October 2022 Devotional: The Ordinary Season

/in , /by

By Captain Jessica Stevens
Family Care Director – College For Officer Training

It’s back-to-school season, and like many moms and caregivers, I feel like my life is being overrun by to-do lists. With two kids in two different schools, a dog, and two cats my days are filled with mundane and ordinary moments. School supply lists, first day of school outfits, extracurricular activity registration, and annual medical and dental appointments all fall (mom pun intended) into the month of September.
These are the days, and this is the SEASON OF THE VERY ORDINARY.

Now, as a kid, I dreamt of being an adult. I pictured being a Grown Up Lady that stayed up as late as I wanted, wore fancy shoes, and, delight of delights: ate at the restaurant of my choosing for dinner. Actual adulthood looks very different than my childhood imaginings. Sometimes I feel a little like Bill Murphy in Groundhog Day: every day looks very similar to the one before.

  • Alarm: 6 am
  • Take dog out, pour cup of coffee, complete Wordle
  • Devotions/breakfast prep/make school lunches
  • Morning routine/put in a load of laundry/remind kids to wear deodorant
  • Pack backpacks, computer bags, purse, lunches, water bottles, to go coffee into the van
  • 8:00 am depart
  • Work, make dinner, do dishes, coral kids for chores, check homework
  • Sweep floors, listen to 67 stories about Roblux, remind kids to shower, argue about reading, take out the dog
  • Start bedtime routine, program coffeemaker, fold laundry, read to kiddos

Repeat ad nauseum.

I know I’m not alone in this. Friends and sisters and aunties share similar stories of fatigue and emotional labor. Meme after meme tells the story of frazzled women hanging on by their threadbare leggings.
As a girl, I read Bible stories about David fighting Goliath, Esther saving her people, Paul preaching to the crowds, and Miriam singing songs of freedom. I dreamt of lofty things, and now I’m folding socks and jeans.

A few years ago I realized I was sorting my prayer concerns the way I sort laundry. I had a mental basket of “big” things I was consistently bringing to the feet of Jesus: school issues, family rifts, medical diagnoses, etc. But smaller, more ordinary concerns were being left out. While in my head I knew that God in His goodness cared about all my cares; in practice, I was filtering my prayers. I was weeding out the ordinary concerns of my life: math homework, sibling disagreements, my own weaknesses and fatigue.

But Scripture is full of the ordinary. Of course, as a child, I loved the adventure stories. Deborah, Esther, Ruth – what girl wouldn’t love these tails? These biblical heroines provide examples of strength, courage, faith and grit and are dear to me still. But in this Very Ordinary season, I see the Spirit just as much in other, less glamorous verses.

The oft-quoted Romans 12:1, paraphrased by Eugene Peterson in the Message reminds us “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering.” In this season, 90% of my life is sleeping, eating, going to work/school, and walking around; of course the God of my heart is present in these moments and in this season.

From Genesis to Revelation, from ancient times to today, if we look closely we can see a God who cares deeply for us and our small, human concerns. The God Who Came Near shows us this in Scripture: look close – you’ll see it, too. Don’t believe me? Read Leviticus. God cared so deeply for his people Israel he was very specific about their safety, worship, planting, livestock, meals and so much more.

We have only to spend a little time in the Gospels to see this in the character of Jesus himself: his stories are full of human concerns, lost coins, lost children, seeds and shallow soil. We frequently see him eating communal meals and going to people’s homes. Do we think he lived a human life and didn’t have human concerns or ordinary days?

We don’t sort have to sort our prayer concerns like laundry. If it’s on our minds or hearts, silly or serious, we can bring it to the Gentle Father. We can look through the whole of Scripture and see the love of our God in the ordinary and in the adventure. We can be like Deborah; speaking frank truth. We can be like Esther, listening to the Spirit and knocking on doors that aren’t open to us. We can be like Ruth, providing for our families and loving loyally. And in every single moment, we can lay our ordinary, sleeping, walking, going to work lives before the feet of Jesus.

October 2022 Craft: Ordinary Truth Affirmation Cards

/in /by

By Captain Jessica Stevens
Family Care Director – College For Officer Training

Materials:

  • One set of affirmation cards per person. Download the affirmation cards
Scripture-Identity-Cards-Print-FileDownload
  • One ordinary container (mason jar, Tupperware, takeout box, bowl, recycled tissue box)

Directions:

  • Cut affirmation cards out.
  • Customize blank cards according to individual need.
  • Place cut out cards in ordinary container.
  • If desired, decorate container.
  • Place in an ordinary place in the home: kitchen sink, nightstand, near bathroom mirror.
  • Choose one affirmation card a week, and speak it out loud to yourself at least once a day. Let the truths of God’s love become more real to you in ordinary time.

Questions for Connection:

  • Which of these Scriptures and affirmations resonates most with you?
  • Are any of these truths hard for you to believe?
  • Who in your lift might benefit from hearing one of these messages? how can you speak truth into their life?
  • Describe a time in which you needed to hear one of these messages. How might this message have changed your situation?
  • How can you modify your thoughts or response to draining duties?

Download printable directions of this craft

Scripture-Identity-Cards-Instructions-1Download

September 2022 Inspire Newsletter

/in /by

Welcome to the last issue of the Inspire Newsletter. This month’s newsletter is all about the hopeful and expectant sunflower, that looks up and follows the sun. What a great reminder to Christ followers to be hopeful and looking up, expectantly waiting for the Lord’s return.

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Titus 2:11-13

Download this month’s newsletter:

Inspire-September-2022Download

Need previous issues of the INSPIRE Newsletter?  They can be found at the following links: August 2022, July 2022, June 2022,  May 2022, April 2022, March 2022, February 2022, January 2022, December 2021, November 2021, October 2021, September 2021, August 2021, July 2021, June 2021, May 2021, April 2021, March 2021, February 2021, January 2021 December 2020, November 2020, October 2020, September 2020, August 2020, July 2020, June 2020, May 2020, April 2020, March 2020, February 2020, January 2020, December 2019, November 2019, October 2019, October 2018-September 2019

Although this is the last Inspire Newsletter, do not fret. Starting October 2022 a new monthly resource will be able that will help you to “Flourish” in your Women’s Ministries and personal walk with Jesus.

September 2022 Devotional: Making Head Knowledge into HEART Knowledge

/in , /by

By Major Ronalee Fenrich
Honolulu, HI Adult Rehabilitation Center

Everyone has favorite foods, and I am no exception. I love avocados! But I had really only been exposed to one type of avocado my entire life. Spending nearly all of my 52 years on the West Coast, I was familiar with the Haas avocado. To be honest, I hadn’t even considered the fact there may be other types of avocados to choose from!

Two years ago, I moved to Hawaii. That has been an adventure in and of itself! I am surrounded by plant and animal life I had never been exposed to before, and it has been quite the project to learn all about these beautiful creations so new to me. One of the things I have had to learn more about – Avocados!

There is a large and very old avocado tree in my backyard. However, the avocados growing on it are very different that what I am used to. This tree grows Dominican avocados, most commonly found in Florida. Unlike Haas avocados, when Dominicans are fully ripe, they do not fit nicely in the palm of your hand. They grow so large they take tow hands to hold. They are HUGE, and it takes skill to harvest them off the tree, because one wrong move means you will get whacked in the head with a heavy piece of fruit! When Haas avocados are too soft to the touch, that is a sign they are rotting. However, Dominican avocados need to be soft to the touch. If you try to cut one open before that point, all you find inside is rock hard fruit that can’t be used.

It may seem strange I would invest so much time in trying to understand more about avocados, but when I realized what was growing on the tree was different than what I was accustomed to, I had to start doing some learning!

I think it is human nature to gravitate toward what is familiar, and what we already know to be true. There is often comfort in “knowing what we know.” The downside to that, however, is when we are too comfortable in our knowledge, we are often unwilling to consider there may be more information we need to take into account. This is especially true when we are learning God’s Word and working to apply it to our lives.

When I was in college, I moved to the city of Seattle. I was a Salvation Army Officer’s kid who had moved around a lot, but never in my life had I lived somewhere so big! The Corps I attended was at least four times larger than the last one I had attended before leaving home, and the congregation was so diverse! It was all an enormous adjustment. For the first time in my life, I was being exposed to various viewpoints and opinions I had never heard before. I remember being in some sort of friendly debate with other young adults in the Corps about a Biblical concept. Someone in the group said something to the effect of, “I was taught to believe this way.” Another said something about the importance of Church traditions. I eventually said something like, “I was always told to do it like this.” One of the Corps Officers who had been standing by listening to us, popped his head into the group, smiled, and said, “But what does the Bible say about it?”

That was a wakeup call for me! After some reflection, I realized I had been basing my entire belief system on what I had always heard and was guilty of not really studying the Bible for myself. Perhaps what I had always believed to be true was correct, but how would I truly know until I compared it against God’s Word?

Recently, I was looking at the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5. It is one of the most basic and easy to understand sermons Jesus ever taught. It is a sermon I had heard and read so many times, I admittedly had started just “speed reading” through it rather than taking the time to reflect on each word.

This time when I read, I tried to really focus on what Jesus was saying, and you know what? There were some important things I had been missing!

First of all, I was reminded Jesus was talking to a large group of mostly Jewish people who had grown up hearing the law of Moses and the Ten Commandments. He knew they had most likely been basing their beliefs on what they had always been taught about the law, rather than learning the law itself. Jesus made sure they understood the purpose of His teaching about the law, when in Matthew 5:17 He says, “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.” He then went on to challenge their understanding of what God taught through Moses.

As Jesus preached, he would begin by saying, “You have heard.” You can see this beginning in Matthew 5:21. Basically, Jesus was saying, “You may think you understand what the law is about, but there is so much more you need to know!” He would then immediately follow the statement, “You have heard” with “But I say.” He pointed His listeners to God’s true intent of the law, and covered areas of life such as anger, family life and marriage, making promises, revenge, and how to deal with our enemies.

Matthew Chapter 5 ends with words from Jesus about how to apply God’s law in our interaction with those we see as our enemies. In Matthew 5:43-45 Jesus said, “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and unjust alike.”

In today’s deeply troubled world, we are almost encouraged to be divided and live-in opposition with one another. But that isn’t what Jesus taught us to do. He taught us a better way, and that is to reflect His pure love in the way we interact with our enemies. This can’t be a phony or half-hearted kindness. Jesus says we are to pray for them, and sincerely ask God to work in their lives. We are to show true and intentional love toward them. This is they way God requires us to live.

Jesus taught it wasn’t enough to show up in Church regularly so we can know ABOUT God’s Word. Jesus taught it was vital we know God’s Word so intimately that we LIVE it! The only way to make that a reality is to be active students of His Word, asking God to help it take root in our heart so it will change the way we live.

“For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.” Romans 10:2

Let’s all vow to become committed students of God’s Word, and let it plant deep in our hearts!

Download a printable version of this devotional

Sept-2022-DevotionDownload

September 2022 Bible Study: Everything I Needed to Know I Learned in Sunday School

/in /by

By Major Cathi Boyd
Las Vegas, NV Adult Rehabilitation Center

“Share your crayons,” “Don’t take cuts in line,” “If you make a mess, clean it up.”
These are the simple rules we learned in Kindergarten, and according to Robert Fulgrum in his book, Everything I Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, these rules that served us well as youngsters will serve us just as well as adults. The secret of the book’s back to basics appeal is in a return to a kinder, gentler time when right was right and wrong was wrong; and even if you disagreed with your neighbor, cookies and milk would make everything better.

What rules do you remember from your kindergarten days? Do you agree or disagree that living by these kinds of principles would make life better today? Why or why not?

Life today can be very confusing. What once was right is now called wrong and vice versa. I recently saw a cartoon where a man complained to his neighbor, “The trouble with kids today is that they don’t play by the rules.” The neighbor replied, “How can they when we grownups keep changing the rules!”

As Christians living in a complicated world, we look to God’s Word for rules to live by. The book of Micah shares some of these back-to-basics principles. Micah was a prophet living in the country of Judah, a country that appeared strong economically, but had fallen to the depths of spiritual depravity. The rich grew richer and lived the lush lifestyle seemingly unaware or uncaring of the impoverished people living around them. People went to the Temple to be seen worshipping God, but practiced all sorts of idolatry and lived their lives doing whatever pleased them. A nation that once proudly called itself the people of God had in fact turned its back on the One who has founded it.

Do you see any parallels between Judah at the time, and America today? What sorts of things do people idolize (put in the place of God) today? What things in your life might be called an idol?

When bad things happened to the people of Judah they began crying out about injustice. They asked questions like: “How could a loving God allows children to die of hunger?” “Where is God when brother is killing brother in the streets?” “Why did God allow my wife to suffer with cancer?” “I’m a good person, I’ve worked hard all my life, why won’t God cut me a break?” Questions that people are still asking today. “What does God want from me?” The prophet Micah had an answer for the people then and for us today. He shared three principles that are so simple that even the kindergarten Sunday School class could understand them:

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humble with your God.” Micah 6:8

Micah tells us plainly that God requires three things of us: to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God. Let’s look at each of these three.

To Act Justly. To do the right thing regardless of circumstances or situations. To do the right thing when no one is looking. (Actually, that’s not true, because God is always looking. I almost stole a candy bar when I was a little kid, but our Sunday School memory verse came to mind: “But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him.” (Psalm 33:18) I didn’t understand that to fear God meant to revere Him, but I sure was afraid of Him seeing me take the candy and telling my mom. She was the one whose wrath I feared!).

To act justly is putting into practice the Golden Rule all the time, towards everyone, even when it doesn’t seem fair. It’s seeking to be pure in thought as well as deed; pure of motive as well as action. No white lies, no sneaking things from the office, no saying one thing to a person and stabbing them in the back to the another. It means speaking truthfully, keeping our word, and standing up for what is right even when it is unpopular. It’s treating all people with dignity due them as fellow creations made in the image of God. Acting justly is what sent Jesus to the cross.

Can you think of a time when Scripture helped you make the right choice?
Justice is a hot topic. Here are some other verses from God’s Word that talks about justice. Which one speaks to your heart today? Why? Isaiah 1:17, Amos 5:24, Romans 12:19, Isaiah 30:18, Jeremiah 23:5.

To Love Mercy. The story is told of a mother who sought from Napoleon the pardon of her son. Napoleon said it was the man’s second offense and justice demanded his death. “I don’t ask for justice,” said the mother, “I please for mercy.” “But” the emperor said, “he does not deserve mercy.” “Sir,” cried the mother, “It would not be mercy if he deserved it, and mercy is all I ask.” “Well then,” Napoleon replied, “I will show mercy.”

What a clever mother. Mercy is not something any one of us deserves. God, however, is full of mercy towards us. Another translation of the word mercy is loving kindness and the Bible speaks often of God’s loving kindness towards us. (see Psalm 63:3, Psalm 117:2, Isaiah 54:8, Nehemiah 9:17). Eternal salvation is ours only through the mercy of God and this underserved, unearned gift is given freely to all who ask (see Titus 3:3-5).

We in turn are to show mercy, loving kindness to others from the overflow of gratitude we have for what God has done for us. We love because He first loved us. Yet this idea of mercy is more than feeling. Loving kindness is a verb, an action word.

Read Mark 12:29-31. How do the word of Jesus fulfill the words of Micah? How can we live these words – how do we love mercy with our actions? What can you do this week?

Loving justly and loving mercy go hand in hand. Without mercy, justice becomes intolerant, harsh or self-righteous. Without justice, even handedness, and the ever-present sense of who we would be if God had not forgiven us, mercy becomes self-serving smug do-gooding. But neither of these has nay lasting meaning with the third thing God requires.

To Walk Humbly with Our God. Walking with God is the driving force behind all we do. To walk humbly literally means walking with attentiveness, thoughtfulness, and watchfulness. We need to follow closely in our Father’s footsteps. It is, like Jesus said, loving the Lord God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. It is also growing to know God so that you can know how He wants you to live each day.

My husband is 11 inches taller than me. After 41 years of walking together we have learned to compromise. He shortens his stride and I walk a little faster. When we hike, he takes the lead to warn me of hidden roots or slippery places, and he stops and lends a hand when I need it. When we went cross country skiing, he broke the trail through the snow because I was the weaker skier. Can you see the connection to walking with God? Sometimes He will seem to be ahead of us, showing the way, breaking the trail, and warning us of dangers in the road. We can listen and avoid trouble, or we can be stubborn and face the consequences. He will always be there to pick us up if we fall. As we grow to know Him, we begin to match strides with Him. We begin to know instinctively the way He would have us go. And as the popular poem Footprints suggests, when we look behind us and see only one set of footprints it will be because God was carrying us during a difficult time. We know we are never alone when we are walking humbly with God.

“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” Isaiah 30:21

Have you ever sensed God was telling you what you should do, or which way you should turn in a particular situation? Did you pay attention, or did you go your own way? What happened? Was there any lasting change from this experience?

So, everything I needed to know I learned in Sunday School. What does God require of us? To act justly, love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God. And yes, milk and cookies are still a good way to smooth things over with someone with whom you’ve had a disagreement.

Download a printable version of this Bible study

Bible-Study-All-I-Needed-to-Know-Sept-2022Download

She Leads…By Starting Her Day With Jesus

/in /by

By Major Dina Graciani
Director of Special Services, Adult Rehabilitation Centers Command

I wake up every morning and roll out of bed to see a sign up on my wall that says, “Start each day with a grateful heart.” I head to the kitchen with my phone in hand, laying it down on the end table, now for my coffee and time with Jesus. Another sign by my coffee maker says: “In the morning when I rise give Jesus and Coffee.” I then sit down in my favorite spot in the house next to yet another sign on a small easel that says, “Pray together often.” Everywhere you look in my home and office, you will see inspirational signs that I have chosen to inspire me and others. Some are scripture verses; others are positive things we should do every day, like “You have filled my heart with GREATER JOY.” I now enjoy my morning with my favorite cup of coffee and time with Jesus. I have found devotionals by Greg Laurie have become by most common go-to in this season. I enjoy reading and listening to them. I typically then proceed with “Minute with John Maxwell.”  It continually amazes how he takes just a minute to talk about a word and its meaning, yet what is shared is so profound. 

Every day I wake up looking forward to this time. In fact, it’s what gets me up in the morning.  It centers me. I LOVE MY COFFEE AND JESUS TIME. I genuinely believe this helps me lead with purpose, intentionality and helps provide a Christ-like lens from which to see the world.  Without Him, I am not as effective, enjoyable, loving, focused, and complete. My time with the Father is what keeps me grounded, love His people, listen to His people, and disciple His people.

I recently was shopping at one of my favorite stores, “Bed, Bath and Beyond,” and they had some really great greeting cards by the register. One said, “Find out who you are and do it ON purpose.” Said by the infamous Miss Dolly Parton. In my current appointment, my title is Director of Special Services.  Years ago, my husband and I were stationed in Missoula, Montana, along with our three children. After serving as Corps Officers for 14 years, we began to feel the nudge from the Holy Spirit that perhaps it was time for something new, a different challenge. We had some wonderful friends and mentors encouraging us for quite some time to join the ARC ministry.

Both Henry and I were curious and began to ask questions. I asked a good friend of mine what her role looked like serving as an Officer in the ARC?  She shared she was to provide and create extraordinary experiences for the ARC’s men and women, to make them feel cared for and loved. Birthday celebrations, special family activities, holiday events, spiritual counseling, Bible study, and planning and leading worship services. Hundreds of men and women would walk through our doors each year, and my job would be to welcome them home.  I love having and fulfilling that purpose and title.  It has been one of the greatest joys of my life. I am so pleased to now, years later, continue to carry that title.  My time serving in as the Director of Special Services consistently brings this quote to mind, “If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.” These words couldn’t be truer for me.   

I love to make others feel loved, appreciated, and taken care of.  I thrive under the word “SPECIAL!”  Recently we had what we call Round Table in the ARC instead of Officer councils.  One of our Lieutenants that I have been mentoring had to set up this special meeting at her center.  I was unable to attend due to being out of town. She set up, decorated with a theme, planned great refreshments, placed everything where needed, and ensured everyone who attended had whatever they needed.  She called me after the event and said someone came up to her and said “Lieutenant this is event would have been Major Dina approved”. She would have been so pleased with how you took care of every detail of today’s meeting.  Thank you! She said, that means a lot to me.  We just never know how we will impact another person to lead their own ministry.  People are constantly watching, evaluating, judging your every move as a leader.  You never know what kind of impact you will make in their life. Why do I start my day with Jesus? Because He leads me, guides me, and my hope is that people will always know that I loved and cared for them like Jesus would.

September 2022 Game: Jeopardy – Back to School Edition

/in /by

By Major Rachel Gallop
Denver, CO Adult Rehabilitation Center

Instead of a craft this month, have fun in your Women’s Ministries with this animated (including sound) Jeopardy game (in PowerPoint).

Categories include: History, Science, Bible, Music Appreciation, American Literature, and The Salvation Army.

Have fun recalling facts you may have learned in the past as well as, perhaps, learning new information.

Download the PowerPoint Game (250mb)