The Redeemed Rose

  A new year. A fresh start. Turning over a new leaf. So many of us look forward to better things to come as we turn that last calendar page over to reveal a clean slate. We long for better health, mended relationships, spiritual victories, and success in a myriad of other areas. So we make New Year's resolutions and vow that this year will be different...better somehow. But should we even make New Year's resolutions, and if so, how do we know they will stick? I typically do not make New Year's resolutions because I believe that if there is something I want to change in my life, I can do it any of the 364 other days of the year. There is nothing sacred or holy about January 1. If I want change that badly, why wait? I have made New Year's resolutions in the past (when I was younger), such as losing X amount of lbs. or exercising more. Most of those goals only lasted till the end of January, IF THAT!!  There is nothing wrong with wanting change for the better...

For next year, 2015, my goal is to memorize the book of Ephesians. It is one of my favorites that I go back to over and over again, and it is only 6 chapters. I do not share this goal to make you feel bad or make myself look like a super-Christian, because I'm not and there aren't any. I share it because I am 31 years old and tired of not having more Scripture committed to memory. I share it because my goal this year is to go deeper in what I have learned thus far, and not just heap up knowledge upon more knowledge that only puffs up the brain and doesn't change me on the inside, "always learning but never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth" (2 Tim. 3:7). Part of that is memorizing scripture. Don't get me wrong, I love to learn and I will continue to do so. I believe we should keep learning until we die. But I want to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 3:18) and be a tree firmly planted by streams of water (Ps. 1:3) with ...

  Have you ever wished for a “Redo” button? Have you ever had a day that started off so completely on the wrong foot that you wish you could just push a button and start over? You woke up tired because you didn't get enough sleep the night before, or the night before that, or the one before that! The stresses of the upcoming day are already pressing down on you. You are grumpy. The kids are running around wild. Not listening. Again. And then your sin rears its ugly head and you blow up. At the kids. At your husband. At anyone within sounding distance. That was my Monday morning. And there I was, trying to pick out my clothes so I could take my shower, and all I could do was cry in my closet. I already hated how things were going and it wasn't even 9AM. I hated my tiredness. I hated my grumpiness. I hated how I had sinned again by lashing out in anger (a sin I am constantly fighting). And I wished I could just back up the clock and start all over again. All of this is e...

  (Hebrews 12:1-4 ESV) [12:1] “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, [2] looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. [3] Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. [4] In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” It seems that everyday I struggle with the same sins over and over. Sometimes it is frustrating, sometimes it is discouraging, and other times I am in such despair that I break down crying and pleading for God to help me. I always ask, “Why do I keep on sinning?” And sometimes, “Why do I keep doing this same sin over and over? Shouldn’t I...

A short devotion on 1 Corinthians 15:56-57 from my morning reading 1 Corinthians 15:56-57 "The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." Sin is like a venom, a poison, that slowly seeps through the whole body, spreading to every vein and limb.  It will eventually be the death of us. (Rom. 3:23) But where does sin get it's power? Or simply put, why does it even matter if we sin? (56) "The power of sin is the law." If there was no law, no commandments, then sin wouldn't matter. Without a good there could be no knowledge of bad.  (Rom. 3:19-20, 5:12-13, 7:7-13) But there IS a perfect law, given by the perfect, holy, and just Creator and Judge of the Universe. And every offense against that law is the vilest act of treason against the Most High King and deserves the greatest of punishments. (57) "But thanks be to God who gives us victory through our Lord J...

Danielle Marie Lee (Olson) Welcher, Feb. 2, 1984 - May 3, 2014 On Saturday May 10th, I went to the funeral of my best friend of 10 years, Danielle. The theme that resounded throughout the service was how she lived a life that was totally sold out to Christ. In her Bible she wrote that she wanted to be a woman of grace and mercy. Her number one mission in life was to make the glory of God known through the face of Jesus Christ by sharing the gospel with others. She counted her life as nothing but an instrument in the Redeemer's hands and she wanted to serve God and others at any cost to herself . Program from Danielle's Home-going Celebration 30 goals from Danielle's Bible; she lived every one of them She was only 30 years old but every ounce of her life was filled to the brim and overflowing with passion for her God, which caused her to love and serve others with full abandon to what this world holds dear. Just as my husband John said ...

  Satan has been sowing seeds of deceit in my family. This is not surprising or unique to us because Satan is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44) and he prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Sometimes he uses the same old things; sometimes he uses the unexpected. For us it looks like a couple of different things right now. We are a single income family of 6, living paycheck to paycheck on a minister's salary, which is considered poverty level by our government. We are so thankful for God's good provision and we try our best to be good stewards of what He has given us. In the past, however, we acquired some credit card debt. It was not a matter of living frivolously or buying "extras" at Walmart that we didn't need, it was a matter of survival. God provided and we no longer have to use any credit cards and we are working toward paying the old cards off completely (praise The Lord)! We would like to start saving money, ...

When I get in a room of other women that I don't know very well, I'm not immediately uncomfortable. But then they start talking, and my insides start to squirm a little. This is what happened the last time I was at my Homeschool Co-op. But let me backup the story a little bit. I am 30 years old. I have been a Christian for 15 of those years. Christ, in his kindness, has sanctified me past the superficial, first impression uncomfortableness that we ladies tend to get when we gather -- you know, the "check-out-if-your-shoes-clothes-hair-makeup-physique-exceed-or-fall-short-of-the-other-women-in-the-room" routine.  God has graciously brought me to the understanding that He desires beauty on the inside (Proverbs 31:10; 1 Peter 3:3-4) and that my treasure is my Lord, not earthly possessions (Matthew 6:19-21). But back to the room full of women. When the conversation starts, what do women like to talk about: their kids, their homes, their hobbies, their husbands. This...