Monthly Archives: April 2012

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“I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.  I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

~Philippians 1:3-6

As the pastor’s wife at Long Hollow I get to see a lot of the good works that the Lord is doing in our midst. I am thankful to be in a position that allows me to see life change so often.  Yes, at times I see my share of sorrow and pain too but lately the Lord has been blessing my socks off!   In just the last week I have gotten to experience……

  1. Watching six people get baptized
  1. Praising the Lord through awesome worship songs and from His Word
  1. Seeing my teenage sons attend the Man Up conference with about 2,000 others while their dad was the speaker and they still came home and said it was awesome! : ) It blesses my heart to see so many men come out and that they want to follow the Lord.
  1.  Going to a wedding and two bridal showers where I saw young women and men desiring to start godly homes.  It is encouraging to have seen some of these students grow up and to know they are not following the statistic that say they are likely to fall out of church at this age.
  1.  Listening to stories of life change at Celebrate Recovery’s 7 year anniversary!  These stories included amazing transformations of men and women becoming sober, free from addictions, and having marriages restored, etc… I also witnessed many first time people going to get their blue chips at Celebrate Recovery and begin their own journeys of life change.  So exciting!!
  1. Hearing “God stories” from women in a leadership meeting of how God is at work.
  1. Prayer walking at On Our Knees with other women around the church.

All of the above has happened in the last five days.  I don’t know if you are a part of what God is doing at Long Hollow but be assured that He is working!  There are plenty of opportunities for you to be a part of life change such as Bible studies, prayer times and worship services.   Don’t miss out on the joy that can be yours by standing on the sidelines.  Be women who are involved and alert to where God is working!  I look forward to the days ahead because we will reap what God is doing now.  God is good and greatly to be praised!

Jennifer Landrith

The Whole Truth

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Chronological Bible Discipleship is designed to help you piece together the entire Bible story. It’s never to late to start reading along chronologically with other Long Hollow Women! Keep up with the daily readings and then join other women for table discussion and an overview lesson from our Women’s Minister, Julie Woodruff. No homework required. Your only assignment is to read a passage daily and if you miss a day or even a week, you can jump right back in easily.

For more information on our Chronological Bible study meetings, check out our website here! Join us on this journey of studying the God’s Word! You will develop a hunger for His Word and a love for His truths like you’ve never had before!

 

Melodies Of My Heart

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Sometimes I wish life were like a musical. I grew up with a mom who taught music. Singing was a part of our daily life. There were many times we’d break out into song, often dancing and making up our own lyrics (many of which came from our favorite broadway show, Les Miserables). I loved watching musicals like Oklahoma where the characters burst into song in the midst of the street and in doing daily tasks!

Music has the power to set the precedence for our lives. Have you ever woken up with a tune in your head? Or heard a song that you can’t get out of your mind? A simple melody can overtake your heart, fill you with joy, drive your thoughts, and influence your decisions. Not only can a tune sweep you away, but sung words have a powerful effect on your soul. This was by no accident; God created music and HE even delights in singing over us! (Zephaniah 3:17)

There’s great power in singing (whether you can carry a tune or not:). After Moses led the Israelites on dry land through the midst of the Red Sea, he sang a song of praise to the LORD. (Exodus 15:1)  David spoke the words of a song to the LORD to praise Him for His deliverance. (2 Samuel 22:1) Even the morning stars sing for joy to God (Job 38:7). And most importantly, Jesus said that if we don’t praise Him, the rocks will cry out! (Luke 19:40) Before Jesus took on the unbearable weight of our sin, and before He held a rugged, splintered manmade cross just for us, He sung a hymn with His disciples. (Matthew 26:30)

I’ve always wondered what He sang that night. Although I don’t know the words, I do know His heart. And I know that before, during, and after His excurciating death on the cross, He had one purpose- to magnify the glory and love of God!

The beauty in music is that we glorify God when we praise Him. Countless times in the Psalms, we are given one simple command: “Sing praises,” “shout for joy”, “sing a new song”, “sing aloud”, “sing for joy,” and the list goes on.  This is so simple and beautiful. All the Lord tells us is to just sing. Try it. You’ll be blessed because what He says is always for our good.

Here are my Top Five Songs I’ve loved lately!

1. “How Great is Our God“-World Edition-a glimpse of Heaven on Earth

2. “To You Be The Glory” by Kari Jobe and Matt Maher-incredibly powerful words

3. “Who You Are” by Kristian Stanfill-”…You hold the orphan in Your loving arms; this is who You are…”

4. “Isaiah 55” by Leigh Nash- “we will bless the Lord, and we will be led forth, there’s NOTHING You can’t do!

5. “Like Incense/Step by Step” by Brooke Fraser- “oh God, You are my God, and I will ever praise You!”

It doesn’t matter if you can stay on pitch or the tune in which the melody is sung. All that matters is that we sing a song of praise to our God.

All my Love,

Gretchen

Ongoing Preparation

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When we look at a person, we don’t always see  the place from where that person came from or the journey they have walked.  I am one who has come from a place where God has done a beautiful work that only He can get the credit for! Therefore, I boast in our God and the amazing work He has done!  1 Corinthians 1:31 says, “Therefore, as it is written, ‘Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”

I always pray for a teachable spirit because I have been unteachable at times.  This work in my life will continue until I meet God – face to face.  The first thing I had to learn was to make Christ the Lord of my life.  At Joelton First Baptist, I saw myself for the first time through the eyes of Christ and not my own.  WHAT A SHOCK and what great PAIN! This was the first time I did not like myself. I had been hiding many things from people, and most of all from myself.  But God saw me and knew all that was in my heart.  Psalm 139:7 says it beautifully: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? ” I had lived a life of worrying about what everyone else might think about me and not “What does my Savior think?” It didn’t matter what others thought; all that mattered was what my Savior thought about me.

You see, I had an addition to alcohol. These addictive behaviors were seen in my heritage. I had been going to church and learning a new thought process.  It all began the day I gave my life to Christ.  My daughter’s youth minister’s wife said to me, “Oh, Jeanie we been praying for you.” I knew her well and knew she really had been praying for me.  At that moment I understood the POWER of PRAYER. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 commands us to “pray continually.” I knew my daughter had told her about my addiction. When we have these kinds of deep secrets, they aren’t intended to be told. However, hiding these secrets of the family encourages sin. I knew my daughter walked with the Lord. I had watched her live it out.  She had time alone with the Lord and was never in a wrong spirit with me, but, rather, she had a quite spirit that radiated a great love for God. I knew she prayed and she had honored me as her mother.

At that time, I was not living an honorable life. My daughter, however, submitted to Gods covering for her life and to me as her mother.  She was living the example of Jesus in the spirit of the Lord.  The first place I needed to be cleansed in my life was my addiction to alcohol. The new thought process I was learning was to first submit to God’s covering and protection over my life.  In my time alone with God and through His word, He gave me many beautiful Scriptures. The one I clung to as dearly as I clung to God was Philippians 4:13; “I can do all things through him who gives me strength.”  The pages of His Word were being written on my heart. I stood on His truth and prayed His Words back to Him, telling him His Word was truth for my life.  This was nothing I could do; only He could do a work like this.

Jesus was our very own example in how to use prayer and Scripture to battle Satan. As the saliva would fill my mouth and the thought of a drink, just as it does at the smell of good cooking, I would pray and call back God’s Word to my mind and that He is faithful! This was not a quick drive thru prayer, but a continual, persistent, and expectant calling to the Lord. This is the reason I boasted in Him and will also boast in Him!

It is now twenty-two years later, and I would not be a fool to think that Satan is not going to try to attack and bring this addiction back to mind! I always say, “Lord, YOU have my mind!” I am never justifying my actions, just simply running to the Strong Tower. Provers 18:10 declares that “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”

Safe in the Lord. What a wonderful place of rest that is. Thank you, Jesus!

By the grace of God,

Jeanie

A Faithful Legacy

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Steve Green sang a song years ago about leaving a legacy. Here are some of the lyrics:

“After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone, And our children sift through all we’ve left behind, May the clues that they discover and the memories they uncover, Become the light that leads them to the road we each must find”

“Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful; May the fire of our devotion light their way; May the footprints that we leave, Lead them to believe, And the lives we live inspire them to obey, Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful.”

Judges 2:10 says, “After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what He had done for Israel.” Now that is a scary passage if you ask me!

Last week Sid and I went on a road trip. We traveled to Houston, TX to see his 94 yr old mom who is in a rehab facility undergoing therapy after sustaining an injury in a fall she took about a month ago. Grandma, as we fondly refer to her, is an amazing woman. She is a retired schoolteacher and principal whose life was dedicated to serving others. There are many things I could tell you about her but the one thing I love the most is that she continues to unashamedly tell others about Jesus!

She shared with us how she had talked to a man at her dinner table probably in his 80’s who was not a believer and asked him if he knew Jesus. He got angry and walked away because he didn’t want to answer her question. However, the next night he was right back at the table and she took up where she had left off!

There are many similar stories whether it is children who are gathered around her, people in her neighborhood, a restaurant, or you name it, wherever she is, her desire is to always be a witness for Christ. No telling how many people have come to know Jesus through her witness.

Leaving Houston we stopped in LA to see my parents. My mom and dad moved back to the town they both grew up in about five years ago. Mom told me about a long time friend who had stopped by the house for a visit and they have been sharing with him about Jesus.  They are burdened for their friends and are faithfully witnessing to several.

One thing is for sure, the generation coming behind our parents will know of the Lord and the things He has done for our families. They might not choose to accept Him but it won’t be because they haven’t heard. I’m grateful for the legacy of parents who are still sharing their faith in Jesus so that the generations who come behind them may know Him.

Those 5 days and 1,820 miles were tiring physically but oh so inspiring as we were reminded of the importance of sharing our faith. What about you? Are you being intentional to tell your children and grandchildren about the Lord? I pray it won’t be said on our watch  “after that whole generation had died, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what He had done.”

Speaking of passing on a legacy, encourage your husband to sign up for the Man Up conference this Sunday from 5-9 at Long Hollow. Also if you have a son 16 yrs or older, they are invited too! It will definitely be a man club night! Would you pray with me for the Man Up Conference and all who will be attending? Ask God to pour out His Spirit in an amazing way among the men of our church.

Julie

Scrappin’ at the Holler

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Does the thought of scrapbook paper, embellishments and the latest Cricut cartridge make your palms sweat and your heart race?

If so you need to check out the fun and fellowship at Scrappin’ at the Holler!  With the church rapidly growing, it’s a great way to meet new people with a similar passion, share ideas and even resources.   And it’s cheap!!  No cost to attend.  Our first crop in March was a blast!  We laughed, we ate, we created and we made new friends.  So grab your scrappin’ stuff and a buddy or two and come join us!  Our next crop is May 11 from 6 p.m. to midnight in the Little Treehouse at the Hendersonville Campus. 

Hope to see you there!

Sister Trip

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If you knew me you would question my credentials to write anything about a sister trip. I am an only child. I have five kids and only one is a girl. Sisters of the biological kind just don’t seem to be in the cards for me. But how I have envied those of you who have sisters and even more how you take sister trips. So this is my first posting to give you tips on taking a sister trip.

After 23 years of watching my husband trek to Colorado to shoot Elk each year I have only once ventured from my territory with a girlfriend. It’s been almost seven years since I took that first trip with my friend Paula to Europe. (Honestly that trip may be the reason it has taken me seven years to embark on a second adventure.) Yes, the fares were cheap — because it was the off season. But I really should have clued in that “timing” would mean trekking through Paris in the cold and pouring rain. My pictures of the Eiffel tower blurry as I shot through the dripping windows of a tour bus. The luxurious hotels of the movies lay in stark contrast to the miniscule space we called a hotel room. Midday marked the time we came back to our room to change into three new layers of clothes as our previous three layers were soaking wet. I am sure you are getting the picture.

Me and my friends!

So here I am writing on the day I leave with my girlfriend to tackle the Antique Fair of Antique Fairs. My husband’s truck has been cleaned to make room for any treasures we may find, our housing established and, as always, my suitcase not yet packed. But I am excited! And although this advice may be better suited for one of you gals who has a long history of sister trips, I thought I would take a shot at it with fresh eyes. Newbie’s really. Eyes full of hope and expectation toward this great adventure.

So here goes:

1. Do it. ~ Whether you have biological sisters or spiritual sisters. Plan a weekend or longer if you can and do something you will love or are convinced you may like.

2. Be conscience of each others budget. ~ We are saving by staying with some friends for the nights we are in Atlanta. Maybe you can be creative and have a sister trip garage sale or Girlfriends Trading Post clearing house sale. Remember you don’t have to take a trip that involves a lot of $. Even an extended day trip can be lots of fun. (I have done these a time or two. :)

The antique store we visited!

3. Be honest about expectations. ~ I warned my girlfriend that I am not a good person to shop with. I can’t fake interest in things I don’t want to look at. (I learned this once when shopping with a friend that wanted me to ooh and ahh over every porcelain doll she came across. Torture….pure torture…..from then on I have issued a disclaimer when I shop…..I may wander but let’s set a time and place to meet up for lunch and share our finds.)

4. Space can be good. Be casual to let each other have some time alone if they desire it. Maybe you want to fit in a good book while another wants to see a few sights. Remember that your sister may not only want a little r&r from the kids and house but maybe just a few minutes to themselves to do something they really want, maybe just to be quiet.

5. Have fun and make memories. ~ I am terrible at pictures but I plan to take a few. I hope to find at least one treasure that I can have as a memory take away. (I stole a motto from a lady I overheard at a store years ago…..”I am looking for something I can’t live without and praying I don’t find it!”) I look forward to our car ride down to Atlanta. I am sure our 5 hours there and back will necessitate a box of Kleenex on the front seat between us. Can’t get us girls together too long without sharing hearts. So while those may be expectations of sorts my greatest excitement is to kick off a long tradition of Sister Trips.

Scotts Antique Fair Here We Come!

~Tina

The Unparalleled Library

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Reading has always been a favorite activity of mine. As a child I loved being taken to story hour by my mom and I remember fondly the sweet librarian at the Goodlettsville Branch Library who helped instill in me a love for the library. At home I read the stacks of library books to my dolls as I pretended to “teach” them (and often my younger sister participated as one of my pupils.) I even thought I might be a librarian some day! In college I spent hours studying in the library, most often by myself in a quiet corner somewhere.  I still love walking into any library. The quiet, the endless opportunity for learning, the shelves and shelves of books that have been touched and poured over by countless hands and eyes. It feels exciting and relaxing and comfortable all at the same time.

As I grew older my life was filled with all the activity of being a wife, employee, and mom to 2 sweet boys, my reading list changed. Instead of pleasure reading it became marriage books and cookbooks, then pregnancy books, then baby books, toddler books, the list goes on.  Reading was more about what I needed to do to prepare for or understand the stage of life I was in. It was a quick read to gain some knowledge, insight, or support. Except on an occasional vacation I rarely had time to dive into a good book and enjoy it as I used to. And when I did there was some guilt involved that I should probably be spending my time doing something else.

The most important book I have always wanted to read from cover to cover is the Bible. I always thought I would do it someday “when I had time” and never made it a priority. Last year I started reading the Chronological Bible with the ladies at church. I couldn’t attend the in-person sessions so I read on my own.  I was amazed at how reading the Bible in order just opened my eyes to things I had never understood before. It made me feel empowered to understand the book for myself as if written by God from his heart to mine. Of course, along the way the busyness of life took over and I didn’t finish it all, so this year my husband and I decided to read thru it together. Another unexpected and cool blessing straight from the Father!

You know, when I read the Bible there is no guilt involved with taking time away from other things that need my attention. It’s not just “me” time, it’s “God and me” time. As I read thru the history of all that God has done he uses the words to fill me up, to remind me that He has a plan for me too, and that if I don’t take the time to spend with him in the Word he doesn’t have a chance to speak to me.

So I seek out the moments in my day, sometimes early in the morning, sometimes late at night, to dive in and see what God’s been up to. Yes there are a few chapters I tend to read faster than others, some that I’m not sure exactly what they mean or why God did certain things, but isn’t that like our lives too? There are some seasons we don’t understand at the time, some we want to move quickly thru? Just like the Bible, it’s all a part of His plan.

Reading God’s word kind of feels like the library to me, exciting, relaxing, and comfortable all at the same time. It’s exciting in that each time I open His book the creator of the universe has something to reveal to me. It’s relaxing in that it reminds me that He is control, that He is mighty and sovereign and full of love and always good. It’s comfortable in that it invites me in and once I’m in His word I don’t want to put it down.  It really is the best place to be.

So I keep reading, one day at a time, in anticipation of what God has for me. Of course I’m a few weeks behind already but apparently God still wants me to be reading Deuteronomy!

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. ~Psalm 119: 105

It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of my life so he is that he may learn to revere the Lord.

~Deuteronomy 17: 19

How do you make time to read God’s word? What suggestions do you have for your sisters in Christ to set aside time with the Father in his word?

~Annemarie

The Sweetest Fragrance

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I love my local grocery store!! It just has the most fun cashiers and baggers ever, and they even walk you out to the car!! With two precious kiddos, it doesn’t get much sweeter than that. We frequent the store so we recognize nearly everyone and what’s more they recognize us, that’s how you know you’re a regular! “Grandpa” Joe and “Grandpa” George are our grocery store pals and we love them with the same fondness as family.

Their faces have wrinkles in all the right places. They’re crinkled up with charming smile lines and deep creases in their foreheads that I know are due to raising their eyebrows with interest in whatever you might be saying at the moment. George vaguely reminds me of Mr. Rogers, and Joe reminds me of what I think Santa Claus would look like if he were in shape. I saw the guys as recently as today. I suppose you might be wondering who in the world would take such a deep interest in the local grocery store workers…That’s a fair question considering the fact that the whole lot of us are so used to being served that we rarely engage any longer with those helping us. The following verses sum up why I find it not only a joy but a call to love these “Grandpas” and many others too.

2 Corinthians 2

15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16  to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.

You see as kind as Joe and George may be to us every week, (hmmm, sometimes every day, haha); the fact is despite whatever lip service I may get about going to church here or there, I don’t think they know Jesus from Adam. For me it’s just another day picking up a bunch of bananas or grabbing a few more veggies for dinner, but for them there is a countdown clock raging much faster than Philip Randoll’s. This clock is not propelling them toward the grace of eternal life in Christ Jesus, rather it’s pushing them down into the pits and edging them closer to the loss of life forever. That is not news to trifle with lightly. Scripture is overwhelming clear that we are “the aroma of Christ.” We are, with love and sincerity, to share more than a “hey, how are you?!” We are to offer a cup of cold water in Jesus’ name….water that will become to the lost LIVING WATER.

As it is most of us will feel a tinge of conviction by this testimony, but will never allow it to move into sharing as you go way of life. BUT what if you take this challenge, a challenge to let your lips speak as freely about Jesus and His glorious Gospel as they do about TV. What if we started sharing Christ as a part of our daily routine out of the overflow of what Jesus is doing in our lives as we read His Word and seek Him daily?

I think the local grocery store and everywhere else would start to smell a good bit different if we did…it might start to really take on the aroma of Christ in every place.

With love in Christ,

Regina

Lead Me To The Honey

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Ratel

The Ratel also known as the Honey Badger, is a fierce, fighting member of the weasel family which closely resembles a skunk. Ratels can be found throughout most of Africa and south Asia. They aren’t pretty creatures but one thing that distinguishes them is their ravenous appetite for beehives. Probably the most intriguing aspect of ratel behavior is its close relationship with the honey guide bird. The honey guide has sharp eyes that can pinpoint a beehive with honey and it will lead a ratel to the beehive and wait for the ratel to tear into the hive with its powerful claws. The ratel eats the honey and leaves the larvae and wax, as well as hard to get at honey, for the bird to consume. (Rosevear, 1974. National Geographic, 1981)

Honey Guide Bird

What’s the point? The ratel and honey guide bird need one another. They are far more productive together than one would be without the other. Likewise, women need people in their lives that can help us be more productive than we would be alone. It is so easy to try to be superwoman and go flying through life like we can do it all. The truth of the matter is we can’t do it all. And if we aren’t careful, sooner or later we will hit a building, crashing and burning, because we were trying to fly through life alone.

Women need other women to come alongside them.  We were designed for relationships – to do life together.  Ecclesiastes puts it this way “Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls, his companion can lift him up” (Eccl. 4:9-10).

Scripture gives us examples of such relationships.

Jesus had many friends but there were three in His inner circle; Peter, James, and John, who were with Him at times when no one else was permitted. Not that Jesus needed anyone to mentor Him, but He knew the value of friendships. When Jesus’ mother, Mary, found out about her unusual pregnancy, Scripture records that she left immediately to go to Elizabeth’s house. Elizabeth was related to Mary and much older, but obviously someone Mary loved and respected. They also shared something in common, very unusual pregnancies. Elizabeth had not been able to conceive a child until later in life, certainly past the child-bearing years. Mary found herself pregnant at a young age having never had sex. At a most perplexing time in her life Mary knew she needed someone who could understand and relate to her situation. She went to Elizabeth’s home and stayed with her three months. Although it is not recorded what Elizabeth and Mary did during those three months, Scripture does record that Elizabeth encouraged and validated Mary. They probably had some good laughs together, and also shed a few tears together.

We all need people in our lives that can come alongside to encourage and guide us. Perhaps you’ve wanted someone like this but don’t know how to find them. Here are a few suggestions to help:

  • Recognize your need for a mentor
  • Begin praying for someone
  • Answer this question: What am I looking for in a mentor?
  • Think of people already in your life that you admire
  • Continue to pray

God placed us in the body of Christ to do life together. Do you need to connect with other women? One ofthe best ways to connect is through a small group. Find out more information about women’s small groups here.

We were created by the most high, loving and incredible God for a relationship with Him. He loved us so much that He goes even further to give us the blessing of relationships with others. Jesus spent a lot of time with a few people. Let’s follow His example and strive to be connected with our sisters in Christ!

Julie