Welcome to Monday Minute With God.
A place to start the week right and tools to keep you in the Word all week long.
[/fusion_text][fusion_separator style_type=”none” top_margin=”” bottom_margin=”” sep_color=”” border_size=”” icon=”” icon_circle=”” icon_circle_color=”” width=”” alignment=”” class=”” id=””/][fusion_imageframe lightbox=”no” gallery_id=”” lightbox_image=”” style_type=”none” hover_type=”none” bordercolor=”” bordersize=”0px” borderradius=”0″ stylecolor=”” align=”none” link=”” linktarget=”_self” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” hide_on_mobile=”no” class=”” id=””]
[/fusion_imageframe][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container background_color=”” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”” padding_right=”” hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_2″ last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_title size=”1″ content_align=”left” style_type=”default” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]Meet Sara[/fusion_title][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_2″ last=”yes” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_imageframe lightbox=”no” gallery_id=”” lightbox_image=”” style_type=”none” hover_type=”none” bordercolor=”” bordersize=”0px” borderradius=”0″ stylecolor=”” align=”none” link=”” linktarget=”_self” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” hide_on_mobile=”no” class=”” id=””] 
[/fusion_imageframe][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container background_color=”” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”” padding_right=”” hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_text]“Ma’am, we are going to do everything we can to try and save your husband…”One sentence heard on one phone call just over 4 years ago and it changed my life forever.
I wasn’t on the ground that awful day in Afghanistan. I didn’t feel the blast, or smell the smoke, or see the faces of the brave men who were there.
My experience was something different, but like a movie that is on continuous replay–it plays over and over again in my head today (4 years later) as vividly as it did the day it happened.
I remember where I was, what time it was, the sinking feeling in my heart when I heard John’s voice briefly, and the moment my heart stopped when John passed out from pain and the medic on the line told me those words. Those words ring in my ears and stay on my heart today exactly the same way they did when I heard them.
My life, and the life of so many others were changed that day and none of us will ever be the same. I often ask myself, why? Why does God do the things He does? Why does He plan things the way He plans them? I don’t know. I can only trust that The Great Author of this story called “Life”, knows what He’s doing.
I am often asked, “How do you do it?” The answer is simple. I continue to hold on and fight for John and for my family because LIFE IS WORTH IT. You never know when your part in the story is over. I press on because of men like Tyler, John’s young driver who was killed that fateful day, who fought for something that they believed in. They would want it this way.
I hold on tight because the vows John and I said to each other before God mean something to me. Not that it is easy. There are days when I feel like throwing the towel in and giving up because this is just too hard.
Those are the moments when I feel God speak to me. “God is good all the time. All the time God is good.” I have said this many times, and I believe it with all my heart. In our lives we will have trouble, but we also know that we can go to the Lord for protection and comfort. He knows us intimately, and he still loves and cares for us deeply. Because he is so good, we can take refuge in him.
These 4 years have been like a roller coaster. More often than I like to admit, I wish sometimes I could get off. This ‘new’ way of life for our family has been the most challenging job I have EVER been tasked with. I have never prayed so hard, or cried out loud to Heaven at any other time in my life more than I have now.
Jeremiah 29:11 has been a verse that I go back to over and over again. “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 hope and a future.”
God is always calling us to follow him—in the good times and in the tough times.
He has also given us his word to encourage and inspire us when the road gets hard. Like Paul writes in Colossians 1:11, “May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy.” So even when we face the storms in our lives, God will always strengthen us and give us the endurance and patience with joy that we need.
June 9, 2012, an IED in Afghanistan took so many things from so many people. It took a life, it took a limb, it broke bones, shattered lives, and burned memories into the hearts and minds of those involved. Memories we would like erased. Yet that IED can’t take from us is how we, who are still on this earth, live our lives everyday.
For me, that means making the most out of every single day no matter how hard it is. I was told once by a wise army wife, “If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.” I remember that on the easy days and especially on the hard ones. John did not choose this new way of life and neither did I. My hope is that when my children look back on what we went through or when people talk about how we did it they will see that is wasn’t us at all that made it through this but rather a beautiful testimony of what God’s love for us truly is:
[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_images picture_size=”fixed” hover_type=”none” autoplay=”no” columns=”5″ column_spacing=”13″ scroll_items=”” show_nav=”yes” mouse_scroll=”no” border=”yes” lightbox=”yes” class=”” id=””][fusion_image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”http://plantingblogs.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/IMG_1553.jpg” alt=””/][fusion_image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”http://plantingblogs.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/IMG_1545.jpg” alt=””/][fusion_image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”http://plantingblogs.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/IMG_1550.jpg” alt=””/][fusion_image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”http://plantingblogs.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/IMG_1549.jpg” alt=””/][fusion_image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”http://plantingblogs.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/IMG_1548.jpg” alt=””/][/fusion_images][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container background_color=”” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”” padding_right=”” hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_imageframe lightbox=”no” gallery_id=”” lightbox_image=”” style_type=”none” hover_type=”none” bordercolor=”” bordersize=”0px” borderradius=”0″ stylecolor=”” align=”none” link=”” linktarget=”_self” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” hide_on_mobile=”no” class=”” id=””]A raw, unconditional, never ending, sweet LOVE.
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Read 2 Timothy 1:7-9
7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.
Those verses encourages us to live a life of power. We have the power in us to be bold and courageous and fulfill the purpose to which we are called. Sara shared in her testimony how she taps into that power again and again. This helps her fulfill the calling in her life: being John’s wife.
- What are some of the attributes of the spirit that God gave us according to 2 Tim. 1:7?
- According to verse 8 how are we to view our sufferings?
- What is our ultimate purpose according to verse 9?
Here are a few steps you can follow to tap into this amazing power:
- Admit you need it (2 Cor, 12:9)
- Acknowledge God’s presence (1 Chron. 16:11-12)
- Align with God’s will (John 15:5)
