On December 26, we loaded up - our family of 6 and Ron and Em (my in-laws) - and we headed to the family farm. We went out there to see some extended family; wanting to spend time together before my mother and father-in-law would leave for Rochester. They would head there the following week for Ron to have a stem cell transplant at the Mayo Clinic.

We had such a sweet afternoon at the farm. It is a favorite memory of mine before they left. Ron loved being out at the farm. He loved a farm girl (my mom-in-law) and he loved all the farmers that came along with her. In fact, although Ron was a life-long learner and educator, I think his first job was that of a farmer.
Ron was a farmer and the many people who attended his prayer service and memorial service a few weeks ago, as well as the many who couldn't attend but sent cards and stories, are a testimony to the success of Ron's farming.

Ron impacted many lives. It was his habit. Like a good farmer, he was intentional with everything he did. He was an intentional relationshiper; intentional in his relationship with Jesus, his relationship with his wife, kids and grandkids, and intentional in every relationship he had.

There is a story in the bible about a farmer; it's called the Parable of the Sower and the farmer in this story reminds me of Ron.
This farmer scatters seed on 4 different kinds of soil.  In fact, some of the seed actually falls on a path.  Now, any farmer could tell you that you don't waste seed on the gravel road, but this farmer does. The seed he scatters lands on a path, it lands on rocky soil, weedy soil and good soil. Now, if we were simply talking about soil, that would seem a little short sighted on the part of the farmer. Why, after all, wouldn't you just scatter the seed on the known good soil? But we're not really talking about soil…we're talking about human hearts. Jesus was always concerned about the heart. Ron Messelt planted seeds in every heart he connected with - on purpose.

By his words and his actions, people knew they were loved, cared for, that they mattered and they could make a difference. Ron faithfully planted seeds everywhere, never judging the heart of the person he was with, because he knew he was not in charge of making the seeds grow…he was simply in charge of planting them.

From there, like every good farmer, Ron trusted. He trusted in Jesus; trusted Jesus for his salvation and He trusted Jesus to grow the seeds of faith and love for God that he planted in each heart. He was a good farmer and the success of his farming was obvious in the sheer number of lives he impacted.

​So the question is, what kind of soil is your heart?
       Is your heart feeling like a path - a gravel road? Does it feel so hard that nothing good could possible penetrate it? When the Word of God falls on your heart; when HOPE is presented - does it feel like it just gets snatched away? Pray. Ask God to do the work of softening your heart; picking out the stones and stirring up the ground until the good soil is on top. Put your hope in Him.
       Is your heart feeling like rocky soil? Peoples' thoughts about faith and your own lack of understanding is stealing your desire to step forward in faith and receive the Word of God for your life? Ask God to soften your heart, pull out the rocks and plant some flowers. Put your trust in Him.
       Is your heart feeling like weedy soil? Do the worries and pressures of this life choke off any amount of faith you can muster? Cast your cares and your worry on God and put your faith in Him.
       Is your heart feeling like good soil? Allow the Word of God to impact you daily. Make your relationship with Jesus your first priority. Live every aspect of your life - relationships to vocation - for Christ and His glory.

My father-in-law experienced his Day of Victory (the day he went home to be with the Lord) on February 22, but the fruit from his farming will be harvested for decades to come. I can only hope the same can be said of my own life one day. How about you?
​
John 12:24 "Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, I produces many seeds."

​Late in the summer, I was able to get out on the golf course with my oldest son, Josh.
We were having fun. Emphasis on were.
It was that afternoon that I learned a very practical and important lesson.
Golf both reveals and forges character.
A couple of bad shots and things went from fun to frustrating!
A few more bad shots and things went from frustrating to ugly.

Character was both revealed and forged.
It's unavoidable and it's not just the game of golf.
It's life.
 
Take Moses for example.
Raised in the palace of Pharaoh, Moses didn't need to have a care in the world - but God reminded Moses where he came from.
Born an Israelite and raised an Egyptian, the treatment of the Israelite slaves began to eat away at Moses.
One day, the brutal treatment of one Egyptian slave driver toward an Israelite slave was too much.
Moses murdered the Egyptian slave driver and hides his body in the sand.
Character revealed.
 
It would seem that might be the end of the story for Moses. It might even seem Moses failed.
But throughout life, where God reveals character He also forges it.
Forge: to shaped, fashion or make.

Moses ran to Midian where he marries and spends the next 40 years as a shepherd.
For 40 years God forges Moses' character; making him into the man God wants to use to deliver the Israelites from the hand of Pharaoh.
A man who would trust and obey God.
A man who would walk in faith.
A man who would point to God.
A man who would seek the approval of God above all else.
A man who would give grace as he had received it.
 
On their journey, God gives Moses many character revealing opportunities.
On their journey together, God gives Moses many character forging opportunities.
This revealing and forging goes hand-in-hand; one rarely happens without the other.
 
So, what about you? What in your life is revealing and forging your character?
Golf both reveals and forges character.
You could replace "golf" with anything.
Soccer.
Bad haircuts.
Picky eaters.
Busy schedules.
Sleepless nights.
Sick kids.
Not getting what you expected (wanted).
Chronic pain.
Anxiety.
Injury.
Cancer.
 
Everything in our lives - big or small - trial or victory - reveals and forges character.
This is how God works. He's into growing you and me.
In God's eyes, if you're not growing you're dying.
It's not growth for growths sake. There is an end goal.
The goal: to make us more like Jesus.
Unfortunately, becoming more like Jesus doesn't usually happen through the easy and fun - it happens through the frustrating and the ugly.
It happens through the bad haircuts (or the home perm gone awry in middle school!), the picky eaters, the busy schedules, the cancer, the chronic pain, the anxiety and the depression, the thoughts of worthlessness, the disappointments, the sleeplessness, the loss.
 
(fill in the blank) reveals and forges character.

I leave you with a few questions:
How's God forging and revealing character in you?
Are you working with Him or against Him?
Do you look more like Jesus today than yesterday?
 
I want to be more like Jesus. If that's the case, I know it will mean having my character revealed and then forged.
 
In all this, I hold on to this promise:
"we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." Romans 5:3-5
 
May whatever it is you are enduring, whatever way your character is being revealed and forged; may it cause you to turn to Jesus and put your hope in Him - that you might become more and more like Him. 

Ah, a moment to sit and write.
It's been awhile. I've had a few people jokingly ask me why I haven't written lately!
Things are busy here…but SO good.
I have started many new posts and they have gone unfinished.
 
I started writing about how funny it is that the Pope is such a rock star and Jesus is so offensive. All the Pope is doing is trying to be like Jesus and encourage others to do the same.
 
I started writing one about abortion and how the desire for a baby does not determine it's "babiness."  But to be honest, I am too sleep deprived and short on long stretches of time to thoughtfully write about the heartbreaking fact that so many see abortion as the only option for an unplanned pregnancy.
 
I started writing a post about the summer we just had and the incredible number of times I sat back and just wanted to hold onto a moment forever. We had so many joy-filled times - with both family and friends that I just want to praise and thank God for them. Bless the Lord.
 
But today, I want to testify to God's faithfulness.

I was invited to lead worship for our church's Fall Retreat for junior high students.
A few years ago, I decided that leading worship was something I could always say "yes" to (as long as it worked for our family), because it is something God has called me to do. Despite having a 3 month old and 3 other kiddos, I said "yes." It meant we all got to go out to the beautiful Castaway Club in Detroit Lakes, MN.
 
It is true that I have been a Director of Student Ministries before - in what seems like another life - but I was nervous.
As soon as I said yes to this opportunity to serve God, I immediately thought, "Oh Lord, what did I just get myself into?" And then came the host of excuses and fears:
I don't even know what junior high kids are like anymore.
How can I possibly relate to these young people?
I don't think I'm goofy enough anymore.
What if they don't like what I'm wearing?
What if they don't think I'm cool?
 
And there I was…back in junior high! Or at least the days of youth ministry when I would go have lunch with students at school and worry about who I would sit with!  Ahh, how our insecurities can keep us off center!
 
I was relying on God for this one.
My family came out with me - my husband being the most supportive spouse on the planet and best dad ever - watched our kids while I got to lead 250 junior high students in the worship of the One True God!
Let me tell you, God totally showed up. The students sang, they worshiped, they heard the Word of God spoken into their lives and they were encouraged to step out in faith and live lives worthy of the calling they have received in Jesus.
 
All of this to say:
God is faithful.
He alone drew these students to Himself and prepared them for what they would experience.
He used many faithful adults who are passionate about Him, love kids and desire to help them know Him more. I'm guessing most of us felt ill-equipped for a weekend surrounding the topics of sex, drugs, alcohol and self-harm; yet God is faithful.

At the end of the weekend, after the students heard about God's pursuing grace and how it gives them a fresh start, they walked down to the beach. At the waters edge, these students knelt down with their leaders, faithful adults who spent their weekend praying for and interacting with these students, and they received the renewal that comes when the grace of God pours into your life.
God is faithful.
In my doubts,
In my questions,
In my second-guessing,
In my fears
In my trials,
God is faithful.
Why is He faithful? Because it's not about me...it's about Him.
 
Because God is faithful, we don't have to wonder how much these students will put into practice all that was taught or how it will impact their lives; God's word promises that His words will not return void; they will accomplish the purpose for which He sent them. 
God is able and God is faithful.

The other day, I was sitting in a chair feeding our new little man and his big brother picked up my book, sitting on the nightstand and said, "Bible."
Then, he held it to his chest and said, "gress the ward."
Which in 2 year old language means, "Bless the Lord."
Melt my heart.
Yes…bless the Lord.
He can be caught singing this song or saying this phrase multiple times a day.

It's as if he knows we can bless the Lord in any and every situation, no matter the circumstance.

When Asher John joined our family on June 18, the song "Bless the Lord (10000 Reasons)" by Matt Redman was playing on our "hospital playlist." It brought tears to my eyes seeing our new little guy for the first time and knowing that God, in His infinite wisdom, had chosen to bless our family through this 7 pound, 11 ounce boy.
It doesn't get better than that!

Asher means happy or blessed.
I am big on name meanings, so these verses helped us narrow down our name list:
In 1 Chronicles 7:40 it talks about Asher's descendants being choice men and outstanding leaders.
The blessing the Lord gives to the tribe of Asher in Deuteronomy says this: "Most blessed of sons is Asher; let him be favored by his brothers, and let him bathe his feet in oil."
Both verses we will pray over this little guy, for sure!

Psalm 103 is one of my favorite Psalms.
In it, David blesses the Lord.
         He blesses the Lord for forgiving
         He blesses the Lord for healing
         He blesses the Lord for redeeming
         He blesses the Lord for loving-kindness
         He blesses the Lord for working

David knows something we must remember; our God is a living God. Not only was He active and doing these things then, He is doing these things now - for you and for me.

May you take a moment to read this psalm and may it cause you to Bless the Lord.

Maybe you even want to write your own psalm - intentionally, on purpose, taking time to Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord - no matter your situation, in every circumstance!

Why did it take a 2 year old to point that out to me?
Bless the Lord!