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06

Nov

Thoughts From Aaron

Proverbs 11:23 “The desire of the righteous ends only in good.” 

I recently had someone tell me, “I trust God, but I have a hard time trusting myself.” She is in a season where whenever she is obedient to what God says things go well, but when she doesn’t hear Him speaking she feels as if she will do something wrong if she thinks for herself. The truth is we are all in need of Jesus to help us live righteous lives, because without Him we live according to our sinful nature. However, once we receive the Holy Spirit and begin to live according to the nature of Christ He forms within us, we can begin to trust our thoughts and the desires of our hearts. 
The verse does not say, “The desires of all people end only in good.” It specifies that the righteous, those who are living as Jesus lived, can trust the desires they have because she result of pursuing those things will be good. Allowing the Holy Spirit to change us into the image of Christ gives us freedom to live because our thoughts and desires become like His. This doesn’t mean we will never make a mistake, but it does mean that there is freedom to pursue what we want if those things are in line with the nature God is giving us through our new identity. 
God is always trustworthy and the things He says are good. As we become like Him the same will be true for us as well. He wants us all to do things that change the world. If that is going to happen we will need to have big dreams that we pursue with passion, dedication and confidence. Some of those dreams God will speak clearly, but others may come from Him as a simple desire in our hearts that He is trusting us to follow. To do this we must learn to trust ourselves as God makes us a new creation. 

24

Oct

Get to know…. Ashley, Anna, Michael, Mary, and Holly

Ashley Joyner

What is your favorite worship song?

– “I refuse to answer that. I only listen to top 40.” “i honestly don’t have a favorite Christian song.” “Great, I am.”

What is your snack of choice?

– “I really like granola or peanut butter crackers.”

What do you think about when I say the word…. keys?

– “ Like a key to a door? Or like the key to my heart?… either way I think of metal.”

Favorite childhood memory

– “ I had a really good childhood, there’s so many. I tricked a doctor into thinking I had a skin disease. I went to the doctor a lot as a kid so I had to make it fun. This is when I had cancer so he really freaked out.”

What do you want to be when you grow up?

– “ I thought I was.. just kidding! Haha I want to be… ugh oh.. a financial aid counsaltant to help families with kids with cancer.”

Anna Bailey

What is your favorite worship song?

– “Right now, it is.. I think… One Thirst.”

What is your snack of choice?

– Trail mix

What do you think about when I say the word…. keys?

– “I think of a piano.”

Favorite childhood memory

– “i guess it is going to my grandparents farm.”

What do you want to be when you grow up?

– “Oh gosh.. is this like a dream job? My dream job is to travel the world and be a food journalist.”

Michael Pazinets 

What is your favorite worship song?

– “Draw Near by Jeremy Riddle.”

What is your snack of choice?

– “Salt and Vinegar chips.”

What do you think about when I say the word…. keys?

– “Exit sign.”

Favorite childhood memory

– “ When I was in middle school with the realease of pokemon I begged my mom to get it forever. On the day she gave it to me, I screamed so loud I coughed a lot and I lost my breath.”

What do you want to be when you grow up?

– “A dad.”

Mary Claire Murphy 

What is your favorite worship song?

– “I will Exalt.”

What is your snack of choice?

– “Popcorn.”

What do you think about when I say the word…. keys?

– “ I think of my dream car that I don’t have.”

Favorite childhood memory

– “ When we got kittens for Christmas.”

What do you want to be when you grow up?

– “ I want to be a jazz pianist on a cruise ship.”

Holly Benton aka Holly Bee

5’4

Blue Eyes

Blonde Hair

What is your favorite worship song?

– “One Thirst.”
What is your snack of choice?

– “ This week… it was cheez-it!’

What do you think about when I say the word…. keys?

– “Keys, my car and a big key ring.” “this one time I got locked out of my condo.”

Favorite childhood memory

– “ That’s really hard. Ummm…. I don’t know. Stop writing things. So… for a good year in my life I changed my name to Kimberly because I wanted to be the pink power ranger. I had a Kimberly cooking show that I have recorded. I was the Food Network before the Food Network.”

What do you want to be when you grow up?

– “ Oh my gosh„ This is the worst question ever. Can you give me some options… I really don’t know. I don’t know.”  

23

Oct

Tuesday’s Afternoon Devotional

In the book of Daniel, 3 men, Shadreach, Meshach, and Abendago, show great faith by refusing to worship anything else but God. When told they would be thrown into the blazing furnace if they did not bow to his golden statue they replied, “The God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will resue us.” 

In that verse we see two distinct statement. One is that He is able and the other is that He will. In the margin of my Bible I have written, “Never stop at ‘He is able.’” Many times in life I have come to the place where I believe God can do something but I never receive the faith to believe He will. I wrote that to remind myself that not only is He able, but He is willing. Shad, Mesh and Ab (that’s what I call them for short) move past the understanding that their God is powerful enough to save them (which is often a challenging place to come to in the face of seemingly impossible situations) and are able to also say, “He will save us.” 
Look at the circumstances that you are facing now that seem impossible. Do you believe God is able to help you? If not, ask Him for that faith to know Him in a way that His power becomes more real to you. Once you get to that place ask yourself if you believe that if He can He will? Most of us have at least one or two places in our lives where we need to believe “He will” in a great way. Simply says to the Lord, “I believe, now help my unbelief.”A desperate boy’s father said the same thing to Jesus in the 9th chapter of Mark. It worked out well for him! (Check it out.)

Tuesday’s Morning Devotional

2 Chronicles 1:7-12 (also 1 Kings 3:5-12) “That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, ‘Ask for whatever you want.’ Solomon answered God, ‘You have shown great kindness to David my father and have made me king in his place. Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours.’ God said to Solomon, ‘Since this is your heart’s desire and you have not asked for wealth, riches or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people whom I have made you king, therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you.’”

2 Chronicles 7:12 “The Lord appeared to him at night and said: ‘I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices.’”
Each of these encounters with God, which contained what are probably the two most important promises God gave Soloman during his life, occurred in dreams. It is very important that we pray for the Lord to guard our hearts and minds during the night because you never know what may happen while you sleep. Even while our bodies are at rest, God is wanting to give us encounters that may bless us during the day. It was in dreams that God gave Soloman wisdom and promised to make his temple the place His presence dwelled. What does God want to tell you while you are asleep? Will you hear and remember? If He asked you a question will you answer well? 

22

Oct

Spotted….

Spotted….

Kathryn Garvin and Richie Pierce reinacting Tangled? Or maybe just getting lights down for a women’s event. Rapunzel, Rapunzel let down those lights!

Take a closer look at Jonathan D. looking a bit confused. Nick Smith, what did you say to him? 

XOXO

- M

17

Oct

Get To Know… Tim, Wu, and Kristen

Tim Wood 

What is the first thought you had this morning?

—Better answer the phone: Caroline called him

Tell me something funny about yourself?

—I do love slow jams like Boyz II Men, Brandy

What is your favorite things that is blue?

—The sky is fun.

What do you think about when I say the word Transformers?

—I think about Shia Labeouf

What is your relationship status?

—I am engaged to be married to Caroline Rabun.  

Erin Wu

What is the first thought you had this morning?

—I don’t remember, probably I want to go back to sleep

Tell me something funny about yourself?

—I am Asian and my eyes are really small so sometimes when I laugh I can’t see.

What is your favorite things that is blue?

—Kgarv’s pants.

What do you think about when I say the word Transformers?

—The movie

What is your relationship status?

—Single  

Kristen Leonard 

What is the first thought you had this morning?

—Is it really 7 o’clock.

What is your favorite things that is blue?

—The ocean

What do you think about when I say the word Transformers?

—I think about Bumblebee

What is your relationship status?

—Taken.  

15

Oct

Spotted: Wesley Interns….

— Janna and Janna working hard on the phone campaign, well maybe? 

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— Nick eating Chic-Fil-A during quiet hours. No, no Nick, you are supposed to be Wesley bound. I hope he didn’t have any friends with him, but i have a feeling he did… 

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— Autumn confused about the Wesley printer. Who isn’t?! It has a mind of its own. 

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11

Oct

Staff Testimonies Thursdays

Daniel:

  • The Lord provided financially.

Holly:

  • Prayed for left eye and forearms healing and Jesus healed her!

Andy:

  • Prayed with leaders for homeless couple for healing and housing. The Lord healed them and they have better housing than before.

Jessica:

  • A girl from China came to Wesley and cried during worship. Jessica said “God is so good.” She responded “I think He is.” Now she wants to go to church and snack and chat. Praise Him.   

10

Oct

Get to know Wesley Interns

Christina Faith Hensley

    1. What are your thoughts about the word Folgers?

  • “My thoughts about Folgers are that the best part of waking up is definitely in my cup.”

2. What is your morning routine?

  • “Well…I turn off my fan, get out of the bed, put on my contacts, drink coffee, get dressed, put on my make up and that’s all.”

3. When you start to pray, what word do you say first?

  • “Dear”

4. What is your favorite fast food restaurant?

  • “Bojangles”

5. Tell me something deep about yourself?

  • “There is too many people in here hahahahaha umm I enjoy a long bubble bath. And also I like to umm… take a drive.” (things got weird when people came in so she couldn’t be as deep)

Tommy Pitner:

1. What are your thoughts about the word Folgers?

  • “Folgers: uhh gosh garbage. I think that sums it up.”

2. What is your morning routine?

  • “Wake up, I usually snooze for about 5 min, sit on the couch and watch sports center, shower, drink some orange juice and get ready to go.”

3. When you start to pray, what word do you say first?

  • “Deep in thought for about 1 minute. What do I say first? Maybe? Usually yo.”

    • Me: “yo?”

    • T: “no haha, usually Papa”

4. What is your favorite fast food restaurant?

  • “Schlotzkys spelling by Tommy himself”

5. Tell me something deep about yourself?

  • “Deep down, deep down, deep down I wish I was black (giggles). That’s pretty deep, I don’t share that with people Mayra. And I am a nerd at heart.”

Jamie:

1. What are your thoughts about the word Folgers?

  • “Coffee smells good.”

2. What is your morning routine?

  • “Wake up, run couple of miles, and read the word/pray.”

3. When you start to pray, what word do you say first?

  • Haha “Alright.”

4. What is your favorite fast food restaurant?

  • “Chic fil A, I work there so…”

5. Tell me something deep about yourself?

  • (Explosion noises) “Ummm… what do I want to tell you?… ok. I… am very traditional… I’m an old man at heart. And I appreciate family and quality time with close people.”

09

Oct

Thoughts by Aaron

“A fool find no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinion.” -Proverbs 18:2
You can tell if you are wise by determining if you want to know what is right or if you want to be right. Sometimes we miss out on loving people well because we are more concerned with being the one who is right in a matter than putting the relationship we have with others first. Paul refers to love in 1 Corinthians 13 as “the most excellent way.” Love is better than everyone else knowing we are right. Often times that is the real issue…we want other people to just admit that we are right. Instead, we should seek to understand the point of view others have and love them in the place they are. As you are in relationship with people, look for ways to set aside the arguments of who is right and love them despite their differing opinion.
Ultimately, God is the one who holds all truth and He simply expects us to be faithful in the way we love Him and others.