All these photos were taken by Meghan Weyerbacher in January 2023 (no filter!) I love the teals. God’s beauty takes my breath away. Such a refreshing little venture this weekend.
Would you please lift up my teenage son who is applying for a program at the high school this year? Pray God’s will be done and His continued guidance and teaching in my son’s life. I am so proud of him. He is musically inclined and writing stories seems to come naturally to him as well; he is on chapter nine of a book that he has been fleshing out for two years and he recently asked me to critique/edit what he had so far. He has ideas for beyond this project, and it sounds neat. My prayers as a mom is of course he does all things for God’s glory. I love him so. All my kids are special in their own way, and I take joy in having them in this nest for now.
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.”Romans 5:1-2 NASB1995
Over the past couple of days some of my prayers have been answered. And as I prepare to publish this I am amending to add, another prayer was just answered today. I am thankful that crossroads are not too big for God.
Being a naturally curious person, when what feels like a multiple-choice test presents itself, I want to circle them all, or knock on the preverbal door of my prayers to see if the Lord will choose for me.
What I sometimes forget is that I cannot mess up my life unless I am not seeking Him. Even when the prayers are answered, I praise Him; for without Him I would be nothing. Even beyond the answered prayer, He deserves my praise and worship wholeheartedly.
“Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face continually. Remember His wonders which He has done, His marvels and the judgments uttered by His mouth…” Psalm 105:4-5 NASB 1995
While I do not think God is genie-like at all, there are so many testimonies of His hand on people’s lives, revealing His deep generosity and Fatherness of His children. Just today a writer friend dropped by, and she was telling me about her family’s story, and it was only God that could have given them such a story.
Our Pastor says that’s when you know it’s a full-fledge miracle; when man didn’t have a part except for being there to receive.
No matter what the answer would have been of said prayers for direction which are the ones I am referring to in this post, I would still…
“…do all to the glory of God.”(see 1 Corinthians 10:31)
I hope if you find yourself in extra need in a certain area, or feel you are at crossroads, you will not faint but let faith kick in to do its job. We have been learning about the sovereignty of the Lord in church.
Voddie Bachaum says, “God is sovereign. Man is responsible.”
We move our feet–He directs our steps where they should actually end up!
Last week we enjoyed our second snow and celebrated my daughter’s eleventh birthday. We have a great women’s Bible study at church that has turned into multiple parts, and the men also; it is great to see people growing and stepping out.
Having coffee and tea with my son last week. Talking about life, and history (one of his favorite topics besides music.)
Taking the time this week to bask in how good God is whether we feel great about the outcome of things, our current circumstance, and taking the time to be with each kiddo in a unique way was a blessing.
I pray over each of you that you will have His peace going with you this week, no matter what. I am glad we get to talk aloud on the page about Him. It is a way to glorify Him over what may seem like unending trials. How we talk about things matters.
Link up below from 1/17 at 7PM CST to 1/23 at 7PM CST
I took a long break from regular blogging because we’d been going through some super trying times and extreme darkness that required me to step away from the screen. It was the opposite from the trying times in previous years that God used blogging to process through.
Then when I came back last year and adorned my beloved Wix site I realized all the fancy touches could not replace the community I had missed from before (no matter how hard I tried to get the comment feature to work–it would not).
Now that you have a bit of backstory as to my return–and I mean the skeleton version, haha–without further ado, I am jumping into FMF this week to kick off a new season.
Our word for this week is “RECEIVE”. I made a reel for next week and the word Kate gave us nailed it.
If you’re not familiar with Five Minute Friday, we take a word given and set a timer for five minutes, then stop when it’s over. Here goes!
Start:
I read Kate’s story about receiving and was shocked to see such similarities. I too had surgery (gallbladder removed) on Dec. 20th and could not do the normal tasks for a bit. I required assistance, which meant, at times I felt utterly helpless. I am thankful for a God who sent me a husband to help, and family and friends who care. Just yesterday I was chatting and admitting to my sister I find it hard to ask for help.
I am a first-born child and also just a helper in general, sometimes I overthink about others because I wonder what else could be done, though I know prayer is key. Intercession comes naturally. It courses through my veins. I want to give. But I also need to receive. This is not easy. It means I cannot put up a pretense as if I have it all together, not that I try.
Maybe being strong has even become a habit, eh?
I don’t like to be broken. To feel sad. I have overcome so much. I wonder if I let others in more than I’d like to, if they might think I am broken when I am not, so I keep a lot to myself and desire to receive from God straight from Himself, because the Word tells me man fails but He cannot. But to receive, maybe I need focus on the fact since He won’t let me down, even when I am vulnerable.
STOP.
Speaking of receive.
Today marked five years since this memory and then tonight my sister in Christ surprised us with extra from her kitchen. God is so good. I don’t feel like I deserve His love, but I know it’s not about me and how I feel, but about Him, His purpose, and that HE loves perfectly.
Have you ever battled with something as a believer in Christ, and wondered, “Why?!” You are not alone. Lately, I have been in Proverbs. I have bounced from chapter 14 through 20 and back again. Repeat.
As I sat and looked at the subtitles after reading and rereading, “Contrast the Upright and the Wicked” and “On Life and Conduct”, I kept coming back to the reality that we cannot do life without the help of the Holy Spirit.
It’s so important to come to the realization we were not meant to do life without God.
If we ever try and attain these traits, fruits, etc on our own we will fall, but I also think it’s safe to say even with His help we must feed our Spirit what will keep us strong because we can still be susceptible to falling since we are in these flawed human bodies.
I will admit, even with “doing all the right things” I still have battles in some areas, and I think this is the one fact that bothers me, is that until I receive my glorified body in Heaven with Christ there will always be things I want to better.
This is a great mindset to have but being one who is hard on oneself, I’ve had to stay near the cross knowing I need His help, that all things are in HIS time–including the lifelong process of sanctification, then visualize His ascension afterward to go out LIVE.
How do we faithfully live in imperfect bodies? It’s a daily march!
So please, don’t let yesterday’s issues flow into today, and know His Word is true. We can focus on what we’ve done wrong, how far we have to go–which can bog one down and make you feel like you’ll never get there–or we can focus on what Christ has done for us, who He is, what His way means and offers, and share our lives with this truth in love.
I don’t know about you, but when I write and talk about His goodness, I feel good. It’s like preaching to myself that hey, “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6 NASB1995
If you read the non-1995 version of the NASB it reads…
“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus.”
So, either way, we see that we do not need to be afraid that we will “never get to the finish line” because it is not us doing this work within us but the Holy Spirit.
What I am writing is for those of us who thirst and hunger for Him daily.Do not be dismayed of your daily need of Him but rejoice that you know and walk in the path of the Truth.
If you are looking for more Word in your life but don’t have as much time to read, I encourage you to check out the podcasts below hosted and co-hosted by Brother Nii Tsakle from our church, and our Pastor, Pastor Artae Washington. If you find them helpful, please share with others.
Also, if you have not, check out Pastor’s wife’s book, Broken Control. Alisa shares her journey as a young girl through adulthood of how God and God alone can heal even the deepest of wounds.
PODCASTS TO CHECK OUT
We are a reformed, Bible-believing Christian podcast that seeks to provide listeners with a deeper understanding of the teachings of the Bible and the foundations of the Christian faith. Each episode features engaging and thought-provoking discussions on various topics, including theology, church history, and the application of scriptural truth to our daily lives. We offer a welcoming and informative space to grow in your faith and understanding of God’s Word. Join us as we seek to be transformed by the renewing of our minds through the study of God’s holy and inspired Word. Click here to listen to The Authentic Brew.
Brother Nii Tsakle also has a solo podcast if you want to check it out below.
Welcome to Practically Unashamed, a podcast where we explore the life, teachings, and transformative power of Jesus. We invite guests to share their personal stories of how faith in Jesus has impacted their lives and how they’ve experienced his love and grace. We also delve into the teachings of Jesus and how they apply to our modern world, discussing topics such as forgiveness, compassion, and living a purpose-driven life. Whether you’re a seasoned Christian or just starting to learn about Jesus, this podcast is for anyone seeking to grow in their faith and relationship with him.
Have a great week!
WRITERS LINK UP BELOW 1/10 at 7pm – 10/16 until 7pm
Recently our internet went out and I know we weren’t the only ones as various storms swept through the US.
It turned out okay and perfect timing for this topic that I had prepared for specifically for the #WinteraryMonths series (Jan-Mar. 2023).
There’s only so much one can do in the cold season when not on a farm or near places to hike (yes, those are the top two reasons that come to mind for me to outside when I can see my breath…)–I will be sharing some fun and relaxing posts about things we are doing around here.
The things I will be sharing promote:
1) rest
2) learning/trying new things
3) something other than screen time (minus me sharing about it initially)
4) generosity
5) well-being
This idea of creating a no-internet fun basket didn’t come to me right away. I started off in Hobby Lobby trying to find a cross-stitch pattern so I could gift something handmade to someone I want to bless.
I really have desired to be able to step away from screens more, to fill my time with more meaningful activities, or nothingness for a chunk of time.
I don’t know about you, but when I free myself a wedge of time–not for being productive but solely for relaxation or enjoyment–I feel human again.
If there is some frazzledness going on, it seems to be a nice reprieve to have some peaceful activity to tend to. One that’s not demanding but slows down the time.
What started off as an idea for creating gifts to give away through the year and/or holidays turned into “how can we organize this and make it something desirable to reach for”?
We stopped at the Dollar Store recently and found tons of cute cards and a whole isle of stickers. Did you know they had one of those?
Needless to say, we spent the majority of our time in that isle. We saved a lot by checking there first rather than the mart, if you know what I mean.
I was shocked at how many quality stickers they carried. I won’t necessarily use them all for scrapbooking, but for mailing cards. A decade ago, this was something I wanted to do, but one of my character flaws is how much I think versus actually doing something I really want to do.
On Facebook recently I wrote about how this was–Lord willing–going to be the year of living outside of my head.
At home that night, my eldest daughter and I unwrapped each package and tucked them into an unused planter rather than a “basket”. It’s what I had and matches the nature-y theme in our home.
We wrote letters to someone on our hearts and prepared them for the mail this week. It was super fun and relaxing and took me back to before texting when things felt slower and more appreciated.
As you can see, we plan to do more of this, since one of my goals this year is to not only continue to take better care of myself for the sake of my family, but love others better in a way that touches them not necessarily elaborately, but more meaningfully.
Why is this a goal of mine?
Because life is short, I am realizing more and more, and as one who has never had a strong suit of watering relationships–yet wants to be a giver and less of a taker–I realize how I pour into others creatively and emotionally is another version of this, not just materialistically.
Some might say, well what about Spiritually? But I think as a disciple of Christ, that is already a given. Because when I meditate on scriptures like, “Do all you do unto the Lord,” life as a whole and the daily gems that make it up, are under this umbrella.
If my life is dedicated to Him, then everything I do is unto Him, and there is no categorical separation where this is over here, apart for Him and “that part of life.”
Rather, my Heavenly Father breathes on all I do, I pray, encompassing the temporal minute things with His eternal favor and beauty so that I can be “a city on a hill” wherever I am by leaving a trail of blessings where I tred.
My goal in life is to build others up, though I am not perfect in this and still catch myself when I am thinking or saying things that do not line up with this personal conviction.
Thankfully, I realize now this is not a weight to cry over but a reality to praise Him for, that I feel deeply and would rather choose to be movable clay than solid stone.
Christ Jesus is the only rock I want in my life, and I need Him daily. Even my wonderful-in-my-mind goals and doings are filthy rags compared to my Savior. I am okay with this and fully accept it.
Well, that’s all for today on the blog. If you want more content like this but something you can watch instead of read, consider subscribing to my new Youtube channel below by clicking my newly released Warmly, Meg Vlog Trailer. (Have mercy on me. I am newer to video editing, but I enjoy it so much and figure this is the best practice).
Have a great rest of the week and happy #Winterary.
Back when I first began blogging in 2015, like actually blogging, not the barely-knew-what-to-do-with-the-internet in 2008 when Facebook was being born and MySpace felt like an outer darkness chat room for bored people….
Many writers participated in a world-wide event. I always enjoyed these #OneWord posts because each person had a story behind how the word came about. I still to this day do not know any of you writers who came up with a word on a whim. Everyone has come to their word most thoughtfully, many prayerfully.
This is not a meaningless event nor a religious ritual.
#OneWord2023 is merely another way to tell His story through our fingertips.
How He is moving in our lives.
We do not limit Him to this #OneWord but through the year we see it, not because we are only focused on this, but usually because in the prior year, we saw it then and it has been confirmed a thing.
Allow me to dive into how my unplanned One Word post came to me from last’s night baking party at the Weyerbacher house.
We are so excited to be able to go gather with our church family today and eat after. Last night, we prepared the dessert and eggs for deviling, which my husband jokes is so unChristian. I would an emoji but I need more coffee and I am short on time as I need to still do the pigs in a blanket.
We bought an extra cookie sheet, Pioneer Woman of course because it was copper and more affordable than the others. Our cookie mix did not spread enough–we really needed two bags but used what we had.
The girls had a blast cutting the thick, cake-like cookies into shapes after they mixed their hot cocoa and got settled at the table.
Judah waited patiently for crumbs, but the story goes, later he jumped up where I had the tray of scraps from the edges and knocked a few down. Silly pup.
Meanwhile, I boiled eggs and after the girls balled up the chocolate chip cookie dough in batches, we swapped the trays out. It was a lot of juggling but very fun.
As I prepared this post, I thought about how we are continually being molded by the Lord into His purposes for us vessels. I thought about how I want to stay workable for Him–and be a vessel of honor that carries His light in a dark world. Don’t worry-Tay washed her hands after this scene.
A certain word has continued to pop up in my mind over the past couple days, even before making the cookies. I want to stay humble. Stay His, forever. I never want to think I know it all. I never want to try and erect myself as something I am not, or project myself larger than the One who made me.
I want to stay at His feet, knowing He saved me, and I cannot do life on my own without Him. I am in His hands. I am clay.
“…Shall the potter be considered as equal with the clay, That what is made would say to its maker, “He did not make me”; Or what is formed say to him who formed it, “He has no understanding”.
“…That men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun That there is no one besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other, The One forming light and creating darkness, Causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the Lord who does all these.
Drip down, O heavens, from above, And let the clouds pour down righteousness; Let the earth open up and salvation bear fruit, And righteousness spring up with it. I, the Lord, have created it.
“Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker— An earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth! Will the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you doing?’ Or the thing you are making say, ‘He has no hands’?
“Woe to him who says to a father, ‘What are you begetting?’ Or to a woman, ‘To what are you giving birth?’
Thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker:
“Ask Me about the things to come concerning My sons, And you shall commit to Me the work of My hands.”
The smell of cinnamon and barnwood filled the air of the house. The kids would walk in to a surprise in a few minutes–they were right behind us since we met mom and dad at my sister’s for dinner and were all piling up at the little “cabin”. We had not had a tree in two years and my friend helped us find one on sale.
It was the perfect style for our family, and really made the living room pop. I love trees, forests, the woods–whatever you want to call it–and evergreens are at the top of the list. When we talked of a tree, we figured we’d have to put it behind the couch, as our little living room has only so much room.
Little did we know, this would fit perfectly by our front door, next to the fireplace. The box did make it seem a bit larger, but I was thankful this time for the inaccuracy. We did not buy a tree topper but used my daughter’s top hat craft from the day she got to dress like a snowman.
So maybe you are behind like us, putting a tree up after Christmas–yay for half off sales–don’t sweat it. Do your thing as long as it doesn’t go against scripture or become an idol in your life. I’ve just now begun a chapter in my life and am very thankful to be thankful, joyful and peaceful by default now.
Sometimes it takes a lifetime to learn some lessons, and that’s okay. God doesn’t waste a thing. Isn’t Judah cute? He wanted a candy cane so bad….
We were so thankful mom and dad and the kids had safe travels, and that my parents got to stay the night. It was a special treat for sure that we will treasure. I enjoyed preparing blankets and pillows and making the area extra cozy. Coffee in the morning and taking dogs out to bark at birds in the fresh air was also enjoyable.
The kids truly had a good holiday break with their grandparents, and though it was so different without them for so long, I was grateful the Lord allowed them time during my surgery, and allowed my husband to be off for so many days so I didn’t have to rush the recovery.
God is in the details.
If you have family, treasure them. Make memories. Be thankful for each day, which is a gift. Don’t let mess ups and mishaps trip you up. Time does wonderful things with a heart postured at God’s feet.
Don’t compare, and don’t give regrets the time of day. Love big and forgive much. Create and contribute, share and dance. These are things that will teach louder than many words.
Thank you, Father, for those you put in my life and chose to raise me. May I be a blessing to others in return, to glorify you, ultimately. (This is Carrson, my new nephew whom I got to babysit last week…I am in love).
warmly, meg 