Gretchen Saffles: Well-Watered Women

We forget to be with Jesus. We forget that soul care and so maintenance that we actually need every day because when were pouring out the end of the day. I mean, you know that the rain comes on the earth, but then it dries up again and we need more rain for the plants to grow and eat everything to keep going and the same is true for our soul, that you can't just fill up on Sunday and think that that can keep your tankful. The rest of the week. Welcome to family life to the where we want to help you pursue the relationships that matter most and Wilson and Dave Wilson and you can find us if it we live today.com or on our family life.

This is family life today when we were in Coburg made a decision and I thought this is pretty significant. Well I wish I could say a decision when covert started.

It took budget. My humble month yeah and the decision was when covert started, I fell into a routine of waking up and grabbing my phone and reading the news and we would do it at night to because it was the beginning like what's happening. I really want to know what's going and there's all kinds of news around the world about the disease about the pandemic, but I found myself like the first thing I was still in bed.

I grab my phone which probably should be somewhere else.

Mildred there.

My night soon that I go right to the New York Times.

Read the stats and how it's an outbreak in the related CDC and all I know is I got fearful, got discouraged. It was at least a month maybe two. I'm there when they go on. This is not a good practice. This is absolutely terrible. Not that I don't want to know the news that is important. I need to start with the word that I chose to put the word before the news and I think a lot of us have heard this, but that saying is what you behold you become I think that's so true because the more I behold something I'm shaped and so we got with this Christian Saffold today with us again who will get you your smile, your book called the well watered woman and in that book we read it. You talk about this very thing. That's why we brought it up because you said put in the word. I think before the world yet yeah yeah so welcome back to family today. Thank you for having me. I'm excited to talk about this and I'm smiling because I did the same thing and I did because we want to know what happening.

I mean, it became addicted.

What's the next thing they find out right and I found myself just in this cycle of fear and defeat discouragement that I know you didn't do it like me because were empty-nesters and you get to when I got a ministry or leave you hello woman you got all I mean you brightening get to sleep by me.

I will you have a nobody's there. I can grab my phone got my husband and I said what happened when we were newlyweds we just had with young kids at home and you know everybody being quarantined. It was exhausting yeah but yeah so easy I mean really, our phones are addictive and it's becoming worse and worse in the younger generation and in the older generation, but we find ourselves. It's like this automatic thing we reached by phone and we check it first thing without going to God's word in the news changes every day, every single day. I mean, you never know what you can pull at bingo. What is happening in the world.

I had no clue that it's not just the news it's instant Graham tick-tock. It's everything that were searching and looking at easy to fall into the habit of doing that every day, but you talk about the word being a priority. Why did that become a passion for you. This I am with you on this. This is my every time I'm in the Bible and Dave and I are driving me present you this.

I've read. She screamed in our car, I the war love the Lord and I do too, but the funny thing is, she loves to read it out loud while it is vital that I like you don't need to read it out loud, though I do. I just which is so interesting because I remember being in my 30s and I went to a conference women's conference and this older woman who is probably in her 70s said she'd been reading the one year Bible every single year for 20 years was like what I'm always thinking like you know what should I read in the word today that I hurt her and I thought she's on year 16 million Inc. ball when your Bible and helpful because every day you know what to read going today and I like it because I've got an Old Testament Scripture New Testament Solomon proverb and sometimes I'm just saying like I can be in a section like how you know it's it's like I'm not getting a lot of out of bed, a kiss right now but I can read like a New Testament Psalm and I'll get something in the other secret is is that if I miss a day or two days or are you traveling on your vacation. I know a lot of the first check I need to catch up right. Don't try to catch up yet but what happened was nothing has changed my life besides Jesus quite as much as just being in the word it changes everything. So I told him about the word before the world. Yeah, well, you are literally a living example.

One thing that I say a lot, and I've learned myself is the more you taste Jesus in the word. The rest of the world will lose its flavor so the more you were listening to that lady going. Oh yeah mentor named Karen and she was just I she labs the Lord so much he just sitting in her presence. You would like tell me about that.

She was a woman of the word sheet for all of her children and grandchildren read a Bible specifically for them. Writing prayers a note in it and would give it to them. Many pebbles in a big family, but she loved the word and I saw that the more she tasted of God and his word not just in the passages that are comfortable even in Leviticus speaks of the minor prophets, God speaks and that's what she desired. And so I have seen that my own life I had and this was not just you know you Dave you are saying for like a month or two you did this. This is a lot a very long time for me that I would sleep with my phone next to me and I go to bed, scrolling, reading, checking email you.

I need to see before the day ends and then I would sleep great know I'd wake up in the middle of the night and I'll can't sleep.

I should just check and see how everything's going to wake up an ID that in my whole day was thrown offkilter peace. I didn't have direction or discernment to know everything just felt like it was falling apart and I felt like I was falling behind because you know the dawn of social media you're always seeing everyone's accomplishment in your comparing yourself always and it just right in front of our faces more than it's ever been.

And so the more I filled my mind with that, the more it led me away from Jesus led me away from his word and then I would come to the word spend time with him and go a my spending time on the phone that just you know I would see this huge difference could see it.

People around us can see the difference when we have spent time with Jesus and when we have to. And let me tell you when I have it. It is not the most picture of Gretchen. I think we all know that so I made a decision in a one year. I love doing it.

Reevaluating the end of each year. I love that some people don't really care but I just find it really helpful for me to look back and to look ahead, and I had always been a fan of making resolutions, but that year I realized you know the only thing I just did one thing this if I put God's word.

First, in my day. If I didn't pick up my phone right away actually change everything. I don't even have to make resolutions for all of these other things that I want to change because God's word will inform and transform my life and so I wrote that down. I want to put the word before the world. Okay, now I'm listening to you, thinking you have to eat, especially when you've made that decision. Did you have any kids yet I did.

Oh yeah I was young, so they were little.

Yes men as young moms. It's the hardest thing to get in the word. When you have your kids crawling all over you than they need. You get the run of the bathroom and locked the door.

Right now they're knocking there yeah little fingers are kind you're going yeah you both to jump to learn. So, how did you do that as a young mom because that's the hardest time to get in the word you're listening to Dave and Ann Wilson with Gretchen samples on family life to will hear Hutchins response in just a few seconds, but first I wanted to let you know about a special group of people who make conversations like today's actually possible the calls family life partners. It's a community of people who believe in our mission and give financially every month and thanks to some generous partners right now. If you sign up to give monthly. You not only receive all the benefits of our partner program but your donation will also be doubled for a year so that means if you give $25 a month. The impact is actually 50 a month.

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And on top of that when you give this month as our thanks to you, will send you a bundle of resources including two books, one lifelong love by Gary Thomason to not part of the plan by Kristin Clark and so become a monthly partner have your gift doubled for a year and get a bundle of books is a pretty good deal, right, you can give today@familylifetodate.com or by calling 1-800-358-6329 that's one 800 F is in family L is in life, and then the word today. Right now, back to David and with Gretchen samples and how she finds time to read the Bible. Young kids at home. I had to let go of my expectations of what it would look like, because for me.

I thought if it's not quiet it's not really I don't have my config. Yeah, sure, and all I care.

So it started to look like okay my kid. I woke up early. There Artie wakes they know they know know when I set my alarm early and their dislike hi I'm right here and so I started to realize I just cannot open it with them right here. There may be a cartoon playing and I may only get five minutes in the word. Right now, but five minutes.

But Jesus is better than no time with us.

God can multiply those minutes. He knows our seasons of life. I was busy I found other creative ways because sometimes at five minutes just wasn't enough. So praise the Lord.

We have the Bible now know Dave you have and your audio Bible Bible.

We also had amazing podcasts like this one, and things that we can pull lap throughout the day that will feed our soul. I think we have to understand I may go second, as you two ladies were talking but I thought it's like this.

We all know how to plug in our phone right every night, every day, whatever and we even have superchargers yet, and I think we got understand that that is our soul well water woman well watered man is if I'm not connecting you in the word isn't the only way but it is a powerful way to connect with Jesus. If I'm not plugging it in daily during the day or at least let me let put this thing every night, yet don't know what he has a phone that doesn't plug it in every night or at least for to get a charger like I can't live without my phone be in charge know what out by one person ties with our soul.

That's our heart is like 1/20 plugging yeah well I've gone awake I'm good no you can't go. We can be good your battery is dead and dry everything you try to do in your marriage in your life and your ministry.

You have the energy you have the power literally through the source of the word which Jesus is the living word right in the written word that it's a beautiful thing. Talk about speaking at battery so I was joking with you guys earlier how I know nothing about spore harassing my lack of sports knowledge.

The same is true about cars. So when my husband and I were dating I had this Ford Taurus old. I mean I can't even tell you how old it ways that we had one of that ours is older. Oh yeah, it was embarrassing when we traded it in there like five dollars for your car, nothing. So I thought taking care of it is getting gas and you know my boyfriend at the time he is now my husband he said taking her car, and you know get the oil change get it checked and I like and so he is somebody he takes care of his car and said he took it in for me and and it was driving. Not great, you know, but they got the car mechanic when he picked said the good news is, your car is not gonna die today news is you drove you drove that you know you got it with him 10,000 miles past its needed oil change. I mean it ways it really was on the brink of death and see no way I drove it that far because your thinking little light that comes on right like to see something. I had a Bible verse on my dashboard and covered it know I had no clue. Absolutely no clue driving all over the place with this oil sign saying you need to change your oil and isn't the same thing that can happen and are we so busy learning things that we forget to be with Jesus. We forget that gold Karen so maintenance that we actually need every day because when were pouring out at the end of the day. I mean, you know that the rain comes on the earth, but then it dries up again and we need more rain for the plants to grow and eat everything to keep going in the same is true for our soul, that you can't just fill up on Sunday and think that that can keep your tankful.

The rest of the week will because you don't know what Mende holds and Monday may hold a diagnosis or news is something that crashes you well is from Sunday, you still need that good news today, and God's word does satisfy, and you know it says that in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.

And so when we spend time in God's word. We are literally reading the words of God, like the living connected words, no other words, no news article, no blog article note Instagram post will ever compare or be able to replace God's living and active word and it's hard to explain. I know we all know basin this conversation. It's hard to explain to somebody what time in the word does to a follower of Christ soul. There's something almost mysterious is like it's powerful but it's beyond powers supernatural again. It is like his vitamin. If I miss it it's but there's something I God reset see you remind you who you as I always used to preach is about the size your faith that matters is the size of your God because were was like I want more faithful Jew said in a mustard seed size phase small faith. But if you don't know God is in everything the open orders.

Whatever may I read on like oh my goodness you're that great sure that majestic you're that holy you that big eye for God. And so it's like to supercharge in your life that I don't think you can understand until you do it like what just happened. Everything that reset news is still the news but I'm okay yeah why God's word remind me who he is. He's with me, the God of all creation is literally in my life I can make it today.

I think it be really important and I think this is important for all of us to really analyze our soul. You know to think how are you doing right now. Do you feel dry you feel broken and you feel defeated because I mean I love the words to the woman at the well. When Jesus said in John four to the woman at the well in Samaria. Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again and I feel like that's the world. When you drink it your way is to get theology today, but those who drink the water.

I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh bubbling's praying with in them, giving them eternal life, and I've used that before and I've signed doing cleaning analogies here, but I take a sponge. Yeah, you know, and I cut it out into the shape of a heart and I remember standing on the stage with women. It was hard. It was crusty he could take your finger on that sponge and I put on the microphone inside.

This is how our hearts become and I was scratch. I know this, like this heart and you can't bend it. It's hard and I think it's easy for us to get to that place and then here's what we can do we go to church on Sunday.

Need to put this little drop of water on the sponge and it creates a little soft spot but it still needs to be saturated. And the more were in God's word, the more we desire God's word as you said Gretchen. The longer were away we start looking for other things to Phyllis and we don't have the longing that we may have, to be in the word, and so I think it's really good for us as listeners to think through like how is my heart. Is it hard is it crunchy is it dry you talk about or when you're in the word and God starts to saturated you can squeeze that sponge and the fruit of the spirit starts pouring out and and that living water starts pouring out. Things are perfect, but it gives you a new perspective and you never too far off yeah always has the invitation of you think Isaiah 55 he sank. He you know anybody if you got no bread, and he had no money, no price, just con you think of 11 when Jesus says, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you and then this morning I was reading in Revelation 22 and then really wanting to set my mind on the joy that is to come, that someday there will be nothing accursed there will be no hardship. But when you get to the end. You know it says the Spirit and the bride say, so this is the open invitation from God to us even when we feel discouraged, even when you've gone days. My listing date God year yeah without opening the word and they feel too far off too far gone. I mean how can I even opened God's word, where to open God's word to what AA still speak to me. Yes, he says, come and meet us there, he meets us in our brokenness in our need in our thirst and the thing is, you mentioned reading the one year Bible, God's word is living and active and it's not just the passages that you know are just like all I feel so good walking away today.

It's also the passages where you walk away convicted of humbled and weeping and uncomfortable.

I mean there's days and I read Scripture and I'm going what you know I'm a little confused today but still God speaks and he still revealing himself in the truth of his word. So he says come no matter where you are, even if your life is a mess, even if it's loud because we think that a quiet time has to be quiet and look at right now. I believe your bodily been when you're cooking dinner. If you can't find time if your life is not busy. Leave it open peanut listen to it and there's so many spiritual disciplines that Jesus modeled for us in his life to show is that there's all these ways you can commune with me, you can turn on worship music in the car, you know. Listen to these podcasts, meditate on Scripture. You could be standing in line at the grocery store and meditating on this list. Truth of God's word. What a gift from God above doesn't listen both you talk. I also think everything was on but in terms of plugging in a daily rhythm of the word is also true for emerges. I think about it's the same principle for not connecting as a couple, communicating, and rewrote this in our vertical marriage book is one of the ways to bring the vertical relationship with Christ into your marriage is just to pray together I made. I pray she prays don't pray together. Do not be a 20 minute prayer. It could be a one minute or five minute prayer. But something happens when a couple whose phone Jesus goes vertical together right or even opens the word together and again there's no maybe husband got. I wouldn't even know what to do. Just open it up almost anywhere. If you thought if you want somewhere to start start the book of Luke or the gospel John and just read five verses about Jesus and say let's talk about that but your God will meet you return your marriage will there in the universe and at. There's even Scripture. You can read together and you can have a Bible plan he can read it together and comment on it. Those are just good strategies, especially if you're busy and you have kids but it's great for our kids to see that as well.

Mom and dad are praying together. I used to have a Bible in my car and my bathroom by the sink. It is like all the places I would stop and I would just try to get a will of verse in here there because it's feeding my soul and I think to do with our kids to get down to realize like scans, word, and he speaks to us through it. It's not some old dusty book that's like laying up there that we never open mic but to give them the significance is God wants to talk to us through his word and even when we go to church this is that this is bad. This is something I did. We can become consumers at church and I remember, and here we are, we started our church, but I remember when our kids were little, I get in the car, think what you guys think today bad question because now okay let me give you my opinion on what happened to church today. Talk about a consumer mentality that I was building in my kids and I switch that is they got older and I started saying tell me what God said to you today through the word is the word was preached. When did you feel like the Holy Spirit spoke to you because then it gets them used to like oh God wants to speak to me right in the word was shared and God was speaking and so that helps them to anticipate like oh I need here got to say something at church today through his word yeah and that it's not about me. Yeah, it's not about me and you feel what you know it's about God's truth that never changes but it always changes us and the pastor's boring guy speaking today, even if the worship you say that you are ever or whatever you really are. All I would say is today open. The word is that simple mean we can talk about it all you want.

We double pearl.how about you. How about you know what whatever day this is this is the day I start a daily rhythm of opening the word of God and watch it and get the word in your life and by the way, don't put it on your dashboard and cover up your oil just word open it up and start plan today. It will literally change your life and if you miss a day. Don't quit. Don't give up. Don't go well, there I go again I'm just set it aside again. Come back. Remember that call to come.

It's always an open invitation from the Lord. Thanks Gretchen. That was really good that Steven and Wilson talking with Gretchen samples on family life.

You can get a copy of Gretchen's book called well watered woman@familylifetoa.com or by calling 1-800-358-6329 that's one 800 is in family L as in life and in the word today. Now if you know of anyone who needs to hear today's conversation you can share it from where ever you get your podcasts and while you're there. It really help if you rate and review us so how do you fight loneliness when you're among. Maybe you experience that as a mom yourself tomorrow. Dave and Anna to be talking with Heather McFadyen about just that, on behalf of Dave and Ann Wilson. I'm Shelby Abbott will see you back next time for another edition of family life to production of a crew ministry helping you pursue the relationships that matter most