The week after Christmas is one of my favorite weeks of the year. Work slows down just enough to allow for some dreaming to occur. New Year’s Day is just around the corner to provide the best natural restart. Anything is possible. So why not dream big?

During this last week of the year I become giddy as a child waiting for Santa.  January 1st is the day I can start using my new planner.  The blank pages contained within it scream to be filled with new hopes and dreams. They wait with great anticipation to record the adventures during the new year. Oh the joy is uncontainable!

Remember those habits you want to change or start doing?  Why not start new on January 1st?  Those projects you have been meaning to start?  Start them once the ball drops in Times Square. 

It’s almost like hitting the refresh button but only for your life!

As a disciple (follower) of Jesus Christ we are given our own “refresh” button each morning.  Every morning brings a new beginning in the Lord.  Regardless of how far we think we strayed from God we can turn back to Him and receive His grace and forgiveness.  We get to out again serving the Lord with our whole selves. It’s like every morning is January 1st.  

If you are not a follower of Jesus yet today is your own “refresh” day. Surrender your self to Him and watch the great things God will show you. Don’t fear if you think you don’t know “enough”. Have a willing heart to learn. Connect with other disciples and do life and ministry together. Serve together and watch the Holy Spirit sow seeds of faith.

The beauty of the Christian faith journey is grace. One is not required to be perfect. A humble heart that is willing to serve is what God seeks. The questions we have we can ask and watch how God answers them. Stress is relieved because we know God’s in control. We can enjoy the ride. 

As you take time this week ask God to help you hit the “refresh” button. See what plans God has for you. Be open to new possibilities, different perspectives. If one day takes you away from Him know that each day you can hit the refresh button and start anew. 

Dream the big dreams God has for you.  

Enjoy the adventure. 

Each morning hit the refresh button and serve with a humble heart.

This Week’s Challenge

Take a blank piece of paper and dream how God is equipping you to serve this you.  Post it to your social media and share throughout the year the fun adventures God has for you.

Motherhood is a beautiful love a nurturing woman has for either her children or any child in her life. God blesses her with children in many and various ways. By birth. By adoption. As an aunt. Or a foster parent. A grandmother. A teacher. A pastor.

Sometimes the children are physically in her life for decades, years, seasons or days. Regardless of the length a mother’s love never ends for any of her children. Her heart aches for each of her children whenever they are apart.

Women provide positive role models for all to follow as they serve and lead in ministry and life. Their strong resolve and tenacity demonstrates the importance to persevere through the messy middle of any change. Many women lead by example without fanfare. They continue on shaping lives and culture.

The women in my family have been some of those quiet, tenacious, resolved women without any statues to commemorate their great love. Some raised children. Some worked careers when women were “supposed” to be in the home cooking and cleaning. Others were great aunties to their nieces and nephews, biological or not. Each of them set an example of unconditional love for everyone.

I know this isn’t the typical Mother’s Day blog.  Smelling of sweet roses with crispy bites of yummy Sunday brunch. It is one meant to say thank you to the women in my family who sacrificed for those who came after them. It is one meant to encourage every human being to love unconditionally, persevere through adversity, lead by example by serving humbly.

The Kocher Women (my maternal side of the family) all did what they had to for their family.  They loved despite the disappointments. They worked 2-3 jobs to provide. They cared for others, blood or not. I have the opportunities I have in my life because of each of them. I am a strong woman because they showed me how to be strong.

They taught me faith requires one to step out of comfort zone to fully trust Jesus. Leadership doesn’t come from title but with integrity. Family comes by blood and love. Family holds each other accountable in love and walks with one another through thick and thin.

I will never have my own children to raise but I will continue to pass on those lessons to the next generation.  I strive to be a model of a faith that steps out of the comfort zone trusting Jesus. To lead by example and humility. To love unconditionally through thick and thin.

Yes, mistakes will be made. Grace and forgiveness shared. But love remains through it all.

Thank you, Mom, Grammy, Grandma Kocher, Aunt May, Aunt Mildred, for being strong Kocher Women. Thank you for empowering and equipping me to be a strong Kocher Woman. May each person who comes after us be strong in the Lord as each of you were, are and I strive to be.

A Lifetime of Learning & Being Transformed

“Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, 

To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. 

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:1-11)

St. Paul wrote a letter to the disciples (followers of Jesus Christ) in the city of Philippi. He came to their city on one of his missionary journeys.  He served them and share with them the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

The disciples grew to be a strong community resolved to serve their city and share the Gospel with the rest of the city. While Paul was in prison he wrote them this letter to thank them for their prayers and support. as we read this letter we can learn from Paul the Philippian disciples how to persevere and rejoice in all circumstances.

In these opening verses Paul gives thanks for their gift and praises them for their faithfulness from the beginning. The Philippians did not wait until they were believers for awhile, gaining book knowledge and then going out to share the Gospel.

Instead from the beginning of their faith journeys they served others and shared the Gospel. Their joy and excitement abounded and was contagious. They went out right away to invite others to experience Jesus Christ’s love themselves.

We can learn from them to be resolved to share our own joy with Jesus Christ all through out our faith journeys. We do not have all the answers just the willingness to share our personal story.

By being in relationship with Jesus Christ we are given new lenses to see the world and others. During our faith journey we see through the lens more clearly as we have more experiences and knowledge. We put them on and learn from the Holy Spirit how to love more dearly as God loves.

This growth process is not easy. It requires a resolve to keep learning to keep serving humbly. This can be tricky. As we learn more have more experiences, we can falsely believe we “know it all” and do not need to learn more. We try to do it on our own without the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Instead we continue to on our faith journey humbly learning from the Holy Spirit, growing in knowledge and experience. As we grow we recognize God’s Will and become more transformed. We become more like Jesus and we will continue to become more like Jesus until we are called home to Heaven.

So what does this mean in practical terms?

Each day we pray to see others as God sees them. Ask how can we serve one another. If there is someone you have been praying for maybe ask them how you can put arms to your prayers and authentically love them.

Also, we can look to ow we represent Jesus Christ in the world. If we are the only encounter someone has with the Gospel what will they learn from us? What do we want them to learn from us about Jesus Christ?

Each day ask God to teach you more bout Him, to stretch you towards growth. Ask for an open heart to grow, open your eyes to see how He is leading.

The Philippine disciples served with joy and resolve. Life was not easy or perfect. But they continued to serve and share in all they did and said. We can learn from them to keep growing to be more like Jesus Christ. All until we return to be with Him forever.

This Week’s Challenge 

Name one area God is challenging you to grow in faith.
Write what He is teaching you about it.
How are you applying that lesson today in your life?

A disciple remains committed to his/her faith. It is a journey of incredible highs. It is a journey with difficult times as well. Having a resolve to persevere, to keep following closely to Jesus Christ is important.

The enemy, satan,  does not want us to follow Jesus.  He works against us to distract, to discourage.  Even our own human pride gets in the way also falsely lulling us into believing we are in control.  Remaining resolved in our trust in God alone is key to remaining faith-filled and obedient.

To be resolved one must first acknowledge God’s freely given grace to each one of us. We all have sinned, rebelled against God. There is nothing any of us can do to earn our salvation. From His abundant love He sent His Only Son, Jesus Christ to live the perfect life, die the death meant for us, rise from the grave conquering sin, death and the devil.

It is because we have been resolved by Jesus Christ that we can be resolved to serve and share Him.

Living an authentic missional life does not always go viral on social media. Most of it is done in the quiet, every day interactions we have with others.  Interesting enough we will not know the full impact of our humble service until we are called home to Heaven.

Therefore it is vital remain resolved. Encouragement can be fleeting at times. Struggles arise. Challenges are faced. It is our stubborn resolve, which comes from the Holy Spirit, to keep following Jesus Christ with our whole lives what keeps us walking in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. 

“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” – John 14: 26

But we do not go it alone. After Jesus’ ascension to Heaven He promised the Holy Spirit to walk with us each step of the way. We receive our resolve from the Spirit. When we feel tired, the Spirit strengthens us. Those times we are discouraged, the Spirit reminds us why we do what we do.

We continue on our journey with joy because we know we are loved unconditionally by God our Father. We serve with joy as a way to express our gratefulness. 

““Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” – Matthew 7:24-25

We live an authentic faith showing that when troubles do arise others will see how God walks with in the midst of it. It serves as a testimony to Him.

May you continue on in your journey with Jesus Christ as a resolved disciple. Be encouraged as you serve and share Him with your life. Know He is always with you.

May you follow so closely to Him the dust from His feet dirty yours.

This Week’s Challenge

Draft a Post-It size not for yourself as to why you love Jesus. May this serve as an encouragement to you to be resolved to serve and share Jesus Christ with your whole life.

Imagine the world where people do what they say, live according to their values, be who they say they want to be. Imagine the church was known for its people and not its building. 

Imagine.  Just imagine.

Most of my life has been spent in the church either as a member or on staff in some capacity or another.  I have been a part of large congregations with a ginormous staff.  I have been a part of churches with less than a dozen people. One could say I have seen it all. 

Been there done that. Even got the t-shirt.

Through all of my experiences I have come to this conclusion we in the church have lost our imaginations along the way.

Whether it is out of fear or comfort for the way things are we lost the ability to dream big.  Lost our way to trust God’s leadership and dare to see where He is taking us.

Sure we can say with confidence that God created the world by speaking. We don’t doubt that God rolled back the Red Sea so His people, the Israelites, could walk on dry land before their enemies, the Egyptians could catch them.  We have no doubt that Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead three days later. 

These and other miracles we know to be true.  The impossible is possible with God.  But when it comes to our own lives we stop imagining the possibility of the impossible. We say it can’t happen.  The impossible are things that God does in the Bible or in someone else’s life, with another congregation.  Those things don’t happen to us or our church.

What if God has already given us the impossible in our hearts?  Maybe He is waiting for us to imagine the what if with Him?

Perhaps He is waiting for us to step into the wheelbarrow and let Him take us across the chasm on a tightrope. 

God is mighty and can do all things.  Nothing is impossible with Him. He invites us to journey with Him.  He asks us to trust Him, to hold His hand and see the great things He is doing. 

What would it look like if we stop trying to keep God in a box and start imagining what God could do?

Imagining is not saying it will happen.  It is about opening our hearts to what is possible. It is placing God front and center as the Lord Almighty of our lives. 

It does mean we will have to leave our personal comfort zones.  We will have to step out in faith and trust God. A wise person once told me that there is no growth in comfort and no comfort in growing.   It will be uncomfortable at times but the adventure is incredible.

Being a disciple of Jesus Christ requires us to surrender our personal will for control and allow God to lead us.  We follow Him.  He guides us along the way as He teaches us how to imagine once again. 

Over the next few posts we will look at what it truly means what to be a disciple, follower of Jesus Christ. We’ll learn from the Gospel of Matthew on how to follow and obey.  As we learn from Jesus’ own disciples we will begin to see in our own lives our imaginations begin to grow again. 

And just imagination what God will do when we all begin to imagining again, trusting God fully, surrendering ourselves to Him.  It’ll be a whole new world.

This Week’s Challenge — Take time this week to imagine dreams God has already placed in your heart.  Listen closely to what the Holy Spirit is telling you.  Write/draw/sing/doodle those dreams and each day watch what God is doing.