Transformation Prayer

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Day 12 Rattle!

July 12, 2024July 8, 2024 krisshetter

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.  All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 2 Corinthians 5:17-18

This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breathenter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’  Ezekiel 37:5-6

Sometime last year I began a new morning routine. I had heard a great podcast from White Horse Inn about how each morning we are faced with the return of our old self like a mummy at the foot of our bed rising up. Each day we need to call on the Holy Spirit to help us kill off that old self and instead dress our minds, hearts and bodies with the new self which Christ has bestowed upon us.

So, each morning before my feet hit the floor, before I pick up my phone, I lay in bed picturing that old me that seems to so easily want to rear its ugly head. I pray to my Father to do the seemingly impossible – bring the new me to life. To guide me in the fruits of the Spirit in order to serve Him to the fullest. It’s His resurrection power that brings that new me to life.

I have to laugh when unbelievers (and some believers) say the truths in the Bible are lies because the miracles and events defy logic and “laws of nature.” Folks, He created the cosmos. He brought us and every living thing seen and unseen into existence. That sounds like a being that can do absolutely anything. Heal blind men with spit and dirt, darken the sun, make a woman from a rib, and yes, resurrect the dead.

The LORD God can bring the worst sinner back to life, back into sync with His plan. I know, I’ve got quite a few sins in my own past. And that’s exactly where I want to keep them. I want to live refreshed, renewed, reborn.

Click here to listen: Rattle!

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Day 11 The Goodness

July 11, 2024July 8, 2024 krisshetter

I am the bread of life.  John 6:48

Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for their children it will be a refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death.  Proverbs 14:26-27

I was talking with a young woman recently who was raised in the Christian faith and at 18 went off to Bible college for a few semesters. At 19, she dropped out, got married, and was soon pregnant. At 21, her husband abandoned their family. Soon after, she abandoned Jesus.

You see when calamity hit, her faith was revealed to be built on the sand Jesus warns us about in Matthew 7:24-27. Her house fell after the windy, stormy beating. How could that be? She was surrounded by the faithful for all her life up until then. Isn’t that enough?

Let’s look at our faith this way. If I hung around a bunch of people who loved baking and I enjoyed eating what they made, it wouldn’t make me a baker. It’d make me fat, however! I would have knowledge of baking, the process, the ingredients, the do’s and don’ts. Without the love of baking and actually getting my hands covered in flour I’d just be an observer.

It’s not the doing that makes us Christians it’s the surrendered belief that Jesus loves us so much He died for our sins, was buried, and rose again in the witnessed resurrection. He becomes our secure fortress, our daily provision, and fountain of life. He holds us tight through every tragedy and every windfall in our life. We soon find Him at work everywhere. He keeps showing up.

When Toby Mac wrote this song it was after the death of his adult son from an overdose. Of course, it was tragic. Of course, he was full of tears and heartache. But he had built his house on solid ground. He sought refuge in the Lord. The wind blew and the storm enveloped him. Eventually, the sun came out and he was able to walk out his door into the warm sunlight of God’s love.

As for that young woman? She is now happily married and I’m so glad to say she wants to know about Jesus and this Bread of Life. She wants to learn how to build her life so she too can withstand what this world throws at us. My prayer is that she will begin to see Jesus at work everywhere.

Click here to listen: The Goodness

30 Days of Worship

June 28, 2024June 21, 2024 krisshetter

Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;
    it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
²Praise the Lord with the harp;
    make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
³Sing to him a new song;
    play skillfully, and shout for joy.

⁴For the word of the Lord is right and true;
    he is faithful in all he does.
⁵The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
    the earth is full of his unfailing love. Psalm 33:1-5

Hello Friends! While we may not have a 10-string lyre laying around we can definitely sing joyfully to the Lord! I’m excited to announce my new 30 Days series which starts on July 1, 30 Days of Worship. For 30 days, we will worship the Lord through my current Spotify Christian music playlist called Kris’ Inspirational. This playlist has seen its fair share of changes over the years. Its messages are as diverse as the artists. There’s even a hidden gem from the band at my daughter’s church in St. Charles, Missouri!

You’ll notice each day’s devotional scripture most likely is not the verse that seemed to have inspired the artist. That’d be too easy! Instead, you’ll read complementary verses that spoke to me while listening to the songs. If you’ve studied the Bible at all, you soon learn that every verse has its set of other verses which complement, repeat, or confirm each other. I also included accompanying commentary that flowed from the music.

With this series of 30 day devotionals, I hope you listen to the song, no matter your favorite musical style, and lift up your arms in praise! You’ll notice Psalm 33 doesn’t say you must sing in hymns, praise, gospel, rap or a dirge. It tells us to shout for joy and make music!

Along the way, be sure to comment your favorite song that matches the message for the day. Enjoy and sing loud and proud to the Lord because He is so, so, good!

If you’ve missed any of my 30 Days series, be sure to check out this page on my blog, Emboldened: Living a Bold Christian Life. And if you aren’t already a subscriber, sign up to receive your 30 Days of Worship via email each morning!

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Enjoying Life’s Possibilities

May 6, 2024May 4, 2024 krisshetter

It’s been a great adventure studying Ecclesiastes with you! I hope you have enjoyed it — please share the series with your friends or catch up on what you missed. Click here for all of the Enjoy Life: from Meaningless to Meaningful posts!

I’m going to be completely honest with you, my friend. Today’s post was to be what the British call “a bit of a fob off.” You see, I had always planned to write the last look at Ecclesiastes after I returned from a 10 day trip to see my daughter and grandkids. With a five month old infant and a two-year old who is obsessed with every sport, it’s now too difficult to continue writing when I visit and take care of them for eight hours. Let’s just say this 59-year old grandma (Guga as I’m affectionately called) passes out from exhaustion about 8:30pm each night after a day of bottles, diapers, up and down the stairs, laundry, baseball, football, golf, hockey, and little bits of quiet snuggling in between. I love every single bit of it.

So here I was back home ready to jump in to the wise words of King Solomon. And I started feeling ill. After just a few days home I became so delirious and short of breath that I caused myself a full blown panic attack one night thinking I was dying. My husband managed to get me to the doctor where I tested positive for Influenza. I can’t remember the last time I had the actual flu. A flu that then turned into pneumonia — which is why I didn’t seem to be getting better. My hopes of feeling up to writing even a few lines were put way, way back on the burner.

But through the blessings of the Lord, I was put on new medications just yesterday. I now have a veritable neighborhood pharmacy on my counter. And although walking from one room to the next still seems a bit like I’ve tried tackling the 213.7 mile John Muir Trail with my friend Betsy, I can feel my body recovering. So instead of “fobbing off” and writing a placeholder, here I am through God’s providence, jumping into wisdom and life and the wonderful meaning of it all.

However, many years anyone may live, let them enjoy them all. But let them remember the days of darkness,for there will be many. Ecclesiastes 11:8

You see, even in my darkest moments when I was really sick I was remembering some important things about this life. That I don’t know how it all works but God does. Ecclesiastes 1 reminded us that although we are made in God’s image, He still is the ultimate creator and has more power and knowledge than we can ever hope to amass.

Is there anything of which one can say, “Look! This is something new”? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time.  Ecclesiastes 1:10

I also allowed myself to ask why God doesn’t fix things immediately at my whim or even pleading? Which, of course, reminded me of the famous Ecclesiastes 3 scripture:

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens … a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, ³ a time to kill and a time to heal, Ecclesiastes 3: 1 & 2-3

After my 4am panic attack and my husband had calmed my breathing, I laid back in bed thinking, “Is this what it will be like in the end? At my final moments? Worried and panicked? Clawing to hold on to one more day of this life?”

When we looked at Ecclesiastes 9, we ran head first into the only truth no one can deny, no matter how hard they try. “The same destiny overtakes us all.” (vs 3). And yet we cling so hard and forget about the other truth the people of this world want to deny – we have hope for those who believe. We have an eternal place where God has a plan for justice. Where He has brought every single one of our loved ones, who also believe, to live with us forever and ever. Nothing left behind but sin and strife and pain and death.

My friends, if we accept that death is our future and as Solomon told us in verse 9:12, “No one knows when their hour will come,” we must take all that he says in wisdom in his last chapters 11 and 12 to heart.

As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formedin a mother’s womb so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. ⁶Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let your hands not be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well. Ecclesiastes 11:5-6

It’s a message repeated throughout the New Testament. Know God, love God, trust God, obey God. We are not God and we can only know what is happening this very moment (and we can barely remember what happened yesterday!)

There’s a trend on Instagram where very talented photographers stop every day looking strangers on the street and ask to take their picture. The people (usually women) tell the photographer all the reasons why they are not worthy of having a photo taken of them. One adult woman with fairly new braces said she would start smiling once her braces came off. In what — two or three years? And yet her braces-filled pictures were gorgeous!

Are you waiting to smile until something better happens in your life? Until the right person comes along? The right job? The right bank account? That “happiness” seeking roller coaster that Solomon warned us about in Ecclesiastes 6. It’s a joy killer. It may look like seeking meaning but it all becomes so meaningless.

Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. ¹⁰So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, Ecclesiastes 11:9-10

Solomon tells us, “go!” Try that new hobby or skill. Actively seek out new friendships and opportunities. Tell your friend or family member how much God loves them – today. Stop waiting until you get to the point where there’s no longer time, but also remembering all along who you belong to – our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Not hedonism as we looked at chapter 10 and the Right Side of Life. That’s meaningless folly. True joy, true enjoyment comes from knowing and listening to the Lord and stepping onto the narrow path.

I read a quote recently that went something like this:

Trusting God is like being married to adventure but if you are looking for an excuse, you will find one.”

In other words, if you truly trust in the Lord for His love and provision. If you truly believe you are a beloved and beautiful daughter or son of God then He wants you to enjoy this short life He’s given you on this little blue planet.

This ancient book of wisdom on the surface seems like the last place to go to for this inspiration. I mean reminding us from beginning to end we will all die…a real party conversation killer. But sprinkled throughout this truth are the six reminders to “Enjoy Life.” Enjoy life while fearing the Lord and keeping His commands (Ecc 12:13). King Solomon did a bit too much of the first and forgot the second until towards the end of his life. He’s pleading with you hear his God-given words now.

I read this article by editor and founder Joanna Gaines in my most recent copy of Magnolia magazine. I realized it was a great way to end this series studying Ecclesiastes and the meaning of life. Especially for those of you who struggle with life’s changes, the good and the frequently not so good. We may want to retreat, go back to the old. We pray for God to remove the struggle and the pain. And it might get us stuck. Stuck in bad habits and bad relationships. Stuck in not believing the God who created the heavens and the earth also has a plan and blessings waiting for you. Stuck in the lie that your personal cycle of life will just keep plugging away, never changing and never ending. Which keeps us far from the concept of joy and enjoyment. Listen to this excerpt from Mrs. Gaines’ essay titled, “Space to See Possibility” (spring 2024).

When life swung, for the first time I didn’t hold my breath. I stood tall. I looked around. I worried less what was changing now and instead looked forward to what it could give way to the next. I asked myself, “What beautiful thing can come from this? What did I learn that can carry me forward? And I came to realize that it’s the aftermath that’s the most formative. It was how we landed, how we let what was different be its own kind of beautiful. It was how we reset, changed course, and believed in the goodness to come.”

As my head has started to clear from my illnesses – my dizziness is dissipating and my vision is clearing – I look back over how often I sought the Lord. How often I thanked Him for seemingly endless boxes of Kleenex, soft sheets, a comfortable bed, doctors, pharmacists, drug inventors and scientists, friends, clean water, my husband and daughters, and more. I pleaded but I didn’t know if I would be healed or when. I felt terrible yet, still I knew my life is good. A life to enjoy even in the least enjoyable moments. Because that’s what our faith gives us. Head scratching, oppositeness from the world. A life of meaning.

My friend, I hold out my hand to you asking you to join me on this great adventure called Jehovah, God, Jesus, Elohim, Holy Spirit. Ask Him today, “What’s next?” and go enjoy.

Enjoy The Right Side of Life Part Two

May 1, 2024April 10, 2024 krisshetter

Did you miss part one? Click here!

We need to put the best people on the horses and don’t apologize for it.”
Warren Wiersbe

I have to ask you – who have you placed as your “experts” in life? Your “ruler who sits on the horse,” (Ecc 10:6&7) who is ready to lead you into battle? Are they leading you in the right hand life of Christ or in the left hand life of folly? How can you know? The Bible. It is the preserved Word of God that does not change, no matter the era or point in history.

When faced with people who think following the truth and wisdom of the Bible say that’s “old fashioned” or irrelevant today, all you really need to do is read through the entire book of Ecclesiastes to see Solomon’s study of life in his age. We are no different. We want what we want and we want it now. Preferably served with a slice of fun and merriment.

If you want to rejoice in the “right hand” life (by the way, the word “sinister” comes from the Latin word meaning “on the left hand”… sorry again lefties), what do we need to do?

Look to and at Jesus like we do our cell phones. When we abide in Him, we experience abundance.”
Pastor Ryan Paulson

When I heard this a few weeks ago at church it really hit home. I carry my phone around in my back pocket throughout my small home. I can hear the phone ring from any room in my house. Yet I keep it close. I look at it even when it hasn’t rung or chimed in a while just to make sure I haven’t missed a call or text.

“One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.” Psalm 27:4

That’s how we need to place God – right in our back pocket. Right in front of our face. Not in a drawer we pull out in times of trouble or a couple times a year. We dust off our Bibles, we sign up for Bible study (and actually do the work and attend), we find a church that is biblically based, not wishy washy. We commune — not on-line in a faceless, non-participatory way — with other Christians to help bolster us and them. We make God our expert, our Lord and our Holy King.

“If the iron is blunt, and one does not sharpen the edge, he must use more strength, but wisdom helps one to succeed.” Ecclesiastes 10:10

Do you need to sharpen up your edge so that you can cut through the lies of this life? A knife so sharp we can spot the people we should and shouldn’t allow to guide us in the right handed life?

It’s time to learn that the way we’ve always done “life” may not be working out so great for us. We are weak and feel so much rejection from the left hand way of the world. It’s time to step up and rejoice! To enjoy a life of strength and wisdom and acceptance given to us freely by God. The God we put squarely in the center of lives, riding us onward into victory.

"For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;he will lift me high upon a rock. ⁶And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord."  Psalm 27:5 & 6

Enjoying the Right Side of Life

April 29, 2024May 4, 2024 krisshetter

I’ve mentioned in past series that I wasn’t raised in a Christian home. My father is, to this day, an atheist and my mom is well, just sort of lost. In my younger years, I would probably tell you I believed in God but I didn’t really know what that meant. God was the creator and He was still hanging around, I supposed. If I had died back then I would’ve had the same judgement as my father, I believe. Because just like my atheist father, I didn’t have God as the centerstone of my life.

I hate to say it but I talk to a lot of folks who seem to be in this same boat. They might even call themselves “Christian.” But dig a bit deeper and they don’t believe the basic tenets of the faith. Such as Jesus being full man and fully God who died to cover our sins and make us righteous before God. Or that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God. Without these basic truths to help us navigate through life what’s to keep them from wandering off the path? To avoid a life of fool-hardy behavior and thinking? To be led by foolish teachers and pastors?

“Dead flies make the perfumer's ointment give off a stench; so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. ²A wise man's heart inclines him to the right, but a fool's heart to the left.” Ecclesiastes 10:1-2

Back in the ancient world of King Solomon, the right hand represented the place of honor and power. The left hand (sorry lefties) represented weakness and even rejection. In this introduction to chapter 10 of Ecclesiastes, Solomon shines the light on our propensity to lean a bit too far into our personal temptations and sins. We give way to the left-hand side of life. Those sinful “flies in the ointment” create a life that looks a lot like one without knowing or trusting in God.

Blessed is the man who has the God of Jacob for his Helper; he need not fear either want or pain, or death. The more you can realize this, the happier will you become; and the only means for so doing is to hold frequent communion with God in prayer. Get alone with Jesus, and He will comfort your hearts, and restore your weary souls.”
Charles Spurgeon

No only had I not put God as a cornerstone of my life I put so many other things and people there in His place. In Solomon’s words I put “fools in a high position” (Ecc 10:6). And wisdom? Let’s just say it wasn’t a top priority for me.

“The toil of a fool wearies him, for he does not know the way to the city.” Ecclesiastes 10:15

What a sad state to be in, as so many are today. Lost amongst well-travelled roads. Thinking they know the way to enjoying life to the fullest only to find themselves each morning back on the wrong side of a meaningful life.

I’ll make a confession to you. I started having sex when I was about 16 years old – sad to say that may be a bit old nowadays. By the time I met my future husband at age 22, I had been with more than 15 different men. The first few sexual relationships were ones I sometimes, still today, thank God that He didn’t allow me to become pregnant because I was also unprotected. In the midst of my sexual promiscuity years something inside me knew what I was doing was wrong but it didn’t stop me. I plowed ahead in my left hand life.

Later, I even realized my behavior was borne out of a need to seek love and acceptance. Of which, I usually received the exact opposite. Folly, folly, folly. And more wandering over the same roads.

My centerstones, or my go-to experts, were like-minded travellers. Women’s liberation bullhorns, pro-abortionists, people who believed we deserved to do what we please, and others who scoffed at the religious right and their limiting “rules for life.” I was going to do what I wanted, with whom I wanted, and was going to be happy and successful.

Until I wasn’t.

As a person searching for a meaningful life, that younger me was bombarded by foolish rulers. College teachers who were all about living the life that was “true to yourself.” The people I worked with had no place for God and encouraged debauchery and folly. Even the pastor of the church, where I spent about 10 years as a new Christian, never talked about sin.

Now, as a Christ-centered Christian, it angers me that there are pastors who fall into these same categories. Their own lives and their teaching don’t reflect God as their centerstone. They are ok with abortion – murdering the innocent. They are just fine with people having sex outside of marriage. With living immoral lives as long we know we are “loved” and “don’t judge.” They’re apparently reading from a different Bible than the one I have.

They are not leaders of the right handed side of life. When we look at who we’ve put as our centerstones we have to ask: are they simply leading us back around in circles to all our old sinful paths?

Click here for Enjoying the Right Side of Life Part Two as we discover the path straight to love and joy.

Enjoying Life With Gladness

April 22, 2024April 8, 2024 krisshetter

At this point in your life, you’ve probably been asked one or both of these questions:

If you were told you were to die tomorrow, what would you do?
If the world were to end tomorrow, what would you do tonight?

They are two different scenarios. The first sees life moving forward for the rest of the world without you in it. The second is a complete destruction of all we know. For me, however, the answers are both the same. I would gather my family and others that I love. We would spend time in prayer asking God to sustain us through the trial so that we would see His face at our end. I would want us to gather in laughter, remembering all the wonderful times God has provided us throughout our time together. We would eat a scrumptious meal, most likely prepared by my husband, enjoy good wine, and pray some more.

Here’s the thing, we should always assume these two questions are a distinct possibility. That is, if we truly believe the message of the Bible. First, we will all die, just as we have seen in earlier chapters of Ecclesiastes. It’s not if but when. For every single one of us. Secondly, if it’s not the rapture coming upon us then we should be honest that the world is now filled with weapons that could easily kill us all. Does this mean we live every day in fear of these two truths? No, but truth can and should set us free to live in reality.

^“All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not.” Ecclesiastes 9:2

That “common destiny” is the evil we call death. So, what do we do with this truth? We live each day serving the one true God and live in gladness.

^“Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do.⁸Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil.” Ecclesiastes 9:7-8

Gladness is not hedonism. Gladness is not escapism. Gladness isn’t folly. You could easily imagine, in fact movies and books have taken the “if the end were tomorrow what would we do” topic and shown us the possibilities the unrighteous might take. Some might go on drug, alcohol or sexual benders. Getting blotto to ease their fears or pain. The age-old “eat and drink because tomorrow we might die” path toward annihilation. It’s a twisting of the message found throughout Ecclesiastes. Other might go on a theft and destruction rampage. That thinking shines the light on people who live without wisdom or God.

Why shouldn’t we think this way? I mean your life is about to end, right? Let’s remember the times when Moses and Abraham negotiated with God to save their people.

^“Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not sparethe place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” The Lord said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”  Genesis 18:23-26

^“But Moses implored the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? ¹²Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people.” Exodus 32:11-12

So here you are, you’ve committed every sin possible against man and God the night before you are to die and suddenly a righteous person pleads for mercy on the world’s behalf. The ungodly will surely find themselves on the wrong side of that historical moment. Or maybe that person is praying for your healing because you have been personally given that death sentence. Will God abide or will He see justice done?

That’s what the “fear of God” is about. Knowing there is a presence higher than us who will one day serve justice to all. Do we love God and therefore want to live our lives in service to Him? Or do we grieve the Holy Spirit daily, hourly even, and turn our backs on Him?

^“For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even their name is forgotten. ⁶Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 9:5-6

Until the day we actually die we still have time. Time to submit ourselves over to the Lord Most High. Time to reconcile with loved ones. Time to give out mercy and forgiveness in abundance. Time to enjoy our lives with gladness. Because once your time is up, the dead have no such chances.

Joy is the serious business of heaven.”
C.S. Lewis, Letters to Malcom

Rejoicing our lives in gladness means we make the most of every moment. We make as many everyday moments special. Because they are special. That moment right now, you will never have back. The moments pass by so quickly in our short lives. Do you want to live them in bitterness and anger? In the fog of folly and hedonism? Or in joyfulness and with endurance?

I saw a great example of taking everyday moments and making them full of gladness. Once a month a mom of four young children creates “Fancy Dinner Night.” The children all dress in their finest clothing. She makes picture menus of the meal she has planned. There’s candles and cloth napkins and the fancy china. She plays the role of waitress and hands out the menus as though she is serving clients at a 5 star Michelin restaurant. Even the toddler has a picture menu from which to choose his meal. She is training them not only to enjoy an everyday moment but how to act with character at mealtimes. It was so sweet and beautiful!

Console yourself, dear Battos. Things may be better tomorrow. While there’s life, there’s hope. Only the dead have none.”
Greek Poet Theokritos

There is always hope for tomorrow; a tomorrow filled with gladness. Why? Because we have the life and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He suffered the most gruesome of deaths to take on our sins. He sacrificed not only His human body but His heavenly one when he came to earth to live among us. He showed us what the citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven will look like – ones who fully rely on God, they forgive and are forgiven, they put others ahead of themselves, they mourn over their sin. And when He was resurrected, He proved that those Kingdom Citizens will also be raised from the dead and be given yet another new life. What amazing hope we have for our eternal lives after this short time here on earth.

When we live in gladness and joy, we seek to serve others in His Holy Name. We love others well in His name. We take every moment, even in the trials and tribulations, and thank Him for providing for us, for healing us, and being our guiding light. So why oh, why would we want to miss out on that hope? Why would we not want to share that hope with those around us who choose daily leaning toward something less?

It’s not by searching for special things that we find joy, but by making the everyday things special.”
Warren Wiersbe

Friends, our time here is truly short so consider well your answers to the first two questions I presented. Because eternity is forever. A forever spent in the presence of the glory of God or of the pain of hell.

"So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands, but no one knows whether love or hate awaits them.” Ecclesiastes 9:1

King Solomon eventually, in his study of the meaningless life, discovers that we do, in fact, know what awaits us. If we take the narrow path set before us by Jesus we are greeted with unmeasurable love. Our knowledge of that truth should give us the endurance to live each day in gladness. And to spread that truth to so many others.

Are you the type that tells your family and friends that your best china is sitting locked away in some dusty cupboard? “It’s for special times.” And those times never seem to come? Break out that china, the linen napkins, the candles, even if it’s just you enjoying it or grab a few neighbors you’ve always wanted to meet. Make your everyday special in some way and rejoice with gladness!

You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”
C.S. Lewis

Enjoying A Wisdom-Filled Life Part Two

April 17, 2024April 10, 2024 krisshetter

Did you miss part one? Click here!

I knew the mistake as soon as I made it. But it was too late. I gave my consent and the ball began to roll. I knew the mistake I had made because for the last few years I’d heard the advice I disregarded over and over in my church home group. Ask God first. Not during, not after, but first. And here I was doing the exact opposite of that good advice. I kicked myself for still being what is called a “baby Christian.” Knowing the Word and knowing the wisdom dispensed therein but not living it out.

I’ve mentioned this unwise situation in which I placed myself in past posts. However, when I was pondering the “most unwise decision I ever made” this kept coming to mind. Mostly because of the pain and suffering it caused me and my family, even to this day.

You see, about 11 years ago, I begrudgingly agreed to be my kids’ elementary school PTA president. For a year prior, I told the PTA board I would not be president. It wasn’t my lack of ability that held me back because I knew I could do the job. No, instead I warned the board that they weren’t ready for my leadership style. Big changes were ahead for the school which meant big changes for the parent-teacher association. We would need to adapt and change in ways I knew would make people very uncomfortable.

At the time my Christian faith consisted of going to church occasionally, hosting a home group, and not much else. I wasn’t closely tethered to the Lord. I hadn’t gained the wisdom necessary to handle political and interpersonal conflict graciously and with self-control. On the other hand, I was organized, comfortable with leading, and skilled at creative solutions. I knew how to get things done.

As that year wound down and the nominating committee kept pestering me, I found myself resigned to being the only one willing to step into the role of president. So, late one evening I heard my voice telling a person over the phone, “Yes.” As soon as I hung up, I realized I hadn’t sought out the one opinion I needed most, God’s.

For the next two years my family’s life was filled with endless meetings, long phone calls, strife, and an absent mother. When I wasn’t physically occupied with the details of this volunteer job, I was absent mentally. At home, I cried frequently and raged about problem parents. I’m sure there were some good times sprinkled in between. But those memories have been squeezed out.

It’s not that I believe that had I prayed, the Lord would have told me “no.” It’s that if I had gotten a “yes” after praying it would have put a completely different spin on the entire experience. Had I taken all that wise advice I would have kept close to the Lord those two years and been at peace, even during times of trouble.

"Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing, and the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way." Ecclesiastes 8:5

It’s one thing to seek wisdom, as we saw in the last post, but it’s another to actually use that wisdom every day in our lives. What would it look like in your life to heed the advice of say a Christian whom you trust? The advice of your pastor? The advice given in your Bible study or devotional? The advice spread throughout the Bible?

"Then the king said to me, “What are you requesting?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. ⁵And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' graves, that I may rebuild it.” Nehemiah 2:4-5

Nehemiah was desperate to see to the rebuilding of the second temple. A noble venture for sure. Just like me stepping up to lead our PTA. But, he also knew if he went behind the king’s back there would surely be trouble. You can see tucked in the verse the most important step he took – “So I prayed to the God of the heavens.” And the right words came out of his mouth to the king.

Some sources suggest that the average person makes an eye-popping 35,000 choices per day. Assuming that most people spend around seven hours per day sleeping and thus blissfully choice-free, that makes roughly 2,000 decisions per hour or one decision every two seconds.
Eva M. Krockow Ph.D., Psychology Today

Is it possible to ask God to impart His wisdom for each and every one of those seemingly small decisions? Maybe not, but we can wake each day and ask Him to direct our steps through the Holy Spirit. He gives us that nudge, that convicting tap on our shoulder, that encouragement throughout our day.

Too often, however, when we seek to make decisions about life, we seek only knowledge. And knowledge is not wisdom. Knowledge is data, facts, numbers. Wisdom is experience and life.

“Our knowledge is a receding mirage in an expanding desert of ignorance.”
Historian Will Durant, Store of Civilization

One thing I always admired about the disciples is how many questions they asked Jesus. Although Peter seemed to rely on his own knowledge so often, we get to see him use not only his experiential wisdom and the wisdom imparted by Jesus as he grew more and more faithful. From Peter thinking he needed to defend Jesus in the garden by attacking the soldier, to denying his association to Jesus, he reflected us all. We know better than the Almighty God. We know how best to defend ourselves, how to protect ourselves. When it all fails, we become destitute and hopefully turn to the Lord.

How many times have you found yourself spiritually or emotionally destitute because you didn’t heed good advice or even seek it? Wouldn’t it be nice to turn to God first? To hear the Holy Spirit whisper to us and heed the good advice?

“For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter,
though a person may be weighed down by misery.

⁷Since no one knows the future,
who can tell someone else what is to come? Ecclesiastes 8:6-7

Experiential wisdom is gained in its proper time and procedure. Which is why we all should be leery when people say a young person has an “old soul.” An “old soul” is one that has been on the battlefield of life and has come out with a few scars.

I started paying attention to my own prayer life and the results thereof. I went from praying after a decision for God to help it not be a bad one (like running the PTA) to praying in the midst of the process. Finally, I’ve stopped myself so many times lately and said, “I need to pray first.” It might be a quick prayer about something seemingly insignificant. Or it might be a few days, seeking God’s counsel. And surprisingly, this whole wisdom seeking works pretty good. I can now enjoy my decisions.

Friend, let’s be honest, we can never know all the “right answers.” If we wait until we have them all you will never take any forward steps. For some, that keeps them from putting their trust in God. Because they haven’t gotten all the answers cleared up about the mysteries. We have to be ok with trusting that God is the Almighty Creator and He hasn’t imparted us with all the facts He has about life. We have to be ok with asking Him for help and being satisfied with what He gives us.

^“..then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find it out.” Ecclesiastes 8:17

Being ok with not knowing everything but acting wisely is not ignorance as some might accuse the Christian. We can and should rest peacefully in knowing what we need to know. And living our lives out with wisdom, peace, joy and goodness the information we do know — That God is a god who loves us and teaches us and will never leave us. He is a god who seeks us and wants us to live forever in His Holy Kingdom!

“Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with  those who fear God, because they fear before him.  ¹³But it will not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like a shadow, because he does not fear before God.” Ecclesiastes 8:12-13

When we first, seek God, then seek His wisdom for our life, and finally live out that wisdom each and every day “it will be well.” We can watch and be at peace when the unwise, godless people around us make bad or even evil decisions. We pray for them that they would know God, who can give them a new life.

We all need wise people around us who fear the Lord first. We all need to use their wisdom and our experiential wisdom each day so we can enjoy our life especially in times of trouble. Let’s start by placing God as our most Holy Rabbi front and center.

Enjoying A Wisdom-Filled Life

April 15, 2024April 17, 2024 krisshetter

A teenager asked his father if he could go to an unsupervised party where there would surely be drinking. He denied his request. “Aw Dad, why not?” he complained. “I’m in high school now!” Dad replied: “Because some will drink and the party could get out of control.” “But, Dad, those are just very small parts of the party! “My answer is ‘no,’ and that is my final answer. You are welcome to stay home tonight, invite some of your friends over. But you will not go to that party. End of discussion.”

The teenager walked dejectedly into the family room and slumped down on the couch. As he sulked, he was surprised to hear the sounds of his father preparing something in the kitchen. He soon recognized the wonderful aroma of brownies baking in the oven, and he thought, “Dad must be feeling guilty, and now he’s going to try to make it up to me with some fresh brownies. Maybe I can soften him up with lots of praise when he brings them out to me and persuade him to let me go to that party after all.”

The teen was not disappointed. Soon his father appeared with a plate of warm brownies. He took one. Then his father said, “Before you eat, I want to tell you something: I love you very much. That is why I’ve made these brownies from scratch with the very best ingredients. The best stone-milled flour. The best free-range eggs. The best organic pure cane sugar. Premium vanilla and the finest chocolate.” The brownies looked mouth-watering.

“There is one ingredient I added that is not usually found in brownies. I got that ingredient from our own backyard. But you needn’t worry, because I only added the tiniest bit of that ingredient. The amount of the portion is practically insignificant. So go ahead, take a bite and let me know what you think.”

“Dad, what is the mystery ingredient before I eat it?” the teen asked. Dad answered, “Why? The portion I added was so small. Just a teaspoonful. You won’t even taste it.” The teen said, “Come on, Dad; just tell me what it is.”

“Well, OK, if you insist. That secret ingredient is organic…dog poop.” The teen instantly dropped his brownie back on the plate and began inspecting his fingers with horror. “DAD! Why did you do that? You’ve tempted me by making me smell the brownies cooking for the last half hour, and now you tell me that you added dog poop! I can’t eat these!”

Dad asked, “Why not? The amount of dog poop is very small compared to the rest of the ingredients. It won’t hurt you. It’s been cooked right along with the other ingredients and you won’t even taste it. Go ahead and eat it.” His son replied, “No, never.”

The wise dad continued, “And that is the same reason I won’t allow you to go to that party. You won’t tolerate a little dog poop in your brownies, so why should you tolerate a little immorality in your life? We pray that God will not lead us unto temptation. So how can you in good conscience entertain yourself with something that could easily get you into trouble?”

The teenager lowered his head, then looked up at his Dad. He smiled. He finally understood. He never did go to high school parties where there was drinking.

Ah, the wisdom of a father. Don’t most parents wish and hope we can provide such clever and wise examples to their children? And best of all, they listen and obey? But alas, so much wisdom dispensed, even to us, falls on deaf ears. We know better and usually think we can do better than the person trying to save us from heartache or hardship.

The Old Testament can be broken into four categories of books. The Pentateuch, the first 6 books, Israel’s history, the prophets, and then wisdom. Two entire books, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, have as their focus the topic of wisdom. It must be something God finds very important in the lives of us humans. Yet, wisdom and the enjoyment of having a life filled with it, seems so elusive to many.

We all have that family member, friend, neighbor, co-worker or acquaintance who causes us to scratch our heads each time they make yet another disastrous decision. A decision that looks a lot like the same mistake they made last time when they sloughed off good advice. Or maybe that person is…you.

Much of the wise advice we hear throughout our lives has its roots somewhere in the book of Proverbs, authored mostly by King Solomon. In Ecclesiastes 7 & 8, he goes on to remind us to seek wisdom but that wisdom, by itself, is not to be the end-goal. He should know. Having asked God to grant him the wisest mind, he eventually managed to really mess up his life pursuing all manner of fleshly desires of which his gift of wisdom afforded him by becoming a wealthy king. He became the poster boy for “do as I say, not as I do.”

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” Proverb 9:10

Had he heeded his own wise words he might have produced offspring that didn’t want to betray him or destroy the kingdom once they were in power. It’s a good lesson to learn when we dispense wisdom to our fellow, earthly travellers. As Jesus once reminded us, remove the log out of your own eye before you comment on the speck of another.

All that aside, it appears that at end of Solomon’s life he recognized so many of his faults, sins or indescretions. The result was his study of life in Ecclesiastes. And with that we get such wonderful pearls as:

“For the protection of wisdom is like the protection of money, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.” Ecclesiastes 7:12

If there was one thing, after seeking and thirsting for Christ, that we should spend our life attaining it would be wisdom. It’s not easily gained. So often the attaining requires we suffer first. Isn’t that what we so often try to impart to others? How to avoid pain, suffering, loss by taking our hard-earned advice?

“It is for discipline that you have to endure.  God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?  ⁸If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.”  Hebrews 12:7-8

Like the son in the brownie story all of us need discipline sometime in our lives. It’s the first step in wisdom seeking. The person who learns from their mistakes or experiences (or others’) gains one step closer to being wise. One step closer to living a peaceful, joy-filled life.

None of us can come to the highest maturity without enduring the summer heat of trials.”
Charles Spurgeon

“The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.” Ecclesiastes 7:4

Solomon isn’t telling us in the above verse to not have a good and happy life. What he is saying is our seeking joy and happiness at all costs is a shallow goal and not wise. When our yearning for closeness to God can only be satisfied during joyful times, we miss out on the richness that tough times can bring. Life, as we all know, isn’t all rainbows and unicorns. As he has said throughout Ecclesiastes, life is frequently about toiling and repetitiveness. Wisdom is rarely sought and found while we are whooping it up at a party.

Wisdom is found before we enter the door and remember the terrible hangover we had that last time. Or the fight you and your spouse got into because of inappropriate behavior at the neighborhood BBQ. Or even maybe the DUI your friend got when you drove home together. When we brush all that aside for a “good time,” we’ve entered into the land of folly.

Wisdom is gained by remembering. Remembering the wise words shared with you. Remembering the results of poor decisions, either by yourself or someone you know.

Wisdom isn’t just knowledge. My mother-in-law was a very wise person. She didn’t go to college, she didn’t have some big shot important job. She was a mom, a sometimes employee at dress shops and florists. She was a devoted Christian and a ready-hand at many volunteer events. She was creative and quick-witted. And she dispensed wisdom with ease. Wisdom gained from a dirt poor childhood with an alcoholic dad. From watching her brother make one bad decision after another ending up on drugs and in jail. She didn’t need self-help books to know about life, she lived it and remembered it.

To know is not to be wise. To know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.”
Charles Spurgeon

Friend, in this first look at wisdom let’s make a good evaluation of our own lives. Are we enjoying a life of wisdom or are you continuing to make the same bad decisions? Are you saying “talk to the hand” when someone who has wise words wants to impart them to you? Do you brush aside past mistakes thinking things will be different this time? Have you prayed, as King Solomon did, to the Lord asking for wisdom, in each and every aspect of your life?

Wisdom will keep you from the extremes, as Solomon reminds us in verse 7:9. It will preserve you, your good name (Ecc 7:1), your family and other relationships. Seek first to be obedient to God and then ask Him for insight and wisdom.

I want to leave you today with a prayer that many may be familiar with written by theologian Karl Paul Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971), called the Serenity Prayer.

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
forever in the next.
Amen.

Enjoying A Wisdom Filled Life Part Two now available! Click here.

Enjoying the “Enough” Life Part Two

April 10, 2024April 9, 2024 krisshetter

Did you miss part one of Enjoying the Enough Life? Click here!

Enjoyment without God is merely entertainment.
Warren Wiersbe

No one on this great blue planet is without sin. Without sinful desires and thoughts. Without sinful emotions. So, if we seek contentment, or unconditional wholeness solely from within what do we find? Our sinful selves just like I did when I embarked on my happiness journey a few years ago. And we turn back to the unfulfilling emotion of fleeting happiness.

What guides a person to being truly joy-filled or content in every situation? How do we achieve that “unconditional wholeness” researcher Daniel Cordaro mentioned after visiting that Himalayan tribe? It requires something outside us to guide us through the ups and downs, the trials and tribulations of life. It’s easy to enjoy a new car. But what about when it breaks down? It takes no effort to enjoy the birthday party at the park you so expertly planned but what happens when it rains? Does your happiness bucket completely empty and you turn into Attila the Hun, raging at others? Or you weep and sulk feeling the cosmos hates you?

"Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. ¹²I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. ¹³I can do all things through him who strengthens me."  Philippians 4: 11-13

That strength to endure a peasant life that Tolstoy witnessed, a life of labor and toil, a life of disappointments and tragedy, and yes, even a life full of wealth comes only from God. (Ecc 5:19 & 6:2) Through the Holy Spirit who comes to dwell in us when we say, “Yes!” to Jesus as our Lord and Savior. It’s the fountain from which we draw on every single moment of every day to guide us and strengthen us. Because my friends, you cannot find wholeness without Him.

Deep-seated in the American mind, for example, is the disastrous idea that we should pursue happiness. But what is happiness? And what are the realities through which one could achieve it? And how, practically speaking, does one pursue happiness? One might pursue happiness on the carpe diem principle. But that can be understood in many ways. It could endorse a sensuality of the present moment or endorse devoting the present moment to improvement of one’s character, to serving others, or to serving God. Usually in our times, however, it is some form of sensuality. Our choice between these options will have profound implications for our efforts to become a genuinely good person and to live harmoniously with reality, with how things really are.
Dallas Willard

My Bible study ladies are currently studying Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount by Jen Wilkins. In the first week we read and discovered the messages behind the first 12 verses, also known as the Beatitudes. Jesus’ goal in this sermon was to re-define for the disciples what not only the Kingdom of Heaven looks like but what its citizens look like. The first four beatitudes describe the character of its citizens:

We Are Poor in Spirit: accepting we are weak and sinful in need of a strength outside ourselves
We Are Mourners: we recognize our sinfulness and weep over it daily. Asking God for forgiveness for each time we act, speak or think (even feel) in opposition to God’s will for us.
We Are Meek: in modeling Jesus’ submission to the Father in going to the cross for humanity’s sins and therefore suffering a terrible death, we too seek humility and submission to God.
We Are Hungry and Thirsty: not for earthly glory, praise and wealth but for our hearts and minds to be daily cleansed. We constantly seek His will for our life so that we can glorify Him. We cast off our old selves and thirst for the new bodies and New Eden to come.

These citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven? They will be abundant with fruit and content in all situations. The fruits of love, joy, peace, goodness, kindness, patience, self-control and faithfulness can be seen by all around them. They spread that fruit and His Word throughout our families, communities and the world. We achieve the ultimate peace in the face of persecution. Peace with God. Our friction between us is gone. We are made whole because He breathes the Holy Spirit into us, making us one with Him.

"And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one…²²The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, ²³I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me." John 17: 11 & 22-23

One with the Creator of all things seen and unseen – Elohim, Jehovah. What more could a tiny, sinful human want for all eternity? All other pales in comparison! No self-help book without God can help you achieve such gloriously contented status. King Solomon discovered that our sinful toil without God is usually for our own gain and our appetite is never satisfied on our own (Ecc 6:7).

"The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
    They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds;
    there is none who does good." Psalm 14:1-2

I once saw an interaction with a non-believer and a street preacher. The young, unbelieving woman stated, “How can you say I won’t go to heaven (which as a non-believer why would she care?) when I’m a good person. I’m better than most Christians. I don’t lie, cheat or steal.” Yet, as Jesus reminds us further in the Sermon on the Mount if you even let your heart yearn to do any of those things you are guilty. And I would bet all that I have she has, in fact, actually lied. She has probably stolen something – maybe someone’s dignity by gossiping about them. And cheating? She might have thought that little deed or breaking some municipal law wasn’t that “big of a deal” but it’s still cheating. She is at odds with God, broken and not whole.

It is only through the gift of reconciliation for our sins, no matter their size, of which Jesus Christ paid for, that we can come upright before the God of the Universe. Where we receive mercy and forgiveness so we don’t have to live in shame and hurt, grasping for pleasures to dull our pain. No, instead He brushes us off and clothes us in white garments. He brings us into His family and calls us His sons and daughters. He pours out His love and gives a piece of Him to live in us so we can have that “unconditional wholeness.” He gifts us with “enough” each day so that we may be satisfied.

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, ³for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.⁴And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."  James 1:2-4

We are made perfect and complete, meaning made whole, when we face life’s trials and rely on the God who gives us strength and hope. We are honed and shaped into the image of the only being that walked this earth who was sinless and fully content — Jesus.

Friend, if you want to get off the roller coaster of seeking “happiness” and then being brought low by trials, look to our All Mighty God and His Son. He is our provider, our protector, our armor, our joy, our hope. He has never broken a promise and He never will. He promises you a new life at the end of the rainbow – not a pot of gold. And with that promise and hope we can live a contented, meaningful life of “enough” in a world of chaos.