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Content One on One Time 4 Beautifully 6 Reconstructed Dare to Believe 8 And Beyond The Crucible of Faith 10

To know Him 12

Credits

Writers Kimberly Borst Sarah Williamson Beverly Huffman Debra Lilly

Editing Alan Porter

Photography Cover by Litta (Photographers are named if available)

Design Kimberly Borst

Copyright © To Love Again

Ministries 2012, Photos © very

To Love Again

Ministries Pick of the month

This month we are highlighting a word by

Click above for the link. One of Israel’s sins was shutting the mouths of the prophets. God is speaking

to his church are we listening?

One on One Time Kimberly Borst

Taking one on one time with my

kids has helped build deeper relationships with them. In the mix of day to day life we get many opportunities to encourage and train our children. It is in the one on one when we get to know them and they get to know us. Just letting them talk about what’s going on in their lives, where they can hear their thoughts out loud, will help them process life and make better choices.

I want to know my kids and what

they are going through. Sometimes I will slip off for coffee with one of my teenagers. My mom did that with me a couple of weeks ago but it was for milkshakes and shopping. I want to cultivate a relationship with my kids that transitions into adulthood. I want to walk with them through the joys and the tears and let them know I will always be there.

I was totally blessed a couple of

weeks ago when my girls came upstairs after youth group and climbed in bed with me and told me all about their night. We laughed and snuggled, what a joy.

I am very intentional about

cultivating relationships. Jesus said the whole of the law was summed up in two things, loving God and loving each other. Relationships require time, attention, understanding and encouragement. I don’t want my kids to say you never knew me anymore than I want the Lord to say it.

Ben Salter

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he

will give you the desires of your heart” Psalms 37:4

Have you ever tried to assemble a piece

of furniture from a box? It always looks so possible on the outside, but then you open it up and see all the different sizes of particle board, various screws, and these weird wooden plugs that don’t even look like they should be part of a puzzle. The instructions always look really simple, but they’re never as they seem. I always fall into the same rut of glancing over the instructions, deciding they must be in ancient hieroglyphics, and then attempting to assemble everything the way I think it should be assembled. I start placing pegs in openings that look like they could hold a peg, I predict which boards should go together, and I look at the completed picture on the box and hope to heavens it turns out like the glossy picture with the happy people using their cheery little furniture to better their living room decor. Guess how often I have correctly assembled a piece of furniture using my methods? Not even once. I either have to call my dad or husband to come over and fix it, or I have to spend a tear-filled three hours taking it apart and renegotiation. Right now, my heart feels like a piece of poorly constructed

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SSaarraahh WWiilllliiaammssoonn furniture that needs to be taken apart and reassembled.

In complete honesty, I have never felt

like this before. God has clearly been doing a work in my heart, and unfortunately that means my emotions are a sea of restless uncertainly. For many years I have assembled my heart and my emotions in the way I thought they should go. I added some glue here to temporarily mend a leak, I placed a tarp over a portion that I didn’t want to look at for awhile, I put an area rug over a massive hole, and I tore down a wall only to change my mind and build the wall up again. I have been the main contractor over this ongoing project for quite some time. Recently, I’ve realized God is forcing me into retirement so he can take over the construction site. Guess what? God needs to start at ground zero because this heart needs to be taken apart and put back together under God’s instruction not mine.

As hard as it is to hear that it’s time

for me to retire my amateur construction attempts, I feel relieved. I’m relieved because I get to let go of all these burdens, and eventually, I’m going to get all the beautiful things to replace the old and worn out. When God wrecks hearts, he doesn’t leave them in shambles; he does the

impossible and renovates every room until every piece of his construction is above and beyond the wildest of dreams. The pain of waiting overtakes me sometimes, but I know when God’s through the wait will be worth it, and my trust in Him will grow to heights I didn’t know existed. For now, I feel like everywhere I turn I’m in the ‘to be continued’ portion of my life, but I know it’s because I have some things I need to work on until my journey resumes.

I realize this is quite different from my

typical articles. This part of my life is unique in that I haven’t walked though this situation to the end. This is an article based on hope and ultimately faith in Christ. Many times people’s writing is from the beginning or end of a journey; however the reality is that most of the time we are smack dab in the middle of this messy life, and that is where the true transformation of Christ’s love takes place.

Daniel Silveira

Dare to Believe… Beyond Beverly Huffman

Her words rang in my mind long after

the conversation ended. I felt very small-minded. Yet, I was intrigued enough to keep looking into this deeper.

Are you thinking like this? God is big.

He wants his children to think of the impossible and then increase the size of the dream. Say, “God, without you this is impossible for me to do. But, I am not without you! You will certainly get the credit for this one!”

I needed a map, a visual plan, to help

me see what my future looked like. A small dry erase board with a list of the general areas of my life created the guide I needed. After each one, I made three simple declarations of faith. I thought and then re-thought what God can do through me. Then I wrote them out. When the list was finished, peace came. Yes, God is able. Yes, God will.

Declarations based on what God says

have the power to transform people and situations. With time, vision becomes clearer and you can picture yourself living in the declarations.

Mark 11:22-26 explains this process.

Have the faith of God. Speak to the “mountains” or situations that need to be changed. Speak the desired results.

Steve Corey

To Love Again

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My friend told me she asked God to

change some things in her life. She stressed the importance of making specific requests and believing God. Her eyes beamed as she named several answered prayers.

God is interested in what you are

interested in. When you spend time reading His word and talking to Him, your desires will become His desires. You will know what pleases God and you will want to please Him.

Think the same thoughts God thinks.

Speak the same words God speaks. Do what God does. Expect the same results that God gets! Dare to believe… beyond.

Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding

abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us … Ephesians 3: 20

The Crucible of Faith Kimberly Borst

Jd Lasica

The Lord gave me a word for one of

my kids recently. When I was sharing that word I was exhorted by my mom that it was not only a great word for my daughter but for all of us facing trials. So I thought I would share it with you. “Fire, refining fire, the crucible of faith is here. You are being tested and you will be stronger for it. I am developing a deep resolve in you. Only fire can produce the strength and character I want in you. I will remove you from the fire before it is too late. You are mine and I am yours. I will not fail you.” 9/6/13

During the word I saw steel going into

a furnace and being hammered and folded. We know this process strengthens steel and makes the strongest blades. I for one can say I have had a lot of refining in the last 7 years. Life has had several serious challenges. My husband was out of work for a fairly long period of time, pay cuts, my miscarriage last year and numerous challenges with a house full of teenagers.

As I read Daniel, I found that with

every adversity came blessing and promotion. You know - little troubles like being thrown into a fiery furnace for Daniels friends or a pit of lions for Daniel. But what is really amazing is the posture of their hearts. They trusted God.

They really believed God ruled and

reigned. Shadrach Meshach and Abednego’s response to the fiery furnace was, “Our God will save us but even if He doesn’t we will still serve Him.” In the end they were put in charge of a huge nation in the most prestigious positions. We may not be facing death but our individual tests and trials are not easy. The good news is that God is with us in the fire and sends His angels to close the mouth of the lions in our lives, just like He did for our patriarchs. Maybe it is closing the mouths of our accusers. We are not alone! In the end we will have grown more into the women and men God designed us to be.

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher

of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2 (KJV)

If He is the writer of our story, for His

glory, the faith that is produced is fruit that will last! We just have to choose to trust Him and see what He does. But I can tell you this - it is going to be amazing and He will remove us from the fire before it is too late!

And we know that in all things God works

for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 (NIV)

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Briel Borst

Phil. 4:10, “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection…” God wants us to truly know Him. If we, being parents, want our children to know us – how much more does our Heavenly Father want us to know Him? Children naturally want to be known by their parents and parents want to be known by their children. You didn’t say when you saw your baby for the first time; ‘I don’t love you’, ‘I don’t care if we have a good relationship’, ‘I don’t want to be a good parent’, or ‘I don’t care if you love me’. No, the way God created us is that we love our children so much that we would die for them! There is more than a special bond between parents and children. The same applies between our Heavenly Father and us - because we were created in His image. Mankind’s deepest need is to be reconciled to God – to know Him and to be known by Him. We say when parents divorce that the child is from a ‘broken home’. In that, the parents and the children have lost relationship or fellowship. We have all experienced this. Because of the Fall of man, we have lost fellowship with our Heavenly Father. To be ‘reconciled’ to God through

the blood of Jesus Christ means we are brought back into fellowship and right relationship with Him, when we accept Jesus into our hearts

Jesus said in John 14:6: “I am the way, and

the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.” John 10:14-15

This word “know” is “ginosko” in the

Greek (#1097 in the concordance). It means to know absolutely (in a great variety of applications), allow, be aware of, feel, knowledge of, perceive, be sure of, to understand.

While we, as His children, cannot deny

that He knows us completely – His Word says that we can know Him! Actually, we will spend eternity getting to know Him! If we meet someone that we would like to get to know, we spend time with that person. God is always ready and available for us. He truly wants us to know Him. This must

and means so much more than the ‘taking of bread and wine’ in a church service. It literally means ‘the sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings; a relationship of recognition and acceptance between those involved; a common participation’. It’s like pouring two glasses of water into the same pitcher.

God did not put us on this earth just to

have an easy life, to acquire things and have status with others. That is of the flesh. He put us on this earth to know Him and learn of Him and the things of the Spirit. We are just passing through this life. Life is short and we are on our way to our eternal home. What we learn of Him here – we take with us to Heaven. We are here to learn. He wants us to truly know Him and recognize His voice when He speaks to us.

Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me,

Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father?” John 14:9. He’s asking us to come away with Him – to come up higher - to commune and fellowship with Him. Come alone; dwell in the shelter of the Most High and abide in the shadow of the Almighty. Make Him your refuge and your dwelling place. The Lord is saying to us; “Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name”. Psalm 91:14. We are His greatest passion and He is to be our greatest passion. There is nothing else in this life that will truly satisfy mankind than to know God, our Father.

become our pursuit in life – to know Him! Heb. 11:6 says, “He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him”. More importantly than God doing some great thing through us - is God doing some great thing in us. God’s deepest desire is that we know Him. He wants us to be reconciled to Him – just as a little child to its Daddy. We call Him “Abba, Father”. In the book of Ezekiel alone, we find over 70 times where God says, “ye shall know that I am the Lord”. He is constantly vying for our attention so that we will know Him and come to Him and fellowship with Him. He sent His Son to die for us, to redeem us back to Himself and then sent His Holy Spirit to actually dwell within us. There is no more that He can do – He’s done everything! He has stretched forth His hand and said, “here am I, take my hand – return to Me.” He has not changed. “Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever”. Heb. 13:8.

Our part is simply to come to Him. One

of the most effective ways to seek Him is to immerse ourselves in His word, which is also His will. Through prayer and meditation He speaks to our hearts – listen to Him. Listening is just as important as praying. As we pour out our hearts to Him, He hears us and answers us. While it would be nice to see Him face to face and crawl upon His lap as a little child, we can do that - in the Spirit. That’s where our faith comes in. As our faith grows, so does our knowing Him. The more we know Him, the stronger our faith becomes. It’s where we find communion. The word communion is such a beautiful word