church.

This past week Cole and I did RAGBRAI.  I did this last year as well. RAGBRAI is the Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa and it is the oldest and largest Bike touring event in the world.  People come from other states in the United States and even some other countries in order to participate in this event.  Some people even travel every year to be able to complete it.    

I always enjoyed RAGBRAI.  I first got to experience RAGBRAI when the bikers came through my town when I was a young kid, and other times throughout my life I got to see them all cross major intersections when I had to wait to cross while in a vehicle.  I also have loved biking since about the age of 10, and got myself a really nice road bike when I turned 17.  I always knew this type of event would be challenging but it was a challenge I was excited to experience.  Now I have gotten to experience it twice!

One thing I love most about RAGBRAI is getting to meet those people from all around the world and even the people from the towns we were passing through.  There were so many people who were so excited to see all these people and all these bikers passing through their hometowns.  My favorite was seeing the older couples sitting outside on their porch waving.  I can only imagine how pleasant their conversation was.  They just got to sit outside and watch all the bikes go by.  It doesn’t have to be a big thing, just a chance to watch an event not happening everyday. 

This warms my heart.  We often talk about how the internet and cell phones are separating people and making us distant and lonely.  I do believe there is a lot of truth and science behind this statement.  However, you don’t notice this lack of communication during a week like RAGBRAI.  On a week like RAGBRAI, people are meeting new people and are talking to one another and getting to spend time camping or at music events or eating new vendor’s foods and drinks.  It is a community of people, you just hadn’t yet met.  

One example of a man I met was a man who was doing his first RAGBRAI.  He actually lost over 200 pounds, biking and exercising, and just turning his life around for the healthier.  It was also his birthday on the day we were finishing the ride, so this RAGBRAI experience was his gift to himself.  He wanted to do this, and he was going to cross the finish line, or in this case dip his tire in the Mississippi River signaling crossing over to a new state in order to commemorate his new lifestyle.  I didn’t get to see him finish, but I bet he was super excited and pumped to be there.  I am glad his loved ones were traveling as well to see him finish.  

Another example was on a day I met a group of three other women. They were incredibly nice and encouraging, especially on a day that was in a heat advisory and a strong, (and I do mean strong) head wind. The third day of biking was one of the hardest I had ever experienced, and I am glad I got to meet some new people who were able to encourage me and helped me finish the third day.  If I am completely honest, I think I otherwise would have gotten a ride home for part of that day because it was so hot and it was so difficult.  I also had Cole also encouraging me along.  

This actually leads me to sharing a verse from the Bible.  A verse I would like to highlight is a very popular one which is 1 Thessalonians 5:11 and this says, “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”  Even though this verse is fairly popular, it does not mean that it is followed super well.  There are many times that we as people forget to support and to encourage one another.  On this trip in RAGBRAI, we as people and bikers were encouraged and supported. 

The challenge for this week is to spend time with those who are around you.  This may include time away from technology and from your phones.  This is uninterrupted from the distractions coming in from the world and the distractions coming from our devices.  This could even be with someone you hardly ever have a chance to talk to or a new person you have met. 

I have been reading and studying the book of James.  I love the book of James.  It is one of my favorite books of the Bible because it gives practical advice to Christians.  One big message in this first chapter was about temptation and where temptations come from.  Sometimes we believe God is the one who gives us temptations to test us.  However, the book of James corrects this information very quickly. 

James 1:13 says,  “When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”  To say it simply, God cannot tempt us or test us.  

We really are the ones who are tempted by the things in the world.  We are the ones who may notice certain sins and become more and more obsessed with them.  We are the ones who will also start to fall into sin.  We are the ones who become fascinated with the world in too many ways. 

Part of God’s journey through earth was to showcase his being tempted and yet never falling into this temptation.  He was tempted for forty days and forty nights by Satan with various obstacles and things.  He was even tempted by an everyday staple of food and drink. We as people can often be tempted by food and drink.  We can live in gluttony at times.  Even when we don’t think of food as a temptation, it can have the power if we let it overtake our lives.  

Then there was the temptation of greed and power.  He was told by Satan that everyone could and would worship him as long as He bowed down right there and then to Satan.  He could have control over all things.  It was weird Satan said this because it is something God could and should already have power over all things.  No matter what, Jesus denied all the temptations.  However, through him showing the temptations He experienced, we were able to see how Jesus stayed committed to Christ.  He knew God’s Word so well, which let Him overcome any of the temptations coming His way.  

I love this reminder that God really wants us to be very aware of our temptations we give to ourselves.  This is not again the temptations he gives to us but rather the temptations we make in our mind by falling in love with the items of the world.  

We as a people have always struggled with our temptations. The people of Israel were really bad about falling into adultery for example.  They were always looking at other countries and their gods.  They were always looking at what they were hoping to change and worship on their own.  However, they were really going farther and farther away from the Lord. They were becoming worshippers and adulterers to other gods and not feeling connected with the one who has constantly saved them and given them a new opportunity to live a long and prosperous life.  But God continuously found a way for them to come back to Him.  

One verse I do go to when it comes to fighting temptation is 1 Corinthians 10:13 which says, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”   God will provide help when we are tempted.  He doesn’t want us to fall under the temptation, but rather He wants us to overcome them.  

The challenge for this week is to spend some time in reflection of how you feel most tempted.  What are the things that most captivate you from the world?  What are the ways you are convinced to fall away from the Lord?  Then after you are in reflection, spend some time in prayer to God to pray for both forgiveness from this constant desire or temptation to be taken away from your mind.  

I know something I am tempted by is my thoughts and the way I can think about other people.  I find myself sometimes getting easily frustrated with others or thinking bad thoughts about others, even when I don’t really know them all that well.  I can find myself also getting very impatient with various things.  I really enjoy having plans and sticking to them. It can very much upset me when things don’t go as planned.  I will be in continuous prayer as I seek to conquer the desire to be judgmental and impatient.

I have talked about prayer before, and its importance.  It is something that is one of the main staples of the Christian walk and faith.  However, it is something we don’t always focus on.  I have been reading a book about missionaries and those who are willing to put themselves in dangerous situations for the sake of talking about the Lord.  This book is called, “Extreme Devotion” by the Voice of the Martyrs Organization.  

There is one quote I really want to highlight which is,  “Prayer-that which does the most, we often do the least.  Prayer is our first defense against spiritual warfare, yet often our last resort.”  I love this quote.  I realize it is very much reality for a lot of people and a lot of believers.  Sometimes believers don’t spend much time talking to God. 

I believe this is a growing trend.  We are even bad as a society of not being very consistent talking to one another, let alone God.  We spend a lot of time texting or messaging on the phone and we spend some time here and there in person, but we don’t always spend much time on really getting to know and talking deeply with one another.  This is really only the way we will grow as people and as a society, so it is important to spend this time with one another.  

However, I know as a person I really struggle when I don’t have much opportunity to talk to others.  I really want to talk to others and be able to describe how I am feeling and how I am handling any major stressors or problems I am experiencing in my life.  I know it matters to me when people don’t spend time talking to me.  I want the people in my life and the relationships I have to take the time to talk to me.  It is important then to keep this same thought when I am in my relationship with Christ.  He wants to talk to those He is in a relationship with all the time.  

Prayer is so important.  It is so vital to our Christian walk and life.  It is important for us to grow our relationship with Christ and to help ground us to the world.  The best way to get to know God is through conversation with Him.  Yes, it is very important to talk to God about any problems or thoughts we have.  

As a person with a lot of anxiety, there are times when I don’t spend time really praying to God to help assist me in my anxiety issues.  Then when I don’t talk to God about anything, my anxiety increases and increases to a level where I have absolutely no control over it.  The anxiety spiral just keeps getting tighter and tighter, and soon it is as tight as a rope all over my whole body.   Going to God in the beginning stages helps ease my mind and overall mental health.  It reminds me that God is the one ultimately in charge. 

Prayer serves an even bigger purpose than just continuing our relationship.  Prayer also gives us a chance to pray for other believers and other people.  This gives us a chance to pray over the souls of others and their hopeful salvation.  We can also pray over missionaries who are spreading God’s love and salvation with the world.  We can pray over their safety and their hardships.   This helps other people learn about Christ and help grow the body of Christ.  

There are many verses in the Bible about prayer.  One example is Romans 8:26 which says, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.”  Sometimes we don’t pray because we don’t know what to say.  We don’t know how to best put into words what we are trying to pray for, either what we are struggling with or what we know we need to pray over others.  This verse can give us confidence because it shows truly how much God loves us and wants to build a relationship with us.   He even sends the Holy Spirit to help us pray and talk to Him when we don’t know what to say.  

The challenge for this week is to spend some alone time in prayer.  I hope you can find a nice quiet place to get out all your thoughts and emotions to God.  The second part of the challenge which goes with the first is to see if you can spend some time in prayer over some missions or missionaries who are spreading God’s Word.  That is the main way his love and knowledge will spread is through our prayer and commitment to talking to Christ.

I have been continuing my study on the book of James, and I still appreciate the book of James because of its practicality and its best tips to live a Christ centered life.  One of the last sections I have read recently was all about the two kinds of wisdom that exist.  First, there is wisdom in the world, and there is Holy Wisdom or the wisdom God wants to give us and provide to us as his followers.   

I would say I spend a pretty good amount of time on the internet.  I really enjoy listening to podcasts and listening to funny drama shows.  However, the problem with that is sometimes I can gather a lot of worldly advice.  This advice is a lot more selfish, and a lot more focused on getting the best out of life for yourself personally as opposed to looking to actually be better or wiser.  

This worldly wisdom also includes not forgiving someone when they have hurt you a lot.  There even now is a big push to excommunicate people from your life completely.  Now, I am not saying this shouldn’t ever be done, but it does need to be done with the Lord’s help and guidance.  There can also be still love and forgiveness in one’s heart for someone even if you are not in much communication with them.

Godly wisdom looks very different.  For one example, I mentioned earlier, there are times we need to take time to forgive those around us.  This can be incredibly difficult.  I know there have been many people I have encountered in my life who have hurt me, and who I have really struggled to forgive or still do struggle to forgive completely, with my whole heart.  I also am a person who has not been abused or assaulted by anyone, gratefully, so I am not going to pretend I know everything.  I have not been hurt the way others have been.  However, I do know it is important to give your mind a peace and that is the peace only forgiveness from God and forgiveness given to others can give you.   

Other things the world tells you is to work hard at your job.  This could be very Godly wisdom or advice.  However, it is important to evaluate the reasons or the desire for you to work hard.  While the world will tell a person to work hard to get ahead, God’s wisdom is all about serving and caring about those you work with and for.  When you work hard, is it to serve God and the people around you to the best of your ability or is it fuel your ego?   Is it all about looking good and important?  Or is it about being humble and a servant at your job? 

I just love how the wisdom of God is described, right out of the book of James.  James 3: 17-18 says, “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.” I love these two verses.  This is a great way to describe God’s wisdom and advice.  The Lord’s wisdom is very kind and also filled with peace.  A way to make this peace amongst everyone is to be full of mercy or considerate as well as to be filled with righteousness and above reproach completely. 

I will be honest when I say I seek both types of wisdom at different times.  When I am really angry or frustrated with someone or something in life or at work, there are times I will seek out those who I know won’t give me Christ centered advice.  I don’t always take it.  Maybe I am more looking to vent and to feel validated for my feelings, but it is still important to be aware of those times as well.  Surrounding oneself completely with worldly wisdom will ultimately make you as a person more likely to start following it in the next problem.  But I also do have a mentor who I meet with regularly who fills me with God’s love and wisdom.  

The challenge for this week is to be reflective on wisdom.  Wisdom is essential for everyone to thrive in life.  However, we should think about where we get this wisdom from? Are you seeking your wisdom from someone you believe to be worldly or someone who you believe is a follower of Christ and who will give you Christ centered advice?  Then the next challenge for this week is to spend time asking for advice from any Christian in the area who could give you advice on any problem you may be having.  This could be any problem from work related, family related, or friend related. Just take the time to get some insight and thoughts on how to be overall God centered wise.  

I am continuing on with my book of James.  I love the book of James because it provides practical advice for all believers, new and old.  One of the big things brought up in the beginning of the second chapter was the idea of favoritism and treating everyone the same, whether they are rich or poor, strong or weak, small or big, etc.  It is important because we were all made in the image of God and he wants to make sure we treat all believers and future believers with the same love and respect. 

James 2:1-4 says, “My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?”

These verses do a really good job describing how the Lord cares about all people and he expects all his disciples to care about all the peoples of the world.  I do believe this is why Jesus actually came in a way that someone who is usually considered to be important wouldn’t.  He came in a manger as a baby, as opposed to coming to earth as a king.  He was living in a small town, in a small family.  His family was respected for being kind and being Godly, for the most part, but they weren’t well renowned or considered to be the most important. I believe God chose to come to earth in this way to show how important it is to take care of those who are poor or who are considered to be the lower parts of society.

Then when Jesus spent time making friends, he did not start making friends with those who were considered important.  He even had some friends who were at one time controversial figures such as tax collectors.  Jesus would often be getting into arguments with those who were considered to be important or the religious leaders because of the friendships and the relationships he had made or how he acted towards others in society.  The Bible also often reminds us to make sure to take care of the widows and the orphans.  

I think there are definitely times when I am not necessarily the best at treating everyone the same.  It isn’t always when it comes to the rich, but rather is those who I think are annoying or a bit weird at times.  It is so easy to treat those who are a bit weird differently than those who we seem to believe act normal, or we think act in a way we deem highly.  Sometimes when there are a few individuals who we easily get annoyed by, we can definitely end up treating them differently than others.   

The challenge for the week is to spend some time thinking about you and your relationships.  Are you treating everyone the same? Are there certain individuals you do not like on certain principles such as where they work, how much money they make, what they wear, or where they live, etc.?  Is there a particular individual or a group of people who we don’t care about as much?

I do believe the best way to go about treating everyone the same is to spend time with the Holy Spirit and in prayer with God.  He is the one who best offers assistance and help when it comes to us treating everyone the same and spreading love around the way we should.  I pray we are all able to make waves treating everyone the same.  This may be one of the best ways we can showcase God’s love.  The Lord is the one who can help us show love to the ones who we struggle to love.  We are given so much extra help with the Holy Spirit.  We can learn to love anyone with his help and assistance.