A Bittersweet Sunday

Today is a bittersweet day in the Bredemeyer household. Today we celebrate 23 weeks of a healthy pregnancy with our little "Man Cub". The Lord has been so gracious to bless me with such a healthy and easy pregnancy this go around. I hear women tell me and I have even read that you might feel your baby move and then you won't feel anything for weeks. God has been so sweet to allow me to feel little Man Cub several times a day for a several weeks now and anytime I freak out that maybe I hadn't felt him move that day I lay my hands on my tummy and pray, "Lord, breathe life into this baby!", and before I can finish praying little cub is on the move. Praise the Lord for He is so good!

Today is also the due date of our first baby that we miscarried in July of last year. I have been dreading today literally for a few weeks now. I was wrecked by its coming on Friday evening. I didn't really share with my pain and fear of today because the lies I was hearing inside saying, "They don't want to hear your sob story", "Aren't you over it yet", "Here comes Sarah on the miscarriage crying wagon". How silly right. So dumb!



Last night while working on a project for our Man Cub's nursery a sweet friend texted me that she was praying for strength for me and Blake today. It blessed me. Like seriously stopped me in my tracks. That someone knew the rough day coming and loved me enough to pray for me. I was like, "Jesus, I thank you for the church family because I know they have my back!"

So, this morning I woke up before my alarm and I thought, "Today is the day. I don't want to get up. Not yet Lord. Help me to go back to sleep!" and so I did. But when my alarm went off I woke up with such a peace inside. Not in a panic like I was in a few hours before. It was strange but it was a peace I had felt before when I was actually walking out the miscarriage just six months ago.

God is so good in how He works the timing of things. With both babies I found out we were pregnant on a Sunday morning before church. Both babies are due around the same date but of course in different months. But what I love is that our baby bear who was due today was due on a Sunday. But not any Sunday! A Sunday that I could attend church and worship, a Sunday that one of my favorite worship leaders is in town and we have tickets to see! A day to lay down my heart ache and go before God and worship him. Had it been any other day of the week I would not have had the numerous opportunities to completely sit before the Lord and pour out to Him!



During worship today I had closed my eyes and was singing and the Lord presented the most beautiful image. It was Jesus holding our sweet baby who was about 6 months old in age (which happens to be how long since we miscarried). The baby was happy and cradled in Jesus' right arm. Jesus said, "I've got him!". I began to cry. What a beautiful image. Thank you Jesus for showing me that for I will forever cherish it in my heart.



This is what I love about Jesus. His heart aches when ours aches. He brings comfort when he knows we desperately need it. He brings hope and He never leaves us. I am thankful for Jesus because it's His love and mercy that have helped me to survive the heartache and tragedy of the loss of a child. I seriously cannot imagine walking through that season without the hope of my Savior. I'm thankful that baby bear is in Heaven and never had to step foot into this ugly world. I'm thankful that I have a relationship with Christ that when my time is up I can join my sweet baby and my Savior for eternity in Heaven. I am thankful that although my heart aches I have been given an opportunity to draw closer to the Lord and to use my story for His glory.



So while I mourn the loss of our first child today I also celebrate. I celebrate life, I celebrate grace, I celebrate the relationship I have with Jesus who has changed my life and made me a new creation.

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13



It is my prayer that if you do not know who Jesus is that you would reach out and get to know him. I pray that you would go beyond attending church services to truly understand who He is and surrender your life to him. I pray that you never have to walk through tragedy without His love and peace walking right there with you! I pray that you would put religion to the side and put a relationship with Him first. You will never regret. This I can promise you!

Finding Reasons to Praise

The holidays can be hard on a person’s spirit. While for some it can be a time where they can splurge, and party, and go above and beyond it can also be a time where some will find their insecurities have come out of hiding. Insecurities about hosting the holidays, Christmas party attire, baking skills, or even the cost of gifts on a tight budget. The list can go on and on. Today I want to encourage those people who are struggling…because I have recently found myself there too.

 

I am a pretty insecure person. I used to be better at hiding it…or so I thought. But I don’t want to hide it! I want to overcome those insecurities, put them in check, and move on! Who’s with me? {insert high kick and karate chop here}. So here are a few ways I have learned to overcome these insecurities during the holiday season.

 

Something Blake and I practice when we are struggling with feeling down is to list out things we are thankful for. Here are some recent examples for me. I’ll put the negative thought first and then the praise following.

 

·         I wish my house was big enough to host a holiday with my family comfortably…….but Lord I am so thankful that I have a home that is big enough to host Life Group! A group that we host several weeks throughout the year, building marriages and friendships, and helping couples walk out a Godly Marriage! That’s a big deal! Yes! God, you have given me a big deal house! #blessed

·         I wish I could participate in the Secret Santa, the Angel tree, and other fun holiday things but we just don’t have the budget for it….but Jesus I am so thankful for the ministries we support throughout the year. That to show the love of Jesus is not just pinned to one time of the year! And Lord, I praise you for my crafty ability to make sweet, loving, homemade gifts when my budget runs tight! #blessed

·         I wish I had a job that paid more and was more challenging…but God, I know you have me here for a reason and that reason isn’t about money. I am thankful for my job, the people I work with, and the amazing benefits my company provides! This job will provide a bright future for me and my family even if I can’t see that fully now. #blessed

I feel sometimes when I say things like the above out loud it shuts my mind up. How does your dialogue look? Repeat it a few times if you need to and anytime you have that negative thought creep in, that jealous (if we’re being honest) desire bubble up,  just turn it around and praise the Lord for your situation! All things are used for God’s glory…even the smallest things that we find ourselves grumbling about.

 

Let me also encourage you in this. While the above is quite helpful, there is more we can do than making verbal statements on the blessings of our reality. We can turn to scripture to encourage us and remind us of God’s promises! I mean, His words are legit! True to the bone! We just can’t deny them! Try looking up scripture that can encourage you through this time.

Recently Blake and I were preparing for Life Group and I was asked to read the passage below. I find so much comfort in this passage concerning my “lack” (lack of perspective is more like it) of abilities to do things during the holiday’s.

 

The Lord says this in the NLT version of Matthew 6:19-34,

 

¹⁹ “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

 

²² “Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light.²³ But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!

 

²⁴ “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

 

²⁵ “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?²⁷ Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

 

²⁸ “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, ²⁹ yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. ³⁰ And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

 

³¹ “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ ³² These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. ³³ Seek the Kingdom of God^[a] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

 

³⁴ “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

 

Isn’t that just AWESOME? Which parts really spoke to your heart?

 

Girls, let’s not forget that prayer is fail-proof! Isn’t that lovely? We can take what we want to Him and he will honor the desires of our hearts! So let me pray for us today!

 

Jesus, we thank you for today! We thank you Lord for all things even if they seem bleak to us. We thank you for our struggles, our situations, and the ability to use these for your glory. We ask God that you would bring comfort to our hearts during this time. Help us to be creative in our gift giving and party hosting. Let us always have an attitude of thanksgiving and praise! In Jesus name, Amen

Her Husband Safely Trusts....

Over the last few months the Lord has placed a passion within my heart to fully seek out the definition of the biblical wife. So I started “liking” pages on Facebook, reading various blogs on the subject, and even subscribed to a daily prayer e-mail. Reading these posts and e-mails are some of my most treasured times of the day. But I want to do more than just read. I want to study, apply, and grow! I want to inspire other women, help other wives through their struggles, celebrate in their victories, and let them know that it’s okay to be a little messy along the way.

Each morning during the work week the Hubbs and I meet at the table to eat breakfast and read the word of God together. This week we finished our study of Proverbs. I have read Proverbs 31 several times but my heart was tugged to dive in, dig deep, study hard, apply knowledge, and share with others. So let’s do this!

Let us begin with the first few verses…

“A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.” {Proverbs 31:10}

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a person, in this case a wife, of noble character is someone having, showing, or coming from personal qualities that people admire. Such as honesty, generosity, courage, etc.

When you read such characteristics you can’t help but want to know someone like her, be someone like her and the great news is you can! We need to surround ourselves with women who live out these characteristics in their daily lives, read the Word of God, and seek the Lord in some daily down time! If you can’t think of a particular woman or group of women to surround yourself with then pray for the Lord to bring them into your life. You’ll be amazed at how quickly they’ll appear.

Let’s continue forward with the next verse.

“Her husband has full confidence (safely trusts) in her and lacks nothing of value.”

{Proverbs 31:11}

I find one of the most important key words in this verse is that of confidence. Her husband doesn’t just have confidence but full confidence. In other translations it is written to say trusts, or even better, safely trusts. When I first read this piece I took confidence as being sort of proud of her, confident of her abilities, which is  true, but when looking into other translations and reading “trusts” rather than “confidence”, then I had a better understanding of the context of confidence. At least for the lesson the Lord has for us this week.

Dictionary.com defines “Confidence” as {1} trust or faith in a person or thing {2} a trusting relationship {3} that which is confident; a secret.

Our husbands want to trust our words. They want to trust when they are vulnerable or weak that we won’t share it with the world. They want to trust that you won’t throw them under the bus in the first moment of frustration. They want to trust and have confidence that your word is true, it’s pure, and it brings life not death. They want to trust that when you say you are going to do something that you will, that your words are not empty.

When I read these verses above the Lord revealed two examples to me and I would like to share them with you know to help you understand the point I am trying to make. Let’s first start with what we should avoid.

I know some women, as I am sure you do too, who do nothing but complain about their husband. The second they sit down at a table with their friends, sometimes to even strangers, negative words just come spewing out like a broken dam. There were times that, had I not known the man they were talking about personally, would have received the completely wrong idea of who they were. Not really fair is it? Discussing things they dislike about him, making fun of things he does or says, or how they fail at things left and right. I often think back on those times and wonder how those women would have felt had they known their husbands did that about them or better yet, how would their husbands feel?

Now, as I typed that past paragraph I felt called to say that there is a time and a place to discuss with your mentors, close friends, women’s group, things that may be upsetting you and needing wise counsel on but that can be a fine line. If you are questioning if you have crossed the line I feel that it is important to ask yourself the following questions:

·         Is this an issue that my husband has told me in confidence?

·         Have I discussed the issue with my husband and/or taken this to the Lord?

·         What is my motive in the words I am about to speak of my husband? Is it to seek wise counsel or is it to get a laugh or sympathy from those listening?

·         Is this venting? Complaining? Nagging? Bashing?

·         Would he approve of me sharing this about him?

It can be easy to get caught up when other wives are cutting up about things their husbands do or when you have that thing he said last night playing over and over in your head and you just have to tell SOMEONE and it happens to be the checker at the grocery store. I want to encourage you to always use your judgment as to whether something is worth sharing or not.

Please tell someone if your relationship is abusive and seek help. Do not keep such things tucked and hidden away. As sisters in Christ we want to love you and protect you the way we are called to! We want you safe, happy, and healthy!

So let’s take a look at a woman, whom I have recently met, that I feel is a beautiful example of what this verse is describing for us.

This woman always speaks such passionate, loving, confident things about her husband. She always brags on his character and how he is for her and her children. She has shared struggles he may face so that we could pray for him and her in the situation but this was not something that he would be mortified if he knew others knew. While there are times people boast in a false way about their relationship, you can tell her genuine heart behind each word spoken because it is right there on her face, backed with a smile and warm glow. I want to be like her.

Now, I don’t want to neglect the last bit of that verse states that he, “lacks nothing of value”. When our husband can trust our words, our motives, our hearts he can value the strength of communication his wife holds. Value is defined as {1} the regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth, or usefulness of something.

You see ladies our husbands want to safely trust us. Trust that we will have his back, that we will not speak badly of him, that we won’t expose him but rather build him up and believe in the man he is called to be! Let’s speak life over our husbands!

I want to encourage you with this. Do a heart check this week and ask the Lord to reveal if you are a wife who perhaps shares more than they should or if you are the woman who is walking out the call of being the wife her husband can safely trust? It’s okay if you have crossed that line a time or two or ten because you have the chance to change that now! You can be the keeper of your husband’s integrity, how others view him, and his most private details. Seek wisdom and guidance from Godly wives, be intentional, and cling to the Father who knows your heart and can help you work through anything!

Also, how can I pray and encourage you? Shoot me an e-mail sdbredemeyer@gmail.com

Be blessed sweet sisters!

A Season of Change

Lots of things happening in my spirit. Change. It makes my spirit want to scream and bring out the claws but I know in my heart change is what is needed. It brings dependence on God right smack in front of your face. We always need to depend on God but boy do we know it in the midst of change!

We are currently looking for a home for our Ruger dog. This breaks my heart. He’s my baby dog. Baby dog is like my kid! Aye, pray for me as we go through the season of no longer having a dog! I know we can’t keep him and that he would be much happier at a home with other dogs and kids but it still doesn’t make it easy!

Yesterday I started counseling to process the emotions of the loss of my twin before birth. Yes, I said it….before birth. I understand that this can be hard to understand why I would need such counseling given I have no memory of my twin but our cells have memories and bonds were made in the womb. It’s time to start healing and time to move forward. This is something the Lord laid heavy on my heart and so if he says it needs to be dealt with then the dealing I will do. I am excited and nervous at the same time. I know there will be like mountain air and sunshine on the other end of this journey.

Blake and I have been praying about some things financially. I really don’t want to discuss on here what that is but I would totally welcome some prayers ;) Thank you in advance.

The Lord has also laid it on my heart to pray for a promotion. I am not sure what this promotion looks like but I am excited for it. This could mean a spiritual promotion, a financial promotion, an actual job title promotion….it could mean several things. While this is exciting the thought of being taken away from my comfort zone makes me a little nervous.

Through all this change and potential change the Lord has been good to whisper in my ear each and every time I freak out that He’s got this! “I’ve got this!”, “Don’t worry! I've got you!”…. He has even gone as far as to have others speak these words over me without me evening sharing that the Lord has already told me this. He even reminded me of Psalm 31! I a beautiful Psalm written for when we are stressed and need to depend on him!

Psalm 31

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1 In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;
    let me never be put to shame;
    deliver me in your righteousness.
2 Turn your ear to me,
    come quickly to my rescue;
be my rock of refuge,
    a strong fortress to save me.
3 Since you are my rock and my fortress,
    for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
4 Keep me free from the trap that is set for me,
    for you are my refuge.
5 Into your hands I commit my spirit;
    deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.

6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols;
    as for me, I trust in the Lord.
7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love,
    for you saw my affliction
    and knew the anguish of my soul.
8 You have not given me into the hands of the enemy
    but have set my feet in a spacious place.

9 Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress;
    my eyes grow weak with sorrow,
    my soul and body with grief.
10 My life is consumed by anguish
    and my years by groaning;
my strength fails because of my affliction,
    and my bones grow weak.
11 Because of all my enemies,
    I am the utter contempt of my neighbors
and an object of dread to my closest friends—
    those who see me on the street flee from me.
12 I am forgotten as though I were dead;
    I have become like broken pottery.
13 For I hear many whispering,
    “Terror on every side!”
They conspire against me
    and plot to take my life.

14 But I trust in you, Lord;
    I say, “You are my God.”
15 My times are in your hands;
    deliver me from the hands of my enemies,
    from those who pursue me.
16 Let your face shine on your servant;
    save me in your unfailing love.
17 Let me not be put to shame, Lord,
    for I have cried out to you;
but let the wicked be put to shame
    and be silent in the realm of the dead.
18 Let their lying lips be silenced,
    for with pride and contempt
    they speak arrogantly against the righteous.

19 How abundant are the good things
    that you have stored up for those who fear you,
that you bestow in the sight of all,
    on those who take refuge in you.
20 In the shelter of your presence you hide them
    from all human intrigues;
you keep them safe in your dwelling
    from accusing tongues.

21 Praise be to the Lord,
    for he showed me the wonders of his love
    when I was in a city under siege.
22 In my alarm I said,
    “I am cut off from your sight!”
Yet you heard my cry for mercy
    when I called to you for help.

23 Love the Lord, all his faithful people!
    The Lord preserves those who are true to him,
    but the proud he pays back in full.
24 Be strong and take heart,
    all you who hope in the Lord.

Praise you Jesus that you are in control. I thank you for the change that is to come. Even if the means there will be moments that it will stretch and grow me out of my comfort zone!

Praise God Through It ALL

“And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:20

It’s easy to get caught up in complaining or self-condemnation without even knowing it! Something bad happens and you wonder,

“What did I do to deserve this?”

“Why does this have to happen now?”

“Really!?! I have to spend more money?”

Recently I had a very bad day that was controlled and fueled by extreme anxiety. I had chewed all my nails down, fidgeted all day, constantly doing something other than work, all while feeling guilt for all of it. My day ended with me crying and asking my husband and worship team to pray for me.

Melinda, a fellow worshipper on the Elevate worship team, gave me a great word of encouragement and it has stuck with me since. I can’t remember the exact verbiage but here is the gist. Sometimes we go through just junk. Instead of complaining we need to be praising. Praise Jesus that he would allow such junk to take place because it gives us an opportunity to lean on Him, seek Him, and become stronger, more equipped individuals. We may need to walk through things so that we can help others who experience the similar situations. Praise through it all. It’s as simple as that.

Sometimes I believe when things don’t go our way I feel the Lord is protecting us from things that he doesn’t wish for us to walk through. There are times we catch ourselves and heed to His warning before going any further while other times we force our way through, blowing through all the stop signs. We may not always see what is on the other side and I’m okay with that.

I had not realized how deeply the advice from Melinda had sunk in until this past weekend and when I did it blessed me to the core.

Friday evening the Hubbs and I decided to take a last minute trip to our family ranch. Like literally last minute…we had just cooked dinner and decided let’s pack up and go and we were out the door by 7:30 that night. His parents and grandmother would be there and we wanted to be there as well. We love being around family and working around the ranch.

The catch to our last minute trip was that we would have to be back in time to lead worship for our 1^st-3^rd grade kiddos on Sunday morning. This would mean we would have to leave the ranch by 5:30 at the latest on Sunday morning to be there for first service! But hey, we were going to the ranch so we were okay with our time of departure.

We had a great time while we were there. The Hubbs took care of some skunks, chopped firewood, and we even cleared a path for a new road. Cathy (My MIL) and I went to town and picked up Gi (My grandmother-in-law) and stopped by the grocery store to pick up a few things. By the afternoon we were all back at the ranch enjoying each other’s company. It was a busy day that’s for sure. The thought of having to leave the next morning before everyone was up made me a little sad.

Saturday night before bed the Hubbs and I decided to pack up the car so we wouldn’t have to bother with it so early Sunday morning. Remember me saying we had to leave no later than 5:30? Yeah, that’s too early to be packing up! Long story short, in the process of packing the car up, both sets of keys managed to get locked in the car.

“Ugh, we have to be at church tomorrow to lead worship! I’m the ONLY ONE scheduled!” I thought to myself. What are we going to do? The Hubbs quickly began the process of trying to break into our car while I walked around, laying my hands on the car, touching the locks, and praying that the Lord would give us the miracle of unlocking the car for us! I mean, He is the creator of EVERYTHING, the Healer of sicknesses, the God of Miracles! He could surely unlock my car if He wanted to….but He didn’t unlock the car.

About an hour goes by and I told the Hubbs, “Babe, I think we need to leave it alone. We can call someone in the morning. I think we need to take this as a sign that we are not to go in the morning. Who knows what the Lord may be protecting us from! Let’s not force the issue.”

We hated having to send the email that there was no one to lead worship and that we would try to be there as soon as we could! But I knew in my heart he Lord would provide a worship leader for the kids, he would provide us a way to get home, that we just needed to trust in him.

The next morning we called the Pop-A-Lock guy and he said he would send someone out. We weren’t given a time so we just went on about ranch duties until they got there. I mean, waiting in the house sure wasn’t going to get that car unlocked any faster right?

The Hubbs and I got the golf cart and drove around the place to see if there was any movement from animals (pigs, deer, nutria, etc). We went up to the tank to see if we could spot a Nutria (also known as a River Rat) but what we found instead were two large Water Moccasins. We killed them with a .22 rifle and headed to the house when we heard the car horn sound indicating the Pop-A-Lock guy had arrived.

He unlocked the car in 10 minutes and a $100 check later he was on his way. It was hard to have to write that check, it was hard to see the damaged we had done by trying to break into our car, and well, by that point it was almost 10 am. Last service started at 11:45 and with a 3 hour drive ahead of us we knew we wouldn’t make it in time for church.

We could have beaten ourselves up and did there for a little bit.

“We should have just stayed home and this would have never happened!”

“I should have never put my purse in the car!”

“We should have never tried to break into the car because we caused more damage than good!”

“We missed every service of church this morning because of all of this mess!”

It could go on and on but I decided to not allow such nonsense to happen! I looked at my husband and said, “Let’s praise God for this! What can we be thankful for?” Our list is as follows:

• Praise God that we were able to pack up and go last minute to the family ranch!
• Praise God we have a savings account to pay for moments like locking our keys in the car!
• Praise God we got to spend more time with our family than we had originally planned!
• Praise God that we got to stay because had we not there would be 7 Water Moccasins still slithering around that tank!
• Praise God that He watches over us!
• Praise God that even though we were not there to serve at church that others were able to step up and share their talents! I know it blessed the kids and those who served!
• Praise God that we had the honor to take Gi home, saving other family a trip that would make their trip home a little bit further.
• Praise God that we got to sleep in.
• Praise God that the $100 we spent for the Pop-A-Lock guy was maybe a $100 that guy needed.
• Praise God that even though there was some damages to the car that it can be fixed and that really the car is just a material object.
• Praise God for going before us and taking care of everything we don’t even know about.
• Praise God that through this experience we have learned lessons and seen the growth in each other that has taken place through our marriage
• Praise God that we had the opportunity to work some more on the ranch and help out Randy & Cathy.
• Praise God that the roast we prepared for college student at church was able to feed our family Sunday lunch.
• Praise God that we were able to watch a church service on TV with our family and able to have a small discussion on the lessons learned.
• Praise God for our health!
• Praise God that even though something bit me on the neck that nothing serious came of it!
• Praise God for the precious time I had with my MIL
• Praise God for the time the Hubbs had with his dad

Praise God through it all!

So our weekend was fun, quick, frustrating, stressful, and blessed all in one! Praise God for our weekend away! 

I hope this encourages you to praise the Lord through all your circumstances good or bad. It really does help to turn your attitude around! How many blessings have we missed out on because we were too focused on the negative? Who has time for that? If you struggle to praise find a close friend or family member that can help you to list all the reasons to praise God!

His Love Endures

Sunday was an extremely hard day for me. I found myself in a mental and emotional tug-o-war which ended with me asking myself the questions, “What’s wrong with me”?

I cried out to God as my husband and I made our way to his grandmother’s house for lunch. The Lord gave me Psalm 118 to read so I opened my Bible in my lap and began to read. I would post the chapter but it’s a bit long so I encourage you to read it in its entirety but for now I want to summarize a couple of points.

The chapter begins with this:

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

“His love endures forever,”

“His love endures forever”…..His love. Endures. Forever.

Endures can be defined as: to remain firm under suffering or misfortune without yielding, to continue in the same state.

Wow. God’s love endures. It remains firm under suffering or misfortune without yielding. God’s love endures. It continues in the same state regardless of what we have done. God’s love endures.

“His love endures forever,” is found 5 times in this chapter. The number 5 holds the spiritual meaning of grace. What I love about this chapter is that it is literally a wonderful gift of how we can be confident in God’s eternal love for us even in the midst of our changing situations all wrapped up in grace. The chapter begins with stating that his love endures forever and ends with the same statement. From beginning to end His love endures forever!

So I thought about how his love endures and I paired it with my own situations. Here is my own little psalm…

Through my failures I find grace; “His love endures forever,”

Through my struggles I find grace; “His love endures forever,”

Through my resistance I find grace; “His love endures forever,”

Through my fears I find grace; “His love endures forever,”

Through my weaknesses I find grace; “His love endures forever,”

Through my doubts I find grace; “His love endures forever,”

Through my pride I find grace; “His love endures forever,”

Through my insecurities I find grace; “His love endures forever,”

Through condemnation I find grace, “His love endures forever,”

“His love endures forever!”

Try writing one out for yourself. It’s quite encouraging and a great way to work out those lies and negative feelings that have you tied down.

The author of Psalm 118 is unknown but in verse 25 he cries out to God stating, “Lord, save us! Lord, grant us success”! When I read this I thought, “Yes! Me too God! Me too”! I quickly realized that when I pray I pray for the Lord to give me strength to fight temptations, to make smart choices, to desire to workout but I have never truly just prayed for success! My prayer should be, “Lord, help me to be successful in my food choices. Lord, help me to be successful with my workout goals. Lord, help me to be successful”. There is nothing wrong with straight up asking the Lord to help you be successful. He wants you to be successful and he wants to help!

When I study scripture in my Bible I also read the commentary at the bottom. I like to learn other perspectives on the scripture I had just read. Sometimes I have no clue what a verse meant so these little tidbits of insight are great. So as I read through Psalm 118 I of course read the commentary at the bottom of the pages. I found this to be so encouraging:

“There are days when the last thing we want to do is rejoice. Our mood is down, our situation is out of hand, and our sorrow or guilt is overwhelming. We can relate to the writers of the psalms who often felt this way. But no matter how low the writers felt, they were always honest with God. And as they talked to God, their prayers ended in praise. When you don’t feel like rejoicing, tell God how you truly feel. You will find that God will give you a reason to rejoice. God has given you this day to live and to serve him- be glad!”

So, in my circumstances of yesterday that have overflowed into today, through the lessons of Psalm 118, I can rest knowing that I can find success in the Lord my God because “His love endures forever” and is full of grace. I rejoice in knowing that I am never alone and that through the hardest of days God’s love for me endures forever. I can praise his name because he is the God of second chances and today I am here, writing you all, getting another crack at this thing called life!

Father God, I thank you for revealing your forever enduring love for me. I praise you for showing me grace when I don’t deserve it. Thank you for loving on me when my heart is so broken. I pray Lord that you would continue to love on mew (us), to reveal your truth to me (us), and help me (us) to walk in your ways. I (We) love you, I (we) thank you, in Jesus name, Amen!

I Am More Than a Tech

I used to think that to serve the Lord, to do ministry work, is to actually work for a church, to be an actual pastor of some form. But scripture doesn’t say that. No, 1 Peter 2:9 states,

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

So, regardless of what my paycheck stub says Jesus says I am a holy priesthood and that I can declare praises to him! But how exactly does that play out in my current job?

For months and months I struggled with being on fire for the Lord but having to work an oilfield job. I would say, “GOD! Why can’t I get a job for a church! I could totally bring people to you”! I just couldn’t understand why he had me here at my current job making plots, tracking production, and studying well failures….I mean, does Jesus even care about oil production and well failures?

This went on for months. There have been even days here recently that I have struggled with my purpose for Christ here at work; especially after having to walk out some tough stuff that involved a couple of coworkers. But God is good and He is always there to lead, guide, and direct me (us) when I (we) seek him.

The past two days have been a little rough in the oil patch. I heard of a couple accidents on some well service rigs and my heart jumped into my throat. I knew I had to pray for them and praise the Lord that they were safe and not dead! So yesterday as I entered the details of an accident and those involved the Lord whispered something sweet to me. He said, “This is your ministry. You may not be preaching in the courtyard and people may not be pouring into your office with prayer requests but there are prayer points to be prayed over and people who need to be prayed for and you are here to do that.”

Over the last 24 hours I have been repeating those words over and over in my head and in my heart. “People who need to be prayed for and you are here to do that”…. I googled, yes I googled because Google can lead you to Jesus too, scripture that goes with what the Lord had spoken to me. This is what I found and I am in LOVE with it…

“But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don't be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.” 2 Timothy 4:5

Hmmm….”Work at telling other the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you”…..the ministry God has given me! When I take 1 Peter 2:9 and 2 Timothy 4:5 and align it with my position here at work I can see the purpose God has for me here. These truths have really encouraged me and let me know that my time here is not wasted.

So I can no longer think that I am a girl wasting her time with an oilfield job tracking production and well failures. Nope! My identity, my calling is this:

A minister to the company I work for. I pray for those who are employed by, contracted to, or associated with this company. I love on those who need encouragement. I listen to those who want to be heard when no one else will listen. I walk a walk that allows others to see Christ alive in my life. My decisions, actions, mistakes, and how I react to the situations around me are opportunities to share Christ with others. Sometimes I mess up. Some days I can walk it out better than others but I am a testimony of a forgiving God who humbles us, stretches us, and grows us into beautiful people. I post scripture or a devotional daily on my Lync, I will play Christian music in my office, you will always find an open Bible on my desk accompanied by dozens of sticky note scriptures on my monitors. I am not ashamed of the God I serve and I will be glad to talk about him to anyone who asks. My name is Sarah Bredemeyer and I am an Operations Engineering Tech and a minster to the company I work for.