Finish Strong & Start Over | Fuel For The Weekend

This is our very last post for 2021! What a year it has been. I think back to a year ago when we moved back to Indiana and I see His hands all over our lives this year, but it has been none of what we expected it to be. We had hoped we would have a home and that hope is still alive in our hearts. Perhaps 2022 will be our year to see that happen. I have had different jobs this year and that has been interesting to say the least. I have lost an important friendship because the person was just not in a good mental state and it is so hard to see that dissolve, but God has given me richer and deeper friendships this year that has helped heal those old wounds. I think my best friend, Heather, and I have grown even closer as we have been one another's prayer warrior, advisor, confidante, listening ear, and source of laughter and joy. She has blessed my life so much this year and I have loved staying in touch with her, though the miles may be keeping us apart, technology has cemented our friendship all the more. Lots of sickness and illness in our family, several family members have lost their battle with cancer and our hearts mourn them. My mom moved back to Indiana, Paul and I flew to Florida to get her and drive back to Indiana with all her stuff. That was my first flight ever and I am glad I got to experience it but it was super scary for me. I am so thankful I had Paul with me for my first flight. Blue's Blessings, my small business, had some great success. We published a women's prayer journal and a men's prayer journal. I am going to launch a youth prayer journal that I am so excited about, and it will be available on Amazon. I am also going to make the men's and women's prayer journals available on Amazon, so the customization feature will no longer be available, but whomever purchases a journal can write their name in book on the blessings page if they choose to. I also have finished my book edits and ready to get it published in the new year. I am so excited for that!

Sometimes when we reflect back on a time in our lives we see great difficulties and struggles, and other times we look back and see celebrations and victories. Our lives will always be like that as long as we are pilgrims in this world. We do not belong here. We look for a city whose builder and maker is God. (Hebrews 11:10) Right? We may have goals and dreams for 2022 and that is fine to make plans and to hope for good things, but we must remember that God has numbered our days and we must keep checking in to see if we are still in His Will and walking the paths He has designed for us to walk on. James says that our lives are like vapors and we shouldn't brag about going to do anything. Instead, we should say Lord willing we will do this thing or that. 

JAMES 4:14-16 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.

We can make plans, but we must be sure to include God in them and then wait for His approval to make them happen. Proverbs 16:9 says, "A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps." We can make plans and goals but when we put God as the head of our lives, the director of our days, then things may not work out like we want them to. We have confidence in knowing that He only wants what is best for us. Remember in the Bible where it says in Luke 11:11-13, "If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask?" The Holy Spirit leads, guides, instructs, comforts, and helps. What a precious gift He is.

God has made plans for us according to Jeremiah 29:11-13. We must be seeking Him with all of our heart to find out what He wants to do for us. What dreams has God dreamed for your life? What does 2022 look like for you through God's eyes?

My family and I are going to do a 21 day fast to start the new year. I do not share that to brag or to do my alms before men. I am not looking for applause or acceptance. I am mentioning it only to share that we are choosing to give God the first fruits of our year. We are choosing to crucify the flesh of things it wants in order to savor the things of God. We will taste and see that the Lord is good when we go hard after the things of God. (Psalm 34:8)

This year may have been a banner year for you and your family. If so, that is awesome! It may not have been though, and for all of us, I say let's finish the year out strong. Let's keep our hand in the Master's and never let go. Let's step out of the old year and into a fresh new year with Jesus leading the way! We can finish the year strong in faith, hope, love, kindness, and mercy. We can begin fresh with forgiveness, gratitude, and hope for a brighter year. With God all things are possible.

My new word for 2022 is going to be PLANS. I looked up the definition, because I thought I might be just thinking of the word plans. After all I have multiple planners and I love making planners and writing in them and changing them out over and over. I read the definition and I am sure that PLANS is what He has given me for this new year. I know He has big PLANS for our family and for me and for Blue's Blessings and for this blog and my YouTube channel and my books and prayer journals. I am so excited to see what all He has planned for me.

Thank you all for joining me on this journey. I appreciate the comments, messages, texts, and phone calls letting me know how much these posts mean to you. It blesses me to know I have made even a small difference in anyone's lives. Ram Dass said, "We are all just walking each other home." I often quote that statement. It is very true. We are all supposed to uplift and encourage one another, sharing our love for Jesus with everyone, and telling them about the ultimate plan of God's, the plan of salvation. We are truly just supposed to be helping each other make it to our Heavenly Home. When I was younger, my brother and sisters and I would go visit my grandparents next door. They lived down the hill from us and their home was surrounded by big, mature trees and even with the moon out, it was dark to walk up the hill sometimes. I was terrified of the dark and my grandmother would often walk me to the top of the hill and then I would proceed to run the rest of the way home. There was something incredibly comforting about the walk up the hill with my grandmother and her flashlight in the dark. She let me hold her hand and she would remind me that the angel of the Lord encamps round about them that fear Him (Psalm 34:7) and it would bring me peace. I knew she loved Jesus and would never lie to me. I had read that scripture many times at her house. She had underlined it in her Bible and would quickly flip the worn pages to that familiar passage when I was afraid. 

I hope that in some way my blog can serve as a beacon of light, pointing others to the foot of the Cross of Christ. I do not know everything. I am definitely always learning. I just hope that something I have shared in my blog posts on any given day has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you and Happy New Year!

~Bridgett Owens

Psalm 103 | Thankful Thursday

Welcome to the final Thankful Thursday post of 2021. What a tremendous opportunity to reflect back on this year and see the goodness of God all over our lives. He is so faithful and so good and so loving. We do not always understand everything we have to go through in this life, or why He says, "Wait," or "No." But we know that God has a purpose for every detail of our lives and so we turn toward Him today with a heart full of gratitude and praise and honor that is due His Holy name.

PSALM 103:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name.

This is a reminder that I am to bless the LORD with everything in me. My situation may seem bleak. I may have lost loved ones this year. My finances may not look like I want them to. My health may be failing. Things in my life right now may not be ideal, but yet I will bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, I will bless His holy name! He is worthy! My circumstances do not diminish God's worth! I will bless Him and love Him and trust Him!

PSALM 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:

This is a reminder that I am to bless God always and not to forget all the benefits I have because I am His child. I belong to God. He is my Heavenly Father. I have many benefits to serving Him. We will list them in the subsequent passages.

PSALM 103:3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases;

He has forgiven me of all my sins. I could stop right there. That could be enough benefit, but there are so many more. I am so incredibly grateful that God sent Jesus to take away my sins. He paid the penalty for my sins and now I am free. I do not die and eternally separate myself from my King. Instead, I have eternal life through Christ Jesus. He raised me when He was resurrected. The same power that brought Him back to life is at work in my life to revive me after I died to sin. I am set free and that is a wonderful benefit.

He heals all my diseases. No matter what suffering I have gone through, He is my healer. He may not heal me in this lifetime of the physical ailments I suffer with. I may have loss of blood, weakness, pain, and fatigue in this life, but He is my healer. He will heal me before He takes me Home and I will have a glorified body, no pain, no sickness, no dying there. It will be wonderful. He has healed my body though through the years of many, many ailments and issues that I nearly died from. He is my healer.

PSALM 103:4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

He has redeemed me so I do not have to pay the price of my sins. He saved me from great destruction in my spirit, but He has also saved me from destruction in my lifetime. I was spared from an abusive relationship that would have possibly taken my life, not once but twice. He redeemed my life from destruction when He spared me from taking my own life. He has redeemed my life from destruction in many ways and I am forever grateful that He loves me so much. He gently places a crown upon me of His amazing love and kindness and tender mercies. He could have punished me for all the things I did wrong, but He did not do that. He chose mercy and great love and incredible acts of kindness throughout my 43 years of life and He does it again and again every single day.

PSALM 103:5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

He fills my life with good things. I am tasting the pleasant goodness He gives me daily. He has renewed my strength. I may not be a young person any longer, but in my spirit I can soar like an eagle because the deeper in Him I go, the higher I seem to climb and the heights He has taken me to is incredible. The view is amazing as I look back over my life and the hills and valleys He always brought me through. He has moved mountains out of my way and at times enabled me to scale great heights to conquer obstacles in my way. I love Him so much for His goodness and His love.

PSALM 103:6 The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.

I cannot tell you how many times I have been oppressed in my lifetime; not depressed, but oppressed. I felt the weight of heaviness on my life so many times. Trials in this life have left me battered and battle-scarred when I was not properly suited up for battle with the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20). So often I gave in to fear and worry and doubt, when I should have remembered this powerful verse. God Himself delievers His righteousness and His perfect judgment to all who have been heavy burdened and treated harshly and with cruelty. He takes care of the situation for us. He fights for us and He always wins! He invites us to rest in Him (Matthew 11:28-30).

PSALM 103:7 He made known His ways unto Moses, His acts unto the children of Israel.

He used Moses and told Him what He was going to do. They were in close relationship. Their bond was secure. The good news is that God lets us know what He is doing, too, if we ask Him. Moses was afraid of the call God placed on His life. He wanted to run away. He said he was not fit to be used by God because of a speech impediment. He ran away from the palace after killing a man. He was tending sheep and started a new family but God pursued Him anyway. He led God's people out of captivity into freedom! He showed the children of Israel what He was going to do. He made them promises. He does the same for us. He has told me so many things He would do and they all came to pass just like He said, even when it did not seem possible at the time. He is still revealing His heart to us if we will listen. What a wonderful benefit of being His child, to have such great fellowship with Him.

PSALM 103:8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

This is a reminder of who our God is. If we want to know what our Heavenly Father is like, this is a perfect description of some of His characteristics. He is full of mercy. He could have punished us for all our sins but He loves us so much He made a way for us to escape damnation and be saved. He is gracious. He gives us grace even though we do not deserve it and will never deserve it. He does not blast us off the face of the earth in anger, but He is slow to anger. He does get angry. The Bible says He is angry with the wicked every day. (Psalm 7:11). He gives us all a chance to get in right standing with Him again, though. He has plenty of mercy for the whole world. What a wonderful picture of who He is!

PSALM 103:9 He will not always chide: neither will He keep His anger for ever.

He is a good Father. He is not always angry with us. He does not hold grudges. He will not scold us all the time. Some people think God is up in heaven, with a big hammer in his hand, ready to punish us as soon as we do something wrong. He is not like that! He is so patient with us. He will not stay mad at us. When we are sorry and we repent, He is loving and kind and welcomes us back to Himself. He cleans us up and tells us that He loves us. He will not beat us up or harm us. He lovingly corrects us and forgives us.

PSALM 103:10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

We should all be lost and bound for hell because none of us are righteous, but He did not deal with us according to what we have done wrong. Instead He allowed Jesus to take our place and pay the extreme penalty for our sins so we could be given grace and mercy and saved from the judgment we should have had. He does not reward us according to the sins we committed. He responds to us with grace and love and forgiveness. What a wonderful God we serve!

PSALM 103:11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him.

I could tell you of so many mistakes I made and failures I have had in my lifetime. I could go on and on about the times I messed up and did the easier wrong than the harder right, but I would rather tell you about God who loves me in spite of my shortcomings and this verse sums up God's amazing kindness and mercy. How high is heaven above the earth? It's very high. It's so high we cannot get there by an airplane or any special aircraft that we could build. We cannot send a satellite to heaven or a rocket ship. There is no way we can even measure how high is above the earth. In the same way, we can never measure how great His mercy is toward those who fear Him and love Him. His mercy is a never-ending supply to His children.

PSALM 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us.

How far is the east from the west? God has created an incredible universe that if you keep going in one direction, toward the east you will never run into the west. If you start out in a direction toward the west, you will never meet up with the east. That is just how He designed things to be. That is how He designed the forgiveness of our sins. They are so far from us that we will never run back into them. We will never have the stains of our past to soil our garment. He has given us His righteousness to clothe us. We will never have to bear the markings of a sinner because Jesus bears the marks in His hands and in His feet. We are free and cleansed. We will never face those things again. The enemy may try to remind us of some past wrong we have done, but God chooses to never remember it again. He takes it so far from us that we can never be connected to it again.

PSALM 103:13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear Him.

He is our Heavenly Father and He loves us greatly. He feels sorrow and compassion for us, His children. Just like I am quick to help my children when they are hurting, or to tend to them when they are ill, He is right there with us to protect us and help us, too. I would not allow my child to be mistreated by others, so as much as is within my power I would have pity on my children and quickly come to their defense. He does the same thing only in a greater way. He is by our side and when we have been abandoned, abused, lied on, mistreated, and harmed He is there to shower us with His compassion and love. His heart breaks when we have been wounded. It is not His desire for us to suffer but He will always turn it around for our good. (Romans 8:28).

PSALM 103:14 For He knoweth our frame, He remembereth that we are dust.

He knows we are human. He remembers that He created man from the dust of the earth. He knows that to dust we shall return. Another benefit of being His child is that He knows us better than we know ourselves. He understands why we do the things we do, say the things we say, and behave the way we behave. He understands. He knows. He remembers.

PSALM 103:15-16 As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. 

We humans will not live forever. We have a day appointed to us to die. (Hebrews 9:27). Unless we get called away by Jesus when He comes back for us, we will all go by way of the grave. None of us will make it out of here alive. Just like the grass in a field may grow, and flowers be in the field, and it is beautiful to see, but over time the flower fades away and the grass may stop growing, or someone may pave over it and it is all gone; the same is true for our lives. We may live happy, flourishing lives. Others may admire our lives from a distance, but one day we will pass on and after so long our memory may even fade away. This is not meant to be depressing but it is empowering. We will not live here forever. We will one day be carried away with the wind and forgotten on earth but God never forgets about us and one day we will be with Him and never die. We will live forever with Jesus our King.

PSALM 103:17-18 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him, and His righteousness unto children's children; To such as keep His covenant, and to those that remember His commandments to do them. 

This is what will never fade, never pass away, never be forgotten. God's mercy is never changing, never ending, and it goes from one generation to another, on and on, to those who are in a covenant relationship with God. This promise is to those who remember His commandments and do them. This is how Jesus said we would show we love Him if we are found keeping the commandments. (John 14:15 and John 15:10)

PSALM 103:19 The LORD hath prepared His throne in the heavens; and His Kingdom ruleth over all.

This is a great reminder of His Sovereignty. He reigns over all the earth. He is the final authority. He has prepared His throne high above us. We do not have to go to a physical location on earth or a nearby planet to find Him. He sits high above all and He rules all but we know how to find Him. We simply call on His name. He has allowed us to boldly come to His throne of grace and He will help us when we need Him. (Hebrews 4:16).

PSALM 103:20-21 Bless the LORD, ye His angels, that excel in strength, that do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of His Word. Bless ye the LORD, all ye His hosts; ye ministers of His, that do His pleasure. 

This is a word for the angels. God created mechanical beings to do the things He wants done. They listen to Him and obey Him quickly. David is admonishing the angels to bless God. I am so thankful God has set angels to keep watch over His children. (Psalm 34:7, Psalm 91:11).

PSALM 103:22 Bless the LORD, all His works in all places of His dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.

The final verse is for all God's creation, not just mankind. This time David addresses everyone and everything God created. He says to bless the LORD and finally reminds himself to bless the LORD. I will bless the LORD because He is my everything. If you want to know what I am thankful for this year and always, it is for God my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ my King and Holy Spirit my Comforter. I am so happy to be a child of the Most High God and to be in the family of believers. I am thankful I am in the Bride of Jesus Christ. I am glad that Holy Spirit teaches and instructs me in the way I should go. I will choose to end 2021 blessing God and my Savior and begin 2022 with His praise on my lips.

I hope you take some time today to reflect on what you are thankful for. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Philippians Chapter Four | Wednesday Bible Study

We are wrapping up this year with one last Bible study. I think it is a timely message that we discuss today. If you have not been working through the book of Philippians with me, you can go back to Philippians Chapter One here, Philippians Chapter Two here, and Philippians Chapter Three here. If you are ready for today's study, grab a notebook and pen or pencil, and your Bible and we will begin. As always, I encourage you to read the entire chapter before we get started. I will share some insight into this final chapter of this book but I will not go verse by verse.

Verses 1-9 The God of Peace

We have heard a lot about peace on earth with the celebration of Jesus' birth. Jesus calls all of His followers to a life of peace and love and harmony. Sometimes we get upset with one another and argue over things that should not matter so much. Two women of great faith, involved in building up the church in Philippi found themselves in a dispute. In verse two, Paul encourages these two women to be like minded. He is encouraging them to come together in unity. He calls them by name in this letter and throughout the letter it tends to hint at how he expects these women, and all believers, to behave. He encourages others to help these women come together in humility and harmony. The entire church felt the tension and discord of these two individuals. Paul said they labored in ministry with him. They were hard workers for the Kingdom of God. Knowing that a quarrel led to this portion of the letter, if not the entire letter, we see that Paul tells them to rejoice in the Lord always and he even repeats the command to rejoice. When we rejoice we do not have tension and ill-feelings toward others because our mind is on God. When we are hyper-focused on being right or being validated we lose sight of the work Jesus did on the cross and there is no rejoicing done. In verse five, Paul says let them reasonable so everyone will see it because the Lord is coming back soon and we simply have no time for this kind of arguing and division in the church. There is too much work to be done. Paul goes on to urge them to not worry about anything, but rather pray about everything with thanksgiving. Paul is reminding them that a heart of gratitude has no room for this kind of divisiveness. Rather by both women, and all believers, to get their minds on God and doing His work and His will, they will come into agreement and the disputing will be put to rest. When they have their mind on God then in verse seven, we are told the peace of God that doesn't even make sense will come and guard their hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. They will have protection from warring in the flesh. And then he gives them a checklist of things to think about. What should they have on their minds? Paul says we should all think about things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, things of virtue and praise worthy. If our minds are filled on those things it is much harder for the enemy to sow seeds of discord among the brethren. Paul finishes this segment of scriptures by saying that he has already given them an example of how to live in a manner pleasing to God. He tells them all that what they learned from him and heard him say, watched him do, that if they will do that too, they will have the peace of God with them.

Verses 10-20 An Acceptable Sacrifice

Paul begins this section of his letter with gratitude. He had just touched on that briefly, admonishing them to be grateful and we see him modeling it for them yet again. He is thankful for their help and kindness to him. He begins to share a secret with them about how to remain joyful. The secret is that our circumstances do not dictate whether we are grateful to God or not. Paul's life was hard, especially after his conversion. He was battled daily because of his faithfulness to Jesus Christ. Paul learned how to be content regardless of where he found himself. We do not immediately know how to be content, it is something we must learn through time and trials in this life. Paul said he knew how to overflow with God's goodness and he knew how to humble himself. He says no matter what the situation is, he has learned to be hungry and to feel full; to have anything he desired and to suffer great need. And the key to all of this is found in verse 13. You can never unlock the secret to living in contentment and joy without realizing you can do all things through Christ Jesus who is the One strengthening you. There is no other way that taking hold of that nail scarred hand of Jesus's and walking with Him. If you are in unity and humility with your walk with Jesus, you will not feel the effects of suffering need or walking through lonely, deep valleys. He is with us and so we are never walking alone.

Paul once again is thankful for the giving this church has done toward him. He speaks highly of the things they sent by Epaphroditus and called it a sweet smelling odor, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God. What a wonderful compliment that had to be. Not just to exalt them or make them feel prideful, but to remind them to keep doing those good things because it pleases God. And then to wrap up this portion of his letter he says to them, no matter what their need is, God will supply all of it according to His riches in glory, which we know is so wonderful that He used gold for pavement. God does not check our bank account before He helps us, instead He meets our needs with His own riches in glory and it is all done by Jesus Christ, His Son. Then Paul glorifies God now and forever. Amen.

Verses 21-23 A Salute to the Saints

Paul's final thoughts in this book are to salute and greet each saint. It was a sign of respect, an expression of kind wishes, courtesy, and honor. He wanted to praise them and encourage them as believers of Jesus and then He gives them a blessing. He says, "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen." What a tremendous way to close the letter that in some ways had some heaviness and sternness, but seasoned with love and grace.

I hope that you have enjoyed studying the book of Philippians with me. It has been an incredible year of trusting God, not understanding His plan at times, and then lots of hope. My word to reflect on throughout 2021 has been JOY. God has given me great joy despite several trying circumstances, losing two cousins to cancer, and my father-in-law to cancer and now his brother has passed away. My husband mourns the loss of another uncle. We continue to pray that God gives us a house. Monday was one full year since we have been back to Indiana and no home of our own yet. It has been stressful and hard but God has given His peace and grace and filled me with joy that circumstances could never take away from me. 

I hope you'll come back tomorrow to see what I am truly thankful for and then again on Friday for a little Fuel For The Weekend. I have a couple of end-of-year messages I want to share and blessing to impart to each of you. I am grateful to have this opportunity to share my faith with other believers. Thank you for coming alongside me on this journey! God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Thankful For Jesus' Birth | Thankful Thursday

Welcome back friends! We are wrapping up 2021 like last minute Christmas gifts! It has been a LONG year in many ways, but I think starting in November someone hit the fast-forward button. I feel a little lost around this time of year and I do not know if it is because my dad's Going Home was December 29 or if it's just because of all the end of the year stress, hustle and bustle, overwhelm, but it's a heavy feeling at times of disconnect.

It is times like this that I am thankful of the birth of Jesus Christ. Now, I know we have no idea when Jesus was born. We have some clues about the weather because there was a census taken and we know shepherds were in the field with the sheep. So, whether that is the same time of year as now or not, makes no difference to me. I am still just thankful Jesus Christ was born. I am so glad that He came.

LUKE 2:6-7 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

The Bible tells us that everyone was going to be taxed. Doesn't that sound like fun? I mean, think of it, you are about ready to deliver your baby and you have to travel to another town, about 70 miles, and not on paved roads in a comfortable vehicle. Some say Mary rode on a donkey, and if that was the case, that would not have been a pleasant experience for any length of time. Mary and Joseph were married at this point, though they had not consummated their marriage. And so you have a newlywed couple and this most unusual circumstance, and I have no doubt that it was all very stressful and overwhelming.

I am sure the roads were crowded and noisy. I can imagine people carrying carts behind animals with their belongings as everyone had to go back to their ancestral town for this census. It would have been frustrating to stop and start again as people would have no doubt crossed paths with one another, perhaps bumping into each other. It would bring a new sense of fatigue to an already tiresome journey.

Once they reach Bethlehem, they are trying to find somewhere to stay. Joseph surely tried his best to find somewhere, anywhere to take his new bride. I can imagine his heart sank with every rejection. The need for somewhere to stay was far greater than the capacity to hold everyone who came and I am sure that many were turned away. 

Now, it was not like they were just going to check in with the census and leave. So they stayed and many people were most likely waiting to participate. I am sure the turn out was greater than the availability of people to register everyone, so they must have come up with a system to have a certain number of people come per day. We know that she finished her last trimester there in Bethlehem and then our Savior was born.

I am thinking back 14 years ago, and 20 years ago to when I had my children. I made sure I bought them a cute little outfit to wear home. I had adorable clothes for both my children from things their dad and I purchased as well as the many gifts our loving family and friends showered us with. Mary did not have a sweet little outfit for baby Jesus. She had to wrap baby Jesus in swaddling clothes. Do you know what swaddling clothes are used for? Shepherds used them to wrap baby lambs tightly in these cloths so they could be examined for blemishes. The Lamb of God was wrapped in similar fashion. I am sure this would have had great significance to the shepherds who were out in the field and the angels heralded His birth to them.

My babies were given soft bassinets to lay in when they were infants. Jesus was laid in a trough where animals would eat. Definitely not an ideal setting for anyone. How many of us would complain to our new husbands that the conditions we were staying in were unacceptable? How much more would they be inappropriate for the Son of God to lay His precious head in a manger? Yet, we never hear of Mary nor Joseph complaining about their circumstances. Could it be that they were just so mesmerized by the sight of God's own Son in their arms? Were they just content to be wherever He was?

The shepherds were given the glorious birth announcement when He was born. They were told where to find Him and how to find Him. So they decided to go see for themselves. They found the baby Jesus just like they were told He would be in a manger with swaddling clothes. And the shepherds told everyone they knew what had happened. Everyone who heard about it were amazed, but Mary treasured these things in her heart and often thought about them.

I do not know what it was like to be Mary. What a great responsibility she had. She did not always get things right. Remember the time they left Jesus behind and it was a day's journey before they discovered they lost Him? I wonder what terror filled her heart. It would be terrifying to lose any child, but this child was the Son of God. He was very special and I am sure she was protective of Him. After all there were those who tried to kill Him since birth.

We never were told what Jesus liked to do as a child, what His favorite snacks were, when He learned to walk, if He was left-handed or right-handed, or was he ambidextrous? What was Jesus like as a teenager? Was He helpful without being asked? We just don't know those things and I think it is nice that it was a mystery. Each stage of parenting is so hard and different, but yet rewarding. The hardest part of being Jesus' mother had to be to see Him after they tortured Him and then slung Him on a cross, nailed in His hands and His feet. I can tell you that would have been the worst thing a mother could ever go through.

I am so thankful that we celebrate that Jesus came. I do not get caught up in the religious legalism that demands we do not know when He was born and therefore we should not celebrate a pagan holiday like Christmas. I know that we do not know when He was born. We just know that He was. So instead of the emphasis being on the decorations, parties, snacks and treats, presents, and gatherings. Let's choose to keep Jesus as the focus of our holiday. He is the true reason for this season. He is the hope we have now and always. The birth of Jesus is a gift to the whole world. It is the best gift any of us can receive.

I hope you have unwrapped the gift of salvation. It is found in Jesus Christ alone. You cannot be saved by being good enough, kind enough, generous enough. It is a free gift that you cannot earn, and it's a great thing because we are not good enough on our own. We are not worthy of His love and saving grace but He chose us and loved us before we ever loved Him. So please accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. If you have done that, welcome to the family of God! Angels rejoice at the decision to follow Jesus Christ. You will never want to exchange this gift for anything else. Nothing will ever compare to it and it can never be taken back or away from you! You are sealed with His blood when you accept Jesus as your Savior and Redeemer.

I hope you have a wonderful Thursday as you reflect on the things you are thankful for this season. I am also thankful for all of you who comment or message me about how much these blog posts mean to you. I am going to make a better effort to post on schedule in 2022. By God's grace and strength, I will post a Bible study lesson each Wednesday and a post about what I am thankful for each Thursday and then finish the week and kick off the weekend with some food for thought in Fuel For The Weekend every Friday. I hope to have a video uploaded to YouTube each week on Saturday or Sunday, as well. I am still trying to figure that out.

I have a few announcements to make soon, but until then God bless you and have a blessed day!

Hugs,
Bridgett

Philippians Chapter Three | Bible Study Wednesday

We continue to study the book of Philippians, written by Paul, who was Saul from Tarsus. We will be breaking down this chapter into two parts. If you missed the first two chapters we have studied so far, you can catch up by reading Philippians Chapter One Bible Study here and Philippians Chapter Two Bible Study here. We will begin with Chapter Three verse one today.

Verses 1-12 That I May Win Christ

Paul opens this chapter with a call for rejoicing in the Lord. This is an encouraging letter to the church at Philippi and we find this a recurring theme of his to remind the believers to rejoice in the Lord. Note it does not say rejoice in our circumstances, or rejoice in our pain, or rejoice in times of turmoil. We are to rejoice in the Lord. He alone is worthy of praise and honor and nothing we are going through changes how worthy God is of our rejoicing and praise.

My "The Woman's Study Bible" explains verse 2 like this, "Dogs in the ancient Near East were mostly street roamers, scavengers. Jews frequently called Gentiles "dogs." By "dogs" Paul meant Jewish legalists who insisted on the rite of circumcision for all believers. Paul's implications were emotional and strong: Circumcision was neat, planned surgery; yet the Judaizers would rip, tear, and mutilate tender, new believers! But those who had voluntarily "cut away" all confidence in the flesh, were the true circumcision (verse 3)."

Paul goes on to give his spiritual resume, his religious pedigree, dating back to the tribe of Benjamin. He was named after king Saul in the Old Testament and he shares his heritage to prove he knows what he is talking about. He is backing up his statements with a genealogy that goes back to Jacob. He says that what he gained for his religious attempts to please God was counted as a loss to Christ. He was fighting against Him, but now he counts all the accolades he may have obtained as loss and gain to Christ. He says, "That I may win Christ, And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead."

We may read that and think it is backwards: resurrection, sufferings, and death, but without the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, we would not have any fellowship of sufferings and could never die to sin and self. For the believer we are a part of His death and resurrection when He paid for our sins with His precious blood. 

Paul ends this section by saying He is not perfect. He does not want to give the illusion that he is holier than any of the people He is addressing in this letter. He says he has not received everything God has for him yet, but he is reaching out to grab onto the things of God because God through Jesus Christ has grabbed on to him.

Verses 14-21 The High Calling of God

Paul gives us the formula for how to get ahold of the things of God. He says first of all he is going to forget his past. He allowed Christians to be stoned to death, hauled off to prison, brutally beaten and suffer many things for loving and serving the very Christ he once persecuted. I imagine the memories must have been haunting at times. Remember how he stood by and held the coats of those who stoned precious Stephen to death! If Paul allowed the things he did wrong to play over and over again in his head, he would go mad! So he chooses to forget those things because he knows Jesus forgave Paul and He covered his sins with His blood on Calvary. So, if your past wrongs try to hold you back, and you know Jesus has covered them with His blood, then do what Paul did and choose to forget them!

There's a second step though to obtaining the things of God. You must PRESS in. You cannot just read a memory verse and expect God to change your whole life. We give babies finger foods and soft things when they are younger and as they get stronger and have better control of their bodies, they get foods with more substance. The same is true for the Christians. We start out on milk. We learn that Jesus loves us and He did miracles and He answers our prayers and He forgives us. But when our faith gets stronger we get some tests and trials and we have to find answers in the Word. We start consuming more substance in the Word. You have to press in to get answers because some of our trials threaten to take us out! When we find ourselves on our knees, we are in the perfect position to summon help from our Savior and press toward the mark, or the goal for the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus. We must keep going and not stop! Eternal life is our reward and we must keep pressing on to obtain that promise. We cannot allow the enemy to wear us out and make us give up and turn away from serving Jesus. The prize is within reach, we must just keep pressing on.

Paul warns us to watch for those who walk after the ways of God's Word. Some go to church, may even have a leadership role, and might even be a big giver to offerings and tithes, but they do not walk like the examples we have been given in God's Word. Instead, Paul said with great sorrow that these individuals are the enemies of Christ. That is a BOLD statement. Their end is destruction, not salvation. Paul said that their god is their belly. It is not the God of heaven. They choose other paths. They compromise. Their god is their appetite and satisfying their flesh. They boast about shameful things. We know them because they are only focused on the here and now, things that are happening on the earth. They are concerned about fame, money, popularity, influence, and things of this earth. They are not thinking about eternity or storing up treasures in heaven.

Paul says we are not residents of this world. Our citizenship is in heaven. We are looking for Jesus, our Savior, to change our vile bodies into glorious bodies that are made just like His! He says and it is all done according to the power He has because all things are under His control. He has the authority and ability to do that for us. 

In conclusion, I want us to think of who we might know that is walking after earthly things and desires. Let's pray for them and ask God to open their eyes and help them see they are headed down a path of destruction and despair that they will never be able to get out of if they don't fully follow after Jesus Christ. We do not want anyone to go to that awful place. It was never intended for us, but for those who refuse to believe in Jesus and accept His nail scarred hand offering them eternal life, they will find themselves there.

Let's press in and keep going strong for God. We know there is so much pain and turmoil in the world today but God will give us His strength to keep marching on and He will give us His rest when we need it. 

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

~Bridgett Owens

Abundance Movement Youth Group | Fuel For The Weekend

Come one, come all! What an exciting night tonight is going to be! I am speaking it out and declaring it to be a wonderful kickoff for Resurrection Life Ministries youth group: Abundance Movement! God has been showing up in all our church services and these young girls are going to the altar seeking the gifts God has for them and pouring their love out for the Master. I am expecting God to do amazing things for these youth!

My daughter is co-youth pastor with Jeremy, a young man I used to babysit when I was in high school. Our families have been connected in ministry for years and it is so awesome to see Kadesia take and CARRY the baton her father and I have passed to her. Paul and I were youth pastors for years and I was in kids ministry five years before I met him. That season of our lives have past, but it is so awesome and EXCITING to see both of them RUN with what God has put in their hearts and spirits for these youth!

The Bible says in 1 Timothy 4:12, "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." And I know this verse meant a lot to Kadesia as I poured this into her as a teenager. I am so excited to see Javan go and be blessed as he learns more about who Jesus is and what He plans on doing for him as Javan attends youth group.

I am excited about every boy or girl ages 7-19 who show up at Resurrection Life Ministries in Mitchell, Indiana at 6:30 p.m. tonight, Friday, November 19, 2021. God is going to show up like He always does when His children gather and He is going to set these kids on fire for His glory. I pray their gathering will create a spiritual awakening in the community of Mitchell and set that town on fire for God's glory!

Youth group is fun and exciting when you do cool things and meet up with friends and eat good food. I am expecting FAR MORE than the usual fun youth group events. I am expecting REVIVAL and I am so excited to see the ABUNDANCE of GOD's MOVEMENT through these kids! Be praying for the big kick-off tonight. It is going to be so awesome! I am praying for God to show up and show out like only He can do!!!!

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

He Did Not Give Up On Me | Thankful Thursday

I am so thankful that God has never given up on me. I do not always do what I am supposed to do. Sometimes I get angry and quickly act when I should pray and ask God to help me. Sometimes I want to justify myself when I am wrongly accused, instead of praying for those who despitefully use me. I admit to volunteering to do things I know I am good at, because it will require little effort on my part and others will notice. I admit that I still need Jesus's love, grace, and mercy every single moment of my life. I need His forgiveness, His goodness, and His truth to make me free. I need to get closer to Him, listen better, and act quicker than I do.

But, instead of rehearsing these things over and over, my faults and failures and flaws... the way the enemy would like for me to do, I am choosing surrender. I surrender fully to the power of Christ to free me from the bondage of sin, to untangle me from the cares of this life, and to burn my pride to the ground. I want to decrease so He can increase in my life. I want people to mention my name far less than they mention His. I want to shine the light God gave me for the world to see Jesus shining bright, not Bridgett. I want to use my talents and gifts to please God instead of man. I am a work in progress. He is still working on me. He is still challenging me to go deeper in His Word. He is still asking me to deny myself and daily take up my cross to follow Him. He is still in pursuit of me and He has never given up on me.

PSALM 55:22 "Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved."

1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-18 "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

PHILIPPIANS 1:6 "Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."

What are you thanking God for this week? There is ALWAYS something to be thankful for. I am so thankful that God loves us so much that He keeps working with these vessels of clay until we become vessels of honor. Isn't He wonderful?

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens 

 

 

Philippians Chapter Two | Bible Study Wednesday

Welcome back to Bible Study Wednesday. We are in the second chapter of the book of Philippians. If you did not start out with me for this study, just take a look at this post here. You can catch up and join us this week. If you are ready to begin, grab your Bible and a notebook. Let's take a moment to invite Holy Spirit to teach us what only He can teach and show us how to apply what we have learned to our lives.

We are starting in Philippians chapter two. There are 30 verses, just like in the first chapter. I am using my Women's Study Bible and will follow the breakdown they use.

Verses 1-11 BE OF ONE ACCORD AND ONE MIND

Paul begins this letter desiring for the church at Philippi to be united. I think if he were to write a letter to the body of believers of Jesus Christ today, especially the church in America as a whole, it would he would not write a different letter than we read in chapter two. He is telling them, as he would tell us today, that his joy is full when he knows they are thinking the same way, loving the same way, in agreement and unity of mind; not allowing anything to be done with arguing and striving but in humility. In chapter one he brought up humility and emphasized the need for each of us to be humble. We should be more concerned with helping meet the needs of those around us than to fulfill our own selfish desires. The unity of mind can only happen when we think like Christ. In verse five Paul writes, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." Until we learn to think like Jesus we will not have unity in the body. He is our head and we must line up to His thought patterns and His behavior. We must pattern our way of life after the way He led His. Paul continues this portion of the letter to remind us what Jesus looked like. He was a servant. He was humble. He did not make Himself the main thing, but He continuously pointed everyone to God the Father. He knew Who He was and He knew Who He belonged to. And we see that Jesus also was obedient to the death, even willing to die on the cross for our sins. God has given Him the only name that men can be saved by, the name of Jesus Christ. Verses 11 and 12 say this: "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Understand that God set aside His glory, not His deity. He was still God in the flesh when He dwelt among men. He set aside His privilege and His ability to do whatever He wanted to do. He humbled Himself to become a human being and that was a new concept to many. It was the opposite of what we even see superheroes in cartoons and movies do. Usually the ordinary become extraordinary and do amazing things by becoming something larger than themselves. Instead we see God come down in the form of a man and live in this cruel world to suffer and bleed and die for you and me. It just is not something that any other story or myth or fairy tale would ever come up with. It is a real, true story, though. It actually happened that Jesus left the splendor of glory to come to earth and be a mortal to save all of humanity. Jesus humbled Himself. Why should we not do the same?

The very way that Jesus died, death by crucifixion, was not something a Roman citizen ever had to worry about. They were not ever subject to such a cruel sacrifice. His death carried with a curse according to Deuteronomy 21:23 in the Old Testament which reads, "he that is hanged is accursed of God." Jesus' blood was pure, sinless, perfect, and able to pay the debt of the sins of the entire world. Nothing but the blood of Jesus could ever do that.

Verses 12-18 SHINE AS LIGHTS IN THE WORLD

Verse 12 tells us to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. Note that it does not say work FOR your own salvation. There is nothing we can do to be saved aside from believing in the Lord Jesus Christ and confessing with our mouths. There is no good deeds, kind thoughts, nice gifts, large sum of money that will ever save us. Those things mean nothing when it comes to being saved. Jesus's blood was shed for the remission of sins and that alone is what can save us. Anything good we do is just to honor our Savior. It is not to save us. We read on and it says that it is God who works in us for His good pleasure. We are told what not to do, as children of God. Verse 14 tells us to do all things without complaining and fighting. We are not supposed to argue over doctrine, gifts of the Spirit, baptism, paying tithes, or anything! The world is watching, desperately seeking something to believe in, and we are fighting and carrying on for them to see and they are walking away, shaking their heads, thinking we are just like them! Friends, we need to show them who Jesus is! Not who we are in our sinful, carnal nature. Let's start bearing fruit of self-control, love, goodness, kindness. Let's show them how wonderful it is to be a child of the Most High God. We are supposed to shine our lights in this messed up, backwards-way-of-thinking world. We are supposed to be lights and beacons for Jesus to pierce the darkness and show the world there is a better way, the ONLY way and His name is Jesus. 

Verses 19-24 TIMOTHY'S FAITHFUL SERVICE

Paul tells them he is sending Timothy. He honors who Timothy is. He builds him up and points out his godly character. How do we speak of one another? Do we share our thoughts about others in the body of Christ as honorable and good? May we never tear one another down and tarnish the reputation of another. Paul had hoped to come see the church members but he was sending Timothy, recommending him to them. He said he had trained him like a father teaches a son. Paul loved the people of Philippi so much he wanted to make sure they had someone to watch out for them, look out for their best interest. He said there was no one else he could trust to care more about the things of Jesus than about themselves, so he was going to send them the very one he trained like his own child to go be the leader and helper to them that Paul desired to be.

Verses 25-20 EPAPHRODITUS'S SERVICE TO PAUL

Paul wraps up this second chapter with an update on Epaphroditus. The church heard he was sick and had been praying for him. Epaphroditus was very ill to the point of nearly dying. Paul tells them that God had mercy on Epaphroditus and on himself as well so that Paul would not have his brother's death to add to his sorrow. Paul tells them he is sending Epaphroditus to them and tells them to receive him with all gladness. He builds up his reputation and character, again setting the example of how we should treat our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Today's big takeaways are that we must be united as a body of believers. Christ is the head and we are His body. We are the working parts that go and tell others who He is. We are to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick, pray for our leaders, help the homeless, widows, and orphans. We are to give generously to the church so we can further the Kingdom of God. We are to have compassion and love. If we want to be moving in harmony with one another, we must be in the same mind. We will be in one mind and one accord when we think like Jesus, act like Jesus, love like Jesus, and give like Jesus. There is no other way. 

I hope this Bible study has been helpful to you. Please join me next time as we read the third chapter of this book. I enjoy breaking the Bread with you. I pray something I have said today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way! God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Paul's surgery | Thankful Thursday

 

I am thankful for a lot this week! November 1, my husband Paul had surgery to remove a lipoma on the back of his head. Five years ago he was rear-ended and the trauma from hitting his head in the collision caused a fatty tumor to grow. It started bothering him when he wore his welding hood. He had a consultation with two different surgeons and they both recommended having it removed.

I am thankful that I was able to get off work to be with him at the hospital. I am thankful that even though someone side swiped my car in the parking lot, and won't call me back, I can still drive my vehicle and I can have it fixed without using my insurance because they hit me. I am thankful that my husband is home and healing well. I am thankful that I can use my nursing skills to take care of his drain and change his dressing on his surgical site. I am thankful that the doctor does not think it is cancer. I am thankful that the doctor cut a wide margin around the lipoma so it would have less of a chance to grow back. I am thankful that Paul is resting more and eating well and taking it easy... even if he is forced to.

I know God will heal him completely and without complications. I know he is going to be back to his old self soon and will be able to do all the things he used to do but without the pain and discomfort of the tumor. If you have been praying for him, thank you! We feel the prayers and see God's fingerprints all over this situation. If you have not known about this and feel led to pray for him, we definitely appreciate those prayers and are thankful for them.

PHILIPPIANS 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

EXODUS 15:16 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in His sight, and will give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statues, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.

What are you thankful for? God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Philippians | Wednesday Bible Study

This month we are going to study the book of Philippians. I love it!! I have a Women's Study Bible and I would like to share what it says about the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Philippians:

"The apostle Paul, in a night vision a decade before the writing of this letter, received a call to preach in the region of Macedonia (Phil. 1:1; see Acts 16:6-10). Paul had never before been to Europe, but, obedient to the vision, he sailed to Macedonia's coastal port Neapolis, then walked nine miles inland to Philippi, the area's foremost city (Acts 16:12). Timothy, his young disciple and traveling companion on that trip, may have served as an amanuensis or secretary for this letter (Phil. 1:1; Acts 16:1-5; 1 Tim. 1:1, 2; 2 Tim. 1:1,2). Philippians is categorized as one of Paul's four prison epistles."

The time this letter was written is said to be around A.D. 60-63. "Philippi's river bank was mentioned as a gathering place for prayer for Lydia and other women (Acts 16:13). Caesar Augustus designated Philippi a Roman colony (Acts 16:12). For the Philippians, this designation made a tremendous social and psychological difference: The surrounding province of Macedonia, physically lower in elevation, now had no authority over them. And like all other Roman citizens, they were exempt from taxes, could buy and sell as they pleased, could file legal suits, and could assume privileges appropriate to being part of empirical Rome (Acts 16:20, 21, 37-39). This situation might explain their tendency to arrogance and the need for Paul to stress humility in his letter to them."

The women in that area were very independent. "They gathered for meetings (Acts 16:13); they ran their own businesses (Acts 16:14); and they even feuded in the church (Phil. 4:2,3)." In this book more than any other, women played a prominent part. "The Philippian story began with women meeting "by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made" (Acts 16:13). Since Philippi became the first European city in which Paul preached, his first European convert may have been a woman, Lydia of Philippi and her household (Acts 16:14); later came a Philippian jailer and his family (Acts 16:27-34). Paul's persecution began over his compassion for a young woman -- a Philippian girl abused by the occult (Acts 16:16-19). And a decade later, trouble within the church focused on two feuding women, Euodia and Syntyche (Phil. 4:2, 3)."

"The primary emphasis of joy (an idea occurring more than fifteen times) with resultant unity and humility as secondary emphases. The book from beginning to end lends itself to a rich study of these wonderful themes." Joy is my word for this year and I am excited to spend this month studying these four chapters.

As with any of my Bible studies, I ask that you would take some time to pray and ask Holy Spirit to lead you through this study. Read through chapter one. There are thirty verses to read but it goes quickly. Have your Bible open as you read this blog post. Take notes if you want in the margins of your Bible, in a notebook, or something that you will refer back to. As always, please feel free to share your thoughts and insight in the comments section below. It is so enjoyable to read what you all are thinking and sharing and experiencing. Let's begin.

Greetings Verses 1-11

Paul begins the letter with giving Timothy and himself the title of servants. Then he addresses those at Philippi as saints. He writes as a friend and in humility. The church is blended so Paul combines two languages and cultures when he says Grace and Peace. Lydia, a Gentile, joined other Jewish women in prayer. The jailer and his family were Gentiles. My study Bible says this: "But beyond the simple greeting, Paul is linking two important Christian concepts, God's gifts to His children of "grace" or unmerited favor and "peace." Ultimately, there can be no peace without first receiving His grace." I love that! He tells them that he is always thinking about them and praying for them, requesting things they need from God with joy! It gives him great pleasure to pray for these friends of his. When Paul says "Your fellowship in the gospel" it is acknowledgment of their financial support of his ministry. Verse six he is giving them confidence that even though God is still working on their hearts and in their lives to transform them into the image of Christ, they had sure salvation. It is the security of knowing that they were saved and safe! You can feel the love and compassion he has for these people as he talks about having them in his heart. He finishes up this portion of the letter with what his prayer is for them. He wants them to grow in love, knowledge, and right judgement; to approve excellent things; to be sincere and without offence until Jesus comes back; and lastly to be filled with fruits of righteousness by Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God. He wants them to have the evidence of righteous living the way Jesus did to bring God the honor that is due Him.

Paul's Bonds In Christ Verses 12-19

Paul wants them to know upfront that the circumstances he finds himself in is serving to further the Gospel message. He says that the bonds in Christ are made known in the palace and all other places. It is no secret he was arrested and waiting trial. He goes on to say that many brothers in Christ have taken notice of what Paul is going through for the cause of Christ and it has empowered them to speak boldly about Jesus in their circles without fearing the repercussions. As is the case in our culture today, Paul says some preach to cause division and arguments, but others are sharing the Truth of God's Word so that it can help others turn from sin to salvation. He says whether they are preaching for their own recognition or they are preaching about Jesus in sincerity, Paul will rejoice. He has decided that at least the message is being preached and he will rejoice about that, regardless of their motives. He says he knows it will turn to his getting out of prison through their prayers and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Doesn't that always get us through personal prisons?

Christ Is Magnified Through Paul Verses 20-30

I love that Paul says that according to his earnest expectation and his hope he will with all boldness, not be ashamed, but will magnify Jesus in his body whether he dies or he lives. He says if he lives then he can continue to share the saving message of the cross of Christ. If he dies then he gains eternity with his Savior. He says he is caught between two feelings. On the one hand he wants to go Home to be with Jesus and experience everything he has been living for since encountering Jesus on the road to Damascus. But he realizes it is so important to keep working in his ministry to encourage others and help those who are lost. He says that he has confidence that he will stay and help them go further in their faith with joy. He understands that they will rejoice in Jesus even more when Paul is able to come visit and fellowship with them again. He then gives them some instruction. He wants them to speak to one another in a way that honors God. Whether Paul is able to come again or not, he wants them to conduct themselves in a way that would glorify God. Paul says he wants to hear good reports about how they are unified and working together for the cause of Christ. He encourages them to not be afraid of their enemies. To their enemies it is sinful but to them it is evidence that God is still with them. Paul reminds them they have been given the opportunity to not only believe in Jesus but to also suffer for His sake, much like Paul is doing. Paul is leading by example here. He said you have the same conflict that you heard I had and do have as I am facing trial. 

I hope you have been able to take a closer look at Paul's letter with a different perspective. It is so good to dig a little deeper into the scriptures and get to know our brothers and sisters in Philippi better. If we see things they are going through we can understand why Paul wrote the letter the way he did. We can even find similarities so we can be strengthened with these letters, too. 

I have enjoyed breaking the bread with you today. I hope something I have shared in this blog post has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Jesus Repairs Racial Division | Wednesday Bible Study

Black lives matter. That is a fact. That is not an opinion. That is not just a movement. That is a factual statement that demands a call to action. Asian lives matter. Hispanic lives matter. Yes, white lives matter. All lives matter. Why? Because God loves us. He created us and He loves us so much He has sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins and give us eternal life if we will simply believe.

JOHN 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Please understand something, racial division is prevalent in this world, but it is also prevalent in our churches. It is not white people against black people. It is not black people against white people. It is not about one nationality against another. Those are distractions from the enemy. It stems from not operating from a place of love.

I have friends who are not white; some are Hispanic, some are biracial, some are Italian, some are African American, some are Native American, some are Indian. I love my friends. We have found things in common that draw us to each other. One thing we should have in common with others in the Christian community is love for Jesus and love for one another. It is His commandment.

JOHN 13:34 A new commandment give I unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

Let's look in the Bible at John chapter four and see how Jesus handled the situation with the Samaritan. For a little background, Jews did not associate with Samaritans. They did not like them, they did not speak to them, and a Jewish man would definitely not speak to a Samaritan woman. So, how did the Son of God handle this situation? There was racial tension. It was not neat and pretty and tied with a bow. Let's read what happens.

Jesus left Judaea to go to Galilee. In order to get where Jesus was going he had to travel through Samaria. He went to a city called Sychar, to Jacob's well. This is the well Jacob gave to his son Joseph. The disciples went to town to get something to eat and Jesus decided to stay at the well. Along came a Samaritan woman and Jesus speaks to her, "Give Me a drink." And this is her answer:

JOHN 4:9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto Him, How is it that Thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

She drew the racial line in the proverbial sand. She asks why He is speaking to her. She is a Samaritan. She reminds Him that Jews do not interact with the people of Samaria. Jesus knows she is a Samaritan. He knows she is a woman. That does not change the fact that she needs a Savior. He came to die for this woman just like any of the Jewish women. Jesus knows her worth. She does not deserve salvation, none of us do. God loves His creation so much He does not want any of us to die without Jesus as our Savior. So here is the Son of God loving this Samaritan woman out loud.

Their exchange does not seem loving. There is a request for a drink of water and immediately racial tension rears its ugly head to divide these two people. Let's look at Jesus's response to the woman.

JOHN 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and Who it is that saith to thee, Give Me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water."

Instead of discussing how different they are, or how society says they should behave toward one another, the very picture of love is staring at her and essentially says to her, "I am so much more than a Jewish man. I am so much more than a thirsty person asking for a drink. If you knew the gift of God, and who I AM, then you would want Me to give you My living water."

Many people do not know who Jesus is. They grew up hearing stories and people's opinions of who He is, but they have yet to experience Him for themselves. This lady is having an encounter with the Man who will change her life and her future.

Like most of us, she looks at her situation. She is skeptical. "Sir, you have nothing to draw water with and the well is deep. Where do You have this living water?" She goes on to ask if He is greater than her father Jacob who gave the well and drank from it himself along with his children and cattle.

Jesus does not ever respond to the natural. He is supernatural and His answers are always about eternity and the condition of our souls. He tells her, "Whoever drinks this water will be thirsty again. The one who drinks the water I give will never thirst and in them will be a well of water springing into everlasting life."

This woman at the well is thirsty. She is intrigued that He can give her water that she will never thirst again. She asks Jesus to give her the water so she will never be thirsty and she will never need to go to the well again. She thinks in the natural and Jesus speaks to the supernatural. He says to her, "Go get your husband and come here."

What? She literally asked Jesus for the water that would forever quench her thirst. Why did he mention a husband? What has that got to do with anything? It has everything to do with it. Jesus loves her enough to point out her mess and her mistakes so He can cleanse her. She says, "I don't have a husband." 

Jesus tells her, "You're right. You had five husbands and the man you are with now is not your husband either." He was acting like her husband but they were not married. They were sinning. That was the essence of what He said. That was all it took to get her attention. She perceived Him as a prophet. She said her forefathers worshiped in that mountain and questioned Jesus, "You say Jerusalem is the place men ought to worship."

Again, division in where to worship and who to worship. Jesus says, Woman, believe Me, the time is coming when the Father will not be worshiped in the mountain nor in Jerusalem. The true worshipers must worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth. God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship in Spirit and Truth."

The woman tells Jesus the Messiah is coming and He is Christ. "When He comes, He will tell us all things." Jesus plainly tells her, "I that speak to you am He." He literally introduced Himself as Jesus the Messiah. She runs to the city to tell the others. The disciples are now back. They see the exchange Jesus was having with the woman and no one questioned Him, but they marveled. They could not believe it. Even the disciples knew the racial rules and not to cross them. Jesus came to tear down racial divides.

The Samaritans came to see Jesus and they urged Him to stay with them, so He did. Jesus stayed with them two days. Many more believed Jesus because of the things He said. They came to meet Jesus because of the woman's testimony but they believed in Him once they heard Jesus speak. We must continue to share our testimony with everyone because we never know who will hear and be converted as they experience Jesus for themselves. 

JOHN 4:41-42 (41)And many more believed because of His own Word; (42)And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard Him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.

Second Corinthians 3:17 says "Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." The woman at the well found freedom when she met Jesus. The Samaritan people who came to see Jesus and hear Him for themselves found liberty from the captivity they were in. For two days Jesus was able to set the captives free. 

GALATIANS 3:26-29 (26)For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. (27)For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (28)There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. (29)And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

You see when Jesus redeems us and frees us from the penalty of sin and reconciles us to Himself, we are no longer a white person, a black person, a male, a female in God's eyes. We are all one in Christ Jesus. We are all made in His image and we belong to our Heavenly Father.

This scripture does not imply we should forget who we are. We are still unique individuals. The things that are different about us should make our relationships richer not divide us. But we are no longer defined by our nationality or gender alone. Our identity is hidden in Christ Jesus. 

We are put on this earth to shine as beacons of light. We need to come together in unity and in love. Let's stop listening to the world's view that says we have to "stick to our kind." We have to stop the division. Cross the lines and find out what others think, how they feel, what they struggle with. We need to help one another Home.

The world is in division right now. The church is in division. We must come together and let Christ be the central focus of all we say and do.

PHILIPPIANS 1:9-11 (9)And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment (discernment): (10)That ye may approve things that are excellent, that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ: (11)Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

In conclusion of today's study, let's love one another. Let's use knowledge and discernment and approve excellent things. May we be sincere and not offensive to one another. We can do that when we are full of fruits of righteousness by Jesus so that all we say and do will honor and praise God. I hope something I have shared today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way.

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens 

 

 

 

Thankful For Who God Is | Thankful Thursday

ROMANS 11:33-36 (33)O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out! (34)For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been His counselor? (35)Or who hath first given to Him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? (36)For of Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things: to Whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Do you know the depth of the riches of God's knowledge and wisdom? Of course we don't. He knows everything. He never overthinks anything. He never misses anything. He is amazing! He knows everything about us, our future, our suffering... there is nothing He does not know. He knows our thoughts and motives. His judgments are beyond finding out. We can search all we want but we will never tap into the incredible mind of God. He does not need an advisor or counselor. He is the Great Counselor. He is the ONE source of advice and wise counsel to follow. He is a giver. He has given to us and we did not ever give anything to God that He has not turned around and multiplied and given back to us. You cannot out-give God.

I am so thankful for God. I am so grateful that He has so much knowledge and wisdom and understanding, yet He does not laugh at how little I understand compared to Him. I appreciate how generous and kind He is with advice and instruction on how to live my best life. I could not know the path to take if it were not for His Word teaching me and guiding me as I go.

You and I exist of God, through God, and for God. We exist to praise Him. We exist to magnify His great name. He gets all the honor and glory and praise both now and forever more. He is worthy! I am so thankful that I am able to have communion with God. I can walk with Him and talk with Him. I can feel His love. I can experience His presence, His glory, His favor, His healing virtue. He is so wonderful. I could never run out of enough things to praise God for. He is my friend.

I lean on God for everything. I tell Him everything. He knows anyway. He knows what I am thinking. If I am angry I tell Him why. He helps me so I can let it go and not grow bitter. If I am happy, He listens and rejoices with me. He sings over me with joy. He has laid up a crown of righteousness for me and not just for me, but for anyone who calls on the name of the Lord Jesus to be saved.

What are you thankful for? In November, I usually spend all 30 days sharing what I am thankful for on social media. I keep a traveler's notebook that I made with photos and stories of what I am thankful for. There are lots of people who do that and it's a wonderful exercise to prepare our hearts for celebrating Jesus' birth and why He came. However, I am not only quick to share my gratitude one month out of the whole year. This is why God prompted me to share what I am thankful for every Thursday. 

Look back over my blog and you will find that I don't do that perfectly. The point is, I am doing it today and I am being more intentional about disciplining myself to stay on track with posting on this blog. I want to be committed to the things God is asking me to do. Sometimes it feels overwhelming and I cannot do it. Sometimes it seems like I have nothing of value to share. The truth is if I stay focused and put in the effort, God will help me with the areas I cannot do alone. He is so good to help us all.

I hope you count your blessings every day. I am so glad you spent some time on the blog today reading about what has put gratitude in my heart. I would love to hear from you, too.

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Truth About Fear | Fuel For The Weekend

When was the last time you read in the Bible that God commanded us to live in fear? Not the reverent fear of God, but when did He ever tell us to be afraid of our circumstances, our health status, our bank balance, our world? Let me help you out. The answer is... NEVER! I have read the Bible all the way through every year, (this is my seventh year) and there is not ever, not even one single time where God ever tells us to be fearful.

I have read so many posts on Instagram today where people are talking about feeling depressed, oppressed, down, discouraged, losing hope, and feeling awful. For many people living in this day and age, they feel despair, desperate, and fearful. I want to share what the Bible says in Isaiah.

ISAIAH 43:1-2 (1)But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and He that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine. (2)When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

This is a beautiful passage, isn't it? Imagine God our Father who has created us and He made us, forming and fashioning us in our mothers' wombs (Jeremiah 1:5, Psalm 119:73, Psalm 139:16). He calms us as He says, "Don't be afraid. I have won you back, bought you with a price and I have called you by name. You are Mine. You belong to Me and You have this promise that even though you may feel like You are drowning in your situation, you may feel like the rivers are too deep and too wide for you to cross, I will be with you and they will not take you under. When you walk through the fire in the heat of the battle and all hell comes against you, you will not be burned and the flames will not even touch you." What a promise! And He keeps that promise. As we put our hand in His, He keeps His Word. When the enemy comes in like a flood, He will raise up a standard against it (Isaiah 59:19). When we feel like we are in the fiery furnace of trials, He is walking in the midst of it with us.

The children of Israel saw God keep this promise as He parted the Red Sea and they walked across on dry land, but their enemies were drowned (Exodus 14:22, 28). Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego experienced the truth of this passage when they found themselves walking around in the blazing hot furnace and they were not burned. The fourth Man was in the flames walking with them, it was the very Son of God (Daniel 3:17, 25). They did not even smell of smoke when the king ordered the men to come out of the flames (Daniel 3:27).

Keep reading this chapter in Isaiah. Do you see how much He loves us? We are precious in His sight. He created us for His glory (Isaiah 43:7). He is wooing us to Himself. He loves us (1 John 4:19). He redeemed us. He saved us and He keeps us. What more do we want Him to do?

ISAIAH 43:10-12 (10)Ye are My witnesses, saith the LORD, and My servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He: before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me. (11)I, even I, am the LORD; and beside Me there is no saviour. (12)I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are My witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God. 

We are His witnesses, too. He has chosen us to serve Him, that we may know and believe in Him. We understand who He is. He is God alone. There was no God made before Him and there will never be a God made after Him. He alone is the LORD and He is the Savior of the world. Jesus is the Savior. No other name given among men whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12). He has declared and saved and shown His power. He proved Himself to us over and over. He is powerful and wonderful and mighty to save and there is no other God. We are His witnesses.

Keep reading and you will see that He makes a way in the sea and mighty waters. He causes mighty armies to become extinct. We must look back, reflect on all the times He came through for us, all the times He heard and answered prayers, the miracles He performed, the healing He gave, the times He mended our broken hearts and gave us beauty for ashes. Now He is going to do something new. He is going to take the dry, deserted areas of our life and cause fresh water to flow. He is about to bring healing, hydration, and satisfaction to every burned up, dusty dream He has ever given us. We will show His praise among the nations because of the wonderful ways He has blessed our lives.

Will we do it? Will be live in the freedom and liberty He has given us? Will we turn away from the free gifts He is handing us? Will we ignore His call? Will we try to keep doing life on our own terms? Will we keep sinning and expect Him to turn the other way, to give us a free pass because we are His children? In verse 25 He said, "I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for Mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins." Are we sorry? Do we have a heart of repentance? Are we ready to turn back to Him?

We do not have to live in fear. In fact, He tells us not to live that way. We are to put our footsteps in His and walk with the Master all of the time (Luke 9:23). When life gets too hard and we do not see clearly the path in front of us, we must walk by faith and trust Him (2 Corinthians 5:7). We have to stop leaning on our own understanding and just trust Him to meet our needs and help us face every difficulty with grace and mercy and peace (Proverbs 3:5-6). Are you ready?

I hope something I have shared this weekend has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you.

~Bridgett Owens

Thankful For My BFF | Thankful Thursday

Meet my beautiful blue eyed, brown haired best friend for ever and always! Her name is Heather Rose and she is my very closest friend. She knows way too much! Today is her birthday and I hope it is the most fantastic day ever. I thank God for her mother Cindy choosing life for this amazing woman of God. She is a threat to the enemy and she is the apple of God's eye.

Heather and I have been friends since we were kids. We grew up together. We went to Youth Group together. We studied the Bible together. We worked together. We went to Taco Bell together.... a lot! We enjoyed pie together....lots of delicious pie. It's our thing.

I love Heather's laugh. It is contagious and it seriously brings me joy even if she is laughing at me!! We laugh until we can hardly understand each other and then we laugh harder at that and when we see others staring at us, well it gets real. Tears are flowing and it is the best belly laughter ever. She makes me want to be better.

Heather has amazing handwriting. We wrote lots of letters back and forth. She sends me cards and she sends me SnapChat messages. We always have so much to share and why we think SnapChat is the best way to do that is beyond me, but we like it and it works, so who cares if we send tons of snaps at one time. There really needs to be longer allowances for what we have to share.

Heather gets me. She knows what has broken my heart, what has disappointed me. She has been there when my relatives died and she still prays for me when I tell her that I miss my dad. I wish she had a good dad to miss. Her mom is an amazing mother and father because she had to be both as a single momma and she rocked it! Her sister is so funny and I love their little family like I am another sister.

Proverbs 27:9 says Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel. She is like sweet perfume to my soul. She gives me sound advice. We have had similar struggles in marriage, parenting, life, as Christians... and it is so good to hear her share Bible verses as she lovingly points me back to the cross. She is a great prayer warrior and she loves Jesus so I trust what she tells me and she gives me the encouragement I need to keep going. She takes 1 Thessalonians 5:11 seriously when we are told Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. She lives that out loud!

Psalms 133:1 says Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity. It's true. She and I seldom argued. Even if we disagreed we heard each other out and we never let things come between us. She is miles and miles and states away from me but I can call or text her anytime and she is there for me and the distance never matters.

Heather is a hearer of the word and a doer. Romans 12:10 says Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. I love Heather to pieces and I know she loves me. We do want to show honor for each other. We cherish our friendship. Others come and go in our lives for a reason or a season but I am so glad God gave me Heather for a lifetime!

Ecclesiastes 4:9 says Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. I love doing life with Heather. She is the best friend anyone can have. I can share her with others a little but remember she is my friend first. Maybe I need to work on not being greedy....

I hope you all have a friend like Heather. In Galatians 6:2 it says Carry each other's burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ. I know that we don't do this perfectly, but I know that God has blessed me with a friend who helps me carry my burdens. Sometimes in the hardest seasons of our lives we were not able to be there in person for each other. God told me it was so we wouldn't make idols out of one another. He was training us to lean on Him and He allows us to help each other, too. 

Heather, I appreciate you so much. You are a treasure and I adore you. Happy birthday!!!! Love you bunches girlfriend. And many more......

Love,

Bridgett