Monthly Archives: March 2012

I Am Woman: God’s Masterpiece

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The first time I ever felt like God “gave” me a life verse, I was on my first international missions trip to the Central American country of Belize.  After praying about it for almost three years, I knew without a doubt God had tapped me on the shoulder and said this was the time I was to go. Being married to a state trooper, my husband was not very excited about my going to a “foreign” country and was concerned about my safety. My dad actually told my supervisor that he would be held personally responsible for my safe return!

The need arose for women who knew how to sew and teach other women that skill. I knew I could teach them, and so I headed south! The first morning, while I was having a quiet time overlooking the Caribbean, I felt my inadequacy. What could I do to reach these people? I couldn’t speak Spanish, and I didn’t know how to effectively witness. What if I said the wrong thing?

That morning I was reading in the book of Ephesians. When I came to Ephesians 2:10, it was as though God picked that verse up and stuck it right inside my heart. “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which He prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

I am not sure what that verse says to you, but it says to me that I was created to serve Him. That is something I was aware of, but what I had totally not gotten till then was that HE HAD ALREADY PLANNED HOW I WAS TO DO IT! He knew the places I would go, the words I should say, the people I would meet, and what the results would be. So what is my part? To be in such a close relationships with Christ that I knew where He was leading me and I obeyed each step of the way.

What an incredible relief I felt that morning. It didn’t take away all fear, not did it eliminate the bugs, humidity, language barriers, and snakes from the country, but it certainly assured me that if He asked me to do something, I could do it through His power and trust Him with the results.

Over and over since that time, that verse has continued to give me strength to obey Him when He asked me to do things I couldn’t do: speak in public, take on a denominational role, and face family crises. What a joy to watch Him do THROUGH me what I can’t do on my own!

What is one of your “life” verses and how did God reveal it to you? Share it in the comments section.

Chris Adams
Senior Lead Women’s Ministry Specialist
LifeWay Christian Resources

Www.lifeway.com/women
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Journey to His Heart

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Yes I am one of “those” moms. The kind that have their kids passwords to social websites and check frequently to ensure that content is appropriate. But the other night on one of my checks I saw a message to my daughter that I didn’t expect. “I wish I had made a better first impression with your mom and that she liked me as much as she likes your other friend.” For the first time I felt a bit guilty that I had seen this private message.

For the last year, we have carpooled a young girl, after she received Christ. nearly every Sunday and Wednesday. And it was this ride home on Wednesday night that gave me the opportunity to talk to her about her Facebook message. I had prayed throughout the day about the conversation and felt lead by the Holy Spirit to share very specific things with her.

Here are a few things I shared. First she didn’t make a bad first impression. In fact, of all of my daughter’s friends, their friendship in many ways is the easiest. But easy relationships are not the only ones we should have. We shouldn’t shy away from those people that challenge us. That will confront us. That will push us even when it is uncomfortable. I explained that I didn’t have a favorite but that I recognized different girls had different strengths and that I wanted to take a few minutes and talk about what I saw as her strengths.

I wasn’t even slightly embellishing when I expressed I thought she may very well have the greatest impact in bringing people to church and Christ than any young girl I have ever met. She is one of those girls that people tell their secrets to. The kind that makes you feel so accepted that you don’t question being judged. Even in this last year she had asked me for help in talking to a few friends that had shared with her they were starting to experiment with drugs, and another that had told her he was planning to take his life.

I also knew that every time they are compelled to invite friends to church she doesn’t just invite a close friend that goes to another church…. she invites everyone. She invites every kid that dresses differently, has different family dynamics, different socioeconomic status, everyone! Every friend in her contacts list gets texted invitations and not just one. This girl is a future social media-marketing executive. She really goes aggressive. Her strength is LOVE.

But she isn’t strong in all areas, and coming home to a family that doesn’t support your walk with Christ makes it difficult for her to navigate a path to growth in Christ. That is where I expressed the “other friend” is strong. She is committed to Christ. She is committed to daily Bible reading and is in church every time the doors are open. She is structured and disciplined and really a “model” young person in many ways…. and yes I want my daughter to continue investing in that friendship as well.

I explained this to her. I talked to her about her calling and gift to reach out to students that were in really difficult situations. I shared a story to help her understand.

A few summers ago we were at a hotel that had a slide that emptied into the deeper end of the pool. Although Kendall could hold her own she over estimated her strength when she beckoned her little 2-year-old brother to come down the slide into her arms. “I can catch you she said.” Within seconds it was necessary for my husband to jump in and save them both. You see, she wasn’t strong enough to handle the weight of another person. I shared that if God was going to use her to reach some of the most difficult and broken young people in her school she would need to be strong enough to not be pulled under when they relied on her strength.

 I shared that I prayed for a day when those in their school that love God would help each other in their areas of weakness. A day where the girl who found it easy to love would encourage those who quickly judge to love others outside of their circle. A day when those who had passion for God would share their habits and offer encouragement and accountability. (I know….idealism runs deeply through my veins but I am convinced I get it from my Abba Father.) OK, I know this is long and in that way is true to our conversation but I will wrap up my blow by blow story by mirroring what I did with her that evening…..a summation and prayer.

I was so thankful that the Holy Spirit directed the conversation and allowed me to know that she wasn’t feeling valued because she wasn’t the “perfect Christian girl with the perfect Christian family.”  That feeling “safe” as a mom was not more important than being used to reach others. Trust me I am tempted to envy those who have kids who seem content to stay in a tight little boundary, and only invite others in that reflect their same highest standards and requirements. I have come to realize that is not my lot. My kids are going to reach out far beyond that box. And in so doing, they keep me on my knees. I am thankful that their hearts reflect Christ by reaching those who need Him. Because He came to seek and save the lost, not stroke the egos of those who claimed righteousness. So I guess when I have prayed to make my kids more like Christ, I shouldn’t be surprised that it will stretch me, put me on my knees, and look different from the safe picture I have been far too willing to paint.

 Lord, thank You for continuing to reveal Yourself to me. For moving in my children. For stretching me. For being my faithful partner on this journey of parenting. Oh how I love You!

Tina

Learning How to Walk His Way

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He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

~Micah 6:8 NIV

Walk humbly. Over a year ago, I ask God to unpack humility for me. He requires it and I want to get it.  He goes right to work.

It happens fast.

He says, “Go” and I do. A crazy love for Haiti wrecks me and it leaves me with no words to describe it. I just know I have to go back again and again and again.

He reorders my professional life. He gifts me with a whole new world and a learning curve steeper than I’ve ever climbed.

He adjusts the timeline in my heart and keeps my kids in Korea an extra-unplanned year.

He gathers the whole family under one roof. He causes the balance to radically shift and with it the size of our hearts. A newborn baby changes everything.

He opens a door we didn’t know existed. He invites my husband and me to enter into a possibility we never imagined for our lives. We say, “Yes.”

You can’t grasp humility until you’ve been humbled. The push and pull between resistance and surrender are ever present.

Choices wait to be made in every moment. Each decision either brings you one step closer in your walk with God or sends you down a road filled with painful obstacles and messy detours.

There are two things I know to be true:

Continue reading →

Remembering Not to Forget

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We’ve been following the Israelites around in the wilderness for 40 years in our Chronological Bible reading. Well, we’ve not actually been following them for 40 years; we’ve just been reading about them wandering  in the wilderness since February 6th! Yesterday, March 25th, we crossed the Jordan and entered the Promised Land with the Israelites in our reading.

What could have taken these people just a few days took 40 years to get to the land God had promised when He miraculously led them out of slavery in Egypt. The reason: grumbling, complaining and neglecting to trust God along the way! Finally, one generation  died off and God gave the go ahead for them to enter Canaan. Just before entering the Promised Land, Moses reminded the people of several things they needed to remember about God. You can read about it in Deuteronomy 6:4-13.

• They were reminded that the LORD their God was the one and only.
• They were to love the Lord their God with all their heart, soul, and strength.
• They were to teach their children about God at all times; when they were at home, along the road, when they went to bed and got up…pretty much all day!
• They were not to forget what God had done for them when they entered the land flowing with milk and honey.
• They were not to follow other gods of the peoples who were already living in the land.

I sure am glad to be reading about the Israelites’ journey rather than taking it with them! However, I’ve had a few wilderness times of my own where I’ve been stubborn, rebellious, and whiny. Although I’ve learned lots of things from the journey of the Israelites, here are a few of the many things I have observed:

1. Complaining and grumbling will get you nowhere fast. God miraculously delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt through parting the Red Sea, but three days into the journey they began to grumble and complain because they didn’t have any water. Their complaining eventually led to God saying, “Okay, have it your way. You will not enter the land that I promised. Instead, your children will be the ones to enter.” (my paraphrase)
2. God provides even when I don’t deserve it. God provided for the Israelites not just with water, but with manna and quail to eat even though they constantly felt like God had forgotten them. God’s love for His people remained constant even though they messed up time and again. He never changed.
3. God has the plan and I must trust Him when His plan is not going according to my plan! God knew the plans He had for them if they would have waited on Him. So often I want to default to my plan rather than waiting on God to show me His plan. Every. Single. Time. His. Plan. Is. Better.
4. Remember not to forget all that God has done along the way. Moses wanted to ensure when they got into the land, they did not forget who had led them there. Nothing in the land, the cities, houses, vineyards, etc. had been provided by the people. God was the Provider and Moses wanted to make sure they remembered it!

It is so easy to ridicule the Israelites for not trusting God until we realize we are guilty of the same. Want a surefire way to remember and not forget all God has done for you? Count His blessings. Let me encourage you today to begin to make an ongoing list of things for which you are grateful. Every so often go down the list so that you won’t make the mistake the Israelites did and forget that God is the provider of “every good and perfect gift.” James 1:17

Leave your comments below and let’s count God’s blessings.

Julie

DIY Patio Cable Drum

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Can we say “Welcome Spring!” How I love it! Doesn’t it automatically cause you to think of family grill outs, planting your gardens, riding bikes, the coolness of the mornings… oh I just love it! Well part of our spring consists of revamping… you ask, what are you revamping? Anything and everything! We see it as the season of refurbishing! Below is our newest re-furbished piece… hope you enjoy!

Cable drums are used mostly for hauling large amounts of cable wire. They are hard to find apart from inside electric companies and such. On the other hand, you may get lucky and find one at a scrap yard or a dump site. If you do find one… don’t let it get away! You can find many uses for them! They come in all sorts of sizes, which makes it perfect for different projects!

For instance… a friend of ours found 2 and gave us one! We decided to make ours into  outdoor patio furniture! It was easy, fun, and it looks great!

What You Will Need:

*Cable Drum, size of your choice
* Stain- color of choice, we used Dark Walnut
* Rope- found a bundle at Lowes for $8.00
* Patio Chairs- ours were a yard sale find for $2 each!

How To:

* First of all clean off the cable drum, make sure there is no oil or dirt on it.
* Secondly, sand down any rough spots or edges, you could use your hand to sand and a grit paper 100.
* Thirdly, Stain your cable drum.
* Allow stain to dry.
* Add final touches by wrapping the rope around the base of the drum.
* Lastly, find matching chairs. Like I said, we found some at a yard sale for $4 total! Keep your eye open for those good deals! They are far and between!

We added our $2 plant to the table and I just love the feel it gives!
In sitting and enjoying this weather it takes me to Deuteronomy 10:14 (convenient that it is the Book we are in during chronological!)

 

“To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it.”

How good it is to know that He owns it all. May we not forget today that HE is the author and finisher of our race and has the authority to do so, HE created us! Amen and Amen.

Jessica Manuel

Settled

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“…they set out…to go to Canaan.  But…they settled there (in Haran.”)   Gen. 11:31 

The word settle is an intriguing word.   Its meaning is determined by the context in which it is used.

Terah’s plan was to leave Ur and journey with his family to Canaan.  Along the way that plan changed and he stopped at Haran….and there he “settled.”  (The LORD later spoke to Terah’s son, Abram, and led him on into Canaan.) How many times do we set out to do something and along the way settle for something different–  less than—short of the plan?   

Early in our marriage, my husband was transferred to another state.  We were provided a four-day weekend to find a house and purchase it.  With two young children in tow, we found a real estate agent and set out in search of the perfect house.  After all, we had prayed about it before embarking on this mission, so of course it would be perfect.  Right?  Well, somewhere along the path of house hunting…somewhere between the perfect house (but just taken off the market) and the house that didn’t quite feel  like home…we “settled” for a house.  We provided the required earnest money and headed back.   About one hour into the four hour trip, between Maryville and Prattville, we started sharing our uneasiness about the transaction.  Soon we both realized the restlessness we were experiencing was from the Holy Spirit.  Feeling pressured by lack of time, we had made the decision without inquiring of the LORD for His direction.  When we finally prayed, we understood that we were out of the LORD’s will and had to make the correction, at whatever cost it might be.

Arriving home, Sherman called the real estate agent and told him we had made a mistake and did not believe this was God’s will for us.  The agent informed us that we would of course loose our five hundred dollar deposit…to which we gladly agreed.  A small price to pay for peace of heart and mind.  Two weeks later, returning home from visiting friends, we found a note from our local realtor stating our current home had an “offer” on it.  Without our knowledge, the realtor had requested five hundred dollars more than we originally agreed upon, and the buyers  agreed!  God’s mercy demonstrated!  By the way, we ended up moving  into an apartment in TN, where we lived a year before finding the “perfect home.”    That perfect home was the same one we had originally seen…but we had to wait for it, in God’s timing, to become available again.   So sometimes “to settle” can be from lack of direction.  

Sometimes to settle is actually part of God’s plan and timing…a time to settle down and relax as in 1 Peter 5:10 TAB  “The God of all grace…will Himself complete and make you what you ought to be, establish and ground you securely, and strengthen and settle you.” (emphasis added) So how do we know the difference?  Do we settle for something instead of being settled down to trust Him?  Psalm 31:14-15 declares a truth that we can “go to the bank on”…   “I trust in You, O LORD.  I say, You are my God.  My times are in Your hands.”   How have you been settled down by the LORD? Or…settled for less than His plan? Got a verse to share?

All for His Glory!
 Nancy

“I have put my hope in Your Word.”  Psalm 119:74

 

Befriending Faithfulness

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I was so grateful when I came across Psalm 37:3.  In the translation called the English Standard Version (ESV) it says, “Trust in the Lord, and do good: dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.”

I was in the midst of a parenting situation and was in over my head again and realized God was asking me a question.  “Will you trust Me and will you befriend faithfulness?”  There are so many times when I am parenting that I have to trust God to do what only his Spirit can do and remain simply and purely faithful to his truth.  Trust is a larger-than-life weakness with me.  It is my daily crisis of belief — will I believe Jesus, will I trust Jesus, will I obey Jesus?    I began to think what in the world does it look like to befriendfaithfulness.  Maybe it means to embrace doing the same thing over and over without necessarily seeing the desired result (this could be the perfect description of much of my parenting experience!).  Or befriending faithfulness could be simply synonymous with consistency without visual progress.  But then I got to thinking, I realized that most progress is so slow it is undetectable to the human eye and only measurable at the times we are most squeezed.  I believe I was given a very simple yet sweet glimpse of what befriending faithfulness looks like.

When my kids were small, one of our favorite movies was Balto, about the legendary sled dog that helped bring antitoxin nearly 700 miles from Nanana to Nome Alaska during a Dyptheria outbreak. On a family vacation to New York City we visited the statue of Balto in Central Park.  On the statue it had three words that were focal points.  They were endurance, fidelity, and intelligence.  I stood there and thought how that  sums up parenting.  Hang in there even when the end isn’t in sight (endurance), be faithful despite distractions and temptations to be otherwise (fidelity ), and use your brain to think and plan and pray and ask God for His wisdom (intelligence).

One of the lines from the movie our family still remembers was made by Balto’s friend, a goose named Boris.  He said about Balto, “He never sees what he is, only what he is not”.  I am hard pressed to say that often my evaluation of my parenting is a lot like Balto.  I see my shortcomings and not my strengths.  Yet my strengths come from God and in my weakness He is strong.  Even in my poor self-evaluation Jesus’ faithfulness shines through.

Befriending faithfulness is as simple as befriending Jesus.  He is the epitomy of faithfulness. Befriending faithfulness is to walk by faith and not by sight. Befriending faithfulness is doing the next thing and praising God for His faithfulness.  How will you befriend faithfulness today?  In what situation will you say today, “You, Jesus, are faithful, and I will trust and embrace your faithfulness today.”

 Wendy Taylor

Julie’s Corner

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This is my second year, along with many other women at Long Hollow, to read through the Bible chronologically. It is so exciting to read God’s story from Genesis to Revelation and see God’s activity in the lives of mankind. Each time I read His story, I learn more about Him and His amazing grace in the redemption of mankind. I also see how hopeless I am apart from Him.

The Tabernacle

In recent weeks we’ve been reading about the tabernacle, God’s dwelling place among His chosen people in the wilderness. What a privilege for the Israelites that God so desired relationship with them that He gave them very specific instructions for building the tabernacle.

As we studied the tabernacle, I was reminded of the words in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” (emphasis added) Paul was specifically addressing sexual immorality here but the more I thought about my body being a temple of the Holy Spirit, I realized that I was not taking good care of my temple as it related to what I eat as well as getting proper exercise and rest. I’ve been convicted during my reading but not enough to do anything about it…until now.

Since this past week was Spring Break in Sumner County, I knew my schedule would not be as hectic as usual. So, I decided to set a goal for myself of working out at the gym 3 times. Now if you understood how much I hate to work out, you would realize what a lofty goal that was to set! Thankfully I have a workout partner who is a tad more serious than I and she keeps me accountable and focused!

Mission accomplished! Three times this week I worked out with weights and have the sore muscles to prove it! I even started being more cognizant of what I was eating because I’ve learned that it’s not just exercising but also the stuff that I put in my mouth that alters the way I feel. If I’m exercising, eating, and sleeping well, then I can tell a definite difference in my overall energy level. If I’m not doing the aforementioned things, then I am constantly in need of a nap!

Really, it comes down to the word I love to hate…discipline. Why do I hate it? Because it requires work; hard work! You see, I am not proud to admit this, but I am a GREAT procrastinator. My motto normally is “don’t do today what you can put off until tomorrow.” But one thing I know about myself is that if am undisciplined in any area of my life, most often that bleeds over into every area even my spiritual life. Does anybody know what I’m talking about?

I’m so thankful that my relationship with Christ is not dependent upon how disciplined I’ve been in my walk with Him. Don’t get me wrong; spiritual discipline is extremely important. 1 Timothy 4:8 says,   “physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”

Physical training is important, but spiritual discipline is more important. However, God doesn’t love me any more if I’ve spent time alone with Him or any less if I haven’t. My relationship with Christ has nothing to do with anything I’ve done but it’s all because of God’s grace.  Oftentimes I’ve gotten bogged down with the “to do” list in spending time with Him rather than just enjoying Him and the fact that He loves me and calls me His beloved!

Whether training physically or spiritually, the fact of the matter is that when I neglect either, I’m the one who suffers. Although I know that God doesn’t love me any less, it still boggles my mind that the Creator of the universe wants me to spend time with Him! What a privilege I don’t want to miss!

Julie

Top Five Friday: The Luck of the Irish

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St. Patrick’s Day is tomorrow, and while most of us won’t celebrate by going to the “pub”, there are still several ways to enjoy this colorful, festive day!

Whether you’re getting together with friends or hanging out with your family, why not take this opportunity to talk about the things that make you consider yourself lucky? Can’t think of much? How about the friends or family you have? Or the way God loves you? Chances are, if you take a minute to think about it, your list-o-luck is quite lengthy!

From the Long Hollow Women’s Ministry to you, Happy early St. Patrick’s Day!

Here are a few items that might be fun to try or good to know:

1. Did you know…
St. Patrick’s Day is the most widely celebrated saint’s day in the world (which would include St. Valentine’s Day)! It is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion (especially the Church of Ireland), the Eastern Orthodox Church and Lutheran Church. It commemorates Saint Patrick (c. AD 387–461), the most commonly recognized of the patron saints of Ireland, and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland.

2. Click here for St. Patty’s Day crafts and decorations, including straw toppers, table arrangements, and even clover hair-pins!

3. Anyone up for the traditional Irish feast of corned beef and cabbage? Prep time is only 10 minutes…might be worth a shot! Click here if you’re interested in the recipe!

4. While you’re crafting and/or cooking, crank up the Irish jams! This Pandora Radio station might be fun to listen to while you’re doin’ your thing!
If you don’t regularly use Pandora Radio, you should try it out! You can sign up for a free account in under two minutes and listen to music of all kinds according to the styles that you like and choose for yourself…for free!

5. And for dessert, of course…Lucky Charm cupcakes! Click here to find the recipe!

Looking for a more natural/healthy alternative for dessert? Try some Rainbow Fruit Skewers!

Do you have any other suggestions for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day?
Will you try any of these that we’ve listed?
Let us know what you think!

The Butterfly Effect

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Some time ago I read the book, The Butterfly Effect, by Andy Andrews, at a work team retreat and as an assignment from our director. It only took about 20-30 minutes to read and the question we were to respond to is the title of this post. Does my life really matter?

The author shares that the theory, stated by Edward Lorenz,  that a butterfly could flap it’s wings and set molecules in motion which move other molecules and, in turn, would be eventually be capable of starting a hurricane on the other side of the world. Edward was laughed at but 30 years later, physics professors proved that the butterfly effect was accurate, now known as The Law of Sensitive Dependence Upon Initial Conditions.

The point is, according to the author, “everything you do matters. Every move you make, every action you take…matters.”   I would add, even if you do not see results currently-DO NOT give up. In 2 Chronicles 15:7 Azariah is telling Asa and others not to give up. Their work has a reward. And Paul writes the Thessalonians, “do not grow weary in doing good.”(2 Thess. 3:13)

If you are wondering if the time you are investing in Kingdom work is important, remember the story and know that you also have a “butterfly effect” as well! Your story will be heard long after you are gone from this world.

“This will be written for a later generation, and a newly created people will praise the Lord.” ~ Psalms 102:18 (HCSB)

By serving Christ today, you have the “butterfly effect” of touching the lives of those who are yet to be born!  Can you even imagine? The author concludes, “You have been created in order that you might make a difference.” Continue faithfully serving and leading women, God will do far more through you than you will ever see in your lifetime.

Chris Adams
Senior Lead Women’s Ministry Specialist
LifeWay Christian Resources