By Heart Song Faith – heartstrongfaith.com – February 2019

2019 HEARTSTRONG FAITH CONFERENCE
February 22-23, 2019
FRIDAY 7:00 PM – 9:45 PM AND SATURDAY 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM

The HeartStrong Faith Women’s conference is a gathering of women coming together to worship, pray, learn, and ultimately, lead others to Christ. Women will grow and flourish as they root themselves in the good soil of the Gospel, gaining influence and impact for the Kingdom of God.

This One’s for the Weary

Rest.

True rest.

It’s what I’m craving. Yet I find myself constantly working and striving, relying on my own strength. Even when I attempt to rest I’m worried that I’m not working and I don’t really rest. It’s an endless cycle. Are you in need of true rest today too? Let’s pause. Take a minute to read the words of Jesus. I think we will find rest for our weary souls.

Matthew 11: 28 says “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”[1]

This verse is a command from Jesus. It’s not a recommendation or request. It’s a command for “all of you who are weary and burdened.” Are you weary and burdened? If so, then this command is for you!

And Hope Will Not Disappoint

What are you really placing your hope in?

I know many of us want to say that our hope is in God. I want to say that my hope is in God. The tension is, however, that while my hope for my salvation is in God, I often place my hope for this life on earth in other things. I hope in things like a perfect job and marriage. Can you relate to this struggle? Maybe you’ve found yourself hoping in things like your health, relationships, finances, politics, your career, etc. I’m glad I’m not alone! Here is the problem: we are not promised any of these things, and, even if we do get these things, none of them will last. What happens when these things that we have hoped in turn out to disappoint? Maybe it feels like our world crashes because suddenly that thing that we have hoped in is gone. Or maybe, if we do not get the thing we were hoping for, we stop hoping altogether. This is no way to live. What I am discovering, instead, is that God’s people are called to hope. Here’s proof:

Romans 15:13 says “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”[i]

Is Simplicity Godly?

A fraudulent moving company disappeared with all our earthly possessions and for a year I consoled myself with what I thought were Biblical ideals of simplicity.

Then the vanished movers showed up unexpectantly with squished boxes of baby pictures, a family heirloom rocker, and children’s books (more than twelve months after they packed up our apartment for our long-distance move). Experience served like a red ink pen, editing my idea of spiritualized simplicity.

The pages of Goodnight Moon, worn with sticky fingers, held memories of my crisscrossed legs and bedtime cuddles. The handprint Christmas ornaments I crafted each year with little fingers now growing too big, mark God’s grace of time and childhood. The solid oak hand-me-down doctor’s desk where my husband spent many overnight hours studying for his masters is a symbol of fortitude and dreams.

I used to think the more materially modest a person was, the godlier they probably were. Jesus talks numerous times about leaving houses or belongings when following Him. But since my resurrected boxes showed up on my doorstep, and I’ve considered the stories in Scripture and I no longer think simplicity equals godliness. I think there’s a biblical principal and it all centers on the heart.

For more information on the conference or to register for it, click read more.

Source: HeartStrong Faith | A Women’s Conference