As A Sanctuary #WilcoWednesday

7 Days Time

Welcome to Wilco Wednesday! If you are a new around these parts, “Wilco” is Army-speak for “Will Comply.” Think of it as saying “Roger, God. Got it. Will do.”  So that is what Wednesday here at 7 Days Time is all about– exploring his decrees and seeking guidance for what complying with Him looks like in everyday life. The best part? He loves us for who we are, not what we do.  Remember: He doesn’t want perfection, just obedience. Share. Enjoy. Interact. Welcome today’s guest blogger, my dear friend, encourager, and wise counselor, Carriann. 
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I watched aid workers receive refugees on the shores of a dark, icy sea.  Huge, hot, tears streamed down my cheeks as I took the scene into my heart. Tears of joy, tears of sorrow.

Many worked to wrap blankets around the injured, the cold, the very young and the very old. Mothers and fathers with resigned brown eyes fed their children, drank water, gathered them up after a rest and walked out. What compelled them to move away from rest so quickly?

Terror. People who know there is a difference between leaving and escaping move with haste. When a million miles is not enough distance between you and evil that hunts you, haunts you—you keep moving.

On my knees, I sought God’s will for our part in his plan to rescue them. [Read more…]

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Courageous Faith: Essential Ingredients

Here’s a riddle for you:

Most people want this, but often it is hard to find. When we get it, it isn’t enough.  We have to act, because without action, it doesn’t exist.

The answer is courage.

Courage is so important that it is often woven throughout movies, stories and even our everyday life conversations. [Read more…]

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Carded by Christ

I use it everywhere.

At the grocery store. Getting gas. Picking up my kiddo from daycare. Driving to my house. Going to the doctor. Paying my bills. Snagging that new bargain at our thrift store. Checking out a library book.

My military spouse ID is nearly the key to my very existence (or at least productivity) in my day-to-day function as an army wife. [Read more…]

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Don’t Settle #WilcoWednesday

7 Days Time

Welcome to Wilco Wednesday! If you are a new around these parts, “Wilco” is Army-speak for “Will Comply.” Think of it as saying “Roger, God. Got it. Will do.”  So that is what Wednesday here at 7 Days Time is all about– exploring his decrees and seeking guidance for what complying with Him looks like in everyday life. The best part? He loves us for who we are, not what we do.  Remember: He doesn’t want perfection, just obedience. Share. Enjoy. Interact. And welcome this dynamic, authentic sister in the Lord, Karen as she shares her heart with us today. 

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“Don’t settle.”

It’s something I’ve taught my children for years when talking about relationships. Know what you’re looking for in a mate: the moral character (integrity, humbleness, etc), the personality (one of my daughter’s requirements is funny and sarcastic, but not in a demeaning or hurtful way), how you’d spend your free time (hiking, shopping, sporting events, dancing), dream vacations – (mine are centered around water and my husband’s on mountains, a challenge to this day), how they treat their momma, etc. When we know what we’re looking for before we begin, we have a much smaller chance of ending up with the wrong person. [Read more…]

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Ask Me Anything #WilcoWednesday

7 Days Time

Welcome to Wilco Wednesday! If you are a new around these parts, “Wilco” is Army-speak for “Will Comply.” Think of it as saying “Roger, God. Got it. Will do.”  So that is what Wednesday here at 7 Days Time is all about– exploring his decrees and seeking guidance for what complying with Him looks like in everyday life. The best part? He loves us for who we are, not what we do.  Remember: He doesn’t want perfection, just obedience. Share. Enjoy. Interact. Welcome today’s guest blogger, my dear friend and our courageous PWOC president, Carriann Lane. 
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Why can’t you just let it go?!”

I saw exasperation and frustration on her face. I knew she was ready to blow – her raised voice was a fair indication. I understood what her emotion was, I just didn’t understand why talking was so aggravating. I was about 11 years old, and I knew I should let it go …but, of course, I did not. An answer was not what my mouth got me that day, but I was learning something.

Why can’t you just let it go?!”

I saw anger and irritation on his face. He was about to flip his lid, thanks to my questioning.

I asked: “Where did you hear that? Are you sure that’s true?”

He heard: “You are lying.” “That’s dumb. You’re dumb.” “I don’t respect you.”

I was about 20 years old, and I understood how he was feeling, but again, why he felt it was a mystery.

A new question replaced the others: “Why can’t I just let it go?” Why does getting it right matter so much to me?

This week, I found myself asking this again. [Read more…]

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The Secret Place #WilcoWednesday

7 Days Time

Welcome to Wilco Wednesday! If you are a new around these parts, “Wilco” is Army-speak for “Will Comply.” Think of it as saying “Roger, God. Got it. Will do.”  So that is what Wednesday here at 7 Days Time is all about– exploring his decrees and seeking guidance for what complying with Him looks like in everyday life. The best part? He loves us for who we are, not what we do.  Remember: He doesn’t want perfection, just obedience. Share. Enjoy. Interact. Welcome today’s guest blogger, my dear friend and our courageous PWOC president, Carriann Lane. 
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There is a nest outside my window as I touch the stacks of books I’m preparing for bible study. It seems like a good nest. In His Word, I hold hope in my hands, and my heart travels back to a nest that was not a good nest at all.

My children were 6, 11, and 13. A bird made a nest of mud on the tiny ledge of our front door. The children discovered her beautiful little eggs, to their great delight. Every day, they rushed to check the eggs. I prayed these little birds would survive, and I believed they might. I smiled and reminded my own not to touch the nest or the eggs. [Read more…]

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When Giving Thanks Is Hard (#EverydayJesus Linkup)

Happy Thanksgiving, dear friends. I thought about taking today “off” but I remembered I wrote this post a couple of years ago… God prompted me to re-share it in case this year’s Thanksgiving finds you struggling. Because let’s be honest, sometimes giving thanks is HARD. Be encouraged. Be blessed. And feel free to link up if you feel so led. Thanking God for your faithfulness to Him and this 7 Days Time Ministry. 

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The smell of turkey wafts through the house… family piles into the kitchen, clamoring for their “special” chair and debating on which slice of pie will be most worth the calories.

Thanksgiving. A beautiful time of year. A time for family. A time for food. A time for giving thanks.

But sometimes, that’s easier said than done.

Thanksgiving [Read more…]

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Because Jesus Told Me To

You might have noticed that in this current season,  Wednesdays are my days to work toward some super-awesome God-sized dreams. So here is a blast from the past straight from the archives. Enjoy, dear friends… and thanks for the grace. 

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People think I am crazy. Hey, sometimes I think I am crazy too. (We have covered this thought in several posts prior to this one.) But sometimes a little crazy is a good thing.

Last week during my quiet time, God led me to the Message version of Philippians 3:13-14. I literally laughed out loud because it reminded me of this ministry.

“I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.” [Read more…]

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Answers in the Moment (#EverydayJesus Link-up)

Welcome to another week of our Everyday Jesus link-up. Be sure to link-up below this post, comment on your neighbor’s blog and share with your friends… Because Jesus is everywhere, every day! 

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Few things in this world freak me out more than having a total brain lapse in front of a crowd.

You know what I mean– you are in the middle of sentence, addressing someone (or several someones) about something important then BOOM.… Brain. Goes. Blank.

This happened to me earlier this summer as I was co-facilitating a three-day national leadership conference for about 45 high school students.

[Read more…]

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Our Debt is Paid (#EverydayJesus Link Up)

Welcome to another week of our Everyday Jesus link-up. Be sure to link-up below this post, comment on your neighbor’s blog and share with your friends… Because Jesus is everywhere, every day! 

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Pay Here

Photo via Rosie Rogers @ Flickr

It’s a big moment for the Knobloch family.

After tightening our financial belts for quite sometime, we have now paid off all of our (ok, my) student loans!

Please excuse me while I do a happy dance.

Paying off our student loans was one of our God-sized dreams for 2014. For my years of education through my bachelors and masters degrees, I had taken out A LOT of dinero to pay for, well, everything.

And paying it off 5 years after I graduated with my undergrad and 2.5 years since my masters? Yeah, we are pretty stoked.

Thank. You. Jesus.

But as with most things in my life, this challenging and intense experience of pouring every “extra” penny we had towards our loans got me thinking… about Jesus. [Read more…]

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