Nov./Dec. 2017

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Don't Forget to Add Jesus to the Recipe Heather Riggleman No sooner then when I hit the start button on the bread maker,I knew I had forgotten the most important ingredient. You know the one that makes the magic happen, the key ingredient that makes the dough rise and acts as a catalyst binding every ingredient together creating soft, fluffy, warm dough that when it’s baked gives way to golden, crisp goodness. Yeast. I left out the yeast. French bread isn’t its namesake without being light and fluffy — all because of one simple ingredient. As I dumped the required amount in, I sucked in my breath thinking: Our days are dense, bitter and hard when we forget to include Jesus. And how often have I forgotten him lately? Life isn’t made of picture-perfect moments, snapshots of success, perfectly placed furniture with clean and well-dressed kids. Real life is full of little moments, like bits of yeast. Each grain small and insignificant but piled together creates — a beautiful place to dwell. But those dense moments can rub our soul raw when we try to go through life on our own. I can’t begin to tell you how often I forget and then I go through hard moments to be reminded these moments sneak up on us. Just when we think we can do life without him, expectations, tantrums and shattered glass drag us down while perfection breaks our back in the midst of it. Life is much like making bread, we need to add Jesus to the mix. We need his presence, his grace, his warmth. Without him, life is dense, flat and tasteless. Without him, our messy beautiful world of marriage, motherhood, career and life doesn’t make sense. There is no peace, and we can’t catch a breath. When we are spent beyond weariness, add Jesus — he becomes our strength to muddle through. When the clutter, the laundry pile, and bills threaten to topple over on us, whisper his name and he becomes the answer —our anchor. When we forget homework, can’t find our keys, and yell at the kids, stop and close your eyes, picture him standing there with you. Jesus becomes our redemption on a rough morning. When the crankiness and bickering of kids threaten to push us beyond our limits, add Jesus and he becomes the source of patience and wisdom. When our phones and Facebook messages are silent and loneliness tells us we are unwanted, turn to Jesus and he becomes our soul saving friend. If your life is dry, dense or bitter, ask yourself if you’ve added the most important ingredient. 20
Where's my Purpose Lyn Neimann WE'RE GOING TO LONDON THIS SEPTEMBER! Years ago, when I was especially grumpy that I hadn't discovered my purpose, God showed me how important the little things were. We can learn from the process as it prepares and encourages us. I wanted to speak to thousands. God said, "You can start with your father." When you think about it, our purpose is pretty clear when Jesus asked one of his disciples three times, "Do you love me?" Each time the disciple said yes. And each time Jesus replied with a command. "Feed my lambs." "Shepherd my sheep." "Feed my sheep." I wondered, what's the difference between lambs and sheep, feeding and shepherding? Well, lambs are a year old or less. So, feeding speaks to basic needs. Mother Teresa comes to mind. Think about your gifts and talents. Do you tend to enjoy helping those who don't know or may be seeking God? Or are you more passionate about helping those who already have faith? Would you rather volunteer at a food pantry, or would you rather cook a meal for a pastor and his family who need rest? Shepherding sheep, on the other hand, speaks to guiding believers. I'm reminded of the time I attended one of my church's volunteer meetings at a local coffee shop. It was my first time meeting everyone. As I was walking to my car afterward, a young woman ran after me, calling out my name. LondonChristianTour.com “You know, this might seem strange,” she said, “but there’s just something about you that makes me feel like I can talk to you.” She briefly told me about her marriage struggles. I told her that I believed we were sharing a "Divine appointment" and I briefly summarized my own experience before offering her the name of the marriage mentor who had helped me. She suddenly understood why God had put us together. And in that parking lot, for those few brief moments, there was absolutely nothing unclear about my purpose. 21
Page 1 and 2: the Load Lighten Latta Barbara Love
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Nov./Dec. 2017

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