Keep Going!

So, this past August I ran a 5K…it was my very first 5K in 10 years, and not just normal years…years of either being pregnant or breastfeeding.  No joke.  In my pre-kid era, I loved to run and actually went to the gym…yikes, it’s been even longer since I’ve been in a real gym!!!  I digress…lol.

The day of the race came and I started feeling a bit unprepared.  I mean, I had trained…as much as one that has 4 young kids and a part time job can.  I had a goal set.  I wanted to run the whole thing, without walking and under a certain time.  

It was pretty crazy what happened during the race. There were 4 pretty specific things that I remember the Lord depositing in my spirit during the race, and I thought I would share with all of you :) 

1.  Do it, even if you’re alone or scared.

You see, I was going to be running this race with a dear friend of mine…someone to encourage me, run next to me when I was tired, to laugh together with when we both got passed up by people much older than us…lol.  But, unfortunately, she got sick and wasn’t able to run that night.  

2.  There will be people along the way to encourage you!

 And there were.  There were people cheering me on from the sidelines, my family along with others I had never met before.  Conversations were had that I may have never had before with other runners.  

3.  You can encourage others, even if you’re just a beginner.

Toward the end of the race, when things got hard. It was super-hot and at one point there was a STRONG sewer smell. I realized that I could still encourage others.  Even though I was struggling and needed some encouragement myself…I could choose to focus my attention on others and encourage them.  Even though I was a beginner.

4.   It may be hard to keep going full speed ahead when you don’t know what’s coming next…but keep going!

To run full speed, not knowing the course.  Not knowing if a steep hill is coming or some terrible smell that will make you hold your breath for a time.  (Have I mentioned the smell?!?!)  Not knowing where the finish line is or exactly how much further you have to go.

All of the above speaks volumes to me about our spiritual walk.  We’re all on this journey, this walk of faith…and some of us, we’re having to do it alone.  We thought we had someone to walk with us through this life, but turns out…for one reason or another…we’re alone.  If that’s you, be encouraged…and keep walking this faith journey!  Do it, even if you’re alone and even if you’re scared.  It’s so, so worth it.  And really, you’re not alone…God is right there with you every step of the way.  His Holy Spirit is in you…yes, IN you…to guide and direct and comfort.  There truly is no greater gift.

For this very reason, God gave us the church.  If you’re plugged into a life giving church, there will be people along the way to support, love, and encourage you.  And if you’re not…find one!!!  If you don’t know where to start, email us and tell us where you live.  We may be able to hook you up with the name of a church in your area to check out!  

Even though you are going through a hard season in life, or maybe you’re new to this whole faith journey…you can still encourage others!  You can breathe life into other people despite your circumstances, and in turn it will breathe more of Christ into you.  

In life, the hills get steep and the valley’s, they can be LOW.  The pits we may find ourselves in…may feel like they don’t have enough air to breathe.  From this 5K I learned, even though we don’t know exactly what is coming next…what lies ahead or exactly when the season is going to be over…God knows.  And…let me let you in on a little secret…He already has the victory.  Did you see that?  VICTORY.  Yes, that’s right…He already has the VICTORY, so that means YOU already have the victory!!!!  When you know the God of the entire universe goes ahead of you and fights your battles for you, there is no need to fear what’s next.  

So, KEEP GOING!!!  FULL SPEED AHEAD…knowing, you already have the victory, in Jesus!

Now, go on…run your race…with full confidence in the One who has full confidence in you.

 "Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!" Hebrews 12:1-3 (MSG)

Post by: Jennifer Goebbel

To read more from Jennifer, visit her blog at: Striving No More

Quieting the Noise

It was a pretty stressful morning trying to get out of the door on time. A few things popped up that needed my immediate attention so I got out of the house a bit late. We were out of coffee at home so I stopped at my closest drive through coffee place. As I paid for my dark roast with extra cream, the barista said with a concerned look on her face, “You look really tired, if you don’t mind me saying.”

I remember realizing that I didn’t have my makeup on yet. I had to save that for the five minutes I usually have in the parking lot before heading into work.  I don’t really remember my response to the barista because that’s when I started letting all the noise in.

Please hear me when I say this, it is not about the barista’s comment. I honestly think she was genuinely concerned about my apparent lack of sleep. What I am writing to you about today, is more about the heart.

I let that little comment stress me out even more. As I let that settle in, more things started bubbling up. “People always tell me I look sick or tired when I’m not wearing any makeup. But do I really look that awful? I guess I better put some extra concealer today!” Then I started thinking about unrelated things. In fact, for the first half of my day I ruminated on all the things. Then it hit me!

“I have been obsessing over all these unimportant things because of one offset comment… from a stranger…”

This changed the course of my thought process. I decided I could get mad about the comment, or I could remind myself of how God sees me and what He wants for me.

You see I was letting in all the noise and it was distracting me from my purpose that day. It is so easy for us to let the noise of the outside world (and even our inner world) distract us from what God wants us to do. We can even let it distract us from just spending time with God.

On this particular day it was an innocent comment, but it can be anything. A status online, a paragraph in a book or scene in a movie. A look from a stranger or even your teenager, lol. All of this is noise, it can be louder than the truth and it will bombard us if we let it. But here are some things I like to do when my head and my heart get too noisy:

Listening to God’s Word being read. (Yes, there’s an App for that, lol!) 

Closing my eyes while quietly listening to my favorite life giving worship songs.

Calling a friend who will speak life and pray with me.

Detoxing from social media.

Smiling at a stranger.

Casual coffee with a friend.

Doing something special for someone I love.

These things help me remember who I am, Whose I am and what I am here for. It’s my prayer that some of these suggestions help you too!

So, I’d love to know... What are some things you do when you need to quiet the noise? Or what helps you recognize when other things are too loud? Let us know in the comments!

Post by: Jimmie Lee DiIanni

From One Momma To Another...

I had the awesome opportunity to attend the Encourage / North Country Open House for new parents a couple weeks ago.  As I sat among the mommas-to-be with adorable baby bumps and others snuggling new babies, I remembered those early days of parenthood.  I did the math and it has been ten years since I was pregnant with my first baby. That’s a DECADE ago!  When they say that the “days are long but the years are short”, when you have a baby, it is so true...

But Marcy from ten years ago probably would not have believed it.  She was too busy reading every baby book she could.  She was tracking her pregnancy through “What to Expect When You’re Expecting”. And when that wasn’t enough, there were always plenty of blogs and articles to read up on. (Thanks Google.)

You know, you can read every blog, book, and magazine about parenting there is but nothing really prepares you for when they wheel you out the door of the hospital and you load that precious newborn into the car to head home.  It’s a bit daunting realizing the nurses aren’t there to help you at 3 a.m.  Most likely, something will come up with that little bundle of joy that you just can’t find an answer to in that stack of baby books. (I.e. why won’t he/she stop crying?!?!?)

And so that leads me to this piece of advice...  You are not in this alone.  The days are long.  And hard.  And very often, filled with more tears on your part than your baby’s!  (Sleep deprivation and changing hormones are a powerful force my friends.)  Remember that you and your husband are a team.  It will be you and him asleep in bed together, both pretending it is not your turn to get up with the baby for what seems like the twentieth time in the middle of the night, lol! It will be the both of you that your baby will save special coos and smiles for.  And it will be the both of you that will be picking up binkies and getting spit up on. 

You are a team.  That means both of you play an integral part and you both work together for the good of the team.  For me and my husband, that meant we both got up at night when the baby cried but switched off who fed her and who changed her.  For us, this was the best way to quiet our baby, feed her, and get her back to sleep. We were like a NASCAR pit crew with diaper changes and bottle preparation! And, bonus, whoever was on diaper duty, got to go right back to bed! (Let’s be honest, who is able to sleep through a screaming baby, knowing your partner is struggling to change a diaper and get the baby fed?!)

And you know what every team needs? A coach! Your team will need guidance, wisdom, instruction, and encouragement!  I just happen to know someone who is the PERFECT Coach and Father.  He knows you, your partner, and your baby – even better than YOU do!  Or course I am talking about God! You are not in this parenting gig alone.  God is with you every step of the way!  He is cheering you on and instructing you in the way you should go!

“The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.  I will advise you and watch over you.” Psalm 32:8 (NLT)

“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ear will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21 (NIV)

I distinctly remember being terribly sleep deprived with my third baby.  Just the exhaustion of recovering from being pregnant and having a baby is tough, but I also had two other little ones to take care of as well. On top of that, neither one of them were very fond of naps or sleeping through the night.  I recall sneaking into the bedroom to nap while my newborn was napping and my husband was entertaining my two older girls.  They were loud in that oh so special toddler way and I was just so, so tired.  Think of the time that you were the most exhausted you have ever been in your life.  Now multiply that by ten and that, my friends, is how tired I was!  I prayed, no, literally begged Jesus for sleep.  God met me in that moment and my eyes closed.  I think that may have been the sweetest, most restful nap of my life.

Don’t be afraid to ask God for what you need in the moment.  Don’t think a request for a nap is selfish or silly.  God wants to meet your needs.  He wants to help you be the best mom or dad you can be.  If that means praying your baby sleeps an extra ten minutes so you can shower or asking God to show you the best way to calm your baby down – go for it!  After all, no one knows your little one better that the One who created that tiny miracle.

“How gracious God will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you.” Isaiah 30:19 (NIV)

So you and your husband are a team. God is your Coach. Well, who is cheering you on??  All of us!  Your family, your friends, your church family.  We are all here for you!  We are your wildest fans!  We are lifting you up in prayer.  We are encouraging you at every twist and turn. And we are bringing you food.  (Because new parents are tired.  Y’all need a good casserole, you know, to keep your strength up, lol!)

Seriously, your “fans” are going to be there for you too!  Grandparents will want to rock their grandbabies.  (Side note new parents: that is when you NAP.  Have I clearly stated how important naps are yet?! Ha!) Family and friends will be on your doorstep with gift bags and smiles!  (And even better, with take-out!) Your church family will be so excited to see you bring your little one through the doors of West Ridge for the very first time! 

Another side note: it is no secret, those Bunny Room Volunteers in North Country LOVE babies!  I think the awesomeness of the Bunny Room is one of the reasons North Country is so special.  There are plenty of people to snuggle your baby and to read them Bible stories all while Christian music plays in the background.  Plus, when you drop off your little peanut in the Bunny Room, then you are able to really focus on worship and the message in the Sanctuary. Which allows God to pour into you, thus making you able to pour out what God has given to you.  Essentially, it’s a win-win for everyone!

So to all you couples expecting babies and those of you who are new parents, remember, you are not in this by yourselves!  You have God, you have each other, and you have all of us!  The days will be long, the years will be short.  In ten years you will look back on these days and remember what a blessing they truly were. You will smile and remember... You were never alone.

 Post by: Marcy Gates

What Mom Really Needs to Hear

I wanted to take a moment to encourage you on this Mother's Day weekend. No matter what season of motherhood you are in I think we all could use a little encouragement as women. Maybe your vision of motherhood has turned out exactly the way that you thought it would. Or maybe your vision of motherhood looks nothing like you planned. Either way I think being a mother refines us and sanctifies us. We grow, mold and shape not only our children but also ourselves. I know for myself I've grown and changed and matured through each child birth and through each stage as my boys are growing and maturing. 

So I asked myself... What do I need to hear in this season of life as a mother?  And I thought, if I need to hear this there are others out there who may just need to hear it too...

So here it goes:

You really are enough. Everything that you pour out every day is enough. The tears, sleepless nights, hugs, brushing teeth, combing hair, listening ears, dishes, dirty floors, praying with your little ones, crying over your teenagers, asking God for help whenever you feel like you can't go on... All of it is enough. You wake up every morning and your family is the first thing on your mind. You go to bed at night and they are the last thing you think about before you drift off to sleep. You put it all in God's hands every day. And it is enough! Every dance party in the kitchen, Barbie dolls hair brushed and Legos built, it's all enough.

You are enough because He is enough. He is your strength and your peace.  He is your love and your joy. He looks at you and He calls you beloved. 

He gave you the children that you have because He knew that you are the mother that they need. So when you worry or wonder if you're doing it all right, if it's all enough... Remember that it is, because God brought you all together and He called it good!

So on this Mother's Day 2017 remember that everything you pour out into your family is enough!  You are doing a good job mama, grandma, sister, aunt, friend! 

“Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.” Proverbs 31:28 (NIV) 

Post by: Jimmie Lee DiIanni

Cranky Pants

I was already in a hurry when I opened up my jewelry box to pick a necklace to wear before I headed out the door to run errands. I reached for one, but after second thought, I selected another. And, apparently I put my cranky pants on that morning too.  I was in a grumpy mood for sure.  A few nights of the one of my kids interrupting my sleep with bad dreams, combined with fluctuating hormones (you know what I’m talking about ladies, lol!), on top of wrapping up a week of my girls home all week from school on spring break, and I was not a happy camper.  My hopes of spending Good Friday at home, reflective on the weight what the day represented, were dashed.  Now I had to run to the store and grab a gift for a birthday party the next day.

I hurriedly said goodbye to my family and hopped into the car.  You all know, I have a habit of praying in the car.  That day was no different.  I knew as I drove that I needed to shake that bad attitude.  So as my car zipped down the road, I prayed.  I thanked the Lord for the day, for the great sacrifice made on my behalf – Jesus dying on the cross. And I asked Him to correct my attitude:  “Lord, please show me who I can bless today.  Show me who I can pray for.  Show me who I can love on and encourage. Take this crankiness away from me and replace it with joy...”

I finished up my prayers, pulled into the store parking lot, and got out of the car.  That’s when I noticed her.  She was sitting on a bench all by herself.  As I walked closer to her, I heard the whisper of the Holy Spirit, “Take your necklace off and give it to her.”

Isn’t funny how God works? I literally just finished praying to bless someone and immediately this opportunity presented itself! That didn’t mean my heart didn’t start pounding as I nervously slipped off the necklace. I held it in my (possibly sweaty, ha!) hand as I got closer to the lady on the bench.

But as I approached the woman, I heard her, speaking loudly, confidently.  She was speaking with authority.  I thought for a second that she was talking to someone on the phone.  After a closer look, I realized... She wasn’t on the phone.  She was PRAYING! Trust me when I say this lady was approaching the throne with boldness!  She was on that bench, eyes closed, pouring out her heart to her Father.

With my heart still pounding, I gently placed my hand on her shoulder, closed my eyes, and agreed with her in prayer.  When she finished and we said, “Amen.” I handed her the necklace and told her that I wanted to bless her with it.  That I wanted her to have it.  She gave me a look of gratefulness and asked me to sit next to her on the bench.

She asked me if she was praying right, if she was praying enough.  I assured her that yes, it seemed to me that she was praying just fine.  I reminded her that we should always be praying. But whenever she was able to pray, that the Lord was always happy to hear from her. Then this sweet young lady asked if she could pray for ME!

I thought for a second, “What do I need prayer for? Crankiness? That’s kind of silly to ask someone else - a stranger even - to pray about my bad mood.” But then I felt another nudge from the Lord and the words just spilled out of my mouth.

“You could pray about my mood.  I’ve been kinda cranky today and I’d rather not be.” I replied.

My new prayer partner got to work!  We held hands on that bench and closed our eyes as she began to pray for me.  Cars drove by.  I’m sure people walked by too, wondering what in the world was going on.  But it didn’t matter.  As my newfound friend thanked the Lord for setting up this “Divine Appointment”, I was so grateful I had asked the Lord for what I needed – an attitude adjustment! And I was so glad I listened to that still, small voice and been obedient to the Lord. 

“For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:20 (NKJV)

I left that “Divine Appointment” and my whole day was different!  The crankiness had disappeared and a wave of joy came over me.  I returned home to my family renewed and refreshed, excited to share with everyone what had happened.  God had totally turned around my attitude and it was amazing!

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” Galatians 6:10 (NIV)

Post by: Marcy Gates

Holding the Hand of a Friend

Several times, I have heard Pastor John or Pastor Erik talk about the kids worship in North Country at West Ridge. Since my husband is the drummer for the worship team, I have somewhat of an inside scoop and he often tells me I should pop in and experience how the kids worship. I finally took him up on his offer and sat in during kids worship one week. I sat in the back, because that’s how I do, and observed the kiddos singing praises to God. During a slower song I caught this beautiful picture that made me tear up.

I look up and see two little girls standing next to each other holding hands and swaying together. I know these sweet girls on somewhat of a personal level and as I watched them my heart was so filled with joy and I thought to myself, “This is what I want my friendships to look like!” And then I snagged a little video to share with their momma’s because I mean… come on!

I am sure I am not the only one who struggles with friendships. Especially in adulthood. When you are 9, friendships can be mostly easy. As you get older friendships get harder. Am I right? I want to be the type of friend who stands beside you and holds your hand, just because. Hand holding looks different in adult friendships though.

It looks like bringing someone a meal or watching her kiddos because she needs sleep to heal.

It looks like staying after service so she can cry with you because she isn’t sure how she can move past this hurt, the one that blind-sided her.

It looks like a coffee date in her “messy” house because she needed a listening ear or just some adult time.

It looks like ordering pizza at 10:00 at night because she had an incredibly difficult day and you are the one that understands.

It looks like a card sent in the mail just because you are thinking of her. Or a text message with that verse God gave you.

It looks like sitting with her on her floor while she sorts two weeks worth of laundry because she wants to spend time with you but… life!

Holding hands as an adult can look drastically different than at 9 years old, but the heart is just the same. The heart says I am here, right beside you, doing life and it’s a joy!

In Exodus 17 it tells the story of Moses having to hold his arms up to win a battle being fought by the Israelites. Not an easy task, such is life. I remember learning about this story in the context of friendship and it struck a chord with me. In verse 12-13 you see that Aaron and Hur come along side Moses to help him hold up his arms, they stay that way until sunset and the Israelites are victorious. Without friends like Aaron and Hur, Moses would have failed and the battle would have been lost. I don’t know about you, but I am thankful for the Aaron’s and Hur’s in my life when I just can’t hold my arms up any longer.

“By yourself you’re unprotected. With a friend you can face the worst. Can you round up a third? A three stranded rope isn’t easily snapped.” Ecclesiastes 4:12 (MSG)

I would like to leave you with this... There was a time in my life when I felt like I didn’t have these types of friendships. And maybe you are feeling that way as you read this. I would like to encourage you to ask God to send these friends to you, to reveal them to you. He did it for me. He will do it for you! 

Post by: Jimmie Lee DiIanni

Who Do You Love The Most?

“Who do you love more, Mommy?”

My oldest daughter used to throw this question out at me daily when she was a few years younger.  Only fifteen months separate her and her middle sister; a three year gap between her and her youngest sister. Competition for mom’s attention was fierce in the preschool/toddler days.  (It kinda still is.) She was seeking an edge. A way to one up her little sisters.  Bragging rights of being “Mom’s favorite”.

And moms, we get this question so often from our children! You probably don’t even blink before spouting out, “I love you all the same!” Because, really, we do.  There’s no way you could possibly pick one child over another if you happen to have more than one kiddo in your family. Sure, there might be moments in your day when you might feel a bit closer to one child because perhaps, they were the only one who was behaving well that morning or maybe they were extra cuddly with you that afternoon.  For example, when little Susie dumps a whole bottle of yellow mustard on the neutral carpeting in her bedroom and doesn’t tell anyone. (Ahem, ahem.  Not that I would know from experience.) You may struggle with what just happened, but a second later, she hugs you and all is right again. 

But this time, when my daughter asked me the question, I didn’t give her the usual “mom answer”.  This time I took a minute and with the prompting of the Holy Spirit, I responded...

“Honey, I love Jesus the most.”

She looked at me puzzled. In her mind, Jesus wasn’t even an option. 

“But what about daddy?” she asked me.

“Sweetheart, I love daddy, and you, and your sisters too!  But I love Jesus the most.  Jesus died for me.  Jesus loves me more than you do, more than your sisters do, even more than daddy does! And you know what else?  The Bible tells me that I’m supposed to love Jesus the most.  Because if I don’t keep Jesus first, everything else in my life will fall apart.  I wouldn’t be a good mommy.  And I wouldn’t be a good wife to daddy. And that wouldn’t be good at all, right?”

She looked at me and let it all sink in for a second. 

“Does Daddy know?”

“Yes, baby, he knows.  In fact, Daddy loves Jesus more than he loves me too! And that’s fine with me.  That’s exactly how it should be.”

She pondered this thought for another minute...

“Ok,” my daughter exclaimed and bounced off on her merry way.

How about you ladies?  Who do you love most?  We have been learning at West Ridge through the “Better Together” Series that we need to keep God first, then our husbands, then the kids, and everything else comes after that.  So let me just ask... Is Jesus coming first in your heart?

I’m not perfect.  I struggle sometimes making God a priority when my day is full of running errands, laundry, homework, meal prep, cleaning the house (ok, I’m exaggerating about the cleaning the house part, lol!), sports practices, and sometimes more! But my relationship with God is important to me.  I want to keep Him first.  So if the laundry doesn’t get done because I need to spend some quiet time alone with my Lord, so be it.  The time I spend reading the Word and praying builds my relationship with God, keeping me focused on Him.  And that is not a waste of time in the least.  Just like any relationship, it can’t grow deeper unless you put time into it, making sure to talk and listen, giving it the proper place in your life. 

You know, it’s true, if God doesn’t come first...  If Jesus isn’t #1.... everything else will crumble.  You won’t be the best wife, or mother, or employee... You will not be the best YOU that you can be!  You will be distracted, unfocused, exhausted, ineffective, fearful...  I could go on but I think you get the picture. 

Sweet friends, I want to encourage you today if God isn’t your first love, consider doing some shuffling in your heart.  Your husband, family, career will only benefit from coming up second, third, fourth place to our Savior.  When we seek God first, giving Him the proper place in our lives, HE will take care of the rest!

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you.” Matthew 6:33 (NIV)