Have you ever considered what you would do if you were told you have one more week to live? Would you change how you spend your days? Is there anything you would not do? Is there anything you would start doing? As we come together this weekend to celebrate Resurrection Sunday let us take a look at what Jesus did as He became aware that His hour was drawing near and He had one week left on this earth.

The phrase "Pause is Power" coined by, American gymnast, Simone Biles has been ringing in my ears for the past couple weeks. It is an intriguing concept because life often finds a way to become overwhelmingly busy. You find yourself running from one activity to the next or from one meeting to the next. Can you relate with the back to back calls during the work day that do not even allow you to pause to use the bathroom? Or the pressing deadlines that seem to leave you with very little time to pull together a descent thought? Yes, you have set boundaries. Yes, you are saying no to activities. Yes, you are bowing out of activities. However, the empty timeslots quickly get filled with items outside of your control. Pause. This concept is not a new one, for God did establish the Sabbath because He knew we would need rest. God Himself, after creating all creation, gave Himself a pause, for He rested on the seventh day. Even while Jesus fulfilled His ministry on earth He paused. So how did Jesus pause? How does He call us to pause?

How desperate are we for wisdom? What lengths do we find ourselves going to receive good advice? Life is filled with tons of choices. For ourselves, we might be considering what career should I pursue or position / role should I earn? For our families, we may consider what neighborhood should we live in or what school district / community should we settle into and belong? The choices we have in this life are many. The Lord knew it would be so. 

Children are great avenues by which to learn. I often observe the lovely little people the Lord has placed in my life to learn more about human nature, myself, and God’s heart. When children are disobedient and deal with the consequences of that decision, as an adult it is easy for us to think well, “you did decide to disobey.” But are we as conscious of the consequences in our lives that are a result of sin in our own heart camps? Are we as ready to admit the validity of the situation? If children are not a medium by which you learn, the Lord gave us scripture which is useful for teaching, rebuking, correction and training us in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

I am dedicating this week's post to join together in prayer for the people of Ukraine. When two or more gather in Jesus' name He is in their midst. Holding on to this promise, I am asking you to read the following prayer and join me in crying out, to our Lord, that He may intercede on behalf of His people. This has nothing to do with politics or who is right or wrong. This has everything to do with the fact these are people that our loving God gave His one and only son for that they may have life and life more abundantly.