Jacob to Israel

Over the last seven years I’ve attended many baby showers. And the best part for me is learning the name of the baby and finding out the meaning of the name. Sometimes the parents choose a name based on the meaning or because they want to name the baby after a relative. Other times it’s because they just love the sound of the name. No matter the reason, the name ends up being perfect for the little bundle of love.  

One thing I love doing for an expectant mother is to create a picture for the baby’s room. On the back of the picture I like to write down what the baby’s name means and a little prayer for them to read when they get old enough.  

For the last couple of weeks we have been talking about how God changed Abraham and Sarah’s names. Today we are going to learn a little more about their grandson, Jacob, and how God decided to change his name as well. 

Jacob was born to Isaac and Rebekah, the second in a set of twins. But while in the womb, Jacob and his brother fought constantly. To the point where Rebekah had to ask the Lord, 

‘ [...] “Why is this happening to me?” [...] The Lord said to her,
“Two nations are in your womb,

and two peoples from within you will be separated;

one people will be stronger than the other,

and the older will serve the younger.”’
Genesis 25:23

I don’t know how Rebekah felt about what God told her. But I do know that when the twins were born, Isaac and Rebekah were very literal with the twins’ names:

• Esau - “Hairy” 

• Jacob - “He grasps the heel or he deceives”

Jacob lives up to the meaning of his name. He deceives his father and steals the blessing meant for Esau (the oldest) with his mother’s help. Jacob spends much of his adult life running: from his brother, his father-in-law, from himself. But God tells him to return to the land where his father and brother reside: 

“Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”
Genesis 31:3

Even though Jacob received the blessing of the first born through deceit, God still wanted to be a part of his life. To me this can only mean one thing, God wants our whole selves. He doesn’t care if we are angry, sad, or happy. Our Father just wants us to go to Him. God chose to be with Jacob and honor the blessing that was given to him.  

Jacob followed God’s directions just as his grandfather had before him. But even though Jacob was obedient, he was fearful to meet his brother again and after sending gifts and his household ahead of him he returned to camp, 

“[...] Jacob [was] all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until the dawn began to break. When the man saw that he would not win the match, he touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it out of its socket. Then the man said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!”

But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

“What is your name?” the man asked.

He replied, “Jacob.”

“Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won.”

“Please tell me your name,” Jacob said.

“Why do you want to know my name?” the man replied. Then he blessed Jacob there.”

Genesis 24-29

As a little girl, I remember my Dad getting on the floor and rough housing with me and my sisters. We would dogpile him and he would tickle us until we couldn’t breathe. But no matter how far the play went, I never got hurt. 

After a conversation with a gal at church, I now think that God wrestled with Jacob because He wanted to provide a safe place for Jacob to work out his frustrations and fears. Like a daddy rough housing with his kid, the Lord was there for Jacob and as a parting gift He renamed him Israel. 

Even after his name change, Israel still went through times where he struggled to do the right thing. But each time he went back to God after messing up. Much like his descendents. 

What are you struggling with right now? Is there a situation where you feel like you need to wrestle with God?  

Bethany Thomas is the Publicity Coordinator and a contributing writer for Shaken & Stirred. She is a daughter of God, a wife, and a dog mom. When not writing for the blog, you are most likely to find her reading a fantasy novel or crafting at her home in Sapulpa, OK.

Photo by Wren Meinberg on Unsplash

Pride for Obedience // Sarah Mercado

In my journey so far of following, loving, and serving Christ, there have been many occasions in which I was asked (either by leadership, or prompting of the Holy Spirit) to do something outside of my comfort zone. To be fair, my comfort zone is pretty small. I am an introvert and while I enjoy serving, I prefer to work behind the scenes in a more supportive role. I don’t enjoy doing anything that would put me in the spotlight or draw any attention. In fact, I would say I am resistant to those things.

So when I am asked to do something that is in an area that I would consider myself weak in, my typical response is to politely decline and/or point to someone who is obviously a better choice for such a task. Whether it is speaking, leading, praying out loud, or even writing for the Shaken & Stirred blog. My doubts, fears, and insecurities are many. What if I sound or look stupid? What if people think I’m weird? What if I stutter and stumble over my words? No, I can’t risk it. 

Recently I had someone point out to me that this may be a pride issue. Now, I’ve never considered myself a prideful person since I don’t want to be in the spotlight or have any attention on me. So, this was shocking to hear. I would tend to think of that as humility, not pride.

In Philippians 2:3-4 Paul says,

“Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others better than yourselves. Don’t look out for only your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.”

So, the truth is that, if I am sitting on the sidelines, not doing what God is calling me to do because I am afraid that I might look stupid, that is pride. I’m more worried about myself and how I am perceived by others, than I am about that person that could be reached if would just let go and let God use me how HE wants to use me. I’m looking out for my own interests instead of others and that is not humility. That is pride. 

Ouch. That was a hard pill to swallow. But then, the Holy Spirit directed me to this scripture. In 2 Corinthians 12:9 it says, 

 “Each time He said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’”

So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work in me.

You see, God wants to use me in my weakness. The truth is my weaknesses are where God can use me the most. His power works best in weakness, and if I can just surrender my pride to Him, then I will get to experience His power working in me. I don’t have to try to do things in my own power, because His power works best in my weakness.

The Lord has been stirring some things in me for some time now and I have been resistant to take the leap of obedience for all the reasons I have already shared. One of those things being writing for Shaken & Stirred. So here I am. Laying down my pride. Exchanging it for obedience. Choosing to be obedient to do what God has called me to do, and to allow His power to work in and through my weakness for His glory.

Perhaps you can relate. What is God calling you to do that may be outside your comfort zone? Delayed obedience is disobedience. Where do you need to be obedient to allow God to use you in your weakness?

Sarah Mercado is a contributing writer for Shaken & Stirred. She is a follower of Christ, a wife, and

mother of two. She is a small business owner, and a founding contributor of Church That Matters. When

she is not working, she can be found spending time with her family and friends, cooking, reading, or

listening to a podcast.

Happiness for Joy

The scent of lilacs, honeysuckle, and Eucalyptus. A cool breeze ruffling my hair while the sun warms my shoulders. The chuckle my husband lets out when I surprise him with a joke or dry comment. The cuddles and puppy kisses my dog gives in the mornings. All of these things bring happiness to my heart and mind. 

But that happiness is just as fleeting the next moment when something goes wrong. Along with the scents of flowers comes oppressive humidity, the warmth on my shoulders becomes a sunburn, or the puppy cuddles result in the dog running when he’s let out to do his business.  

Happiness itself means “the state of being happy (showing pleasure or contentment)”. Contentment is fleeting when it relies on outside forces such as the weather, family, jobs, or hobbies. 

But something even better than happiness is available to all of us: Joy. In John 15:9-11 Jesus said, 

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

Joy is a feeling of great pleasure or happiness. While I am made happy by God’s creation I am even more happy knowing that Jesus is inside of me and sharing his love and joy. 

Last week we had a worship night at church and amongst all the struggles I was/am dealing with it was so nice to stop and just sing praises to God. I can feel peace and joy when I focus on my heavenly Father. I know that he is powerful, faithful, loving, and forgiving.

Where do you find your happiness? Do you find it comes and goes from moment to moment? If so it might be because you’ve put your happiness into things of this world instead of the consistent happiness that can be found in God.

Bethany Thomas is the Publicity Coordinator and a contributing writer for Shaken & Stirred. She is a daughter of God, a wife, and a dog mom. When not writing for the blog, you are most likely to find her reading a fantasy novel or crafting at her home in Sapulpa, OK.

Photo by Jacqueline Munguía on Unsplash

Plan for Purpose // Mary Swafford

If you’ve read any of my blogs from the past, you already know that I became a Christian when I was around 8 years old at a Vacation Bible School program at my local church.  It was during this time, when I not only had a very real encounter with Christ for the first time, but also when He called me to missions.

The call to missions created a stirring in my heart that I didn’t understand.  I was already in ballet at the time.  I LOVED ballet.  I wanted nothing more than to be a professional ballet dancer for the American Ballet Company in New York.  I spent many years focused on this dream.  By the time I was 16, I was probably dancing 30 hours a week and the call to missions was a distant memory.  

This same summer, while I was at Falls Creek with my church’s youth group, my right ankle swelled up the size of a cantaloupe for no apparent reason.  I’m sure there must have been a great deal of pain involved as well, but I only remember the extreme swelling.  The swelling and presumed pain kept me from being able to dance when I returned home.  The details of the next year are foggy by now, but I know they were riddled with Dr’s appointments and tests and x-rays.  Cortisone shots and draining of fluid off of my ankle.  The more I was poked and prodded the more arthritis they found.  Both big toes, both ankles, both knees, both hips, my neck.  You see how this is going.  Eventually it was decided I had osteoarthritis (very uncommon in 16 year olds) and at one point I was even told that if I wanted to walk by the time I was 18 I had to quit ballet.

My world was shattered in an instant.  Everything I had planned for, trained for, dreamed of was over.  MY whole purpose in life had been to be a ballet dancer.  I didn’t know who I was without ballet.  I didn’t know how I was supposed to act or what I was supposed to do.  I didn’t even know how to hang out with friends because I had always been at the dance studio.  

I spent the next many years trying to fill a void in me that I thought could only be occupied by ballet.  I tried to find my identity and purpose in other things and other people.  Often drinking alcohol and going to parties.  But all of these only left me more empty.  More ashamed.  More broken.

One day, in the still quiet of my bedroom, I heard a whisper that was louder than a scream ask me, “What are you doing?” and in an instant God showed me exactly where my life was headed if I continued to seek purpose and fulfillment in the things of this world.  He told me, “I didn’t create you for this!”

You see, purpose isn’t found in a program, a plan, a curriculum or even a bunch of activities.  Purpose is a person.  The person of Jesus!  Purpose is a byproduct of a Jesus encounter.  You can’t separate purpose from His presence.  We can’t have purpose without His presence in our lives.  The good news is that He promises believers that we will always have His presence;

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” 
Matthew 28:20

My problem wasn't that God had left me to suffer alone.  He was with me all along, but I wasn’t sitting in His presence.

When we seek Jesus, we will find Him AND His purpose for our lives.

“Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.  You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” 
Jeremiah 29:12-13

This is how we find our identity and purpose because the Lord reveals His plans for us when we are in His presence!  If you want to be who God is calling you to be, you must prioritize time with the Person, not the plan.  God wants His presence to be enough for you.  He wants to be your main desire.  When His presence becomes your pursuit, He will reveal His plan!!

A week ago, a good friend sent the following to me and I think it sums up perfectly what God’s plan is for my life:

My life is not about my ministry.

It's not about my calling or my accomplishments.

It's not about writing a book or about gaining followers.

No.

My life's purpose is to worship my Savior.

It is to walk with Him and learn from Him.

It is to know His heart.

My life is about drawing closer to Him and letting

the things of this world fall away.  My life is about living a life that is pleasing to Him.

My life is about dying to my own wants, desires

and plans and instead being filled with His Spirit

and transformed into His image.

My life isn't my own.

I have laid it down for Him.

I have placed it in His hands to do as He wants.

I want to be so full of the Living God that I then overflow onto other areas of my life.

Ministry is not my purpose but it is part of the overflow. Motherhood is not my purpose but it is part of the overflow. Writing is not my purpose but it is part of the overflow.

If I seek Him first then I will be successful at all these other things. I want to be so full of His presence that people feel Him when I am around.

I want to carry Him with me everywhere I go and in everything I do.

My purpose is to know Him.

To love Him.

To worship Him.

And then carry His Spirit in me for

others to know Him.

I don't ever want to get so caught up in how He will use me that I forget to get caught up in His presence first.

I want to be so caught up in His love that then He uses me how He sees fit.

All for His glory.

Forever and ever.

Mary Swafford is the founder of Shaken & Stirred, Meals that Matter, Coffee Talk, and a Co-Owner of Boulder Coffee in downtown Sand Springs. She is a wife, a mother of 3 beautiful children, but most importantly a daughter of the most high God. You are likely to find her chugging or serving coffee, sitting in a tattooist’s chair, or making friends out of strangers.

Photo by Alexandre Tsuchiya on Unsplash

Worry for Peace

This is the season of exchange. We shed the year before and bask in the hope and possibilities of a brand new year. I personally, was very excited to turn the page on my physical planner to the fresh month of January and got a little thrill out of placing stickers and important dates in the clean, clear boxes. 

Not only do we exchange the 2022 calendar for 2023. We also take a look at goals we want to accomplish in the new year. I would like to lose weight and to be even more active in 2023. I want to exchange my couch in the living room for my kayak in the creek. I yearn to spend hours reading in my hammock and to write every chance I get.  

But what is the one thing I wish to exchange this year? Worry.

I want to exchange my worries for the peace that only God can bring.    

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

John 14:27

Already, this year I feel like I have a lot to worry about. My car’s transmission went out and my husband’s car, which I’m now driving, has an alternator that is on the way out. I worry about the state of my house and the clutter that is piling up and because I’m so stressed I feel almost catatonic. 

Whew. But,

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. 

Psalm 28:7

If God is protecting, loving, and holding me up surly I can exchange my needless, worthless worry and have true peace. I can already see his hand on my life with the blessings that I’ve experienced. 

I’m going to list some of the blessings from the past 4 week,   

1. God was with us, as he always was, when my car’s transmission went out. He was the one that prepared the way for us to not only get our car to an open dealership on December 23rd. But to have a rental car meant for us to continue our Christmas trip to my family.

2. I have amazing in-laws who are generously lending us a vehicle so my husband can get to work. 

3. Thanks to the wisdom I’ve learned from Financial Peace University (Dave Ramsey) we had money budgeted that could be used to purchase an alternator. 

4. God blessed us with friends who were willing to drop what they were doing and help Charles and me replace the broken alternator. 

God is good! 

This morning I pray that you can dwell on what God is doing in the background and give up the stress of needing to work out everything for yourself.

Bethany Thomas is the Publicity Coordinator and a contributing writer for Shaken & Stirred. She is a daughter of God, a wife, and a dog mom. When not writing for the blog, you are most likely to find her reading a fantasy novel or crafting at her home in Sapulpa, OK.

Photo by rocknwool on Unsplash

Safe // Mary Swafford

This is the final blog in the “Romans Road to Salvation” blog series and I have to say, these have been THE most difficult blogs to write for me.  I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we’ve gone about 3 weeks without a blog and that’s totally MY fault.

Not only am I a procrastinator, as I’ve shared with you before, but every single time I dedicate time to reading and praying over what to write my day goes to pot.  I’m so tired I can’t stay awake, I have sinus crud, I’m so stressed I’m a ball of nerves or my emotions are all over the place and I just want to sit in a dark corner and cry.  My son has promised to watch the puppy quietly in the other room so I can concentrate, but all I can hear is him squeaking her toys, yelling because she’s chewing on something or complaining about her smelly farts.  Yes.  I just mentioned farts in a women’s ministry blog.  

But this is SO important.   This message is SO important.  This ministry is SO important.  God’s word is his love letter to his people.  The book of Romans is Paul’s love letter to God’s people and this blog is my love letter to you.  

God’s promise was ALWAYS to bring a savior for EVERYONE.  

In our first blog of this series, we discussed Romans 3:23 and how we are all sinners and fall short of God’s glory, but because of God’s love for us we can rest in the fact that;

“God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.” 
Romans 3:24.”

And the penalty of our sin was death.  That’s what we deserve.  God knew that we could never measure up on our own.  There aren’t enough laws or good intentions that will ever get us into eternity with God.  So he sent his son Jesus to die on the cross, taking our shame and guilt in our place and nailed it to the cross with him.

“He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time.”  
1 Timothy 2:6

We have freedom in Jesus.  All of us.  Everyone.  And the good news is that this freedom is available to you and to me.  

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” 
John 14:6

He bought the ticket and he stands ready to hand it over to me and to you.  And you know how we receive it?  We must receive him.  We must believe that he is the son of God.

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” 
Romans 10:9

That’s it.  YOU.  Right here.  Right now.  Get right with God.  It’s as close as your mouth and your heart.  For it is with your heart you believe.  And it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.  It’s so simple.  But why is it so important for these two things to occur?  Think about it.  Your heart directs your life.  It’s your decision driver.  And your mouth is your commitment maker.  Proclaim Jesus as Lord of your life and that’s all it takes.  If you believe that Jesus is alive and that he conquered death then you are saved.

“For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” 
Romans 10:13

Just like Paul wrote in the beginning of chapter 10, I paraphrase for you.  

Dear sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the women of Shaken & Stirred, Sand Springs and beyond to be saved.  Some don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself.  They refuse to accept God’s way.  They cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to follow rules or keep up appearances.  But Christ Jesus has already done the work.  As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God. 

This is my prayer for you today and every day.  Whether I seem to have it all together and I’m getting things done or I’m stuck talking about puppy farts with an 11 year old boy.   I love you! 

Mary Swafford is the founder of Shaken & Stirred, Meals that Matter, Coffee Talk, and a Co-Owner of Boulder Coffee in downtown Sand Springs. She is a wife, a mother of 3 beautiful children, but most importantly a daughter of the most high God. You are likely to find her chugging or serving coffee, sitting in a tattooist’s chair, or making friends out of strangers.

Photo by Becca Tapert on Unsplash

Gift

This is the perfect time of year to be thinking about gift giving. There are so many opportunities or obligations depending on how you look at it: Toy drives, food drives, clothes drives, work/church/friends Christmas parties. December is a month where we give, and receive, to the point of excess. If we are also honest with ourselves there is also that feeling like you have to reciprocate if someone buys you a gift you didn’t expect.  

I’m going to be the first to admit that I get weary of all the giving. I dread Christmas parties because it can take a toll on the finances and it can be hard to know what to buy for. At this moment, I know of at least 3 gift giving obligations in the next 3 weeks and honestly, I’m not all that excited about receiving the gifts. I do look forward to the looks on the faces who receive my gifts and hope that they are excited. But what I really look forward to is being with friends and having the time to sit down and hang out. If it’s with a mug of coffee/tea/hot cocoa and a blanket all the better! 

But you know what is wonderful about this time of year? It’s a time when we can reflect on the biggest gift that was ever given and cannot be repaid. In Romans 6:23 it says, 

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.” 

Last week Mary Swafford discussed the birth of Christ and how He came to die for our sins. But there is more to it. He came to both die for our sins and bring us eternal life with him and the Father.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.
Isaiah 9:6-7

How do you repay two gifts like that? I know that the gift of forgiveness and life are items I can never hold or pay. And God will never ask us to pay him back. God only asks us to receive the gifts He has freely offered. 

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6

Have you given a thought to the gift God has freely offered? God has given you a gift that can be accepted all year long, whether it’s Christmas or not. His gift did not come wrapped in sparkling paper or bows, it didn’t come from the store or the re-gift closet. As you bustle about this Christmas season mull over the concept of the only truly free gift that counts. It came in the form of a baby boy born 2,000 years ago in the springtime in a town called Bethlehem. His name was and is still: Jesus. 

Bethany Thomas is the Publicity Coordinator and a contributing writer for Shaken & Stirred. She is a daughter of God, a wife, and a dog mom. When not writing for the blog, you are most likely to find her reading a fantasy novel or crafting at her home in Sapulpa, OK.

Photo by Erica Marsland Huynh on Unsplash

Love // Mary Swafford

We’re on the road to our salvation story in the Shaken & Stirred blog series.  Last week Chelynn talked about how 

“all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”,
Romans 3:23.  

Today I am here to talk about Romans 5:8,

“But God demonstrates his love for us in this, while we were still sinners Christ died for us.”

I have been thinking and praying about what to write.  It would be easy to give you a laundry list of my greatest sins….lies, rebellion, deceit, disrespect, etc. But God reminded me this morning that I am not the main character in my salvation story.  I am not the most important part.  He is.  My salvation story is not so much about what I’ve done in my life that needs forgiveness, but what Christ has done for me.  He is the main character in my salvation story.  My restoration story.

So I want to tell you more about Him.  

“But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law”
Galatians 4:4

God’s timing is so incredible, too.  Every day is a great day to tell you about Jesus, but what better time than during the Christmas season we are in?  As we’ll talk about, God is never late.  He is never early.  He is always right on time. 

It was not the birth itself that was special.  Or the location of a cowshed or manger.  Nor were the shepherds that came to see.  It was the Son of God that made this birth miraculous.  Jesus, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings.  Such a humble and lowly beginning.  Yet God was prepared to go to extraordinary lengths in order to reach us.  To reach me.  To reach you too.  

This was not the likely beginnings of a worldly king, but of a God who brings salvation, everlasting life, to his people.  His creation.  Whom He loves.  Through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

God’s people turned their backs on Him.  Over and over again.  So he sent His son Jesus.  Born of the virgin Mary.  He lived a perfect, sinless life here on earth.  But we despised and rejected him.  

“He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins.  He was beaten so we could be whole.  He was whipped so we could be healed…..Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.” 
Isaiah 53:5-6

The Lord laid on him the sins of us all.  There is a lot of weight in those words.  I have a lot of sin.

“He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time.”
1 Timothy 2:6

Everyone.  That’s you.  That’s me.  That’s every person that has ever been.  Past.  Present and future.  It was our sin, our wrongdoing, our wanderings away from God that He paid for.  We accumulated the bill and He was the one that paid the price, bringing peace, healing, and salvation with it.

The good news is that Christ didn’t stay dead.  Humanity put him in the grave, but the love of God, raised him to life eternal where He sits at the right hand of God for all eternity.  The good news is that Jesus offers us this same life.  A life with him forever.  

This offer is the greatest one that has ever been given.  It is the reason we live.  To say “yes” to Him is to receive the greatest joy and fulfillment one can obtain.

There is something incredibly special about the birth of a baby in a manger after all.  There in the midst of our Lord Jesus Christ, we find the hope of our hearts.  It might not look like much to some, but to those who have knelt before the Lord, who have confessed their sin and accepted His forgiveness, it is more precious and powerful than any earthly king or power or force before or since.

“For God says, At just the right time, I heard you.  On the day of salvation, I helped you.  Indeed the right time is now.  Today is the day of salvation.” 
2 Corinthians 6:2

Today, Jesus is asking if you will trust Him.  He is inviting you to experience Him and His love for you.  Will you say “yes” to Jesus?

Mary Swafford is the founder of Shaken & Stirred, Meals that Matter, Coffee Talk, and a Co-Owner of Boulder Coffee in downtown Sand Springs. She is a wife, a mother of 3 beautiful children, but most importantly a daughter of the most high God. You are likely to find her chugging or serving coffee, sitting in a tattooist’s chair, or making friends out of strangers.

Photo by Brigitte Tohm on Unsplash

Roads // Brandee Pait

Have you ever been mad at someone? Did you want to scream at the top of your lungs because of what someone did to you, which caused you deep emotional pain? Or, maybe it's an ugly cry, but well, that didn't make you feel better either. It's a season that nobody prays to experience and yet we do go through it. The Bible says the devil wants to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10). However, God doesn't say life will be all sunshine and rainbows. He says in John 16:33,

 "In the world, you will have tribulation." 

So let's look at the roads you can choose to walk through when your world turns upside down by deep hurt.

When someone hurts you and causes pain, I know most have experienced the infamous road of bitterness. It's when the pain takes over and begins to control your emotions. Oh, you know the devil is getting excited about this road. He puts it in your head that you want someone to be held accountable for their actions. Don't you want victory for the hurt they have caused (the snake asks)? Bitterness is a bad deal that makes extensive guarantees on the front end but delivers nothing you want on the back end. God knows what you need. God is about peace, and through bitterness, you turn your heart away from God. In John 14:27, Jesus says,

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid." 

God wants peace for all his children. Bitterness does not lead us to forgiveness but keeps us chained up in unforgiveness. We want results; at least, that's what the devil is telling you; however, we know as Christians that this is not the road God wants us to go down.

The road God wants for us is the road of forgiveness. This road is not easy for people; however, forgiveness is a command from God. He wants us to think about it daily as He talks about it in the Lord's Prayer, in Matthew 6:9 14-15

 "For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." 

Forgiveness is not easy for our worldly selves. However, we need to think about how God gave his one and only Son for our sins. Then, it will be easier for those who go through deep hurt to start the healing process. In Colossians 3:13,

"Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you."

We have all been forgiven for our sins through the blood of Jesus! This is so awesome! So, when you go through deep hurt, remember what God has done for you, and when choosing forgiveness, you are choosing to begin the healing process.

Brandee Pait is the secretary of Shaken & Stirred. She's a daughter of a God, a wife, a mother of 2 amazing boys, and blessed with a daughter-in-law. She is a Registered Nurse. Brandee enjoys a Peanut Butter Baylees from Boulder Coffee (minus the coffee) with her gals at Coffee Talk.

Photo by John Lockwood on Unsplash

When I Kept Silent

I’ve had a good day today. Part of it is because I had a day off from work, another is that I got to sleep in till about 7:00AM. Can I get a hallelujah? After feeding my doggo I was able to get a load of laundry started and clean up the kitchen! Winning. I was able to make it to a local coffee shop and get half priced coffee and read my devotional by 9:30AM. The real miracle here though is that I was able to sit down and be inspired by God’s word for this devotional prayer.

There have been many times in my walk with God where I have questioned my own salvation. But I’m reminded when I get into the Word that it is a lie that the Devil is trying to trip me up with. I have been and will continue to be redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. I have the Holy Spirit within me, being both a comfort and a compass pointing me towards God. My prayer is that Psalm 32 will both convict you and point you to the true blessing in this life: the love of our heavenly Father.

…

1 Blessed is the one
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
2 Blessed is the one
whose sin the Lord does not count against them
and in whose spirit is no deceit.

God, my Father, thank you for forgiving my transgressions against you. Thank you for being there, all around me, waiting for me to reach out. Thank you for never turning away from me. Lord, I pray for blessings to pour out upon this community. God, I pray that if there is a woman here who does not know you that show yourself to them today. I pray that their hearts are softened and that they feel the peace and love that you have for them.     

3 When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night
your hand was heavy on me
my strength was sapped
as in the heat of summer.
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess
my transgressions to the Lord.”
And you forgave
the guilt of my sin.

Your Holy Spirit lives within me and nudges me in the way I should go. God he is here in my heart that I may know you while I still live here on earth. He coaxes me to turn back to you and reconcile what has happened and be redeemed by you, God.    

6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you
while you may be found;
surely the rising of the mighty waters
will not reach them.
7 You are my hiding place;
you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.

God give us all the craving and urge to seek you and pray. God help our first thoughts to be of you each day. When the good or the bad occur let us go to you first with thanksgiving and praise. Just as David said, “you are my hiding place”, Lord. Continue to shelter us in your arms and set your angels around us as protection against the enemy attacks.

In your name we pray, Father God. Be with us this day and all the days to come.

Bethany Thomas is the Publicity Coordinator and a contributing writer for Shaken & Stirred. She is a daughter of God, a wife, and a dog mom. When not writing for the blog, you are most likely to find her reading a fantasy novel or crafting at her home in Sapulpa, OK.

Photo by Jessica Delp on Unsplash

Grace with Covid // Heather Dillingham

As I am writing this I am on day four of Covid…Yay. Something about being sick though is that it makes you realize how much you need grace.

You need grace because you aren’t able to play with your kids. You need grace because you can’t be intimate with your partner or even be around them. Grace for the laundry and dishes piling up, grace for the groceries that need to be ordered, and grace for having to hide when the rest of the family is enjoying family time. Not to mention the grace you need for yourself for feeling guilty about all the above.

But I noticed something when reading Psalms 119. A simple line that I could have sworn I read already in Psalms.

Turn to me and be gracious to me,
    as is your way with those who love your name.

Psalm 119:132

Here is why…

Turn to me and be gracious to me,
    for I am lonely and afflicted.

Psalm 25:16

I entreat your favor with all my heart;
    be gracious to me according to your promise.

Psalm 119:58

Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
    our God is merciful.

Psalm 116:5

There are so many more verses like this, but you can already see how the Psalmists were constantly reaching for and begging for God’s grace.

Personally, I’m thankful for it! Passages like this point out to me that the Psalmists were flawed. That they NEEDED grace just as much as I need grace. That they argued with their spouses, allowed tasks to fall behind, lied, failed, and had FLAWS. And yet, they constantly point to how gracious God is because they understood the significance of the grace they had been given.

It’s not human nature to be gracious. We tend to want justice and even vengeance sometimes over grace. But God shows time and time again that He is full of grace and mercy. He can handle when we aren’t are best and can help us find the grace to give others and ourselves to become better through Him.

God, I love that no matter how messy I am, you are always full of grace. Your grace is seen so clearly throughout scripture. It’s in the requests of Your Psalmists, the praise of their words, and even in the way you constantly saved your people even when they didn’t deserve it. God please never give up on saving me. Never give up on saving us as a body. Grow us, God, with each failure, and help us to worship you more and to give you more. God thank you for accepting us, flawed and all. In Jesus Name. Amen.

I challenge each of you to find a verse about grace and write it somewhere for you to see this week. Add it to the bathroom mirror, your planner, anywhere. Then comment below what verse you chose.

Heather is a contributing writer for Shaken & Stirred. She is a believer, a wife, and a mother to a wonderful (and sometimes crazy) toddler. She enjoys reading, playing video games, and listening to podcasts. She can usually be taking care of the home and playing on the floor with her daughter.

Photo by Tracey Hocking on Unsplash

God's Timing // Mary Swafford

I love God’s timing. Sometimes we’re lucky enough to recognize what God is doing when he does it and other times… Not so much.  

I’m reading through the bible this year.  I’m using one of those preset plans on my bible app that tells me what passages of scripture to read from the Old Testament and what days to read it as well as a Psalm or Proverb and a reading from the New Testament. This is my fourth year to read through the bible in this way. I absolutely love it  Every year I feel like God reveals more of himself and his word to me and I’m able to connect the dots a little more every day.  

What’s funny about God’s timing and my bible reading plan is that one day, several weeks ago, I was reading through the book of Job. In chapter 28 specifically.  On this particular day, I was also reading Proverbs chapter 2. It was AWESOME because what I was reading in Job directly correlates with what I was reading in Proverbs!  And then, as if that coinkydink wasn’t enough, I had a message, from Bethany Thomas, to the blog writers saying that for the month of July, we were going to write about a Proverb each week.  

BLAM! “Ferb, I know what we’re doing today!”  (totally unrelated quote from the cartoon Phineas and Ferb)

Well, God revealing himself through his word and his timing is the easy part. Now I need to connect the dots for you and what he is teaching me.

My mind has been racing for weeks now. If you don’t know me, I am the women’s ministry director of Shaken & Stirred. For months, God has been speaking to me about a special event we are planning for you ladies in October. He keeps creating a stirring in my heart for Him and about his character and purpose. I KNOW what it is, but I don’t know how to communicate it to you yet. I’m reading and I’m praying and I’m meeting with other women who God has created this same stirring in. It’s incredible.  And yet, God isn’t finished. And so, neither am I. I’m still praying and I’m still looking.

I keep bouncing back and forth between our next Spill event and the October special event and this blog post. (thus the reason why I’m late getting it written).  And what God has just revealed to me is that part of my problem is my sight.

I’m looking and looking and looking at this passage and reading that book and speaking with those women. My focus isn’t exactly where it needs to be. I’m looking at things with face value, and I need to dig deeper.  I have a big picture, but I lack details. Thankfully, God sees the whole picture from beginning to end.  

I’m gathering facts.  I’m accumulating knowledge. What I need to do is seek wisdom. I pray for it and I ask for it, but I don’t believe I’ve been seeking it.  

“People know where to mine silver and how to refine gold.  They know where to dig iron from the earth and how to smelt copper from a rock [...] But do people know where to find wisdom?  Where they can find understanding?  No one knows where to find it, for it is not found among the living.” 
Job 28:1-2, 12-13

I’m just like the people Job was talking about. I know where to look for the information. I’m willing to do the hard work. I’m working for it with everything humanly possible. And that’s it. Humanly possible. I’m searching for something in the world that can only be found in God. It’s not humanly possible to gain wisdom and understanding of the scriptures or of God’s will by searching for it in a human way, with human tactics.  

“My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands.  Tune your ears to wisdom and concentrate on understanding.  Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding.  Search for them as you would for silver, seek them like hidden treasures.  Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God.  For the Lord grants wisdom!  From his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.  He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest.  He is a shield to those who walk with integrity.  He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him. Then you will understand what is right, just and fair, and you will find the right way to go.  For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy.”  Proverbs 2:1-10

I need to slow down. Quiet my mind. LISTEN to what God is saying and treasure his word.  

God tune my ears to your voice. Your quiet and gentle wisdom as you speak into me. Help me to concentrate on you as I cry out to you, Lord give me understanding of what you are saying.

God thank you for who you are and who I am because of you. I give you my heart and my life.  Thank you for your joy and your presence. For always.  Amen!!

Mary Swafford is the founder of Shaken & Stirred, Meals that Matter, Coffee Talk, and a Co-Owner of Boulder Coffee in downtown Sand Springs. She is a wife, a mother of 3 beautiful children, but most importantly a daughter of the most high God. You are likely to find her chugging or serving coffee, sitting in a tattooist’s chair, or making friends out of strangers.

Photo by Bruno Figueiredo on Unsplash

Best Movie Ever // Chelynn Broughton

Imagine that you just watched the best movie ever in a theater filled with people who laughed, cried, and cheered through it with you. You sat riveted in your seat for two hours getting to know the characters, enjoying the costumes, scenery, and music, feeling the emotions of the actors/actresses, and loving the plot line. As soon as it’s over, the house lights come up, and the credits start rolling across the screen. (Sometimes so quickly that it’s almost impossible to read them.) What do you do? Do you stay pinned to your chair watching the names of all the people who were important in making such an amazing film, or do you race out of the theater just like everyone else? After all, you don’t know those people, and it’s just a list of names with no meaning to you. I’m imagining the only people who actually care about the credits are the people who were involved in making the masterpiece you just witnessed. Those people would be upset that no one watched his/her name roll across the screen after all the time/energy he/she put into it. Wouldn’t you be?!

In Matthew 1:1-17, we see the credits for the best story ever told FIRST. Most Bible readers tend to skip these verses and jump ahead to the story part of the book. BUT, these people are important, and the author wants you to read this list and understand just where Jesus came from. This is His family tree, so to speak. If you’ve read these verses before, you probably missed seeing that Rahab (the prostitute) is in Jesus’ family line.

“Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab). Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth). Obed was the father of Jesse.”
‭‭(Matthew‬ ‭1:5‬ ‭NLT)‬‬

Not only did Jesus come to earth and become a man. He became a man who was a descendent of a prostitute! Do you think that was a mistake? Absolutely not. God wanted us to know that EVERYONE sins and falls short of His glory, but NO ONE can sin too much or sink too low that she can’t be forgiven.

If you keep reading these credits, you will see Bathsheba, the married woman who slept with King David and became pregnant with his child while her husband was away fighting. The list is full of imperfect people whose genes are combined to make a perfect man named Jesus.

If you have ever thought that your sins are too big and that God could never forgive you, then this family tree disproves those thoughts. You are a beloved daughter of Christ, and your father loves you no matter what you’ve done.

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.”
‭‭(Romans‬ ‭3:23-24‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

As the credits of your life roll across the screen, God sits and watches every last person’s name because each of us is important to Him, and you never know… someone in your family tree may change the lives of others dramatically. I’m sure Rahab never imagined that her family tree would be Bible worthy. Make sure you stay to the end of the credits in Matthew 1:16 because the greatest story EVER begins there:

“Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah.”

(‭‭Matthew‬ ‭1:16‬ ‭NLT)

Chelynn is a contributing writer for Shaken and Stirred. She is a long-time daughter of Christ, a wife, mother of two amazing adult children, and Nonnie to four beautiful grandchildren. She teaches Senior English at Charles Page High School and is also a Realtor for Keller Williams. She enjoys all things summer including boating, vacationing, and swimming.

If I Perish // Sheila Dorris

“It all started when the royal officials at the king’s gate knelt down and paid honor to Haman, for the king had commanded this concerning him. But Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor.”
Esther 3:2

Esther’s Uncle Mordecai would not bow to Haman (a King’s official) and this infuriated the man. How dare anyone, let alone a Jew, snub him in such a way. Haman devised a plan to have all of the Jews be killed because of Mordecai’s slight.   

When Mordecai learned of this he reached out to Esther urging her to talk to the King to save the Jews.  Esther reminded Mordecai, the only way to speak to the King was to be called upon. If you were to even approach the King without being called upon it was certain death.   

Mordecai reminded Esther this position may be exactly why she was made to be Queen. Not to turn her back on her family, her people.

Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 

“Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”
Esther 4:15-‬16 NIV

Esther was DARING in this action. For she had not been called on by the King in 30 days. Even if the King had seen her, he had to point his golden scepter toward her in order to speak. The odds were against her. But if she did not try her people would be slaughtered. Through her uncle Mordecai she called her people to FAST. To get right with God, to be granted favor, to pray that the King would be receptive since she, Esther, was obedient.

She was willing to risk her life for her people, and the only preparation she had was not eating or drinking for 3 days and praying. And yet nowhere do we see God replying to Esther’s prayer. The FAITH that it took to be able to risk everything, relying only on the promises of God passed down through the generations. That is truly amazing. 

Do you feel like Esther at times? Like your prayers have gone out into a void but you don’t know if they have been heard or will be answered? I bet you can think of many examples, but I bet if you look back on your prayers you will see where God was guiding you. Like Esther, we have to have a faith that we are willing to die for. 

As Christians we have one advantage that Esther did not. We have the honor of having the Holy Spirit live within us and helping to guide us in the direction that God wants us to go. I encourage you all, to start pursuing what has been put on your heart, start pursuing what you have fasted and prayed over and listen to the Holy Spirit’s nudges. Have a DARING faith like Esther. 

Sheila Dorris is the adoptive mother of three (now) adult children and is now enjoying being an empty nester. Sheila shares co-ownership of Mojo Merchandise, in downtown Sand Springs, with her best friend. Sheila has served and continues to serve in many areas at Church that Matters. Including: House Church, KTM, Access, Guest Services, and on the production team as a Live Stream Host. Sheila is famous for her sermon notes, taken each week as a guide for others on Facebook. This often starts conversations between those who may have questions about church or may just need to hear the sermon. She loves being silly and making people smile. If you see her, stop her and say "Hello".

Photo by Fa Barboza on Unsplash

Personal // by Joanna Goodin

Have you ever felt overlooked or taken for granted? Maybe you feel like you are too much, or not enough? Maybe you have felt like your gifts didn’t bring as much to the table as the next lady’s. Me? Check, check, annnnd check.  I am guessing if we are all honest with ourselves, we have all felt these things at some point in our lives. Please read Luke 10:38-42 and find comfort in knowing we are all in good company. Please, know that these problems come with a solution more healing than yoga, washing your face, and a delicious cup of Boulder coffee combined.

We enter the scene in the town of Bethany, at the home of Mary and Martha. Martha has extended an invite to Jesus and his disciples. During this time, hospitality was both important and expected, just as it was expected that the lady of the house to be preparing meals and serving. Martha was acting like she was taught and most likely had the gift of service and hospitality. 

Meanwhile, her sister, Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening to Him teach. This would not have been allowed in social gatherings. Neither Mary, who was just sitting there soaking it all in, nor Jesus were phased by this deviation from cultural norms (can I get a hallelujah). But Martha was upset by this situation. Maybe she thought Mary was not behaving as a woman should and needed to be reprimanded. Or it could be that Martha was a go-getter and thought Mary a bit lackadaisical. Whatever the case, there is a lot we can learn from this passage and this week we will ask the question:

What do we learn about God?

He gets personal with us.

Here is what we do know. Jesus loved these ladies and was gently, calling them to have a relationship with Him. In fact, when Martha tells Jesus to have Mary help her, he responds by connecting with Martha and letting her know He sees her heart. He says,

“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.”

Luke 10:41

He calls her by name...twice. This shows the importance of what He was going to say, but also how personal He is with us. Jesus did not just let the women stand in the kitchen and overhear, He called them to come and learn. He took the time to connect with Martha, before correcting her. He corrected in a way that brought her back to a relationship, rather than demean her in public. Notice that Jesus tells Martha that Mary has chosen what is better. We will talk more about this another week, but for now just take note that He was not saying that her ways of service were wrong. Jesus was saying that at that time, Mary had chosen the He was just telling her the other option was the better one, and Mary had chosen that. We see he kind of sticks up for Mary. He defends Mary’s choice to sit and listen and learn from him, in a way that does not berate Martha. We see he longs for time spent with us at his feet. He wants to show us how well he knows us and loves us anyway. He wants us to know him and not just study him, but find joy, peace, and wisdom sitting at his feet, submitting to his presence and teachings.

 …

As more of a Mary, in my childhood, I find this comforting because I always felt I did not quite measure up. I was all about the connection and friendship. But let’s be honest, that wasn’t going to win me any praise in the busy go-getter culture we live in, at least that is how I felt. Now, as a mom and a wife, I see myself more of Martha’s tendencies mixing with my Mary qualities. Which is not necessarily a bad thing.

Where do you need to invite Jesus to minister to you this week? Do you need rest? His yoke is light. Do you need validation? He knows you and sees your heart and what is going on in your life. Do you need to be reminded of who you really are? He calls us by name, and invites us in. Take a breath sister. Whichever end of the spectrum you currently find yourself on, Jesus sees your heart, and is longing for you to connect with Him.

Please share! We love to hear from and learn from each other and don’t forget to share: What you learned about God from this visit with Mary and Martha.

Joanna is a contributing writer for Shaken and Stirred. She loves Jesus and hopes she never stops learning more about Him. She is a Life Coach working alongside women and adolescence, as well as a mom to amazing 11&13 year old young men. She loves hiking and yoga when she gets the chance to do it. She often enjoys writing, creating, coffee with a friend or book, and laughing while hanging out with her boys.

Photo by Andriyko Podilnyk on Unsplash

Reaching for the World or Jesus? // by Heather Dillingham

In my life I have turned toward many things to give me joy, comfort, and healing. Things like food, entertainment, and the newest health fads. But the truth is, not once have any of those things made me feel complete, whole, or even slightly better. 

 Doubtless I’m not the only one who has done this. This world teaches us through constant ads, streams, and posts that it has all the answers. Through the world we can become stronger, smarter, and prettier. It (the world) is all we need.

Before my miscarriage I lived selfishly by the world. I went to church, but left God at the door on Sunday. I felt like I had a gaping whole in my life and I used the world to try to fix it. Even my attempt at getting pregnant was an attempt to lean on the world. “Oh if I just had a baby, life would get better. I’d be happier.” Losing my child hurt. But I know God used tragedy to remind me that this world can not and will never be what I need to feel whole.

Let’s take a look back at our story. I encourage you to read back through Mark 5:25-34 (NIV) with this weeks question in mind:

“What did we learn about mankind?”

Mankind tries to solve problems through the world before going to God

Just like us, the bleeding woman believed in the world. She spent all that she had on ‘experts’ who convinced her they had all the answers. Instead of the world saving her, it chewed her up and left her to die penniless, in pain, and alone. It was only after she stopped looking to the world to heal her and looked to Jesus that she was healed.

This passage teaches us that mankind is flawed in our view of the world. The world was made by God, yet we too often allow it to become our god. Our protector, our healer, our comforter. We seek a solution we can hold in our hands instead of lifting our hands. And it doesn’t stop there.

The world is persistent in its efforts to get us to seek it first. When Jesus turned to the crowd to ask who had touched His cloak the woman was afraid. She turned back to leaning on the world and what it told her, which was that she was unclean and unwanted. But that isn’t what Jesus saw. He saw a woman filled with faith and blessed her with peace because of it.

Just like her, I still struggle with leaning too hard on the world sometimes. But God is always there to nudge me back to Him like the wonderful shepherd He is.

Have you been leaning on the world instead of on God? What are the truths He says about you? What other things did you learn about mankind from this passage?

Heather is a contributing writer for Shaken & Stirred. She is a believer, a wife, and a mother to a wonderful (and sometimes crazy) one-year-old. She enjoys reading, playing video games, and listening to podcasts. She can usually be taking care of the home and playing on the floor with her daughter.

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

Hope to the Hopeless // by Heather Dillingham

My Story

Have you ever felt like nothing you do matters? Like the whole world is against you? In other words, have you ever felt hopeless? The devil loves to make us feel this way in order to stop us from reaching for the one true hope. When I first came to CTM in 2018 I was struggling with hope.

 The year before had been one of the hardest of my life. I hated my job, my relationship with my husband hadn’t been good for years, I was the unhealthiest I have ever been, and my support base was almost nonexistent. Anxiety and depression were my companions.

 Despite all of this, or maybe because of this, we decided to start trying for a child and miraculously got pregnant. I was so excited! It felt like we were healing. I was healing. Weeks later, as I watched what was far too much blood leave my body, I knew I was wrong.

 I blamed God, but most of all, I blamed myself.  In the weeks it would take for my body to recover and the months for my mind, I seriously thought about ending my life. I felt unclean, alone, and absolutely hopeless.

 …  

The woman we are reading about this week went through this kind of isolation, pain, and hopelessness for YEARS. Please take a moment to read Mark 5: 25-34 NIV.

The passage teaches us of a woman who was desperate. Her body had been hemorrhaging for 12-years. Not only would she have been in extreme pain, but she would also have been isolated because women with this condition were considered unclean and therefor couldn’t interact normally with society. She had done everything she could to heal herself, spending everything she had and suffering even more pain. She was unclean, alone, and absolutely hopeless.

 Until, one day, she heard of Jesus. It would have been easy to hear of this new healer and assume He would be like all the rest. She had no more money to give, even if He could heal her. Thankfully, Jesus’s healing isn’t something we can pay for. His presence alone brought her hope and gave her enough faith to just reach out. With that one little act, Jesus healed her.

 What this passage teaches us about God is that He can bring hope to the hopeless. You see, God doesn’t want his children hopeless. He is the hope of the world! I learned this as I cried out seeking comfort and strength as I processed my miscarriage. And this woman learned it as nothing (not her pain, her past, or her status) stopped her from reaching out to the one true healer. Her hope wasn’t in vain and neither is yours.

… 

What is holding you back from accepting God’s hope? Are you reaching out? Using the sword method, discuss, what did you learn about God from this passage?

Heather is a contributing writer for Shaken & Stirred. She is a believer, a wife, and a mother to a wonderful (and sometimes crazy) one-year-old. She enjoys reading, playing video games, and listening to podcasts. She can usually be taking care of the home and playing on the floor with her daughter.

Photo by Daniel Monteiro on Unsplash

Sin at the Well

What is sin? There are many different types of sin in the world, but the easiest way for me to describe it is: an action or thought that puts a barrier between us and God. When we sin, it often feels good in the moment but after there is a feeling of regret. That feeling of regret from my perspective is the Holy Spirit poking at my heart and saying, “Whoa, that was not the best choice to make.”.           

Today is going to be a difficult topic and I want each of you to take a moment and pray. Ask God to reveal the areas in your life that you are struggling. I believe that the Holy Spirit will instantly bring to your mind what you need to repent of and it’s important to make a change at that point.  

I will also preface that this question is more easily discussed in a group setting with people you trust. So, with that said:   

Are there any Sins to Repent of?

Un-Biblical Judgment

The Samaritan woman, like many of us, had an obvious sin in her life: she was unmarried and living with a man. But that’s not where I want to go with this today. It’s easy to point a finger and say, “the way you are living is wrong!”. I believe it is important, though, to look at why you want to point out someone’s sin.

When approaching the sin in someone’s life it is best that:

1. You are approaching them in love. 

2. They believe in the same moral standards.

When Jesus, pointed out the sin in the Samaritan Woman’s life. He was straightforward and gave her a chance to speak, to repent. Can you imagine? She repented to Jesus, who is God. Did he turn away, yell “sinner” and go on his way? No! Jesus spoke truth and poured life into the woman. Because of that she was changed.

In Matthew 7:3-5 the Apostle says:

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

Unlike Jesus, we my friends are not sinless. In fact, we are all sinful creatures it’s just that some people’s sin can be more noticeable than others. Which is why it’s important to repent and pray over our own sins so that we can help the people around us. Some sins are more noticeable than others, but any kind of sin will keep us from God. When approaching the people around us about the sins in their lives. Remember to be like Jesus and love them despite the sin. None of us are perfect, but that’s why God sent us Jesus.

Bethany Thomas is the Publicity Coordinator and a contributing writer for Shaken & Stirred. She is a daughter of God, a wife, and a dog mom. When not writing for the blog, you are most likely to find her reading a fantasy novel or crafting at her home in Sapulpa, OK.

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Woman at the Well

Have you ever noticed that in church we talk about things like our testimony, or evidence of proof? When this happens there’s a tendency to start at the beginning of your “walk” with Christ. This can make for a really long testimony if you asked Jesus into your heart at the age of 3, like I did. I’ve actually never loved my testimony, because it feels like nothing has happened in my life. Nothing that could help someone see Jesus anyway. In college, someone told me that my story reminded them of Esther. That while Esther never heard God speak directly to her, she still had faith in Him and that faith gave her the courage to save her people. This really encouraged me and made me more likely share that part of my testimony.

I’ve realized something though in the last few years. My testimony doesn’t have to include my whole walk with God. My testimony can be as simple as a struggle that should, according to the world, make me into a bitter, unpleasant person. The Samaritan woman does what each of us should do when we have any kind of encounter with Christ. Share that moment with the people around us.        

Last week we read John 4:4-42 and we asked the “Question: What do we learn about God?”. This week please read through the story again and ask yourself the question:   

What Do We Learn About Man?

Mankind is Skeptical

After Jesus told the woman who He was, the Messiah, she had to spread the word. She told everyone she met about her encounter with Jesus and because of that people believed: 

“Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony […]. So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them […] And because of his words many more became believers. They said to the woman, ‘We no longer believe just because of what you said;
now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”
(John 4:39, 42)

But note, it was not until they heard from Jesus, himself, that some honestly believed. This is a great example of what each of us should do after we’ve come to know Jesus. Go out and proclaim who he is to us and to the world. There will be people though that need more than just a testimony. Remember, every time we share the Gospel we plant a seed of hope. But until a person goes to the source, the Bible, they won’t truly know God.

I encourage each of you, take a moment today and write down an encounter you had with God. This encounter could be something that happened in the past or something that happened recently. It doesn’t have to be “big”; it could be as simple as a verse you read in the Bible or an encounter you had in the grocery store. Think about what God is telling you through that moment and share it with someone who might need encouragement.    

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Please leave a comment about what you learned about man in this chapter.

Bethany Thomas is the Publicity Coordinator and a contributing writer for Shaken & Stirred. She is a daughter of God, a wife, and a dog mom. When not writing for the blog, you are most likely to find her reading a fantasy novel or crafting at her home in Sapulpa, OK.

Photo by Hannah Morgan on Unsplash

God at the Well

Can you imagine being hungry or thirsty? Could you see yourself turning down a sizzling pan of steak fajitas or a glass of water with the little condensation drops sliding down the side while feeling hunger pains?

That’s very similar to how we, as Christians, turn down a chance to read the Bible or spend a moment in prayer. It might be harder to diagnose spiritual hunger or thirst, but there are some clues that show we might be in need: anger, frustration, and depression. I personally struggle with those feelings. I feel so much better when I sit down and read a Psalm and maybe even do a little bit of Bible Journaling. But I don’t always make the time for those things.       

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I’m going to ask you all to read John 4:4-42, the Samaritan Woman at the Well. Over the next 4 weeks we are going to dig into the story of this woman and how her encounter with Jesus changed her for the better. But how can we study the difference Jesus made in this woman without asking the question:

What Do We Learn About God?

God knows us

Jesus knew who the woman was before he ever met her:

“He told her, ‘Go, call your husband and come back.’
‘I have no husband,’ she replied.
Jesus said to her, ‘You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.’”
(John 4:16-18)

Before He sat down at the well, Jesus knew exactly who the woman was. Her story, her desires, her failings, and successes. The Samaritan woman did not know who Jesus was, she could have easily lied about her marital status. But because she didn’t, she was able to have a heart changing conversation with the Son of God.       

God knows who you are and what you are wanting with your life. He knows that I have a deep desire to be a mother, though I am still waiting for that prayer to be answered. The waiting can be the hardest part about prayer. It is during the waiting that fear sets in and causes us to make wrong decisions. I don’t believe the Samaritan woman chose to have so many “husbands”. I believe she was chasing after something to fill the void in her heart.

Not long ago I heard a woman speak about how God told her that she would not marry or have children. That day a small thistle of fear was planted by Satan in my heart. What if the silence, I hear from God is His decision that I am not meant to have children? Every month when I know, for sure, that my belly holds no life. I feel that thistle sprout anew, strangling my hope and creating a void. I try to fill my void with mothering my dog, binge watching Netflix, and reading fantasy novels.

I chase after things I believe will help me manage. But the one thing that has brought me any peace is going to God, ironically or rightly. Which leads me to my next answer to the question above:            

He wants us to know Him

God desperately wants us to know Him. He sent Jesus down specifically for that reason, to create a bridge between us and Him. In John 4:24 Jesus said to the Samaritan woman:

“God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

Our God wants to have a relationship that is deep and true with each one of us. There can be nothing sweeter than having those moments of quiet worship with God. It is in those moments that we can learn about God and discern if the voice we hear is God’s or Satan’s. That is where Satan is at his most clever. My fear that God will deny my prayer is the very thing that makes me avoid time with Him. But it’s the very thing I need in order to have peace and purpose in my life.  

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There are more answers that could come from the Question: What do we learn about God? But I want to hear from each of you, dear ladies, who are reading these blog posts. Please leave a comment with your thoughts on this passage and what God is revealing about Himself to you!    

Bethany Thomas is the Publicity Coordinator and a contributing writer for Shaken & Stirred. She is a daughter of God, a wife, and a dog mom. When not writing for the blog, you are most likely to find her reading a fantasy novel or crafting at her home in Sapulpa, OK.

Photo by Frank Albrecht on Unsplash