Ask, Seek, Knock . . .
Ask, and the gift is yours. Seek, and you’ll discover. Knock, and the door will be opened for you. For every persistent one will get what he asks for. Every persistent seeker will discover what he longs for. And everyone who knocks persistently will one day find an open door. (Matthew 7:7-8, TPT)
We’re an “expect it now” kind of society and oftentimes, when things take longer than expected, we (I) don’t exactly wait patiently. I can’t help but remember my elders sharing sage wisdom I really didn’t want to hear - sayings like, “The things you work hard for or have waited for mean so much more.” I’ve never really minded working hard for something, but who wants to wait for things?
When I read Matthew 7:7-8 in The Passion Translation, these incredibly familiar verses became so fresh in meaning to me, including the reminder of the need for persistence, and not treating prayer like a Chick-fil-a drive-up window where you place your order and get it in minutes accompanied by the required, “My pleasure.”
There’s such power in the becoming that happens in the space of being persistent. It makes me think of Romans 5:4 which talks about how our perseverance produces character, which, in turn, produces hope. When we have hope in our hearts, anything is possible!
Jesus gives us so many keys in these two verses that can be applied in the kingdom and in every sphere of life . . .
“Ask, and the gift is yours.” God is the Giver of every good gift. He’s the One responding with, “My pleasure,” as He offers you as a gift what you’ve asked of Him. Partner that with what follows – “For every persistent one will get what he asks for…” and perhaps a bit of conviction pierces the heart. When I read that, it was time for an honest assessment of, “How persistent am I really?”
When we quickly ask God for something and it doesn’t seem like that prayer is immediately answered, do we just give up and leave it at that assuming His answer is no? Do we end up trusting God less because we believe He’s not listening? Doesn’t care? Has forgotten about us? Doesn’t really exist?
Jesus shared a parable recorded in Luke 18:1-8 that was about a persistent widow continuing to come before a judge, asking him for justice. Because she persisted, he eventually granted her request and ruled in her favor. Why did Jesus share this parable? To teach us that “men always ought to pray and not lose heart.” (Luke 18:1b, NKJV) Persistence in asking produces gifts from the hand of our loving Father.
“Seek and you’ll discover.” Remember when you’d play hide and seek as a kid or even as an adult with your children or grandchildren? The fun was in the discovery. The seeking was filled with the hope of who you’d find.
What if in your seeking, you discovered the One who loves you like none other? As you continue seeking to know Him, you discover the truth of His identity and yours as His son or daughter? You discover your calling and the power and ability He’s given you to fulfill it? What if you discover a depth of intimacy with your Creator who knows you like none other and has declared that the plans He has for you are good - filled with hope and a future beyond what you’ve begun to imagine (Jer. 29:11), but will discover more fully as you continue to seek? His promise is, “Every persistent seeker will discover what he longs for.”
“Knock and the door will be opened for you.” When is a door opened for you? When someone is on the other side. If the doors we knock on are ones in which no one is home, who can respond? We need to try the next door. “And everyone who knocks persistently will one day find an open door.” I hear God saying, “Don’t give up! Move on and try the next door! Stop knocking if it’s not being opened. I’m waiting behind another door.”
Ask persistently. There’s a gift waiting for you.
Seek persistently. There’s so much for you to discover.
Knock persistently. You’ll find the doors that open for you.
Watch as your character develops and you transform, growing more and more as your perseverance births so much more than just answers to prayer. He’s got even more for you than you can imagine!
“God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. Glory to God in the church! Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus! Glory down all the generations! Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!” (Eph. 3:20, MSG)
Can we pray for you? If so, please reach out to us!
Our Mission: Love Others Well & Empower Them to Do the Same
Love & Be Loved
Over the last few months, I’ve been using The Passion Translation of the Bible. It’s been giving me fresh perspective on familiar passages and causing new verses to really stand out to me. This morning, I was reading in Matthew 5 and came to the “Love Your Enemies” portion of scripture in verses 43-48. Verse 46 has stuck with me all day . . .
Jesus was speaking and said, “What reward do you deserve if you only love the loveable?”
UGH! How that pierced my heart!
Most of us can have concerns from time to time about what others might think of the lives we’re living – even more so if the way in which we’re living is considered by some to be “sinful.” No matter the case, the unspoken question on our lips is, “Will I be judged?” When past experience and shame say yes, it’s hard to expect otherwise.
It shouldn’t be that way.
Jesus said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2:17b)
The bottom line? We’re all sinners – and He came to call each of us.
For any number of reasons, “enemies” and those who appear “unlovable” are going to regularly come across our paths. If Jesus was here and faced with them, He would love them. He’s relying on us to do that in His stead.
I’m not saying we allow abuse in our lives. I’m simply suggesting we can hug, smile, listen, respond with a gentle answer, pray, help . . . leave judgment behind . . . and love instead.
When you’re loved well, everything within you wants to love back because we were designed for love. Sometimes, we can feel like we don’t know how to love, but over time and if we’re willing, we learn how. We discover what makes the other person feel loved and honored and we naturally want to do those things for the other person.
Our actions reflect the affections of our hearts. When you experience the unconditional love of Jesus, you can’t help but want to love Him in return. That often looks like leaving things behind in your life that you know would hurt His heart and instead, intentionally making decisions you know will honor Him and the life He gave for love’s sake.
His love is what transforms us – not following a list of dos and don’ts and being shamed into “right” living. Love always wins.
Will everyone respond with love in return? No.
Will we stay “safe” and never get hurt? No.
Could lives be transformed and generations impacted because someone was shown Jesus’ unconditional love? YES.
It’s for that hope that I’ll choose love time and again. If I hadn’t been loved well over the years, I never would have become who I am and who I continue to become.
Each person is worth the risk. How will you love and be loved today?
Want to better understand His unconditional love for you? Reach out to us!
Our Mission: Love Others Well & Empower Them to Do the Same
AUGUST 2021: SHIFT
As I asked the Lord what was on His heart as a word for August, He reminded me to look at the word I’d written down for this month back in December when I had asked Him then for a one-word focus for each month of the new year.
I hadn’t looked ahead at the words I’d written down, so when I saw the word, “Shift,” it resonated so deeply with me in a fresh way. It felt so “right” and made so much sense to me because I realized in some ways, it built on the “Tipping Point” word He’d given me last month and it connected with some recent things I’d been growing in with Him.
What I sense the Lord saying is that August is a month when He wants to bring about long-awaited shifts in our lives, but they’re going to require conscious choices. Let me explain using a situation I recently walked through as an example.
Last week, I was battling a nasty, summer cold. I woke up from a long nap, knew I wasn’t in a great place with my health, and really wondered if I had pneumonia setting in. I asked Brian and our youngest son, Nehemiah, to pray for me and said, “I NEED Jesus . . .”
No sooner were those words out of my mouth, when I heard the Lord speak to my heart. He said, “You can choose health or sickness. Which do you want?”
Which do I want? Of course, I wanted health!
Right?
Isn’t that what I wanted???
Oh . . . I was teetering on wanting to be a victim – seen as one in need of extra care and love, having things being done for me, and wanting those I love to feel bad for me . . .
That came to a screeching halt!
NO! I did NOT want to be a victim and I didn’t want to be sick! I wanted to be well – totally healthy! I chose health and three times, I spoke out, “I choose health!”
That’s when the shift occurred, and I began to get well. But . . . I had to choose the shift I wanted and let go of the unwanted.
I believe this is the key to the shift that God wants to bring into our lives this month.
While processing this word with a dear friend this week, she reminded me of two things. First, she said it made her think of the scene in “The Chosen” when Jesus heals the paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda (Season 2, Episode 4). She suggested I watch that scene again because she felt there was something in it for me connected to this word. She was absolutely right!
In this depiction, as Jesus stood before the man and asked him if he wanted to be healed, the man came up with so many arguments as to why it wasn’t possible. After hearing him out, Jesus told the man to look at Him and said, “That’s not what I asked. I’m not asking you about who’s helping you. Or who’s not helping. Or who’s getting in your way. I’m asking about you.”
The paralytic responded with, “I’ve tried . . .” and Jesus said, “For a long time. I know. And you don’t want false hope again. I understand. But this pool – it has nothing for you. It means nothing. And you know it. But you’re still here. Why?” (I’ll let you watch the rest of the scene.)
Several things stood out to me in this depiction of John 5:1-15. Like the paralytic man, when we’re faced with situations and circumstances needing a shift in our lives, we can easily come up with so many arguments as to why it’s not possible – especially if we’ve been waiting on this shift for a while.
It can also be really easy to shift the blame to others, making them the reason why the shift hasn’t yet taken place in our lives. I believe the Lord is lovingly reminding us that the shift we’ve been waiting on and longing for rests with us.
Yes, we’ve waited and hoped and been disappointed countless times and we can become incredibly discouraged in the process. Sometimes it’s important to ask ourselves what we’ve really been putting our hope in. Has our hope been in a type of “pool” in our lives?
Sometimes, we need to ask ourselves why we’re still here . . .
The second thing my friend mentioned that came to her mind is the scripture found in Proverbs 18:21, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
This scripture SO undergirds the shift that God wants to bring to us this month. Will we choose the things that bring “death” to our lives, or will we choose what’s life-giving?
Will we choose not to be a victim, grab hold of what’s wanted, and leave the unwanted behind? Will we stop making excuses, blaming others (or even blaming God), and will we place our hope in the only One who can bring about the shift we’ve been needing?
We get to choose.
What will your shift look like this month? I’m praying for you, my friend, and speaking LIFE over you!
Our Mission: Love Others Well & Empower Them to Do the Same
We hope to see you this weekend!
Not only is it Pursuit weekend this coming Saturday . . . We also wanted to fill you in on the dates and plans for the rest of the year, so you can put them on the calendar!
All the dates are Saturday evenings with the exception of 2 Sunday evenings and a Friday.
- August 7th & 21st - Pursuit Potluck & Worship Gathering
- SUNDAY, September 5th - Drive-In Movie @ Swan Drive In, Blue Ridge, GA (This one is tentative depending on the movie that weekend. For those who want to go early, the plan is to grab dinner at the Polish restaurant in town. Keep your eyes open for more details and a chance to register to be included in the dinner reservation.)
- September 11th & 25th - Pursuit Worship & Potluck
- October 9th & 23rd - Pursuit Worship & Potluck
- SUNDAY, October 31st - Chili Cook-Off & Halloween Outreach
- November 6th & 20th - Pursuit Worship & Potluck
- December 4th - Pursuit Worship & Potluck
- December 18th - Caroling Outreach
- FRIDAY, December 31st - New Year's Eve Potluck & Worship
The dates are currently available to register on our website through September 11th. Keep your eyes open for the rest of the dates and details to be added.
Feel free to invite others to these events! Space is limited, so we ask that everyone registers so we have a headcount, plus you'll get a reminder email, and our address will be included.
Please register for this Saturday's event using the button below.
We can't wait to see you there!
Our Mission: Love Others Well & Empower Them to Do the Same
EVERYTHING AUGUST - ALL IN ONE PLACE!!!
Hello, friend! You may be someone who joined our mailing list more for wellness or more for faith. Because we focus on spirit, soul, & body, one email we send out at the start of each month will have mainly a wellness perspective, but it will also include our monthly worship gathering dates, as well as any recent faith posts.
--> All of our contacts have now been sorted, so if you'd like to be certain to get either the faith or the wellness emails, please reply back to let us know.
--> If you discover you've been placed in a category you'd rather not receive emails for, instead of clicking unsubscribe, send us a message and we'll categorize you differently so you're sure to get the communications you'd like to receive.
Onto all the August news!!! This month has SO much to celebrate, including the B.E.S.T. gifts with purchase!!! Oh, my word! Wait until you see all you can get for FREE this month!
There's even a special guide you can get that gives you tons of ways to use each of the gifts, including great recipes and MORE!
The great news continues!
K & B is back in stock, there are some fun events coming up, and you KNOW I always include special recipes and a diffusing calendar that covers every day of the month in the first of the month newsletter!
Scroll to catch it all!
AUGUST GIFTS WITH PURCHASE!
I'm seriously astounded at the gifts with purchase YL is offering this month! WOW is all I have to say! A Desert Mist diffuser? Lushious Lemon EO? Alllll the Thieves products?! YES, PLEASE!
Click below to read more about each product + get recipes and more!
K & B is BACK IN STOCK!
K&B (Item No. 3262) is BACK AGAIN with a limit of 1 and will be available for subscription only.
WHY do you want to add this to your order while you can? Let me explain . . .
K & B is formulated to nutritionally support normal kidney and bladder health. It contains extracts of juniper berries, which enhance the body's efforts to maintain proper fluid balance; parsley, which supports kidney and bladder function and aids overall urinary health; and urva ursi, which supports both urinary and digestive system health. K & B is enhanced with therapeutic grade essential oils.
Take 3 half droppers (3 ml) three times daily in distilled water, or as needed. Shake well before using.
Our wildly popular "Live & Unscripted" event, along with our "Pursuit" worship events, fill the month with FUN! If you're looking for YL business support, there are tons of additional options available. Reach out to me to learn more!
JOIN US FOR OUR MONTHLY, OILY GET TOGETHER!
Are you an essential oil lover? Got a penchant for living life WELL?
Join us THIS Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. EST for our wildly popular Live & Unscripted event!
This isn't your average boring Zoom call! You have the freedom to talk with us about what's important to YOU and we get to answer your questions as if we're sitting together having a favorite cuppa whatever we choose! We laugh, sometimes we even cry, as we help each other through all sorts of . . . well . . . life. And we always, always learn something new!
Take a chance and join us for the first time - we regulars would love to see your face! Register to receive the Zoom link and password.
SPIRIT & SOUL LOCAL EVENTS + BLOG POSTS
As The Renovated Life, we focus on spirit, soul, and body.
Young Living undergirds our focus on overall health & wellness for our bodies. But . . . that's not our only focus because we want to help meet the needs of the WHOLE person, which includes spirit and soul well-being, too!
If you live in the Atlanta area, Brian and I would love for you to join us at any of our upcoming worship gatherings in our home, plus keep an eye out for our faith-related blog posts that we sprinkle in with our wellness education.
Our worship gatherings are happening on August 7th & 21st this month. We have a potluck dinner first, then follow with worship. Register below to learn more and get additional information.
--> Plus, keep your eyes open for the August prophetic word Andrea will be posting Tuesday.
AUGUST DIFFUSING CALENDAR
Sometimes, you just don't want to have to think about what to diffuse. Or maybe, you have oils you're not using, but don't know what to combine them with in your diffuser. Check out these combos for some fresh, new ideas!
IN THE SPIRIT OF THIEVES . . .
With all of the wonderful Thieves gifts with purchase this month, I had to share a favorite recipe using Thieves Household Cleaner, Thieves Laundry Soap, and Lemon Essential Oil. Try it out and see how well it works!
Before signing off, I wanted to ask how it's going for you as you use the new shopping platform? Do you have questions? Need help navigating? Please reach out! I'm happy to help!
Remember, there are lots of tutorials throughout the site, plus I created a guide to help answer the most commonly asked questions. If you still need help, I'm here for you!
If you have children or grandchildren starting school this month, Brian and I pray that this is an incredible year for them! They are today's cultural architects and revivalists!
If you're a teacher, thank you for your hard work, dedication, and all the sacrifices you make on a daily basis to not only educate your students but love them well as you equip them for their futures and callings! You are AMAZING and SO appreciated!
Last week's email had back-to-school tips, recipes, and ideas. If you missed it and you'd like additional, Back-to-School wellness and learning tips, please let me know. I'd be happy to send more information to you!
That's it for this month! Please reach out if we can help you on your wellness journey!
Happy Oiling,
Andrea & Brian
Our Mission: Love Others Well & Empower Them to Do the Same
