Hi Brian!

The word for this week is found only in the Classic Amplified Bible for Proverbs 22:6. The KJV says this:

6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. KJV

This is a great promise to parents who love the Lord and are bringing up their children to love and honor Him, too! The Classic Amplified Bible goes deeper, though!

6 Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent], and when he is old he will not depart from it. AMPC

 The word for this week is "bent". The Dictionary definition for this particular form of the word is this:

Strongly inclined : determined; If you have a bent for something, you have a natural ability to do it or a natural interest in it. A knack or aptitude for doing something. 

The modern version of the Amplified Bible for this verse is also very good!

Train up a child in the way he should go [teaching him to seek God’s wisdom and will for his abilities and talents], Even when he is old he will not depart from it.

You and Kristine have been doing a tremendous job of allowing your beautiful daughters to find out what they love doing and what they have a gift and talent for! You allow them to explore their interests and then you invest time, energy and resources to help them become and be the best that they can be, all with discipline, love and encouragement! Applying the Word, prayer and faith in God to all that they do will take them to each next level! It is such a joy to see! Here are Hillsong Kids with "Who You Say I Am":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

 Hi Brian!

It is looking like 'doing something a little different' may be the theme for this year! Here is Jerry Savelle's website devotional! 

FROM DISASTER TO VICTORY

But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. (Genesis 50:20 NKJV)

If you knew beyond a shadow of doubt your present adversity was going to turn into a glorious victory, would you give up and quit?

In the hands of God, the very thing that may look like a total disaster today can turn into a wonderful victory tomorrow. He can turn your tears of sorrow into tears of joy. And even while you are under attack, you can have joy in your heart and laugh at the devil because you know you already have the victory and will come out stronger in the end.

Joseph was a man who went through decades of adversity and unimaginable loss. But he held fast to a vision God had given him as a young man. In the end, Joseph saw that vision come to pass as he was put in charge of a nation.

I don’t know what trial you may be going through today, but if you will exercise your faith and allow patience to have her perfect work, you will experience the Lord’s compassion and mercy. In the natural, you may be facing a disaster. But God can use the very situation the devil has brought against you and turn it into the greatest blessing you have ever experienced.

Choose to continue standing in faith. You have everything to gain by standing, and everything to lose by quitting. Don’t give up. Don’t quit believing the Word. God’s Word will bring you from disaster to victory.

Confession: I believe God will turn every adversity and disaster in my life around for my good. I will stand in faith and trust God to bring me from disaster to victory.

AMEN! This last year (2020) was one of the hardest for a great number of people. For the Swoveys it was an extrordinarily BLESSED year! God will AlWAYS turn our adversity into something victorious if we refuse to quit, refuse to be discouraged and refuse to get out of love. When I felt led to share this with you, I also felt as though this may be of help to you as you minister to someone you know who may be having questions and needing direction. Your life and family shine as a great light for others to see HIM! Here is Hillsong with "What The World Will never Take":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

 Hi Brian!

I am going to do something different again this week! Terri Lynn gave me a devotional a few years ago by Oswald Chambers called "My Utmost For His Highest". He was a Scottish minister in the late 1800s to early 1900s. The phrasing is sometimes different than what we would use today, but he had some really good insight! Today's just reminded me of you and your life so much! 

The Call of the Natural Life

When it pleased God…to reveal His Son in me… —Galatians 1:15-16

The call of God is not a call to serve Him in any particular way. My contact with the nature of God will shape my understanding of His call and will help me realize what I truly desire to do for Him. The call of God is an expression of His nature; the service which results in my life is suited to me and is an expression of my nature. The call of the natural life was stated by the apostle Paul— “When it pleased God…to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him [that is, purely and solemnly express Him] among the Gentiles….”

Service is the overflow which pours from a life filled with love and devotion. But strictly speaking, there is no call to that. Service is what I bring to the relationship and is the reflection of my identification with the nature of God. Service becomes a natural part of my life. God brings me into the proper relationship with Himself so that I can understand His call, and then I serve Him on my own out of a motivation of absolute love. Service to God is the deliberate love-gift of a nature that has heard the call of God. Service is an expression of my nature, and God’s call is an expression of His nature. Therefore, when I receive His nature and hear His call, His divine voice resounds throughout His nature and mine and the two become one in service. The Son of God reveals Himself in me, and out of devotion to Him service becomes my everyday way of life.

Your love and care for your family and how you relate to other people is such a great reflection of the Father's love and character! There is such a peace in your home, in the midst of all the 'commotion', and such inner joy in your lovely ladies! You and Kristine make such a great team! I just wanted to share that and say "Well done", as I am certain the Father is saying, too!  Here is Hillsong with a song about desiring to be like God! I think it's very appropriate! "To Be Like You":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

 Hi Brian!

The word for this week is "election". We find it in these verses in the New Testament: 

Romans 9:11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) KJV

1 Thessalonians 1:3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; 4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. KJV

2 Peter 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: 11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. KJV

These are all the Greek word "ekloge". Strong's Concordance says: selection (abstractly or concretely). Thayer's Greek Lexicon says: choice, the act of picking out, choosing, the thing or person chosen. Vine's Expository Dictionary says: denotes a picking out, selection, that which is chosen, a vessel of choice, the act of choosing or the chosen ones. 

Each one of us was created by God, and then recreated in our spirit by Holy Spirit within us. HE 'chose' us from before the foundation of the world! Then He called us to the specific assignment that He had chosen for us at that time. OUR responsibility is to separate ourselves from the world's way of thinking, speaking and acting, and unto GOD's ways, plans and purposes! And just as each one of us has the responsibility to find out what GOD has called, anointed and appointed us to do, we also have to make the determined purpose to follow through and step into the life that GOD has called us to! Elections are serious and and are not to be taken lightly. Elections have results and we desire to have GOD'S ways carried out! I truly believe that GOD is working in the U.S. presidential election and that HIS choice will be THE choice we see on January 20! And YOU and each of your lovely ladies have already been 'elected', or 'chosen' by God to show off His goodness, grace, mercy, love and kindness to those He brings into your lives. Ministers of His Grace individually and as a family! You are ALL a blessing and I know that GOD is well pleased! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!

 Hi Brian!

The word for this week is "discipline". The only verse that we find this is in Job 36:10:

Job 36:10 He opens also their ear to discipline, and commands that they return from iniquity. KJV

This is the Hebrew word "muwcar". Strong's Concordance says: chastisement, reproof, warning or instruction. Also restraint. Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon adds: correction. Proverbs 1:2 translates the same Hebrew word as instruction! Proverbs 1:1-4:

1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; 2 To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; 3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; 4 To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. KJV

In our modern language many people see "discipline" as  punishment, but without instruction there is no opportunity to make a correction! I also found an interesting take when I searched a Greek word list on my PC Study Bible software and found this verse on a Greek word list for discipline:

2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. KJV

Here is what Vine's Expository Dictionary has to say:

DISCIPLINE  sophronismos (NT:4995), from sophron, lit., "saving the mind," from saos, "contracted to" sos, "safe" (cf. sozo, "to save"), phren, "the mind," primarily, "an admonishing or calling to soundness of mind, or to selfcontrol," is used in 2 Tim 1:7, KJV, "a sound mind"; RV, "discipline." Cf. sophroneo ("to be of sound mind"), sophronizo ("to admonish"), sophronos ("soberly"), and sophron, "of sound mind. See MIND. Cf. CHASTISEMENT.

So discipline for ourselves, our children or grandchildren, or anyone else under our responsbility, actually means to teach and train in order for us, or those we are responsible for, to be able to be of sound mind! The Amplified Bible says this for 2 Timothy 1:7:

7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. AMP

GOD has already put within us the capacity to accomplish this 'discipline' in our lives! We have a great potential, if we will follow through and put this into practice! I am totally convinced that there is NOTHING that God instructs us to do in His Word that He hasn't already put within us everything that we need to obey and accomplish it! We are SO BLESSED! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Might Sound Wild":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!