JOURNEY, DAY 40 JUST A CLOSER WALK WITH THEE

“I am weak but thou art strong

Jesus keep me from all wrong

I’ll be satisfied as long

As I walk, let me walk close to Thee

"Just a closer walk with Thee

Grant it Jesus, is my plea

Daily walking close to Thee

Let it be, dear LORD, let it be

"Through this world of toil and care

If I falter, LORD, who cares?

Who with me my burden shares?

None but Thee, dear LORD, none but Thee”

We have kept intentional company with Almighty God now for forty days. You may not realize it, but something about you has changed. When people keep company with God, something changes. Whether we raised enough money to fund Faithful Hearts for another year or not, this Journey has been a wonderful success simply because we have each

walked with God at least a little bit every day.

As you journey on this final day, be a bit introspective.  What has changed about you?  Do you notice people more?  Do you thank God more than you ask God for things?  Has your

heart softened toward the people in your life?  Do you feel that perhaps you understand the man, Jesus, a bit better? How amazing is that!? Do you want more?  ASK.

This is the beginning.  The good news is that you can walk with God Almighty every day of your life. You are welcome in his presence.  It’s a safe place. AND, I hope you know, that you are not alone.  You are part of a sisterhood that will welcome your presence, your thoughts, your prayers, your questions … ALL of it.  Let’s represent Jesus to each other well.

“LORD, you are faithful and loving and kind.  You are creative and powerful, you can heal and you can intervene in our lives when we let you.  Thank you.  Teach us how to live

lives of worship, and to share your personality with the people in our lives.”

Journey, Day 39 Boundless

Col. 3:17 “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the LORD Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

We’ve got today and tomorrow to finish our journey well.  Sweet sisters, look how far we’ve come! Today as you set out to journey, remember that WHATEVER you do can be done in the name of the LORD Jesus, and through it, you can give thanks to God. Give thanks for what?  Today, focus on other Christian brothers and sisters who have had an impact on your life. Think of the first people you remember telling you about God,  a Sunday School teacher maybe, or a youth group leader?  Maybe your pastor, your grandparent or someone you met at school.  As you think of your own Spiritual heritage, thank God that the message of his love has survived throughout history until someone brought it to you.  It’s amazing, really!  

After you have thanked God for those who have shared his story with you, turn your thoughts to those who FIRST told the story.  Is there a particular story of faithfulness

or redemption in Scripture that has touched you?  Think through that story and thank God for the life of that person.  Remember, we have only the stories, but God knows them personally. It’s a good day to separate real human beings from fantasy characters.  It’s a good day to remember actual brothers and sisters in Christ, whom he loves.  It’s a good day to remember that we each have a place in Jesus’ story, and to say thank you.

“LORD, we forget that those you loved in the beginning, those you have redeemed throughout history, those who have been our immediate fore bearers are as much a part of

the CHURCH as we are, and as our children will be.  Our vision can be so limited to the immediate!  Thank you for unending, boundless and complete love, through Jesus.”

Journey, Day 38, One Thing

Well, sweet sisters, we have been on this journey for 38 days!!  Today I’m asking you to remember. What have you done?  What have you experienced?  Have you had an encounter with God as you have journeyed and prayed?

Think and pray as you journey today, and then jot down a few notes about your experience.  Thank God for his presence with you and if you can, write a brief journey story from your perspective. Remembering is important. If you'd like to share, we'll put them on our site for others to read.

Scripture is, after all, God revealing himself to people THROUGH PEOPLE!  We hear the stories of Joseph, Deborah, Miriam, David, Rahab, Naomi, Ruth … Jesus and the guys, the Marys … Paul, Priscilla, Timothy … and the story continues!  You know about Jesus because someone told someone who told someone, down through the centuries until somehow you found truth and hope.  Don’t let the story stop with you!  Use this opportunity to tell what you’ve experienced.  Share your insights, your victories, your struggles and your questions, but most of all, share yourself and who Jesus is in your life.

IF you can, write your story (keep it SHORT, no longer than this email) and send it to  jankempe@gmail.com . This is me nudging you toward a blessing, not an assignment.  :)  Let this be your thought as you journey today.  Ask, "Lord Jesus, remind me today of one thing I can share about you."

“LORD, thank you for telling your story through people so that I can know you. Please use my story to help someone else find you. "

Journey, Day 37 WWJD?

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” 

 John 13:34-35

Nothing starts a day off quite like having someone cut in on you in traffic, and you notice the fish insignia plastered on their bumper.  Watch for it and you'll notice lots of fish... sometimes whole families of little metal fish attached to cars, and stickers from local churches and Christian schools, and all kinds of other labels and signs people use to “witness.”  I remember passing a huge “JESUS” sign in the middle of a tobacco field on the way to the beach last year and wondering how confusing it must be to people who don’t know anything about Jesus to see his name in a field, or crosses on the side of the road where someone has lost a loved one in a car crash.  I don’t mean to make light of what people choose to wear or display, but Jesus was pretty clear about how people will find out that we are his disciples and it's not about what we wear. It's about how we love each other.  

Interesting thought.  How do we love each other so that everyone will know we follow Jesus? How did Jesus love the people around him?  Think about this as you journey today and come up with one specific way to try and love like that today.  St Francis is credited with this gem … “Speak Christ at all times.  If necessary, use words.”

“LORD, you asked questions, you listened, you touched, you were gentle, you soothed and healed, you fed and you washed feet.  It sounds easy, but I’m going to need your help.”

Journey, Day 36, Quiet excellence

"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody" (1 Thessalonians 4: 11-12).

That’s some really great advice. Paul is writing to people who were trying to be Christ followers without a Christian heritage or traditions ... or even Bibles.  I love what he says.  He doesn't urge them to be religious or popular or loud or famous ... but to be quietly excellent in the everyday things.  Yep, love that.

What a paradox the 21st century American Christian has become!  We tend to be loud and showy as we celebrate a God who came in simplicity.  We try to remind ourselves that Jesus told people NOT to accumulate stuff as we shop for things we don't need with money we don't even have.  And we're dependent on electronics to the point that even having a quiet hour or an uninterrupted conversation face to face can be a challenge.  Wow.

Today I pray that you can each find a way to be quietly, truthfully excellent in the way you do ordinary things.  Let God cause people to notice you ... or maybe not to notice you at all; rather to notice him.  What better way to honor Jesus than to live your daily life in a way that wins the "respect of outsiders?"  Honestly ... how do we represent our Lord if we don't make the time to notice and listen and interact with those outsiders? There never just is time to be with God ... you need to make it.  Do that.  Be creative ... how does one wrap up a long day at the office, or change a diaper, or do the dishes with quiet excellence?  :)

“LORD, as I journey today I will be thinking about the ways in which I can honor you with quiet excellence.  Help me be creative!  I’m listening.”

Journey, DAY 35!! ENOUGH

Isaiah 40: 28-31

Do you not know?  

Have you not heard? 

The Lord is the everlasting God, 

the Creator of the ends of the earth.  

He will not grow tired or weary, 

and his understanding no one can fathom.  

He gives strength to the weary 

and increases the power of the weak.  

Even youths grow tired and weary, 

and young men stumble and fall; 

but those who hope in the Lord 

will renew their strength.  

They will soar on wings like eagles; 

they will run and not grow weary, 

they will walk and not faint.

Did you notice what God requires of you?  HOPE!  That's it.

The rest is all on him!  God's good news, over and over again, asks people to do two things ... REMEMBER, and  HOPE.  THERE IS NO LIST of things you need to do. Whatever kind of mess you are, God is promising strength, and it's enough.  Sometimes God's strength enables us to soar like eagles.  Sometimes it's enough to run and not be weary.  Sometimes ... it's just enough to walk without fainting.  The thing is,  it's enough.  Keep going.  One more step.  You can do it. Find strength in the character of the One who promises to be enough.

“LORD, thank you.  You are enough.  You are strength and energy and our source of renewal.  Help my countenance glow with confidence in you!”

Journey, Day 34 YOU ARE.

Isaiah 43:1  “Fear not…for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; YOU ARE MINE.”

Funny how our primary identity isn’t in comparison to anybody else…

You are … on purpose … and that’s enough.

Today is about breathing deep and allowing God to claim you, simply because he loves you.

ENJOY your journey today! Let it soak in that you are not what you do.  You are claimed and known by your Maker.  Smile if you want.  Let people wonder why.  :)

That’s just very cool.

“LORD JESUS, thank you.  That’s all.  Thank you.”