A Perfect Moment

Have you ever experienced a perfect moment? A moment when you couldn't decide if you needed to laugh or cry to express all of the emotions in your heart?

I spent this past weekend with a family that means the absolute world to me. They are some of my oldest and very dearest friends, people too precious for me to even say. It was heaven.

Yesterday we went out on the boat and there was a moment, as my Dad was crusing around the lake that I experienced this perfection. Asher lay blissfully asleep in my arms as Noble laughed through his "king of the world" trip at the front of the boat. I looked around and saw my dear friends, my hudband, my parents, and my beautiful children and I was overwhelmed with gratitude.

There are so many things in my day to day life in which I might be disappointed. I wish a hope or dream came to pass. I wish I were more patient. I wish Noble would make better choices sometimes. I wish I could be more content. I wish, I wish, I wish. But there, in the midst of my own disappointments or struggles, I was reminded of how incredibly blessed I am.

Surrounded by those who love me and who I love beyond description, sharing in each other's lives. It all came into focus. This is what really matters. Who am I there for? Who is there for me? At that moment, this is what I needed to remember, and God graciously provided the reminder.

What about you? Have you ever experienced a perfect moment? A moment in life when you received the very gift for which your heart longed? Comment! Share your perfect moment with me!

Nehemiah Challenge - Day Thirteen

Hello My Dear Family, Thank you for standing by me throughout this 13 journey into the book of Nehemiah. I believe that God has spoken to us, through this book of His past faithfulness, on steps we ought to take to rebuild and commit to our own damaged wall.

Today we finish our challenge with chapter 13 and it is the perfect conclusion. Nehemiah has struggled and persevered to inspire the people to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. Now, with the wall rebuilt and the nation reestablished he looks around and sees the people already returning to the sins which led to their expulsion to begin with. Oh how quickly we forget! Please let us all learn from their mistakes and not have to make them ourselves.

When Nehemiah discovered the complacency of the Jews regarding certain of God's commandments and even their direct disobedience regarding His laws of holiness, he corrected the matters immediately. Let us do the same! Let us remain vigilant and not allow sin to enter our midst. Let us encourage one another in Godly wisdom toward Godly choices. Now is the time we must stand apart more than ever, be above reproach more than ever. God is rebuilding our house! Let's choose to honor Him for it.

Thank you again, my dear family and friends. I stand united with you as your friend and servant. Elise

Nehemiah Challenge - Day Twelve

My Dear Family,

We're almost there! Thank you for sticking with me this far. We have learned about God's faithfulness in rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem and we have remembered how to rejoice in His goodness and faithfulness.

Today we ready chapter 12, when the Jews dedicate their newly rebuilt wall to the Lord.

Verse 30 tells us that "The priests and the Levites purified themselves; they also purified the people, the gates and the wall."

It is time for us to purify ourselves, my friends. The wall can be rebuilt, our family can remain intact, but the future will only be what God truly desires it to be if we will purify ourselves and commit to live lives of holiness.

If we will make that leap, trusting that God will meet us at every point of weakness, then we will also be able to celebrate as the Jews did. Verse 43 "and on that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced because God had given them great joy, even the women and children rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard from afar.

Wouldn't you like our celebration to be so loud that it can be heard from afar? That will only happen if we will choose today to purify ourselves.

Tomorrow we will conclude our Nehemiah Challenge with chapter 13.

Your friend and servant,
Elise

Nehemiah Challenge - Day Eleven

Hello My Dear Family,

Today we read chapter 11 in the book of Nehemiah. I would like to direct your attention to verse two. "And the people blessed all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem."

Jerusalem has always been a hot bed of insurrection, division, and political conflict. If a rebellion was going to occur, it started in Jerusalem. If another nation chose to make war with Israel, they would attack Jerusalem. So, those who volunteered to live in the city of Jerusalem were volunteering for an honor, to live in the Holy City, but they also were making a commitment to be on the front lines of any struggle or battle that might come.

How does this apply to our church's current circumstances? Well, who is on the front lines? The leaders of the church. We, as members, must support and bless the current leaders of our church now more than ever. These leaders have not run from our current adversity but they have chosen to stand and fight head on.

Let us follow the example of the Jews in Nehemiah's day and "bless all the men who volunteer to live in Jerusalem." Bless, encourage, and support those leaders who have not fallen back from their responsibilities just because the job has become more difficult. Bless, encourage and support the leaders who have risen to this challenge and fight now on your behalf.

You can support your leaders with words of encouragement, prayer and even by rising up as leaders yourselves.

Let's stand together. No one is insignificant. No one is unnecessary. We are, each and every one of us, part of the Body of Christ.

Our Nehemiah Challenge continues tomorrow with chapter 12!

Your friend and servant,
Elise

Nehemiah Challenge - Day Ten

Hello My Dear Family,

We are nearing the end of this Nehemiah Challenge but we cannot fail or falter. Now, more than ever, we must remain strong, vigilant, and single-minded as a body of believers.

Today we read chapter 10 and it is an amazing chapter! The first several verses might seem unnecessary, but don’t just skip over them…realize what you are reading. You are reading the names of every family who covenanted together to live according to the law of the Lord. They wrote their names down on a signed and sealed document. There was no escaping this covenant!

We will not live like the nations around us. We will stand separate and apart, holy before our God. The names listed are those of the priests and leaders, but even below that, in verses 28-30, we read that “the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants and all those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the law of God, their wives, their sons and their daughters, all those who had knowledge and understanding, are joining with their kinsmen, their nobles, and are taking on themselves a curse and an oath to walk in God's law, which was given through Moses, God's servant, and to keep and to observe all the commandments of GOD our Lord, and His ordinances and His statutes; and that we will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons.”

In one voice, as one nation, they declared that with this new beginning they would follow God’s commands. At any cost they would obey His word.

This is where we stand now, my friends. It is time to start over. We have an incredible opportunity to set out strong, with a newly constructed firm foundation beneath our feet. Will we choose to follow the ways of the world around us or will we choose to honor the Lord our God with all that we have?

I follow the words of Joshua, “Choose for yourselves this day who you will serve, but as for me and my house, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD!”

If we will all agree, making that commitment in one voice, then we will be able to echo the covenant of the Jews in Nehemiah’s day, “we will not neglect the house of our God.” (verse 39)

That is my heart’s desire. Join with me now to surrender and follow Him with devotion and abandon. If you will do that, I guarantee that He will not disappoint!

The Nehemiah Challenge continues tomorrow with chapter 11.

Your friend and servant,
Elise

Nehemiah Challenge - Day Nine

Hello my dear family,

We learned yesterday about how the Israelites moved forward, with God's law as their guide. They began by celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles, as He had commanded them. Rejoicing, as one nation, for all that God had yet to accomplish.

Today we read about their reflections of the past. It can often be hard to move forward during uncertain times. Which way should we go? How should we proceed? How can we prevent these same mistakes in the future? Then more and more questions pile up...what will become of us now? What is going to happen? What is this going to look like when the dust settles?

Of course, only God knows the answer to any of these questions, yet He asks us to move forward with our faith and confidence firmly in Him.

How can we do that? Only with full knowledge of His past faithfulness, of His past victories on our behalf can we move ahead in boldness.

So, with the immediate work on the wall complete, a restored nation asks "Where do we go from here?" And the answer? Let's look back at all that God has done for us. Look back at all the times He saved us from our enemies. Remember how He miraculously provided for our physical needs? We never went hungry or thirsty...our clothes and shoes lasted for 40 years! Don't forget how He delivered us from slavery.

With this knowledge fresh in their minds, what could they fear? God does not change. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. So, if He met our needs then He will do it again.

Likewise, my friends, as God has guarded and protected, healed and delivered, saved and guided us in the past, He will continue to do so. With the full assurance of His continued love and faithfulness we can look ahead to a future of promise. The best is yet to come!

The Nehemiah Challenge continues tomorrow as we will read chapter 10. Keep running with me...the race is not yet won!

Your friend and servant,
Elise

Nehemiah Challenge - Day Eight

Hello my dear family,

I enjoy this chapter because it reminds us to keep everything in proper order. God was faithful to the Jews, enable and empowering them to rebuild their city wall and the first thing they did once their labor was completed was read HIS law and rejoice as HE had instructed them.

They spent a day listening to the law of the Lord and when they found areas where they had strayed from His commands they wept. Then, their priest and leader encouraged them, the time for weeping is past. Let's start over and start right from here on out. So, according to the word of God they restored the feast of booths.

The feast of booths (also known as the feast of tabernacles or sukkot) is our great earthly rehearsal for that time when we rejoice at the wedding feast of our Savior. It is a time when we celebrate the harvest God has given us as a symbol of the harvest of all souls which we will celebrate with Him in heaven.

What a perfect way to rejoice in God's work! As they Israelites celebrated God's faithfulness to them, they in turn, rejoiced in all He has yet to accomplish. They turned their back on the mistakes and rebellions of their past and moved fully and completely, as one nation with one purpose, toward our God.

This is where we stand, as a family of believers. What's done is done. What's past is past. Let us move together now, in one accord, in the center of God's will. Let's return to His word, to His promises and follow where He leads.

"...this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." (Nehemiah 8:10b)

The Nehemiah Challenge continues tomorrow with chapter 9. Don't give up now. Let's keep running the race!

Your friend and servant,
Elise