Good Morning Everyone!!!
It's been a while hasn't it? :0)
I hope your week is shaping up to be excellent.
Real Women's Ministry is back in full swing! Here is what you can look forward to for the rest of the year:
Upcoming Events/Things You Should Know:
1) Women's Small Group is meeting on Monday nights, 6:30 at the church office. It is never too late to join the discussion and the fellowship! We are currently going through the video series "One in a Million" by Priscilla Shirer.
2) Our next Real Women Outing will be the afternoon of Saturday, November 6th. We will be going to see "Like Dandelion Dust" at the Rogers Malco Theater. This moving is based on the book by the best selling Christian author Karen Kingsbury. The exact time will follow, but it will be in the 4:00-hour so that we can still get matinee pricing! :0)
3) The next Date Night will be....well..not at night. Saturday, December 4th, from 9:00am-2:00pm we will be offering you a chance to get that Christmas shopping done...without kids! More information will be coming, but I am looking for volunteers! You would not be working the full 5 hours. Instead I would like 2 couples from 9:00am-11:30am and 2 couple from 11:30am-2:00pm. If you are interested in participating or volunteering, please let me know! (A sign-up sheet will be available at the information center in a few weeks.)
4) Scrapbook Day! I am so exciting about this! We have not set the date yet, but we will be hosting an all day crop at the church office sometime before the end of the year. Even if you don't scrapbook yet, it is a great time to learn or just to come and fellowship. It will be open to the church and open to friends you would like to invite. It will be free to attend; however, we'll ask everyone to bring snacks to share and be responsible for your own lunch/dinner.
5) As always, the Real Women NWA Blog, is updated weekly. Check out our "Monday Morning Minute" (or "Tuesday Tidbit" if I don't get it posted on Mondays! LOL!) for some uplifting, quick devotionals. Copies of our newsletters are available there as well. http://realwomennwa.blogspot.com/
6) On the subject of the BLOG, do you have a story to share? I would love to share your story with our readers. Email it to me and I will do my best to share it with the ladies that read our blog.
Hopefully this wasn't too long for you to read. There's so many great things going on and with the crazy holiday seasons just around the corner I wanted to give everyone a heads up!
Have a blessed week and I will see you all soon.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
Monday Morning Minute-October 11, 2010
I am in LOVE with the series we are doing for our Monday night Women's Bible Study.
It's Priscilla Shirer's Series "One in a Million." It's all about finding your promise land and taking that promise from the pew to the pavement.
On Day one of the personal Bible Study, Priscilla tells the story of when she and her sons visited the circus. As they were leaving the big top, they saw an elephant munching in a fenced-in area behind the circus tent. Seeing the elephant through the un-jaded eyes of a child, her three year old asked a very simple question: Why doesn't the elephant just break through the fence?
After watching the elephant for a few minutes, Priscilla noticed something that was not easily noticed upon first glance: this huge elephant was tied to the ground by a small iron shackle around it's left ankle.
It was held captive by something so small that he could have easily snapped it and do you know why?
That massive elephant was held in slavery because he didn't know that he ALREADY HAD the inner strength to break free from it. Circus elephants are trained from a young age. As a young elephant, they are placed in a shackle and because they are not strong enough, they can't break free. And after a while of being unsuccessful, they just stop trying.
Through out each of our lives we have things that have tried to keep us captive. It could be a situation, like the children of Israel being physically held captive by the Egyptians or it could be emotional, like the Israelites fear of what would happen should they choose to try to break free of their bondage.
It doesn't matter what the bondage is...you already have the strength to break free.
Psalms 18:32 says "It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect."
From the moment you gave your heart to Christ, you have been ARMED with the strength to break free.
Choose to walk in that strength.
God Bless and Talk to you next week.
It's Priscilla Shirer's Series "One in a Million." It's all about finding your promise land and taking that promise from the pew to the pavement.
On Day one of the personal Bible Study, Priscilla tells the story of when she and her sons visited the circus. As they were leaving the big top, they saw an elephant munching in a fenced-in area behind the circus tent. Seeing the elephant through the un-jaded eyes of a child, her three year old asked a very simple question: Why doesn't the elephant just break through the fence?
After watching the elephant for a few minutes, Priscilla noticed something that was not easily noticed upon first glance: this huge elephant was tied to the ground by a small iron shackle around it's left ankle.
It was held captive by something so small that he could have easily snapped it and do you know why?
That massive elephant was held in slavery because he didn't know that he ALREADY HAD the inner strength to break free from it. Circus elephants are trained from a young age. As a young elephant, they are placed in a shackle and because they are not strong enough, they can't break free. And after a while of being unsuccessful, they just stop trying.
Through out each of our lives we have things that have tried to keep us captive. It could be a situation, like the children of Israel being physically held captive by the Egyptians or it could be emotional, like the Israelites fear of what would happen should they choose to try to break free of their bondage.
It doesn't matter what the bondage is...you already have the strength to break free.
Psalms 18:32 says "It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect."
From the moment you gave your heart to Christ, you have been ARMED with the strength to break free.
Choose to walk in that strength.
God Bless and Talk to you next week.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Monday Morning Minute-October 4, 2010
Today’s Monday Morning minute is not something I came up with, but rather a story that the well-known speaker, Priscilla Shirer, uses to open the first session of the bible study, One in a Million.
She says….that every Christmas her mother plans a “girls only” brunch at a restaurant called The Zodiac in Dallas, TX. The restaurant has a large Christmas Breakfast brunch, complete with beautiful crystal and dainty china, but to start with, each person is given a small cup of broth.
Now, this broth isn’t anything special. Priscilla says that it’s good tasting and is meant to cleanse the pallet, to prepare the drinker for the food that is to come.
She goes on to say that last year, while they were sitting there sipping their broths and chatting, she thought to herself that she was glad that when they were done with this little cup that the waitress didn’t bring them their bill and send them on their way.
That little cup was just there to prepare them for something bigger, better, more delicious and more exciting that is to come.
She parallels that with how many Christians have become content on a little “Christian broth.” We sit in church and listen to the word each Sunday and leave…thinking that what we’ve just received was the full meal, when in reality…it’s just the broth.
It’s just there to prepare us for the bigger, better, more delicious and more exciting things that are to come.
I can admit that there are seasons when my only sustenance comes from the word of God that I hear on Sundays and then I actually wonder why I have rough weeks in between Sunday. It’s because I was spiritually starving myself during the week.
My body could not live on a small cup of broth every seven days…what makes me think my spirit could live on it?
What are you living on?
She says….that every Christmas her mother plans a “girls only” brunch at a restaurant called The Zodiac in Dallas, TX. The restaurant has a large Christmas Breakfast brunch, complete with beautiful crystal and dainty china, but to start with, each person is given a small cup of broth.
Now, this broth isn’t anything special. Priscilla says that it’s good tasting and is meant to cleanse the pallet, to prepare the drinker for the food that is to come.
She goes on to say that last year, while they were sitting there sipping their broths and chatting, she thought to herself that she was glad that when they were done with this little cup that the waitress didn’t bring them their bill and send them on their way.
That little cup was just there to prepare them for something bigger, better, more delicious and more exciting that is to come.
She parallels that with how many Christians have become content on a little “Christian broth.” We sit in church and listen to the word each Sunday and leave…thinking that what we’ve just received was the full meal, when in reality…it’s just the broth.
It’s just there to prepare us for the bigger, better, more delicious and more exciting things that are to come.
I can admit that there are seasons when my only sustenance comes from the word of God that I hear on Sundays and then I actually wonder why I have rough weeks in between Sunday. It’s because I was spiritually starving myself during the week.
My body could not live on a small cup of broth every seven days…what makes me think my spirit could live on it?
What are you living on?
Monday, September 27, 2010
Monday Morning Minute-September 27, 2010
"God helps those who help themselves."
We've all heard it. And it is probably the most quoted statement that is attributed to the Bible, but is not actually found there. It has been credited to both Ben Franklin and a columnist from the late 1600s named Algernon Sidney.
The quote is a poetic way of saying "I can do it myself."
Sound familiar? How many times have we all thought that we shouldn't "bother" God or other people with our problems because we can handle them or we don't want to bother them with our issues?
Proverbs 11:14, however, directs us differently.
"Without good direction, people lose their way; the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances." (Message translation)
Wise counsel is important. Next to going to God, wise counsel is imperative to making it through the trials of life. Vs 14 says that your chances are better with it, which means your chances are WORSE without it.
Set your pride aside for the greater good of your life. You'll be happy you did.
We've all heard it. And it is probably the most quoted statement that is attributed to the Bible, but is not actually found there. It has been credited to both Ben Franklin and a columnist from the late 1600s named Algernon Sidney.
The quote is a poetic way of saying "I can do it myself."
Sound familiar? How many times have we all thought that we shouldn't "bother" God or other people with our problems because we can handle them or we don't want to bother them with our issues?
Proverbs 11:14, however, directs us differently.
"Without good direction, people lose their way; the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances." (Message translation)
Wise counsel is important. Next to going to God, wise counsel is imperative to making it through the trials of life. Vs 14 says that your chances are better with it, which means your chances are WORSE without it.
Set your pride aside for the greater good of your life. You'll be happy you did.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Monday Morning Minute-September 20, 2010
This week, my sister in law cracked my up with her status update.
It's not like her to rant about anything, but she spent a good 7 lines rebutting a conversation she overheard while at her daughter's tennis match. The person spent most of the match complaining about how busy she was and how exhausted she was because she was so busy.
My sister in law's main rebuttal was that we are all busy with the activities of children or just life in general and rather than seeing it as negative, we should have a cheerful heart and be glad that our children have all of these chances to explore their options.
I had to shrink a little bit. I know I have been guilty of the same rambling as that lady at the tennis match and more so, of having the same nasty attitude.
Proverbs 17: 22 (God's Word Translation) says: A joyful heart is good medicine, but depression drains one’s strength.
Depression or negative thinking drains your strength, while having a joyful heart is like an instant B12 shot to your life. No wonder we're exhausted with the things that have to get done it a week! It's not the activities themselves-it's the attitude with which we pursue them!
So be an example this week of a cheerful heart and be good medicine to yourselves and those around us this week. You'll be surprised at how much better your week will go.
It's not like her to rant about anything, but she spent a good 7 lines rebutting a conversation she overheard while at her daughter's tennis match. The person spent most of the match complaining about how busy she was and how exhausted she was because she was so busy.
My sister in law's main rebuttal was that we are all busy with the activities of children or just life in general and rather than seeing it as negative, we should have a cheerful heart and be glad that our children have all of these chances to explore their options.
I had to shrink a little bit. I know I have been guilty of the same rambling as that lady at the tennis match and more so, of having the same nasty attitude.
Proverbs 17: 22 (God's Word Translation) says: A joyful heart is good medicine, but depression drains one’s strength.
Depression or negative thinking drains your strength, while having a joyful heart is like an instant B12 shot to your life. No wonder we're exhausted with the things that have to get done it a week! It's not the activities themselves-it's the attitude with which we pursue them!
So be an example this week of a cheerful heart and be good medicine to yourselves and those around us this week. You'll be surprised at how much better your week will go.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Tuesday Morning Tidbit, September 14, 2010
Eighty Percent of my life is ruled by a Type A personality.
I like rules.
I like following rules.
I am the first to read the rules of a new board game, explain them in minute detail and the first to drop the hammer if you dare violate said rules.
However, until recently, I didn't realize that I was taking that engrained need for rules and order and letting over shadow my spiritual walk. I had begun to believe that if (and only if) you do A, B, C and/or D, you get to heaven; if you don't..well you would go to the other place. It was all very black and white.
But one day, a few months ago, Pastor Benny said something that revolutionized my way of thinking. He said "Why are we so quick to send people to hell? Isn't God's grace enough for everyone?"
I was dumb-founded. Is that really what I had been doing in my mind? I thought I was being the good little Christian and abiding by all the rules I was suppose to and as a good little Christian I was making sure that everyone else was as well. But...had I really been mentally religating each of those people to hell because they didn't measure up to my ABC rules? Did I not think that God's grace applied to them as well?
Talk about a wake-up call.
I went on to read verse after verse in Romans about grace:
Romans 3:24 " are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."
Romans 4:16 "Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring—not only to those who are of the law..."
Romans 5:2 "through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God."
Romans 6:14 "For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace."
The list goes on...
So I had to change my way of thinking. And maybe today, so do you.
I needed look at people through "grace-glasses" instead of by my list of rules and how I think things should be.
What about you?
I like rules.
I like following rules.
I am the first to read the rules of a new board game, explain them in minute detail and the first to drop the hammer if you dare violate said rules.
However, until recently, I didn't realize that I was taking that engrained need for rules and order and letting over shadow my spiritual walk. I had begun to believe that if (and only if) you do A, B, C and/or D, you get to heaven; if you don't..well you would go to the other place. It was all very black and white.
But one day, a few months ago, Pastor Benny said something that revolutionized my way of thinking. He said "Why are we so quick to send people to hell? Isn't God's grace enough for everyone?"
I was dumb-founded. Is that really what I had been doing in my mind? I thought I was being the good little Christian and abiding by all the rules I was suppose to and as a good little Christian I was making sure that everyone else was as well. But...had I really been mentally religating each of those people to hell because they didn't measure up to my ABC rules? Did I not think that God's grace applied to them as well?
Talk about a wake-up call.
I went on to read verse after verse in Romans about grace:
Romans 3:24 " are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."
Romans 4:16 "Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring—not only to those who are of the law..."
Romans 5:2 "through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God."
Romans 6:14 "For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace."
The list goes on...
So I had to change my way of thinking. And maybe today, so do you.
I needed look at people through "grace-glasses" instead of by my list of rules and how I think things should be.
What about you?
Monday, September 6, 2010
Monday Morning Minute-September 6, 2010
DECONSTRUCTED
I've been sitting on this MMM for a few weeks and have not felt a release to leave it on paper. However, I think now is the time.
A few weeks ago my 3 year old daughter and I were driving to the Mom's day out where I work and she attends, when we passed some road construction.
She asked me "Mommy, why are they tearing up the road?" And without really stopping to think about it, I answered "Well, sometimes they have to tear things down so they can be built up even better."
After that came out of my mouth, I thought about the it the whole rest of the way to work and thought how true that is sometimes. Sometimes what we see as a storm or a crisis, is really just a chance to God to break us down so that we can be rebuilt: bigger, better and more beautiful.
2 Corinthians 1: 3-5, 9-10 says:
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows....Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us."
We have received comfort from Christ so that we might bring comfort to others and even though we might feel like our storm is holding a death sentence over our lives, he WILL DELIVER US and He will CONTINUE TO DELIVER US.
Be comforted during your deconstruction phase that you will be delivered to the other side.
God Bless and have a great Labor Day.
Keri
I've been sitting on this MMM for a few weeks and have not felt a release to leave it on paper. However, I think now is the time.
A few weeks ago my 3 year old daughter and I were driving to the Mom's day out where I work and she attends, when we passed some road construction.
She asked me "Mommy, why are they tearing up the road?" And without really stopping to think about it, I answered "Well, sometimes they have to tear things down so they can be built up even better."
After that came out of my mouth, I thought about the it the whole rest of the way to work and thought how true that is sometimes. Sometimes what we see as a storm or a crisis, is really just a chance to God to break us down so that we can be rebuilt: bigger, better and more beautiful.
2 Corinthians 1: 3-5, 9-10 says:
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows....Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us."
We have received comfort from Christ so that we might bring comfort to others and even though we might feel like our storm is holding a death sentence over our lives, he WILL DELIVER US and He will CONTINUE TO DELIVER US.
Be comforted during your deconstruction phase that you will be delivered to the other side.
God Bless and have a great Labor Day.
Keri
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