Perfectly Imperfect

It's so easy to get caught up in looking at other people, especially at church, and without meaning to, pass judgment. You may look at the song leader, the youth minister, or the pastor and think they have it all together. It is easy to assume because someone is in leadership that they have somehow arrived and have the world by the tail. The truth is that we are all works in progress. God is still molding and shaping us every single day. No one in your church is perfect. No family is perfect. No group of people are perfect. We are all striving to run this race the best we can, and sometimes we just need to remember that.

My dad was a minister all of my life until God called him home. He was an evangelist and then later a pastor. As I grew up, many people in the church needed counseling and prayer. It did not matter that my dad was not paid by the church. It did not matter that he worked a full-time job as a truck driver. My dad was called late at night, in the early morning hours, and throughout the day. He worked weekends and holidays for the people in the church. He would make himself available and people were always dropping by the house to talk to my dad and get prayer. We might be having supper and they would come in and usually they were pulled up to the table next to us, but there was always plenty and my mom was, and still is, an amazing cook!

I noticed through the years, that people would treat us differently than other people. We were the preacher's kids and so as a young child, I was expected to know the scriptures in depth. At the age of 9 I remember getting my own Bible. It was a dark brown Bible and I loved it. The cover and pages were stiff as I carefully turned each page. Only a few years ago did I replace that Bible. I still have my tattered and worn Bible. I love and cherish it, but it needed to be replaced and my new Bible shows great signs of wear already as I cling to that Holy book like none other. The expectation for me to know the scriptures and to give advice never left me.

I remember at the age of 16 years old, I asked my Sunday school teacher a question. I cannot remember what it was, but I know I always asked difficult questions because I desired to know more. I had a hunger and thirst for the things of God that could only be quenched by more of Him. My Sunday school teacher told my dad and the pastor of that church and a few other men in leadership that he was no longer going to be teaching my class and that I should teach it because I knew more than he did! I was shocked! But the next week, sure enough, I was teaching the class to kids my own age. That expectation was that I should know it.

Sometimes it was lonely growing up in a church where my family played musical instruments and sang and my dad was in the ministry. It was hard to get close to people who thought your life was perfect. It was far from perfect and I have the scars to prove it, but don't we all have a story? Today I want to encourage you, if you are in the same place I have been in so often; or maybe you are the person who goes to church and sort of has your pastor and other leaders on a pedestal. I want to share with you a passage of scripture that reminds us that no matter how big of a following we may have, none of us have arrived at the place we need to be in God. We can always go deeper, seek Him more, and do more to show the world His love.

Philippians 3:13-14

13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Paul tells them in the book of Philippians that he does not consider himself to have some special understanding. He says the key to living for God the way he has been doing it, is to forget the past! Forget the failures. Forget the mistakes. Forget the regrets. Forget the yesterdays. Stop looking back and rehearsing all the things you did wrong. Stop replaying situations in your mind over and over again, thinking of how you wish you would have done things differently.

Paul says switch your focus to what is just ahead of you. Better days are coming. Great things await. Your best days are in front of you, not behind you. Stop looking back, because you are not going that direction! You must look ahead. Look to the future. It is bright and exciting because God is there with an armload of gifts and mercies and grace to share with you. He is ahead of you making crooked paths straight. He is going before you and clearing your path.

Paul said that he presses toward the mark. He doesn't just randomly go through life, hoping for the best, not really sure how things will turn out. No, he is intentional about his choices. He is intentional about the way he spends his time, what he chooses to think about, and who he is spending time with. What is the mark? The prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. The prize is eternal life with the God of all creation. The prize is an endless life with the Master, the Savior, the King of all kings, and Lord of all lords. 

No matter whether you are in the ministry and others have thought you were perfect, or whether you are the one looking around putting people on pedestals they don't belong on; remember this, we are all in the race together. We are all in a battle to the end, and we are fighting the good fight of faith against powers and principalities. We are not in a war with each other. We are in competition with no one but ourselves. We must try to be better today than we were yesterday. We must look to the future and forget our past. Learn from the mistakes but leave the shame, guilt, and condemnation behind. We must look to the future and all that God has in store for us.

Press on brothers and sisters. We are almost home. We are nearing the finish line. We are closer now than when we began. Lift one another up and let's stay in the race to win! I hope something you read here today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way.

God bless you!
~Bridgett Owens

Free Bible Study Printables

Hey everyone!

I have had so many questions and comments on my Bible study videos here and here that I thought I would come up with a free printable you all could use to make your S.O.A.P. Bible study time a little more fun and creative!

For those of you that are not familiar with this type of Bible study method, the S.O.A.P. acronym stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. First, you pray and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to the text that He wants to teach you. Write out your scripture, for example: 

S. Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the the end of the world. Amen.

Next, you would journal what you observed in this scripture. For example:

O. Jesus is speaking. He said all power is given unto Him in heaven and earth. So that means whatever situation I am facing, He has the power to triumph over it. Then He gives us the Great Commission: to GO, to TEACH, to BAPTIZE. He says to do these things in the name of God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Then He gives us the promise that He is with us always, even to the end of the world. Amen.

Third, you would journal how this applies to your life today. How is it relevant for you? An example would be:

A. Jesus, all-powerful, is asking me to go out into the world I am living in, to tell others about Him, and baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He equips me to do these things because He is always with me. I need to be more bold in sharing my faith with those in my life.

Finally, end in prayer. You can simply write out a simple prayer to ask God to help you apply what you have learned to your life. It could look something like this:

P. Jesus, I thank You for coming to this world, living among us, dying to save us, and offering us the gift of eternal life. I was a mess when You found me and I am so thankful You set me free. Please empower me to be a bold witness to those You place in my path today and each day forward. Help me to share my faith with those whose faith is faltering or lacking. Guide me where to go, help me to teach, and when the time is right to baptize those who have given their life to You. Thank You for always being with me and promising to be there until the end. I love You Lord Jesus. Amen.

It's that simple! Just a short illustration of what your S.O.A.P. Bible Study may look like. I just use a notebook, but you can do this on your computer, in a diary, a planner, a traveler's notebook, a binder you create, or whatever you want to do. It is so important to write out your study like this because you can go back and read through previous studies and see how much you have learned, how far you have come in your faith walk, and to be encouraged again if you find yourself in a situation where you need guidance in a particular area.

My son is 12 years old and he has been doing this S.O.A.P. Bible study method for three or four years now. You can get fancy and use alphabet stickers, or make your own labels. You can be artistic and draw out the letters in fancy font. You can just use a pen or pencil and notebook paper, or you can print out this free study printable.

S.O.A.P. Bible Study Worksheet

S.O.A.P. Bible Study Bookmarks

I did not create this method of Bible study. It has served me well through the years. I do not do every Bible study like this, but there are times when a passage is difficult to digest and I simply break it down. I may spend a while in one particular passage, breaking it down verse by verse. It can help when you prepare a sermon or message for a small group. It is a terrific way to study the scriptures.

These printables are available to you for free. Please feel free to share the link back to this blog post when sharing these free printables with your family and friends. I had a lot of fun creating this worksheet and these bookmarks; one for you, and two to give to friends! Thank you all so much for the prayers and continued support! God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Grateful Challenge

Luke 17:11-19

11 And it came to pass, as He went to Jerusalem, that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.

12 And as He entered into a certain village, there met Him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

14 And when He saw them, He said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,

16 And fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

19 And He said unto him,  Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

The lepers that called out to Jesus to be healed were ten in number. Ten lepers standing in the same situation. They all needed a touch from Jesus. They all needed to be healed. Leprosy is a terrible disease. It causes great pain, isolation, dismemberment, and dis-figuration. The lepers were not allowed to be among the general population. They were forbidden to live among their family and friends, and forced to live in leper colonies. These ten lepers wanted to be normal again. They knew that Jesus could heal them. They wanted to be free from what held them bound. They went to the right person!

The Bible tells us that they cried for mercy. Jesus saw them and told them to go show themselves to the priests. At that moment they did not look healed. They did not feel healed. They still had leprosy when He told them what to do. These men activated their faith and obeyed Jesus. It says that as they went, they were cleansed. So imagine in your mind, these ten lepers hear the voice of Jesus and perhaps they thought the cleansing would take place in front of the priests. They put one foot in front of another and the leprosy starts clearing up. The scars remain. It is still obvious they once had leprosy but the leprosy is gone. The missing body parts, maybe a finger, or an ear, are still missing, but the leprosy is gone. One man gets so excited that he runs back to the feet of Jesus, humbled himself, and praised God for the cleansing.

All ten lepers must have been happy they were cleansed. Have you ever prayed for something and it happened, God gave you what you asked Him for, and then you are so happy that it worked out, you forget to say thank you? Nine of these lepers hurried to the priest to show they were cleansed, but one man could not continue with them. One man had to stop and say thank you. One man had to let Jesus know how grateful he was. When the one man came back, Jesus asked where the other nine were. He knew where they were. He was making a point. The majority of people want something from Him and when He is gracious to give it to them, they do not even remember to thank Him for it. This one man, a Samaritan, which we know from the Bible that they had no dealings with the Jews, like Jesus, came to His feet and bowed down in humility, worshiping God for the cleansing. Jesus tells him that his faith has made him whole. This man laid down at the feet of Jesus cleansed from leprosy but still carrying the scars and wounds. He got up completely whole as though he never had the disease at all.

How often do we just spend time in the presence of Jesus? I was at a prayer service three weeks ago. We gathered in the house of the Lord to pray and petition God for the things we need and desired. I just could not bring myself to ask Him for anything. My heart was so full of gratitude for all the things He had been doing in my life. Sure, I still had plenty of things to pray about. I just knew He was taking care of it all. Instead of asking God for anything, which He wants us to do, I could only praise Him and thank Him for the love, mercy, grace, redemption, provision, protection, kindness, joy, peace, and more that He had lavishly poured over me. I just got swept up in His presence as I began to thank Him with tears running down my face, because I just wanted more of Him in that moment. I did not want His hands, I desired to see His face. I wanted to be lost in His presence. I just began to thank Him and praise Him for all that He did for me and I did not have a request on my lips but to simply be with Him.

Isn't it nice when someone invites you to spend some time with them? They don't want anything from you. They don't want to ask you for a favor. They sincerely want to spend time with you. They want to hear how you are doing. They want to know what you have been up to. They just want to talk with you and have fellowship. No agenda. No list of requests. No jobs lined up for you to do. Simply to be in your presence, spending time with you. It's a beautiful thing. I recently went to Indiana and had lunch with friends there. They truly wanted to know how I was and I was excited to hear about them. It was a fun lunch with nothing more than spending time together. I know God enjoys when we carve out part of our day to spend in His presence. He longs to hear us thank Him for all the things He has done.

I thank God for keeping His hand of protection on my children at school and on the bus. I thank God for giving me a wonderful family. I thank God for protecting us as we are in the vehicle, to keep us from danger and avoiding accidents. I thank God for keeping us safe and providing our needs. I thank Him for exhaling so I can inhale. I thank Him for waking me up this morning. I thank Him for being my friend. I thank God for sending His Son Jesus to die on an old rugged cross to pay the penalty for my sins. I thank God for eternal life. I thank God for mercy and grace. I thank God for meeting my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. I thank God that He always causes me to triumph. I thank God that He goes before me and makes my way straight. There is so much to thank God for. I could never thank Him enough. Even now He is working all things together for my good. Each morning His mercies are new. He daily loads us with benefits.

Our pastor challenged us on Tuesday night to go one week and not ask God for one thing! She said we were to spend thirty minutes in the morning just praising God, thanking God, worshiping God, and telling Him how much we love Him. She said do the same thing just before bed. All throughout the day just thank Him for what He is doing and what He has done, and what He is going to do. For one week she would go to God on our behalf, with the things God is placing in her heart to pray about for us. She is close to God. She is seeking God daily, and throughout the day His praise is continually on her lips.

This challenge is harder than it may sound. Wednesday morning I awoke to my son getting sick in the bathroom. I immediately went to Jesus and prayed for Him to touch my son. Then I remembered the challenge! I had to ask forgiveness and say I am sorry Lord. Thank You for touching Javan. Thank You for healing his body. Thank You for taking away this sickness because I know it is not Your will for him to be sick. Jesus began to heal Javan and by that afternoon he was completely well. 

It is not wrong to ask God for things. We must go to God in prayer for our needs. But this challenge is to position us in a place of praise. We are to condition our minds to be thankful for the blessings we have each day. It is harder for me because I go to God in prayer about everything. If I am going shopping, I pray He helps me be a wise steward of my money, find bargains and deals, and that He would give me self-control to not over spend. I pray a blessing over my children before they go to school. We say grace before our meals. If something happens, someone is sick or hurt, someone feels anxious or nervous, or we are unsure what to do, we pray about it. We go to God about everything. I do not want to leave Him out of any decision I make. But this challenge is to focus on just praising Him and thanking Him for all He has done in our lives. He has shown up in a big way over and over again. He has never failed me and He never will.

I challenge you to spend 24 hours just thanking Him for all the things He has done for you. Praise Him for who He is. He is Jehovah Jireh, our provider. He is Jehovah Shalom, our peace. He is Jehovah Rapha, our healer. He is a way maker. He is a chain breaker. He is the author and finisher of our faith. He is the light of the world. He is the bread of life. He is our Heavenly Father. He is our Savior. He is our Redeemer. He is our soon coming King. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is Emmanuel, God with us. He will never leave us or forsake us but go with us to the end of the world. He is the friend that sticks closer than a brother. He is the potter and we are the clay. Then start worshiping Him. Sing to Him. Humble yourself in adoration before our God. Tell Him how much you love Him. Tell Him that you adore Him and there is none like Him. As things come up throughout the day, instead of asking God for something, just thank Him in advance for what He is doing. Thank Him because you know He has already done it before and He will do it again. He is the God that does not change. He is the God that cannot fail.

Let me know if you take this challenge. It will change your relationship with Him. You will grow closer to Him. If your personality is one that is quick to complain, you will soon see that you won't look at things the same. There is less to grumble about when you start looking at all the things God has done for you. A heart of gratitude will change your attitude. I know it has changed me and the week is not even half gone yet. 

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

~Bridgett Owens

Ruth Chapter 1 Bible Study

Today we are reading chapter 1 in the book of Ruth. Ruth is in the Old Testament sandwiched between Judges and 1 Samuel. There are only four chapters in Ruth. This is a great book to study to see the hand of God leading Ruth to a new location she had never lived in, and to see how God continues to bless Ruth as she trusts in God.

We read in verse 1 this story takes place when there were appointed judges ruling the land. The first thing we read is there is a famine in the land. Food was scarce. This was a difficult time for many people. There were people who were very hungry. There was a shortage of food in the land. Next, we read that a certain man from Bethlehemjudah moved to a different country and he took his wife with them and their two sons. The famine was so bad that it caused a certain man to uproot his family from every thing they had known and move to another country in hopes that things would be better there. The country he moved to is called Moab and they worshipped many gods, but did not know the one true God. This was a nation that did not serve the God they served, yet they moved there anyway.

Question: Have you ever been very hungry before? What do you think it would be like to be in a land where there was a famine? Would you be afraid? What do you think you would do? How would you feel if you had to move to another country with your family?

My husband and I moved to Alabama with our two children on August 1. We did not know anyone in Alabama, except for a couple of people we met briefly at a church service one month prior to moving. We were not afraid because we knew God told us to move and He made a way for everything we needed.

Verse 2 tells us the name of the people in the story. Elimelech is the dad and he is married to Naomi. Their sons are named Mahlon and Chilion. The family came to Moab and stayed there.

Things were bad in Bethlehemjudah, so the family left in hopes that things would get better. Tragedy strikes in verse 3 as we read that Naomi's husband, Elimelech died. There is no reason given for his death, but we can assume this was unexpected given the circumstances. Naomi finds herself in a strange country with her two sons. I cannot imagine the heartache and grief she felt as she tried to move forward with her life, doing the best she could. Now a widow and a single mother, she had to provide for her family.

Mahlon and Chilion found wives among the women in Moab. Their wives, Orpah and Ruth, were not familiar with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They did not know His love, His power, His goodness. They did not know that God existed. Verse 4 says that Naomi, her sons, and daughters-in-law lived in Moab for ten years.

We do not know what caused Elimelech to die. It could have been something hereditary because in verse 5 we read that Mahlon and Chilion had both died, too. I have been told the worst pain is the loss of a child. Naomi has lost her husband, and now ten years later she finds herself burying her two sons. She feels empty, lost, hopeless, and worthless.

Naomi has buried her sons and now looks at her daughters-in-law. She decided to leave Moab. She had heard that the Lord had blessed his people with bread in Bethlehemjudah. She felt alone in a strange country. She had been there for ten years with her sons and their wives after her husband had died. She longed for home. She missed her people. She missed her country. She missed her culture. She missed the bread. Now there was a glimmer of hope that she could find some comfort in the place she had left.

Question: Have you ever lost someone you loved? What helped you get through the pain of knowing they were not coming back? How do you think Naomi felt? Why do you think Naomi wanted to go back to the country she came from? 

Naomi takes her daughters-in-law with her, in verse 7, as she heads to Judah. She decided there was nothing left in Moab for her and she wanted to go back to the familiar. She had friends in Judah. People knew her there. But just as she starts to make the long trip back, she decided to release her daughters-in-law from going with her. She cared for these girls. She tells them in verse 8, to return to their mothers. She tells them they are free to go and even blesses them for their kindness to her sons and her husband and even to her. She loved these girls but she did not have anything left to give them, she thought. She loved them too much to hold them back from finding love and happiness in another husband and family.

Verse 9 Naomi continues to bless them. She asks for God to give them rest. Rest from the role of being a wife to her sons. Rest from the work of being a wife. Of all the things she could have said, rest is such a beautiful blessing to give. Rest is what Jesus wants us to do in Him. She wants them to relax, refresh, and recover their strength. She kisses each daughter-in-law and they cry. They mourn the loss of their mother-in-law. This is a sad time for all three of the women.

In verse 10, Orpah and Ruth tell Naomi that they will return to Naomi's people with her. They want to go on the long journey with her. Naomi was not just the mother of their husbands, but she was kind to them. They were kind to her. They had a beautiful relationship and the thought of all that ending left them so sad that they insisted on going with her to Judah. These women did not know the language, the culture, or if they would be accepted, but they saw something in Naomi that made them want to cling to her. I believe they saw the way she worshiped the one true God.

In verses 11-13 Naomi explains to them why they cannot go with her. She tells them to go back to their families. She said she doesn't have any hope left. She explains to them that she has no other sons to give them. She reminds them that even if she was to get pregnant again that very night, it would still be 9 months before the child was born and then he would have to grow up. Who is to say that the baby would be a male? She sadly encourages them to go on and find someone else to marry, to have a future with, because she feels as though God has been unkind to her. She is overwhelmed with grief and pain at not only losing her husband and both sons, but now her daughters-in-law would be leaving her as well. They just cried together.

Verse 14 is a crossroads verse. Ruth and Orpah are looking at the fork in the road. Orpah decides she doesn't think she should go to Judah. She listens to Ruth and she feels that she has a lot of life left in her. She has all her family and friends in this country. She knows the best places to go, the ways of the people, the language. The more she thought about what Naomi said, the more she desired to go back to the familiar. She chose to go back to the comfort zone of home, than to step out in faith and see what good things might be waiting in Judah for her.

Ruth is not like Orpah. Ruth has been listening to all the reasons Naomi gave for her to go back home and she does not want to. Something is stirring in her heart to go with Naomi, no matter where that might be. Ruth was not familiar with Judah but she knew Naomi and she saw the kind of woman she was. Ruth had just lost her husband. She could not bear to lose her mother-in-law, too. Ruth attached herself to Naomi. She formed a bond and held on. 

Verse 15 Naomi tells Ruth that her sister-in-law had returned to her people and her gods, and she encouraged her to go with her. Verses 16 and 17 Ruth clings to Naomi and abandons everything she has ever known to promise Naomi that she will not leave her.

Ruth 1:16, 17

16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:

17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried; the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part me and thee.

Imagine the desperation, as she clings to Naomi, and says to her, wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live is where I am going to live. Your family, your culture, your friends, will be my people, too. Wherever you die, is where I will die, also, and may the LORD punish me if anything other than death separates us. That is devotion! That is a friend who is going to go the distance with you.

Question: What would you have done? Would you be like Orpah and go back to the familiar, or step out in faith like Ruth to accompany Naomi back to Judah? What do you think made Ruth cling to Naomi so much?

Naomi realizes Ruth has made her mind up to follow her all the way back to Judah. She knows she cannot talk her out of going and she finally stops trying to convince her to stay in Moab. Verse 19 we read the two women traveled until they arrived in Bethlehem. Once they got to the city, the people started coming up to them and questioning if it was Naomi. She had been away so long. She had changed a lot. She went away happily married and the mother of two sons, now she came back with sadness on her face and a foreign girl with her. Where was her husband? Where was her sons? Who was this girl walking with Naomi?

In verse 20, Naomi answers them that she is no longer the same person she left as. She said she is so different, she was changing her name. She said she was a bitter woman now. She was bitter with the way things happened in her life. She said she is bitter because God had not been good to her. We conclude with a recap that Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth had returned from Moab to Bethlehem in time for the barley harvest.

Naomi does not see the hand of God upon her. She cannot even see the blessing of Ruth right in front of her face. Ruth is a companion to Naomi. Ruth is kind to Naomi. Ruth loves Naomi. Naomi has lost her husband, two sons, and one daughter-in-law but she still has one person in her life that loves her very much and would go to great lengths to stay connected to her. We will see what happens next week, when we visit the book of Ruth, chapter 2.

Join me each Wednesday for a Bible study session. Write the answers to these questions in a notebook, faith journal, or wherever you would like. Read through Ruth chapter 1 first, then read along as you read this devotional. Take your time to think about the questions and to understand where each one of these characters is coming from. Allow the Holy Spirit to teach you what the scriptures are saying. I read from the King James Version, but you may have a different version. Just use the one you have and ask God to help you understand what you are reading.

Feel free to leave me a comment below and let me know if you are following along with this series. I am excited to reach out to the kids in my Children's Church class from Indiana. I hope that kids and adults can follow along with me each Wednesday and we can learn and grow as we break the bread together.

I hope something I have said has been encouraging to you. May you find strength for your journey and light for you way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

When I Am Afraid

Fear. A baby can be afraid. An elderly person can feel fear. You have felt fear before. I know I certainly have. I have been afraid of the dark, afraid of failing, afraid of rejection, afraid of the unknown. I have a fear of heights. I have been afraid that something might happen to one of my children, and while that fear does not cripple me, it certainly brings me to my knees in prayer.

PSALM 56:3

What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.

I cannot tell you how many times I have prayed that scripture, especially in the last year. I had a major surgery last year that I did not want, but desperately needed. A friend of mine prayed this over me and I clung to it with everything in me. God took the fear away and comforted me. Four months later, I found myself having a procedure done that I did not want, but again, it was necessary so He brought me through that. While in the doctor's office getting the results of that procedure, I had a severe gallbladder attack. Before I knew it I was scheduled for surgery the following Monday. I prayed this scripture again. And as we moved to Mobile, Alabama, leaving behind our family, friends, and everything we knew and was familiar with. We left quickly when the Lord said Go! We felt His hand lead and guide us every step of the journey.

If you find yourself scared, unsure, crippled with fear, open your Bible to Psalm 56:3 and read this scripture over and over. Pray it back to God and watch Him work! He will remove the fear and doubt and replace it with faith and hope. You will feel the fear leave.

2 Timothy 1:7

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Fear is a spirit, but God is greater than any spirit and He will remove that from your heart. You do not have to live in fear. He gave us power to overcome. His perfect love casts out fear. Do not let fear keep you from obeying God and doing everything He wants you to do. The blessings are on the other side of fear.

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

41 Years

This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24

Today is my birthday!!  This is the day the LORD has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it! I am 41 years old today and God has brought me through so much in these four plus decades! It is interesting to look back on all the growth and spiritual maturity in just this year! I had no idea I would be living in Alabama! I had no idea God would change our lives in such a drastic, amazing, wonderful way. When He spoke to my heart in January this year and told me we were moving to Alabama this summer, my heart sank. I did not want to go. I grieved a little. I did not know anything about Alabama. I was sad to leave a wonderful job, a great job teaching Children's Church, many friends and family in Indiana. I had never even been to Alabama, other than driving through it to get to Florida. I was scared of the unknown. No job. No home. No church. No friends. No family. No idea what He wanted us to do in Alabama that we couldn't do in Indiana. So, I prayed and fasted. I went on seven God appointed fasts and He shared great detail of what we were to do and yet I was still scared. What would God be sending us to?

I had nothing to worry about. Why should I have worried? God of all creation gave me specific direction. He told me we were moving to Mobile, Alabama. We went to Mobile in July. We had a wonderful time. We spent so much time enjoying each other and reconnecting as a family. We found a church. We loved the pastor and stayed in touch with her. That was a divine appointment. She has helped us so much on this journey of a lifetime and I will share so much more in the posts to come. I look at what God has done and I am amazed!!!

So, we came back to Indiana this Labor Day weekend. I had a follow-up eye appointment from when I had Lasik surgery. Great news, my eyes are even better! 20/15 and 20/20+1!! So excited to see without glasses. We spent time with family, caught up with a few friends. Packed with the last of our belongings in Indiana, we headed home and safely arrived in Alabama on my birthday, today!

We had fun at Boggs campgrounds while we were in Indiana. We took this beautiful picture, which truly does not do that gorgeous sunset scene justice. While it was fun to be in Indiana a few days, I am so glad to be home. Sweet Home Alabama!

Hope you have a wonderful Labor Day! Enjoy the day off, if you get the chance. Take some time to reflect on this day that the LORD has made, be glad and rejoice in it!

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Training Children

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6 KJV

Do we believe God's Word is true? Do we stand on the Word of God and claim all of the promises in the Bible for ourselves? If so, what do we do when we face a scripture like this one and the circumstances of our lives seem to contradict the passage? Do we get confused? The Bible is true. It is God's Word and He cannot lie. This promise is for you! If you have children in your care, this is YOUR promise. Stand on it and believe it, even if it looks like it is not your reality.

So let's look at this scripture closer. The first part of this verse is a command. We are to train our children in the way they should go. How does one go about training a child? We train children for lots of things, but one of the most common is potty training. After countless diaper changes, the time eventually comes when most children are ready to be potty trained. 

The task seemed so daunting when I was potty training my daughter. She had great verbal skills and good understanding of instructions, yet it was difficult for me to know how to get the message across that if she felt the need to potty, she should tell me. She said, "What does it feel like?" I was not sure how to describe that.  I did the best I could. We tried different strategies. We messed up. We learned from our mistakes. We extended grace to one another as we struggled through the process. I learned as much, if not more, than she did. I learned patience. I learned how important consistency and routines are. I learned that it was important to cheer her on and encourage even the smallest efforts. I learned that I take a lot of things for granted. I learned to look at the task through the eyes of a child. Suddenly the toilet looked big and intimidating, even scary. The noisy flush. The water rushing out of the bowl and the curious look on my daughter's face as she said, "Where did it go?"

In the midst of teaching hand hygiene, personal hygiene, and the mechanics of all things "potty," we were both learning and growing together. Now my daughter is almost 18 years old. She has not needed her mommy to help her potty in many, many years. The days of hurriedly carrying her to the bathroom as she loudly exclaimed, "I gotta go! I gotta go!," are now a distant memory. The stress and frustration are all gone. The hard time of that season has been replaced over and over with many other training sessions as she has grown and changed through the years.

The verse in Proverbs is a process. Marathon runners do not practice one day and then they are done. They do not train for one race and that's all they ever do. They do not purchase running shoes one day and the next sprint through their first race with no other training or preparation. Similarly, we cannot expect to train our children in one aspect of life and expect good results. No, we are to consistently teach our child, or children, the skills they need to survive and thrive in life. We are to come alongside them and teach them about love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness. We are to train them in the way they should go, regardless of the season they are in.

The promise in this verse is that when they are old they will not depart. This does not guarantee your child will never grow up and rebel. It does not mean that all the things you have taught them won't seem to have fallen on deaf ears. The promise is that what you have taught them will not leave them. This is true whether the training is good or bad. The things you teach your child will stick with them. Those who go on and live a lifestyle that contradicts the way they were raised, is not proof this scripture is invalid. No, often these kids will tell you they knew they were not making good choices but they chose to do it anyway.

The promise is that those lessons are still there. The promise is that the Holy Spirit will continue to work on their hearts if we have shared Him with them as children. It's hard work to be a good parent, but we are not ever commissioned to be perfect parents. We are told to be consistent coaches, helping to train these children through every season, just like our Heavenly Father does with us.

If you are a mom or dad, new to this journey, or a seasoned veteran, take heart in knowing God sees your efforts. Ask Him to lead and guide you in every area of your life. Give this season of training your children to God and He will give you wisdom and understanding. Give the same grace, forgiveness, mercy, and unconditional love that He gives to us. Mirror His parenting skills as best you can and I promise you will see this verse become true in the lives of your children.

If you have wayward children, never give up on them. God is long-suffering with us and we are to be the same with them. Pray for them every single day. Show that child the love of the Heavenly Father. Do not allow roots of bitterness to grow in your heart. Do not blame them. Do not blame yourself. Do not become discouraged. God sees the need and He wants them to be a part of His family even more than you desire it. Trust Him to see you through this journey and invite Him to take over the training session. He will teach you and your child more than you can imagine.

If you long to have a relationship with your Heavenly Father, you can! Just go to Him with faith and confess that you are a sinner in need of a savior. Acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God and He died for your sins. Accept Him as Lord of your life and He will come into your life. He will change you and you will never be the same again! You will never find a greater friend to do life with!

If you know someone who is struggling in this season of their parenting, encourage them. Share this verse with them. Invite them to check out this blog post. Offer to help with an area they may be struggling if you can. It is a hard job to be a parent, but thankfully we have a really great example in the greatest parent in the world: God.

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

~Bridgett Owens