Time Is Ticking

Today is the last day of September. It seems like it was just a few days ago that God spoke to me and said we would be moving here to Mobile, Alabama, but it was actually 9 months ago. It really feels like it has been a week or two since we had our big moving sale and sold most of our furniture and things. In reality that moving sale was almost three months ago. It feels like we have only been here in Alabama a few days but the truth is it’s been nearly two months. Time has a way of getting away from us. 

The days are hot here in Mobile. We have been having temperatures in the 90’s but feels much hotter. The evenings are not much cooler. The calendar says it is fall but the thermometer says summer! It’s easy to get mixed up on what day it is since Paul and I have not been working yet. Time marches on.

I wanted to capture so many memories of Kadesia’s senior year, and I had in my mind all the things we would do and experience together. She has had so many wonderful experiences already and honestly her senior year here is so much richer than she could have experienced in Indiana. The opportunities she has here cannot compare. We are so blessed and in the midst of us in full swing of all the preparation, the deadlines, and the long list of things to wrap up, time slips by. My kids have been in school almost all of August and all of September now. 

Tick, tock!
Tick, tock!
Tick, tock!

Each day we are given 24 hours. Each moment of that day is measured equally. What we choose to spend our time on needs to matter, because time does not get replaced! How are we spending each second of the time we are blessed with? One day the clock will stop for us and eternity will begin.

In Psalm 90, Moses is pondering about the time we are given. In verse four, Moses tells God:  FOR A THOUSAND YEARS IN THY SIGHT ARE BUT AS YESTERDAY WHEN IT IS PAST, AND AS A WATCH IN THE NIGHT. He says in verse 10 that our lives are about 70-80 years and that most of that time is spent working and in sorrow and then we are done and we fly away! What is the point if we are born, live a life of hard work and trouble and then die? Moses knew there had to be more to life than that. So he asks God to help us.

Psalm 90:12
So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.

God please teach us, Your children, to be mindful that our time on earth is short! Teach us to make the best use of the time we are given.

My dad gave steel guitar lessons to a really nice man who lived pretty close to us. The man was married and he had two beautiful daughters. Through his lessons our families became acquainted and through the years we remained in touch. We would cross paths at churches here and there and one of his daughters worked at Walmart (still does) and my mom retired from there not long ago. The family is just a wonderful family, all of them.

One day the man’s granddaughter got married and they had a baby boy. Such an exciting time in their life until tragedy struck. Just in her early 20’s, still newly married and a new mom to a baby only a couple of months old, that beautiful woman slipped into eternity. The God she loved, praised, worshipped, sang to, prayed to, and gave thanks to welcomed her into the portals of glory. Her whole life was ahead of her! Just starting out in life and gone! Please do not fool yourself, you are not promised tomorrow.

How much time do you have left? Not much. Neither do I! Let’s number our days so we can choose to live wisely.

Moses finishes this psalm so beautifully:

Psalm 90:14-17
14 O satisfy us early with Thy mercy; that we might rejoice and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad according to the days wherein Thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil.
16 Let Thy work appear unto Thy servants, and Thy glory unto their children.
17 And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish Thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish Thou it.

Lamentations 3:22-23
22 It is of the LORD ‘S mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.

Every single morning we are given brand new mercy from God! David said in Psalms 68:19 that God loads us with benefits every day! Ephesians 5:16 teaches us to redeem the time, not to just meander through life. Why are we put on the earth? What important task have we been trusted with? We are urged over and over throughout the scriptures from different people to take an inventory of our lives. What have we done that has eternal value? What treasures are we storing up? Have we made room for Christ to dwell in our hearts and guide us through life, or is He on standby for times we get into trouble?

Hebrews 9:27 says we are all going to die. Sure He could come back and gather His people with Him in the clouds, but while He tarries, we are all appointed to die. The graves are full of the remains of men and women of all ages, all religions, all cultures, and both wealthy and poor all stepped into eternity whether they were ready or not.

In 2 Corinthians chapter five it says to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Psalms 116:15 says the death of God’s people is precious in His eyes. He is thrilled when we make it through life with our hand in His. 

Please take some time today to reflect on your life: where you have been, what God brought you through, and where you are going. What choices are you making on your own, and what choices are you leaving up to God? Life is so much better with God in control.

In closing, I will share the last two verses in the Bible. I pray you have received strength for your journey and light for your way! God bless you!

Revelation 22:20-21
20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

~Bridgett Owens 

Have You Been Lied To?

I have been through a lot in my life. I grew up in a Christian home with very strict parents. My grandparents lived beside us and on either side of us we had aunts, an uncle, and cousins. It felt like my sisters, my brother, and I had tougher rules than our cousins. It seemed unfair at the time. 

As I got older, it seemed like everyone around me had things going for them, easy breaks, successes, and care-free lives. I struggled. I wanted to do the right thing, but I felt like I was missing out on having fun because I was expected to behave a certain way, speak a certain way, and live a certain way. 

Paul and I have had years of struggles, too, in our marriage, our parenting, our extended families, our finances, and even our faith. There were times I thought about how it seemed like the more we tried to do good things, the harder life got, but our relatives who seemed to place so little value in the things of God seemed to prosper and be successful. The devil planted the thought in my mind that maybe it wasn’t worth the struggle to keep the law of God and to follow Him. 

The devil is a liar. He comes to steal, kill, and destroy. He wants to plant seeds of doubt in our minds so we will be confused. God is not the author of confusion! If we let our minds be controlled by satan’s lies, we will start to believe the lies. We will start believing that sinners are having fun, we are missing out, and we are doing these good things for nothing. We start to see a proud spirit as good when it is something God resists. We may think people speak out against God and get by with it, but they are not. God is a long-suffering God and He is giving the wicked a chance to repent and be saved. 


The Bible shows us in Malachi that this tactic has been working since the Bible days. Just look at today’s passage. God takes this very seriously. We think it’s just a fleeting thought, but it is offensive to God. Read what God says!

Malachi 3:13-18
13 Your words have been stout against Me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against Thee?
14 Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts?
15 And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.
16 Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon His name.
17 And they shall be Mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own that serveth him.
18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

There will always be a remnant of believers of God. Once the believers start talking to one another, a book of remembrance is being written in. The names of the people who are putting their faith in God, instead of looking at their situation, and looking to other people, are recorded in this book. They fear God! Do we? We have brought God down to earth and shrunk Him until He looks like one of us. He is the creator of the universe and all that dwells therein. Stop thinking of God as a little Spirit with minimal power. Stop thinking that evil wins. Evil cannot overcome the goodness of God because God has defeated evil. God is more powerful. God is greater. 

Let’s stop mourning what we think we lost when we daily take up our cross to follow Christ. Why? God said that when He finally puts an end to all the wickedness on the earth, He will spare the ones who placed their trust in Him and feared Him. He compares it to blessing the child who serves his parents well. Then, says God, we will be able to tell who are the righteous and who are wicked. There are Christians in our churches today reading horoscopes, tracking moon phases, reading fiction books about vampires, witches, sorcery, evil spirits, and death. They watch television shows and movies that glorify evil, adultery, fornication, lying, gossiping, and backstabbing. These people are so deceived! They believe it is entertainment and nothing more, yet violence fills our world as these things are celebrated. 

It is time to remove the blinders. What does the Word of God say about the occult, fortune telling, witchcraft? You need to know that our enemies are not flesh and blood people. It is not your neighbor, your boss, your coworker, your teacher, your creditors, your spouse, your kids. It is the principalities and powers in the spirit realm. It is so easy to believe in a fantasy world and know the characters, their personalities, and their preferences, but then we do not even know what the Bible says about fundamental issues and eternal consequences!

Please don’t wait for Jesus to come back and set things right before you can discern who really is following God and who isn’t. Open your heart to God today.  Next month is October. October is a few days away and the push for all things wicked and evil will be in full force ushering in Halloween. Please join me in praying that our nation will open their eyes to the truth. I realize this is not popular but it is so important! I don’t want anyone I know to die and go to hell because I didn’t have the courage to tell them the truth. I would rather risk offending someone with the Truth of God’s Word in hopes they would be enlightened by it than to remain silent and let the devil win!

After reading this in Malachi, I will never again look at things the same way. I will no longer compare myself in my journey to anyone else or anything else. I want to keep my eyes on God and allow Him to lead me and guide me through this crazy life so one day I can hear Him say, Well done My good and faithful servant. Enter in!”

The scariest, most terrifying words we could ever hear would be God speaking to us and saying, “Depart from Me. I never knew you.” Eternal separation from our Father. Eternal torment with no end. It is almost unbelievable but believe it because it is real!

Friends, my sincere prayer is that something I shared today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. 

God bless you!
~Bridgett Owens

The Widow’s Oil

In America, where I live, many families have struggled with financial hardships. As the economy went from bad to worse, over the years, businesses closed their doors, many people lost their jobs, banks stopped loaning as much money, and luxuries some once indulged in were no longer purchased. Budgets got tighter, pennies were pinched, and the strain took its toll on marriages, many ending in separation or divorce.

Perhaps you have had your share of financial difficulties. It is unpleasant but so common. As the economy is boosted, credit card companies entice individuals to buy now, pay later, and as the debt piles up we are left with more month than money. It seems like there is no end to the cycle of living paycheck to paycheck. What do we do when we are staring financial ruin in the face? Where do we turn for help?

Let’s start with my favorite resource for help: God’s Word!

2 Kings 4:1-7
1 Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.
2 And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not anything in the house, save a pot of oil.
3 Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.
4 And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.
5 So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.
6 And it came to pass when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.
7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest. 

I get what you are thinking. You don’t see how this story applies to you today in your struggles. You might think this is a neat little story tucked into the Old Testament but look at what it is saying. A widow is now a single mother with sons that are going to be taken from her to be sold as slaves to pay for the debt she owes. Have you ever been at the point of losing your children? That would be more than hard times. That would be devastating!

She does not have any idea how she and her children can survive this situation. She reminds the prophet Elisha that her husband feared the LORD. The first thing you need to do is go to God and remember who you belong to! Tell God your problem! He already knows but tell Him anyway. Ask God to give you the solution!

The prophet asks her what she has to work with. The only thing she had was a pot of oil.  Remember how the little boy only had some fish and bread? Little is much when it is in the hands of God. Watch Him multiply the little in your hands. The oil represents the anointing. You may not have much but you have the Holy Spirit inside of you if you belong to God.

He tells her to borrow a lot of empty vessels.  In other words, when you are expecting a miracle, expect BIG results from God.

He tells her to shut the door on her sons and herself.  Do not invite others to be a spectator or to give their advice. Close the door on negativity and unbelief. Include only the people directly affected by your problem.

In verse five we see that she obeyed him. The key to getting the answer you need is to do exactly what God tells you to do. No matter how silly it may sound or even if it makes no sense at the time, you must obey every thing that God tells you to do.

 She kept pouring the oil without any regard to how much she had already filled and how many vessels were remaining. She kept her eyes on the oil that was being poured out, and she did not look up until she needed another vessel. Stay focused on what He tells you to do.

 She obeyed the man of God and when he told her to sell the oil she had enough money to pay her debts and to live on the rest and provide for her children. When God tells you to do something and you obey you will have enough for all of your needs for today and He will meet all of your needs in the future.

God has a plan for your life. He wants us all to experience the abundant life He came to give. We won’t all be wealthy but we are promised that God will supply all our needs! Will you trust Him today? Start pouring! God is waiting to bless you!

I hope you will experience God’s peace in the midst of your financial crisis. May you draw from today’s lesson strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Love 'Em All!

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to love everyone? I mean to truly love every single person on the planet. The people who are mean, abusive, unkind, rude, dishonest, and unfair are not as easy to love. It takes some prayer before my heart is turned toward them. Jesus tells us to love those people though. He loves them all. He died for them, just like He did for me. So who am I to say they are not worth loving?

Matthew 5:43-45

43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Sometimes it is hard to love people. The ones who are mean, hateful, and even evil are especially hard for me to love. I am a Christian, though, so I know the Bible says to love everyone. These are the words out of Jesus' mouth! And if I show meanness, hatred, or bitterness to these people, then I am just like them. I am no longer like Jesus. So, how can it get easier for us to love these kinds of people? The Bible says when we obey the commandments God gave us we are showing love. For me, it makes it easier to love the unlovely when I realize I am doing this for God and He gives the love to me to give to them.

2 John 1:6

And this is love, that we walk after His commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.

If we mess up, say mean things back, hurt someone who hurt us, or respond by becoming bitter, we do not have to stay in that dark place. We can pray to God and ask Him to help us and He will do it. No, it is not easy. No, I do not get it right every single time. But there is good news, we can start over! God will help us and maybe the next time we will choose love instead of anger, love instead of bitterness, love instead of harboring bad feelings.

1 John 2:1

My little children, these things I write unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

He is righteous. We can go to Jesus and He will be our advocate to the Heavenly Father. He will give us the love we need to love others. Let's make a goal to be more loving today!

God bless you!
~Bridgett Owens

Ruth Chapter 4 Bible Study

Welcome back to the weekly Wednesday Bible study. I began this weekly series to reach out to some of the kids I used to teach in Children's Church when we lived in Indiana. My family and I moved to Alabama August 1 and I really miss my kiddos! This Bible study is for any age group, and my best friend (who lives in Missouri) is also participating and has been enjoying the Bible study. If you want to do this series with a friend or small group, feel free! I am excited to have you all!

We are finishing the fourth and final chapter of the book of Ruth today. I hope you are joining the Bible study series this month. To get started, open your Bible to the Old Testament. Ruth is sandwiched between Judges and 1 Samuel. This is a small book, only four chapters, so it was a perfect book to study this month, since there are four Wednesdays!

Read through Ruth chapter four. Grab a notebook or journal and pen or pencil. Keep your Bible open as we read through the text together and discuss it. There are questions in each session. Use these questions for self-reflection or talking points. Feel free to leave me a comment, share on Facebook or Twitter, and let others know about this weekly study.

So let's get started!

The last study ended with Naomi telling Ruth to sit still and wait to see how things turn out with Boaz because Naomi was convinced Boaz would not delay to take care of the matter. I am sure Ruth was excited and maybe a little nervous. It does not indicate to us what she was feeling but we can think about how she felt and what was going through her mind. She had given up everything in her life, her family, her friends, her homeland, her language, and abandoned the idol worship to proclaim her allegiance to the one true God!

Boaz went to the gate to wait for the kinsman who was more closely related to Ruth and Naomi than he. As soon as Boaz sees him, he tells him to sit down with him. He is ready to get the matter settled. It does not say if Boaz was hopeful, excited, nervous, or all of the above, but this meeting with the near kinsmen would determine their future!

Question: What do you think Boaz is thinking as he waits for his relative? Do you think that Boaz had prayed about the meeting with his relative? What if the nearer kinsmen wants to redeem the land and marry Ruth?

He took ten elders of the city to sit in on their meeting. This is getting official! Boaz begins by explaining to the kinsmen that Naomi has moved back from Moab and she is selling a piece of land that was Elimelech's (Naomi's late-husband). This is according to the law found in Leviticus 25:25 If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold.

Boaz informs his relative that the land is for sale and that he is the closest relative. He tells him if he wants to buy it, do so, but if not, let him know because he, Boaz, is next in line to redeem it. The relative says in front of the elders of the city that he will purchase it.

Question: How do you think Boaz is feeling now? Do you think his heart sank? All his hopes and dreams with Ruth are gone once this purchase is made. Do you think he wished he had not asked?

Boaz tells him that the day he buys the land, he also has to buy it from Ruth the Moabitess, because her husband is dead, and this will carry on the name. This changed everything. The kinsmen shakes his head. No, he cannot do that. He does not want to mess up his own inheritance so he says to Boaz, you go ahead and take it.

Question: Is this a plotted way of asking the man about buying the land? Do you think Boaz was intentional about including the marriage to Ruth with the land purchase now, or is it a desperate attempt to get one last chance to be Ruth's husband?

In verse 7, we get a background on the customary way of doing things at that time. In order to confirm something was being exchanged or redeemed, one man took off his shoe and gave it to his neighbor. This was a testimony in Israel at that time. So the kinsmen removes his shoe and tells Boaz to buy it for himself.

Boaz addresses the elders, and says that they are his witnesses on that day that he has purchased everything that was Elimelech's, Chilion's, and Mahlon's at the hand of Naomi. And in addition, he continues, he has taken Ruth from Moab, Mahlon's widow, to be his wife to raise up the name of the dead so that the name can continue. The ten elders agreed they are witnesses. And they blessed him. Ruth 4:11-12 And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem: And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which the LORD shall give thee of this young woman.

Question: How do you think Boaz feels? Do you think he is excited, relieved, overjoyed? Are you happy for Boaz and Ruth? What do you think about the shoe giving custom?

Boaz marries Ruth and she conceives! She had a son! Naomi is so happy. The women are calling Naomi blessed of the Lord. Remember how bitter she had been before? Now she is excited about this baby boy. The blessing in verse 14 is similar to the one in verse 7. The women of the city are like those surrounding Elizabeth in the New Testament when she had John. Luke 1:58 And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her. This is an exciting time for this family.

Question: Do you know who the baby is that Ruth had? Do you know that he has a great destiny? Can you imagine how Naomi is feeling? Do you have a special bond with someone like Ruth and Naomi have?

I love what the women tell Naomi in verse 15! They said your daughter-in-law loves you and is better to you than seven sons you could have given birth to. They see how good Ruth has been to Naomi. They see her sacrifice, her giving heart, her generosity, her hard-working ethic, and her love for Naomi. Truly Naomi lost a lot when her husband and her two sons died, but God blessed her with a new family in Ruth, Boaz, and the baby!

The baby is named Obed. Obed grows up, marries, and has a son of his own. Obed named his son Jesse. Jesse grow up, marries, and has sons of his own. Jesse's youngest son is named David. Perhaps you have heard of King David?

Question: Do you think Ruth ever thought she was going to be the great-great-grandmother to a king? Do you know that God has a great plan for your life, too? Can you imagine the great things your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren will do? Do you think the faith of Naomi, Boaz, and Ruth contributed to David having a heart to praise God? My grandfather and grandmother strongly influenced me in my faith. How about you? Who has made your faith stronger by pouring into your life?

What a fun book in the Bible, right? God is an amazing, awesome, loving, Heavenly Father and it shows in this book. You can see how God kept His loving hands on Ruth through every step of her journey to a new land, serving a God she longed to know more of, and to be with a woman she respected, admired, and loved. God may be asking you to step out in faith with a health concern, a financial issue, a job search, a move, a wayward child, a marriage or relationship issue. Trust God. He has proven over and over again in His Word that He is loving, faithful, good, true, unchanging, and ever-present help in our time of need. 

Thank you for joining me on this journey! I love the Word of God. It is a pleasure to delve into the scriptures with you. Next week we are going to study 1 John in the New Testament. I look forward to hearing from you all! Tomorrow I will have another blog post up. I am posting every single day this month. We are moving things into our new home, so the posts may not be up as early as I would like, but hopefully next week we will be all moved in and I can have a better routine!

I hope this has been encouraging for you and that something I shared has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Preparing A Place

It’s still hot here in Alabama but tonight Paul and I made some progress on our home!

It feels sooo nice to have the rug down, the table set, and the hutch in place. Even though it is so hot here in Alabama it is nice to pull out a few fall decorations and dream of cooler weather! 

We have been working on getting things prepared here at home to settle in. Boxes are everywhere. Furniture is slowly getting arranged and it’s coming together. It had me thinking about how Jesus told us He was going away to prepare a place for us. He is making our new home move-in ready! I am so thankful! I can hardly wait to go!!! It will be wonderful!

JOHN 14:1-3

1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me.

2 In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

That is such a beautiful promise from Jesus! He tells us that He is going away to prepare room for us in His Father’s house. He promises He will come back and get us one day! Don’t you want to go? I do!! I want everyone to go! Jesus does, too, but not everyone will choose Jesus!

If you have never made Jesus your Savior, please ask Him to help you today! Ask Him to save you and He will. If you believe in Jesus and accept His free gift of salvation you will be one of those He comes back for!!! Don’t put it off. We are not promised tomorrow. Our lives are so short, like the vapor from a tea kettle! Let today be your day of salvation!

I hope you will join me tomorrow for the weekly Wednesday Bible study as we finish the book of Ruth. I am excited to dive in to chapter four! I hope today’s post has encouraged you in some way. I pray it has been strength for your journey and light for your way!

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens 

19 Years Strong

HAPPY FALL!!!!!

This is my favorite season, but all the things I love about fall are what I experienced growing up in Indiana. We had crisp autumn air, warmed by the campfire, sipped hot apple cider, crunched caramel apples, ate persimmon pudding, raked leaves, jumped into those leaves, raked them up again, wore sweatshirts and fuzzy socks, watched football, went to pumpkin patches, and got lost in corn mazes. I love the cool nights and warm days. I love when the leaves turn colors and the sun catches it just right and the leaves look as though they are made of pure gold. The bright red leaves, the orange and rust colored leaves, the marbled colors. I love fall most of all!

I live in Alabama now and I am not sure Fall lives here. I don't think Autumn has visited this zip code. At least so far it still feels like summer and I am not really sure if it will turn cooler for fall or not. We shall see. There are a few leaves in our new backyard that we can rake up after we get everything moved in, unpacked, and settled in.

So today is the first day of fall! I am excited!! It is also the day my husband, Paul, and I celebrate 19 years of wedded bliss! Okay, let's be real. It was not 19 years of wedded bliss, but we have survived together and we love each other more now than we ever have and tomorrow will be more. I am so excited to see the transformation God has made in our marriage. It is incredible!

So I wanted to share a few verses today about marriage and the first husband and wife that God ever created. I know God hand-picked Paul just for me. He is strong where I am weak. He is quiet and I am talkative. He is impatient and I have learned to have a lot of patience, though I still need improvement. He is strong and I am weak in some areas and vice versa in others. I am so thankful he still loves me after all of these years. He is my best friend. I know what the Bible says about finding a wife, but it's true of finding my best friend, Paul, as well.

Proverbs 18:22 King James Version (KJV)
22 Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord.

Genesis 2:7, 8, 15, 18, 21-25 King James Version (KJV)

7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

8 And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

15 And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

18 And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;

22 And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Matthew 19:6 King James Version (KJV)

6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

I love, honor, and cherish my husband. I fail miserably sometimes. I am not his source of joy and he is not mine. There is so much freedom in remembering that. God is the joy giver. I am blessed and thankful for my husband and I am praying God's best over our lives for whatever time we have left.

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Abigail

Yesterday I shared how David was in a war against the Amalekites and they had captured his two wives. One of the wives was named Abigail. Did you know that Abigail used her wisdom and generosity to persuade David not to kill her whole family? This is how the two met. Turn in your Bible to the Old Testament to 1 Samuel 25:1-42 to read about how David met Abigail and how she stopped David from following through on his plan to kill her husband and his household.

David went to the wilderness of Paran, and there was a man in Maon who was very wealthy. He owned 3,000 sheep, 1,000 goats and his name was Nabal. He was married to Abigail. Nabal was out shearing sheep in Carmel. The Bible says Abigail was a woman of good understanding and was beautiful. The Bible says Nabal was churlish (rude) and evil in his doings. (verse 3) I wonder how happy their marriage was if he was such a mean man.

David learned that Nabal was shearing sheep so he sent 10 men to greet Nabal in David's name. They were to say "Peace both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast." That is a really nice greeting. It sounds like a blessing, almost. They were to greet this wealthy man in David's name wishing him peace. What a pleasant thing to hear!

David instructs his men to further state they had been kind to Nabal's workers. They had no harm or anything missing or stolen while they were with David and his men. So David asks through these messengers of his that Nabal could spare a little food for David and those who were with him.

So the men went up to Nabal, did just as David asked them to do, and then they waited on a response. Instead of a generous donation, Nabal was rude and selfish. He turns his nose up in the air and closed his fists. He had no compassion. He was not grateful for the protection of David and his men to keep his workers safe. He was too selfish to give them a morsel of bread. 

1 Samuel 25:10-11

10 And Nabal answered David's servants, and said, Who is David? and who is this son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master.

11 Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be?

He insults them all! He claims he does not know David. He says David is probably a slave that ran away from the slave owner and he was not going to give food he had for his own workers to give to someone he did not know. This is completely against the teachings of Jesus. We can tell from this passage alone that Nabal is a stingy, self-centered man who does not care about helping anyone but himself.

The men David sent, left Nabal's presence and reported back to David all that had taken place. David told the men to get their sword ready. David grabbed his sword, also. Two hundred men were left behind to wait with the stuff. He and 400 men following were going to visit Nabal. Can you imagine how Nabal would have reacted to see that many men coming at him? That is a pretty big army coming after just one man!

One of the young men went back to Nabal's wife and told Abigail everything that had happened. He told Abigail how David and his men had been a wall of protection for the sheep shearers as they were in the fields night and day. The messenger begs Abigail to do something. He must have come to her before because he knew she would do the right thing. The messenger reminds her of what a terrible person Nabal is and that no one could even have a rational conversation with him.

Abigail springs into action. She took 200 loaves, 2 bottles of wine, 5 dressed sheep, 5 measures of parched corn, 100 clusters of raisins, 200 cakes of figs and put them on a donkey. She sends her servants before her and she says she will follow but she did not tell Nabal. Her husband had no idea that she was going to take all of that stuff to David and his men.

David and 400 men came down the hill and run right into Abigail and her servants with all these gifts. David had just been saying he had been good to Nabal for nothing if that was the way he would be repaid. He planned to destroy all that pertained to Nabal by the morning light. Now he has ran right into Nabal's wife and does not know it.

She bows herself at his feet and she is humble, kind, repenting of the evil her husband had shown them. She was everything Nabal was not. She begged David to spare her family and not to destroy them because of Nabal's evil disposition. She tells David she knew nothing about it and she did not know the ten men had even talked with Nabal. She offers them the gifts she had packed on the donkey. She blessed David and speaks highly of his character and his life. She builds him up. Nabal tore David down with denying he knew him. Abigail builds him up by honoring him and speaking victory and triumph into David's future as he continues to fight the LORD's battles.

1 Samuel 25:32-34

32 And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me:

33 And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand.

34 For in very deed, as the LORD God of Israel liveth, which hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light...

David was very clear that Abigail's swift response, kind gestures, and humble heart were from God moving on her to do so. He tells her that because she moved quickly, she was able to stop him from destroying Nabal's household. In verse 35 he sends her back home in peace and says he will listen to her and change his plans.

Abigail returns home and Nabal is feasting like a king. He refused to give David and his men anything to eat because he claimed it would be taking it from the mouth of his servants, but yet he is helping himself to all the foods and drinks he wants. Abigail does not even speak to him all night.

The next day, Nabal had sobered up, Abigail told him everything she had done. She told him what all she gave David and his men. She told him how they met on the way as he was coming to destroy everything Nabal owned. She tells him that she honored the man of God. Nabal hears every word and his heart died within him. He became like a stone. He did not move. He did not speak. Ten days later, God struck Nabal and he died.

Nabal's story could have ended so much better. He could have softened his heart, become compassionate and generous with all that God had allowed him to acquire, and to repay David and his men for all the protection and kindness they had shown his shearers. He could have responded with kindness to the messengers. He could have shown respect to David. He could have had a wonderful relationship with David and those men. He could have had more protection in the future. Maybe they would have helped Nabal obtain more wealth and possessions. Sadly, it did not end that way at all.

1 Samuel 25:39

And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the LORD, that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept His servant from evil: for the LORD hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him to wife.

Do you think Abigail was surprised David was asking her to marry him? David saw the kindness in her heart, the smart way she sprung into action to protect her family, and the generous way she gave to David and his men. He saw her respect and humbleness and I am sure David knew he could be a much better husband to her than Nabal was. She accepted and you can read the rest of the verses to find out what she said.

I have always loved hearing how people met their husband/wife. I enjoy hearing how they found a connection with that one other person they would spend the rest of their life with. My favorite love story is of course the one of my husband and me. Tomorrow we will celebrate our 19th wedding anniversary. The way we met was not as dramatic as David and Abigail, but it is a special story I love remembering and telling (and re-telling) to our children.

I hope you have learned something new with this blog post. I enjoy learning about the individual characters in God's story. They have their own personalities and agendas. It is so fun for me to study the Bible and find out things like how David and Abigail found one another! Thank you for reading my blog. I appreciate every single person that stops by and all the comments I get. Sometimes it's in person, other times in an email, or on social media, but it's always encouraging.

May you find strength for your journey and light for your way! God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Encourage Yourself

I thank God that I did not grow up in a time of war. I am an American and I have never seen men fighting with guns and bombs. I have never been a refugee, or a prisoner of war, never had my home plundered, my life left hanging in the balance. I am so grateful. I do not feel special or exceptional. I am just thankful that I have been spared the horrors of war.

I know from friends and some family members that have gone overseas to war that life can completely change in a moment. Some completed their tour and the way they returned home was far different from the way they left. Some suffered through post-traumatic stress syndrome. Some have shell-shock. Some have nightmares. Some have mental issues. Some came back and their lives were in shambles, they had been shaken to their very core. War sounds horrific and I know that it is.

When I read the Bible, most of the time I feel excitement, encouragement, peace, strength, joy, and overall good. I read through some passages, like when Jesus prays in the garden and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood. I cry. I feel bad, sad, grieved in my spirit. I read about the miracles and I am hopeful. I read in the end God's children win! Evil loses and I rejoice. But some passages I read and find myself feeling sympathy for the person going through a rough time in their life. I just try to understand what they must have been going through. Do you ever do that?

I have been feeling stressed out a little, okay, a lot lately. I know that we moved to Mobile, Alabama on August 1 and we saw God do the impossible. From the first day, as the wheels rotated on the pavement, it set into motion God's plan for the rest of our lives. We had such a great time traveling to Alabama. We found provision in the journey, just like God told us we would. We stayed with our pastor and she was so generous to make us feel right at home.

We were so busy when we got down here. We had to switch our mail, take care of business in Indiana from Alabama. We were in constant touch with our relatives as we were trying to tie up loose ends so many miles away. The kids had to quickly enroll in schools, which was an ordeal, but a smooth transition. God handled everything so easily and quickly. It was wonderful.

My daughter, Kadesia, transferred to the JC Penney store here in Mobile and she has been so busy, but happy with her transition. She has made new friends so quickly, and she has been given more responsibility, including learning new jobs, and training new employees. She has excelled at school. She has made friends there, become involved in various organizations and leadership roles there, too. She loves going to church and being in God's presence. There are so many things we have to thank God for.

My son, Javan, is so happy at the ocean. He loves going to the beach. He enjoys being close to his sister and sometimes the two of them just hang out together and she spoils her little brother so much. He does well at school. He dislikes having such a long commute to school but there is much to see along the way so he truly doesn't complain. He loves going to new stores and restaurants, driving around to see parts of Mobile and the surrounding areas that we have not seen before. He is doing well in school, has friends, and is well-liked by his teachers and the faculty. There are so many things we have to thank God for.

It has been wonderful on our marriage since Paul and I have been able to spend time together. We spend our days in various ways. Sometimes Paul will find a place to show me and the kids that is just breathtaking. He goes out to put in job applications and he puts some online as well. We know it is in God's timing that he will find work, but God has provided well for us so right now it is not a worry. There are so many things we have to thank God for.

But sometimes the worry sets in. The fear tries to grip our hearts. We have a home now and I am so excited about that! My car is now running again with just a simple solution. I am so grateful. Sometimes the doubts creep in and the kids start to get on edge. Sometimes Paul and I have spent a little too much time together and we step on one another's nerves. Often when we get scared or upset, have you noticed that the one who is loving, positive, and encouraging is usually the first to get dumped on? It is because we are the safe place. They know they can have their moment, their melt-down, their issue, and I will love them and forgive them, and we will pray together and it will be okay again.

But what about when it gets too much for me? What about when I am overwhelmed? The Bible says in Psalm 61:2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto Thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to that Rock that is higher than I. We used to sing that in church and I have prayed it many times. Lord, lead me to You, the Rock that is higher than I!

Today I searched the scriptures for someone to relate to. Of course David is a great one to look at. He has known heartache and despair. He knows about war and the afflictions, the pain, the heartbreak, the worry, and the fear. He knows what it is like to be overwhelmed. In 1 Samuel 30 we see David had a really big problem and he felt like he was at the limit. He had no one but God to turn to.

The Amalekites had invaded Ziklag, burned it with fire, and they didn't kill the women, but they took them hostage. So David and the men in his army get to Ziklag and find the city burning! They look around for their wives and their children. They are gone! Not one man can find their wives or children. 

1 Samuel 30:4

Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.

This is gripping! Have you ever been there? Have you ever been so distraught that you cried and cried and lifted up your voice until there was nothing left. I know I have been there. I have been that upset! I have been that grieved! I have been that low!

When tragedy strikes, the first thing most people want to do is ask why! They want to have someone to blame. Guess who is in charge? David! So naturally it must be his fault! They want to kill him! They started threatening to stone him! So who does David have to turn to? He is distraught, too! 

1 Samuel 30:6

And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.

David had two wives that were taken captive. He wanted them back. He loved them and they belonged to him. So he knows if he jumps in and reacts out of emotion he could get ahead of God and mess everything up. He asks God if he should go after the troop and God said yes pursue and the victory is yours! David waited until God said go! They got the women and children back, just as God promised (1 Samuel 30:18).

What happens when we don't encourage ourselves in the LORD? We can join in with the others. We can start blaming other people, hurling insults, threatening back, and repaying evil for evil. Instead, let's get alone with God, even for five minutes and just ask Him to help us carry the heavy load. He will! The tunnel vision will clear up. You and those around you will start to see that you are only looking at one page of the story of your life and the pen is in God's hands.

My family was not sent to Mobile, Alabama by accident. God has a purpose and a plan for us and we have already seen Him do so much for us, through us, and in us. It is incredible. We have a home now! The cars are working! We are still getting provision. It does not look like we thought it should or would. We are often so blown away by His methods of helping us, but God is doing so much! He is blessing us every single time we turn around!

I hope if you are struggling with discouragement, despair, hopelessness, loneliness, fear, anger, resentment, hurt, jealousy, or any other negative emotion that you will stop looking at the situation and take a step back. Look to God and what He is already done. Look at what He is doing right now. Look at the times in your life when He showed up in a big way before and you had no idea how it would work out, but by His power and might it did! Encourage yourself in the LORD.

I hope something I have said has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens 

Choosing Our Battles

Today I have a special treat for you! My daughter is guest posting for me today. She is a beautiful soul that truly loves and adores God. Her Bible studies go deep and she has an insight that few her age have experienced. She is a senior in high school, 17 years old, and her heart belongs solely to Jesus. God told me what to name her when she was still in my womb, Kadesia, (kuh-dee-jiah) and it means sanctified and radiant. Shine on, beautiful daughter. I am eager to see what you have to tell us!

God bless you!
~Bridgett Owens

Hello everyone! I'm so excited to share what God has laid on my heart this evening. 

Throughout my life I have heard my mom tell my brother, my dad, and me to choose our battles. At first it was just words to me until I really began to think about how to choose my battles and what that would entail. The more I've thought about it the more clear it has become and I learned that this process is sometimes difficult.

Maybe you have to deal with a lady who comes in every once in a while expecting her expired coupons to work, even though she got all clearance items. You are frustrated because you know that those coupons won't work and she knows it too. What you don't see is that she didn't have time to come in before the coupon expired because she's been pulling double shifts to make ends meet.

Maybe you have to help the elderly gentleman order every week even though he ends up getting the same thing. You may not see that he misses his wife who just passed away who always helped him pick new things to try and without her, it isn't the same. 

Maybe you have to wait some mornings on a school bus who's running behind but what you don't think of is that he just got his grandbabies on the bus so his daughter could go to her new job on time. 

There can be all kind of things you have to go through sometimes just to see how you're going to react.

What you have to do is take yourself out of the situation, it seems kind of selfish to think that every battle we are faced is even about us. In Romans chapter 12 verse 19, Jesus says vengeance is His, to not avenge ourselves because He will be the one to repay, you don't have to worry about getting revenge God has your back. So if what the person says or does hurts you, you can be angry but you cannot sin, you can be hurt but not seek revenge.  And if you truly take yourself out of the picture, you'll see the action or the words weren't for you or at you, it was a test of character and a chance to be a witness to someone. 

Maybe to that lady who's having trouble with expiration dates on her coupons, you can speak with your manager and see what they can do, if they cannot do something, apologize sincerely and pray for her (you don't have to even tell her you are). If you do what you can for her instead of getting aggravated, that may bless her even more than getting the coupon for the day because she sees that someone cares.

To that elderly gentleman, ask about his favorite memories of his wife and show that you truly care about what he's going through. Loss is never easy for anyone. If there's anything new on the menu, tell him about it, it could strike up joy in his heart knowing that someone else is looking out for him. 

And to that bus driver, pray a blessing over his life and that his family would recognize the sacrifices he has made for them.

God knows our strengths and weaknesses and He works on us every day. The Bible says the strong should bear the infirmities of the weak so when faced with opposition next time, think about how strong God thinks knows you are and what new levels He's taking you to by allowing trials to come your way and how big of a blessing you can be to someone else.

In all, people just want to feel appreciated and loved. God is love and He tells us to love like He does, unconditionally and constantly. 

Who can you bless today? Who can you make feel appreciated and loved? God wants to take you higher but He has to challenge you first. Are you up for it?


Some of the scriptures I used for this piece are listed below respectively. 

Romans 12:19- Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Ephesians 4:26- Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

Romans 15:1- We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

1 John 4:8- He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

I hope this touched your heart and blessed your soul!! God bless you!