Sweet Sixteen Again

Our daughter, Erin, turned 16 years old yesterday and celebrated in style — from chocolate chip scones for breakfast to s’mores at a bonfire with friends after a musical rehearsal in the evening. Since she’s a musical theatre lover and is playing the lead for the first time in a show opening in less than two weeks, she’s already having the summer of her life. The only thing that could make it better at this point is if she passes her driver’s test on the first try today.

As parents, Larry and I have tried to help our kids catch God’s vision for who they are and what His best is for their lives while nurturing the personal hopes and dreams that they develop. We are so thankful Erin is arriving at 16 with wild dreams about her future, full of giftedness and potential to achieve them, but also with a mature willingness to yield to God’s best for her. She seems to have a healthy anticipation about the future because she trusts God.

Sometimes I need to be more confident about all the possibilities for my own future. As we get older, we can be tempted to believe that it’s getting too late for our dreams or we look back with regret about lost opportunities. We see our baggage. We think we have a more “realistic” (aka mature) appreciation of our limitations and we tend to be more conservative in our plans. We think, “Oh, to be sixteen again!”

Our heavenly Father sees things very differently. Like the parent of a young child, He finds it easy to see the great potential within us and the bright future ahead. He has a vision for our possibilities that we cannot even fathom. No one in the Bible was ever too old for big dreams! Throughout history, God makes a point of encouraging His children often about their future:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and future.” Jeremiah 29:11

“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:2-3

We would all do well to embrace our future with the anticipation of child and the vision of our Divine Parent.

LORD, help us catch Your vision for our possibilities. Remind us that it’s never too late for You to do something beautiful and amazing. Every day with You brings with it the sweetness of feeling like we’re sixteen again because Your love, grace, wisdom and power never run out. AMEN

It's "Marriage Prayer Friday!"

Whether you are praying for your own marriage or standing in the gap for a friend, thank you for joining us in seeking the Lord for growth, refreshment, renewal, healing, and even restoration!

A prayer for your own marriage—

EVER-WISE GOD, You say that two are better than one and that a cord of three strands cannot be broken. Please strengthen me and my husband/wife as a team and bind us together more firmly in relationship with You. Help us to see the benefits of clinging to You both individually and together so that we are hungry for the kind intimacy and strength that most fully satisfies us and brings great glory to You. Gracious Lord, forgive me for defending my individuality/ideas/needs instead of celebrating the partnership I have in marriage. Open my eyes (and my spouse's eyes too) to see the beauty in what already exists in our relationship as well as the opportunities to grow. Thank You, Jesus, that You never leave me alone with my dreams and efforts to grow in marriage. Seeing my marriage heal, grow and thrive causes You great delight so I can count on You to advocate before the Throne of the King on behalf of my relationship with my spouse. I pray in the name and power of Your blood, Jesus. AMEN

Something to pray for a friend's marriage—

EVER-WISE GOD, You say that two are better than one and that a cord of three strands cannot be broken. Please strengthen my married friends as teams and bind them together more firmly in relationship with You. Help them to see the benefits of clinging to You both individually and together so that they are hungry for the kind intimacy and strength that most fully satisfies them and brings great glory to You. Gracious Lord, forgive my friends for defending their individuality/ideas/needs when they can be celebrating the partnerships they have in marriage. Open their eyes to see the beauty in what already exists in their relationship as well as the opportunities they have to grow. Thank You, Jesus, that You never leave any of us alone with our dreams and efforts to grow. Seeing marriages heal, grow and thrive causes You great delight so I can count on You to advocate before the Throne of the King on behalf of my friends and their marriages. I pray in the name and power of Your blood, Jesus. AMEN

FINDING GLORY Wednesday

It’s been a great blessing for us to hear about new Finding Glory Groups using the Finding Glory in the Thorns: Group Discussion Guide in Bible studies this summer and to see God increasingly at work through communities around the world! Thank you for your faithfulness in seeking the heart of God in your own life and being willing to share that with others. We always love to hear from current and past readers who want to continue growing and be encouraged in Christ and Bible-saturated relationships.

Today’s scriptures and discussion questions are:

"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." JAMES 1:12

"Resist (the devil), standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast." 1 PETER 5:9-10

Many of us are waiting on God for something — answers, healing, rest, help, the transformation of our grief into joy, etc. Sometimes God's healing work looks different than we expect it to. In what obvious or even not-so-obvious ways might God be doing works of healing in your situation?

Is there a Bible verse(s) that encourages you when you are discouraged about your life situation (doubtful, fearful, confused or hopeless)?

For more information about Finding Glory Groups, visit http://www.findingglory.com/findingglorygrou.html.

Today's reflections are copyrighted excerpts taken from Finding Glory in the Thorns: Group Discussion Guide.