WE GROW

Fall Bible Study

2008-09-02T14:08:00.005-05:00

Finding Christ in Everyday Life ~ New Fall Bible Study Series

Finding Christ in Everyday Life is our fall Bible study area of focus. This fall participants will have two studies to choose from.

1) "What a Husband Needs from His Wife" by Melanie Chitwood

Melanie reveals why the best thing you can do for your relationship with your husband is to focus on your walk with God and let Him transform you-and your marriage. She shows how to:

* Find true fulfillment and identity apart form possessions or
activities
* Enjoy greater companionship and intimacy
* Survive and thrive in stormy times
* Maintain a healthy and Christ like attitude
* And much, much more

2) "The Shack" ~ The #1 Bestseller by William P. Young

Here’s what others are saying about The Shack:

“The Shack is the most absorbing work of fiction I’ve read in many years. My wife and I laughed, cried and repented of our own lack of faith along the way. The Shack will leave you craving for the presence of God.: Michael W. Smith, Recording Artist

‘This book has the potential to do for our generation what John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress did for his. It’s that good!” Eugene Peterson, Professor Emeritus of Spiritual Theology, Regent College, Vancouver, B.C. This work of fiction, MAKES YOU THINK!!! If you are looking for a good read, don’t pass this one up!!

We will be meeting on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday's from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., beginning on September 10th. All ladies are welcome to attend!

MUST SEE MOVIE OF THE YEAR! ~ "FIREPROOF"

2008-07-09T10:11:00.003-05:00

WHAT'S HAPPENING?

2008-05-28T11:24:00.001-05:00

Greetings!

If there is anyone out there who is stopping by to see what is going on with “We Grow” Women’s Ministries I can sum things up with two words; not much. At least not in the public forum of ministry. For now we have been taking some much needed rest and relaxation from planning and organizing formal ministry opportunities. However, God is at work in our hearts and we are constantly seeking His will.

I am sure that many of you may know that Resa and I are preparing to attend the “She Speaks” conference that is hosted by Proverbs 31 Ministries. This conference is scheduled for June 20 – 22nd. We are praying that God will use this time to rejuvenate us and provide us with some much needed inspiration and direction for our ministry program.

We are trusting in God and know that He will direct our path. Please check back with us after June 22nd.

Looking Back ~ Never Enough of God In My Life

2008-02-08T09:29:00.000-06:00

Bringing in a new year has caused me to pause and reflect on the year of 2007. Many exciting events have taken place in 2007 that have changed my life. Not the least of these changing events was the adoption of my son on August 17th, 2007.

Anytime a child is brought into a family it is inevitable that life will change. This is especially true when a child is adopted at the age of 34 months, (2 years and 10 months, for those of you who, like me, are a little math challenged.) by a woman who was very comfortable with her very quiet, orderly, organized, neat, and often very selfish lifestyle.

Needless to say, my home is no longer quiet. Nor, is it orderly, organized, and neat. More often than not one would be likely to find my home in a state of cluttered, messy, chaos. However, I am happy to admit, the adoption of this miracle child has forced me to become less selfish and more dependent upon the Lord. I wish that I could say that giving up some of my selfish desires has come easily. However, the truth of the matter is that I am a fighter, and tend to give up my selfish desires only when I am forced to do so, and then only while kicking and screaming.

Another of the changes that this wonderful addition to my life has brought about is, I have a renewed desire to grow closer to my precious Savior; Jesus Christ. This desire was cultivated not only by my son’s adoption, and the realization that I want to give my very best to my efforts to raise him in a home where God is placed first above all else, but also by the faith and witness of one very special woman; Lysa TerKeurst.

For those of you who may not know Lysa, she is the President of Proverbs 31 Ministries, co-host of the ministries national radio program and she is the award winning author of several books, including her latest release, What Happens When Women Walk in Faith, as well as What Happens When Women Say Yes to God, Leading Women to the Heart of God, and many other wonderful titles. She is the featured writer for the monthly magazine, P31 Woman and has had her work published in other publications such as Focus on the Family magazine and Crown Financial Ministries’ Money Matters.

My first encounter with Lysa was through reading some of her online devotions, posted at http://proverbs31.gospelcom.net/. The second encounter I experienced with Lysa was at a women’s retreat in Sullivan Indiana during the early summer of last year. Lysa was to be the keynote speaker and I was so excited about attending the conference. At this time I was knee deep in the roller-coaster ride of emotions surrounding my son being in our home in foster care, and it was uncertain when if ever we would be blessed to adopt him. I had high hopes that I would gain a fresh perspective on life at this conference, and Lysa did not disappoint me, nor were my expectations of a life-changing experience left wanting.

Lysa’s Biblical insights were life changing, she was inspiring, fresh funny and clearly on fire for the Lord; and she mixed every topic that she shared with personal stories that were real and moved my heart. Also at this event, she gave a challenge to all women who were either women’s ministry leaders, writers, speakers, or who hoped to one day be a part of leading women to God through one of these avenues; to attend “She Speaks,” an annual conference hosted by Proverbs 31 ministries. When she extended the offer to join her at “She Speaks,” in June I knew that I had to attend.

So, in June of 2007, I packed my bags and headed off to Charlotte, North Carolina to attend a conference that for me has started the reawakening of my soul, and my absolute desire to serve my King with every fiber of my being.

Little did I know the changes in my heart and life that were in store for me, during and after this conference. Not only did this conference revolutionize the way I view my relationship with God, but it also gave me the opportunity to meet many other women, from all over the country, which also have a deep desire to serve the Lord. One of those women was Renee Swope, who just happens to also be a member of the Proverbs 31 ministry team and will be coming to Highland to present a wonderful series called “Searching for God’s Treasure in Everyday Life,” on March 28th and 29th. This event will challenge you to reach for God’s treasure by embracing His love and His grace in a whole new way.

As I look back on the events of last year, I can’t help but look forward to the new-year. I realize that for all of my spiritual growth and my resolve to change, I am still just a fallen sinner and I will continue to struggle to grow my relationship with Christ. I have realized that many times during this past year I have been like Lysa TerKeurst admitted in her blog posting of Tuesday January 1st entitled, “The Song of My Rag Tag Soul.” Lysa said: “I have been obedient but only to a certain point. I have been good but I am not holy. I have faith but still struggle with the desire to be put in a position to really have to practice it.” (For the entire article by Lysa go to: http://lysaterkeurst.blogspot.com/2008/01/song-of-my-rag-tag-soul.html)

I can so relate to what Lysa said. Maybe you can too. I know that my desire to grow a greater relationship with my savior is strong, but I find myself saying; “Lord, no matter how much I grow in you it will never be enough for me! I want to give you everything, yet I struggle with my human frailties. My greatest prayer is to serve you with great abandon. To allow you to be so real in my life that I love nothing more than taking delight in our bond. I desire to say yes to your every request, and to make you known throughout the world! I desire to have nothing delight me more than singing your praise through the way I live my life.” So, although I have never been one to make new-year’s resolutions, this year I am making some. Here they are.

1) I resolve to continue to listen for God to speak to me and,
2) I resolve to do my very best to follow His direction.
3) I resolve to continue to strive to lay down my selfish desires and cherish every gift God sends my way, as they have been many.
4) I resolve to extend grace, grace, grace, to those, also imperfect, souls with whom I find myself doing life with.
5) And most of all; I resolve to not beat myself up when I am less than perfect and find that at the end of 2008 I must make these same resolutions all over again. Because, let’s be honest folks; there is not ever going to be a day when I will be perfect at maintaining these resolutions, at least this side of glory.

PS – If you are on a spiritual journey of your own and wish to grow closer to the Lord in 2008, I encourage you to make plans now to attend the women’s mini-retreat with Renee Swope on March 28th and 29th. (Go to http://hccrobinson.com/ for more information or look for more information coming soon in the church bulletin.) Come hungry and seeking. I know you won’t leave disappointed!

God Is Calling

2007-11-19T14:49:00.000-06:00

I have been pondering many things in life lately. The biggest thought on my mind however, is this, “How can I better serve God?” I have such a desire to give God my best every day and in every way! But, sometimes I get bogged down with the details of how to best go about serving Him.

So, I decided to do what any woman in my position should do. I decided to pray, and pray, and then pray some more. I know that God has great plans to use me. After all He told me so in Jeremiah 29:11 when He said, “I know the plans I have for you, . . . plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. (NIV)”

I also know that right now my desire to really know the Lord is a driving force in my life. Further, I know that He has placed a calling on my life. So, I prayed and asked God to give me a life verse. I wanted to know what God would reveal. This is what He spoke to me, “I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will guide you with knowledge and understanding. (Jeremiah 3:15, NLT)”

At first, I really struggled with this verse. I questioned how God would work in my life through this revelation. I wanted to know who the “shepherd” would be that would come into my life and guide me with knowledge and understanding. For some time, I got bogged down with an error in interpretation. I was looking for someone to feed me, when what God was really trying to tell me was, “that I was to be that shepherd!” God was calling me to step up to the plate and share what He has revealed during my journey with Him. Oh my, talk about becoming filled with terror!

As I began to wrestle with this new wrinkle in my revelation, I thought to myself, God I have the first part of that verse down. I really do wish to be your shepherd and I desire to seek your heart. Your heart of service, Your heart of love, Your heart of compassion, Your heart of patience, Your heart for the things that will give You honor; but dear Lord I am so lacking in knowledge and understanding. Then the arguing, whining and complaining started in. “Lord, are you sure that this is to be my life verse?” “Lord, do you really know what you are asking me to do?” “Don’t you remember when I . . .?”

Of course, God was not going to let me weasel out of my responsibility, and little by little I began to realize that God was not asking me to be a walking encyclopedia of the Bible. He was not asking me to be a biblical “know-it-all.” He did not call me to understand all of His ways. He made it clear in I Timothy 3:16, the mystery of godliness is great. However, He did call me to share the love of Jesus with others, therefore making me one of His shepherds.

Having just finished co-leading, a nine-week Bible study utilizing the book “What Happens When Women Say Yes to God,” by Lysa TerKeurst, I am once again struck by the fact that I, in all my human frailty and failings, have been called by God Most High to lead a Women’s Ministry program. As the women who faithfully attended that study can testify, I am not nearly perfect, nor am I a walking encyclopedia of the Bible! However, through the study I did my best to share with the women what God has been working on in my life. I tried to share my faults transparently, and share how God was so faithful to see me through.

Hopefully, the ladies that shared this time with me realized that one does not need to be perfect to serve the Lord. His only requirement is that we willingly share His love with the world. Your calling may not be to lead a women’s ministry program, or to write devotionals. God could be calling you to cook a meal, collect food donations, form a praise band, host an in-home Bible study, sign-up for the church clean-up day, or any number of other ministry opportunities.

I would like to leave you with a bit of encouragement to join me on my journey, as I humbly “say yes” to God. Won’t you agree, with me to, accept our assignment, both the seemingly insurmountable, and the everyday mundane?
I ask that you join me in prayer for discernment and direction as God continues to refine us and adapt us to do the work of “our calling!” Please pray that we will have ears to hear and feet to follow His perfect plan!

The Interview With God

2007-10-29T09:07:00.000-05:00

I was led to a wonderful web site this morning and I had to share it with all of you. Once you link to the page, click on "view presentation," and become refueled and inspired. http://www.theinterviewwithgod.com/

Yet Another Blog to Share

2007-10-26T09:56:00.000-05:00

If you are in the bible study class "What Happens When Women Say Yes to God," and even if you are not but want to learn to say "yes" to Him, this link will inspire you. It is from the Proverbs 31 daily devotion for Friday, October 26th and is written by Marybeth Whalen. It is entitled: Living Life Aware. Click and enjoy!! http://proverbs31devotions.blogspot.com/

Another Blog to Share

2007-10-23T14:09:00.001-05:00

Rachel Olsen, national speaker with Proverbs 31, gave a really good example of a way to make your time in the word come alive and I wanted to share it with you. Click and enjoy. http://www.rachelolsen.blogspot.com/

Blog to Share

2007-10-10T12:01:00.000-05:00

Rachel Olson had a very profound article today on the P31 blog page and I wanted to share it with you. Click and enjoy! http://proverbs31devotions.blogspot.com/

Shepherd After His Heart

2007-09-24T11:07:00.000-05:00

Life; it trips me up sometimes. I find myself serving my own selfish wants, needs and desires and fail to serve my precious Jesus. How often am I afflicted with this dry spiritual condition? Shamefully I say, more times than I wish to count. Are you sometimes overcome with life and suffer from failings and shame too?

You and I are not alone. Look at what the Lord told Jeremiah to speak to the people of Israel.

“Therefore, go and give this message to Israel, This is what the Lord says: O Israel, my faithless people, come home to me again, for I am merciful. I will not be angry with you forever. Only acknowledge your guilt. Admit that you rebelled against the Lord your God and committed adultery against him by worshiping idols under every green tree. Confess that you refused to listen to my voice. I, the Lord, have spoken!” ~ Jeremiah 3:12 - 13 (NLT)

During these dry periods, I find that I am worshiping the idol of self-interest, putting my desires before the desire to serve the Lord. When spiritual weakness strikes me, and I give in to self-interest, the last thought on my mind is to acknowledge my guilt before the Lord. It should be my first response. Better yet, my goal should always be to guard my heart and mind from living a self-centered life in the first place. Knowing that, at least while trapped in this human form, I will be unable to prevent myself from occasionally falling victim to the sin and idolatry of self-centeredness is no excuse for not trying to remain God focused, Christ driven, and Holy Spirit filled.

When I do fall, and I know that I will fall, I must acknowledge my guilt. The sooner the better! Keeping my focus on myself will only lead me to experience more suffering and pain. When I am able to step away from myself and agree with God, confessing that my behavior was wrong, the grip of sin immediately must depart. God will not burn in anger against me. He loves me, and He will rejoice that I have confessed my guilt.

Thankfully, God does not leave me to my own interpretation of what sin is. He defines sin for me clearly in His word. For me to be faithful to God’s direction for my life, I must be able to hear Him speaking to me. The Lord does his talking through His word, by speaking to us during prayer and through taking time to just be quiet in His presence. This means I must read the Bible. I must make time to speak to the Lord in prayer, and I must take the time to be quiet listen for Him to speak to me.

Jeremiah 3: 12-13, speaks about a homecoming, a return from separation from God. Sin in my life is what causes me to become alienated from God. God doesn’t move away from me; rather I move away from Him. The longer I fail to confess my sin and restore my relationship with the Lord, the more my soul becomes dry and thirsty.

Just recently I sinfully, and shamefully, allowed myself to experience a dry season in my walk with the Lord. On the outside I looked as one who had it all together. Things in my life had been running pretty smoothly. I had been blessed with finalizing the adoption of my son. My job was going well. My marriage was on a firm foundation. Yes, on the outside things looked grand.

Oh, but on the inside. On the inside I had allowed one disappointment, which led to anger, to begin to corrode my connection to God. No, God didn’t move away from me, God was still by my side. He was not pleased with my actions; yet His love was and continues to be never failing.

Out of stubborn pride and a selfish view of my circumstances, I allowed myself to feel justified in my anger. I did not take my disappointment and hurt to God. Nor, did I speak with the human source of my hurt to convey my feelings and work things out. Rather, I squished my emotions down deep inside and let them begin to drain the joy from my life. It didn’t take long for this unconfessed sin, and idolatry of self, to grow into even more anger. I began to notice that I was angry a lot! I was snapping at my husband. I was snapping at my son. I was snapping at my co-workers. I was even angry with myself. I was angry about everything and in every situation!

Then, during my third week of wrestling with my anger I also encountered some negative behavioral issues with my son and my emotional dam broke. My hardened heart and my carrying capacity for dealing with my sin on my own terms reached overload.

Needless to say my son suffered as an outlet for my explosion, and I was overcome by a tsunami of shame and guilt. I cried out to God; “Father I can’t do this anymore. I am angry, and I don’t want to be! I don’t want those I love to suffer because of my lack of obedience. Lord, forgive me and guide me back to the place where your Spirit abides within me. Help me to once again hear your voice and give me the strength to obey Your direction.”

I believe now that the behavior issues that my son was displaying was in fact a direct result of my mannerisms, my angry behavior, my lack of impulse control and my inability to model appropriate behavior to life stressors for him. How humbling is that?

I am so grateful that my Jesus is a loving savior. I am thankful that He did not leave me in my place of darkness and sin. I am humbled by the depth of His love; in that even while I was living in sin His love for me was constant. I also stand in awe at His perfect sense of timing. You see, the day that my emotional dam broke was a Sunday and I was to begin teaching the first in a series of bible study lessons at church that very evening. Had I not confessed my sin and been humbled to a point of repentance, I would have been totally ineffective at presenting God’s word to the women of that class. However, because I was able to confess and repent, in fact agreeing with God that I am a broken vessel, I was able to remove myself from the equation and ask the Holy Spirit to fill me and to speak through me during class. I was even able to share this story; to share my human weakness.

So often when I sin, and then finally come to my senses and confess and repent, God allows me to share with others what He taught me through my ordeal. For me, that is a wonderful and most treasured gift from God. Jeremiah 3:15 speaks of shepherds who will lead with God's heart. It is my desire to be this type of leader, shepherding with "knowledge and understanding” that only comes from seeking God's will every day.

I have come to treasure the words of II Corinthians 4:17; “our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” (NKJV) I know that I will have desert moments in my life, and seasons of dryness in my heart. I know that I will experience affliction, either self inflicted or world inflicted. But, Praise His Holy Name, it is my desire to allow Him to work through that affliction to shine for Him and give him eternal glory.

Related Study Verses:

“Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry—but don't use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don't stay angry. Don't go to bed angry. Don't give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life.” Ephesians 4:26 (MSG) [emphasis mine]

“Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear. God's righteousness doesn't grow from human anger. So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage. In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life.” James 4: 19 – 21 (MSG) [emphasis mine]

Mom's Group Reforming for Fall

2007-09-18T10:31:00.000-05:00

Highland Church of Christ Mom’s Group is reforming for fall session. The first meeting will be held at the Red Apple Restaurant on Thursday, September 20th at 9:15 a.m. This first meeting will start a little later than normal, in order to allow all of the Mom’s to drop their children off at the church before heading to the restaurant.

As always, please feel free to invite a friend! Mom’s group is open to all Mothers within our community. During our first meeting the group will decide which book or study we will be using for the year.

Mom’s Group Fall Schedule
September 20th 9:15 – 11:15 (Kickoff meeting at the Red Apple)
October 4th 9:00 – 11:00 at HCC
October 18th 9:00 – 11:00 at HCC
November 1st 9:00 – 11:00 at HCC
November 15th 9:00 – 11:00 at HCC
November 29th 9:00 – 11:00 at HCC
December 13th 9:00 – 11:00 at HCC

· Child care will be provided at the church for each meeting!
· If you have any questions or concerns, contact Amy at: alprice2@yahoo.com, or call the church office: 544-3517.

"45 for HIM"

2007-08-29T12:52:00.000-05:00

The second "45 for HIM" prayer meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday September 11th at 6:00 p.m. This meeting will be held in the fellowship hall. As this date will commemorate the events of September 11, 2001, we will include our military and our country as two of the prayer topics for the evening. As our title suggests, this meeting will take "45" minutes or less. Please prayerfully consider joining us for this event.

Am I Saying Yes?

2007-08-12T20:13:00.000-05:00

As I prepare for the upcoming fall bible study from the book “What Happens When Women Say Yes to God’ by Lysa TerKeurst, I have many thoughts and emotions running through my mind.

Of course I am excited, and expectant of the change and growth I am preparing to experience in my heart; but, at the same time I ask myself, “am I the right person to teach this class?” I have wondered, “Am I really prepared to say ‘yes to God’ in all aspects of my life?”

Actually, this question is not a new one for me. I have been asking the question for well over a year now. Each day I seem to find one more thing I need to lay at His feet and allow Him to take total control of.

Let’s see; first I had to lay down my health; after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Someone asked me once, shortly after I was diagnosed, if I had prayed for God to cure me. When they asked the question, I was taken quite off guard. I realized that the thought had really never even occurred to me. I had suspected that I had Parkinson’s even before the official diagnosis came, and so acceptance of the fact came almost too easily. That is not to say that I wanted to be a Parkinson’s patient; but I felt at peace with the diagnosis and prayed that God would somehow allow me to use my disease as a way to tell others of His love and that He would somehow use my situation to draw people to the redeeming love of Jesus.

Next, I had to lay down our quest to adopt, and say yes to God’s direction in that area of our lives. When I did get the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, James and I called our adoption agency and tearfully told them that we would need to cancel our licensure and petition to adopt. We believed that it would be next to impossible for us to be chosen by a young birth-mother to parent her infant child, given that she would be presented with many other families, where both adoptive parents were healthy. However, God’s timing is always perfect. Our agency asked us to wait for a little while before making any big decisions and to pray. After some discussion, and much prayer, they convinced us to keep our licensure open. It was just a few months later when the adoption agency called us to ask if we would consider foster care for Gabe, and his adoption is now going to be official, making him a “Butler boy.”

All along the past year, throughout the stress and joy of the foster-to-adopt process and adjusting to the changes within my physical body, I have had to continuously lay things at the foot of the cross. If I were to share all of the things I have given over I would be able to fill volumes. Each day I find something else in my life that I need to surrender, in my quest to die to self and become more like Jesus.

My devotion and commitment to Him have grown in so many ways. My precious Jesus has faithfully accepted my dark emotions, my ugly stains, my sinful struggles; and replaced them with hope and joy that come from His abiding love and merciful grace. Some of the things that I have surrendered I have always believed I could handle on my own, prior to being humbled by Parkinson’s disease, and the increased stress level of being a full-time Mommy again. It is so amazing and awe inspiring to feel the transformation in my life as God is at work flexing His muscle in and over my life! I am learning a little better each and every day how to rely on His strength; as some days, I have no strength left of my own.

Someone once said that, “If life is going along smoothly human nature is to think that we can handle any situation on our own power. However, if we stay just outside of our comfort zone, we must rely fully on our faith in God and count on His strength to see us through.”

That is where I find my life now, just outside of my comfort zone; and I praise Him for allowing me to be in that “slightly out of control place.” I pray that I may remain just outside of my comfort zone where I am forced to rely fully upon Him. May I never become so comfortable that I begin to take back the things I have already laid down, or to erroneously think, in my own human vanity, that I can handle it on my own, and begin to rely on self once again!

So, as I further ponder the question, “Am I the right person to teach this class?” I pray that God, in His infinite wisdom, will continue to find ways to remind me . . .

. . . “No, my sweet child, but I AM.”

Please pray with me, my sisters, that I never forget Who is in charge!

Are you seeking for Gods blessings upon your life? Would like to join me in my quest to allow God to conform the darkness from the depths of my heart? Come out and grow with me as He continues to teach me what I must lay down to be able to “Say Yes to Him!” The study will begin on Sunday September 9th at 6:00.

We will begin each meeting with prayer asking the Holy Spirit to join with us. We will prayerfully consider how to have hearts open to receive His leading. And, we will share a time of praise and worship, through singing, before we open our books to allow Him to guide us through the study time together.

As for me, I look forward to the changes He will make in my life; are you game to join me?

Thoughts to Consider:

“What item, task, behavior, thought, or thing has God been nudging you to lay at His feet?” Are you willing to “say yes to God” and lay it down?

“Today, are you relying on your own strength, or counting on God’s unfailing mercy to carry you through?”

Application:

“Consider any area, thing, person, item, etc., in your life that you may desire to retain control of for yourself. Ask God to reveal to you how you can fully trust in His ability to manage that area, thing, person, item, etc., better. Prayerfully release whatever He brings to you mind to Him, and then allow Him to bless your life as the weight of that burden is lifted from your shoulders.”

Scripture reference:

Philippians 3: 12-14 (MSG) ~

“I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back.”

Ephesians 4: 22-24 (NIV) ~

“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

James 4: 7-8 & 10 (NIV) ~

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”

The Lord is my Strength and My Song

2007-08-10T10:34:00.000-05:00

It’s 8:30 a.m. Saturday morning and 85 degrees on a hot, muggy, Midwest August day. Luckily, I’m lying in bed this morning with a well deserved cup of coffee and book. My weeklong dream, which began on Tuesday at 4:50 a.m. when that stinking alarm went off for the second time, had finally come true. After 50 plus hours at work, time with my husband, family and home; I was exhausted and I deserved this little siesta. My integrity, strength and wisdom had been tested at every turn this week at work. I was stressed; every evening had been consumed by something, I just didn’t know exactly what. I was exhausted in every fiber of my being and I was finally getting to rest; and boy, did I deserve it!

Then a tug at my heart spoke, “Run with me”. It was the Father speaking ever so gently. How dare He interrupt my quiet time? Hadn’t He provided this time for me to be lazy? Didn’t He know how desperately I needed to rest? But again, He tugged at my heart ever so softly, “Join Me this morning in My world.” He paused, and then added, “Now!” And, as I lay there, consuming energy I did not have, attempting to rationalize in my feeble manner why I should lay in bed and rest rather than join my Father I soon realized I was to be obedient and run with Him this morning.

I pulled my bed head hair into a pony tail, donned a pair of shorts, grabbed a water bottle and headed out the door without putting any deodorant on. I had decided to walk the first ½ mile; after all it was excruciatingly hot and then perhaps I might go farther. You see, I didn’t want to be outside getting dehydrated and ruin my whole free day, did I? (Oh my, how I love to busy my mind to rationalize; instead of listening. Do you think perhaps I could be stubborn??!!)

I reached the ½ mile point, noticed the clear blue horizon awaiting me when I heard a flapping noise behind in the distance. I turned to see a great flock of birds with white bellies flying overhead. I don’t know what species they were but they were beautiful, their powerful presence gracing the sky. How awesome a moment to be outside in His world!! I began to hope they would swoop down and pick me up as they flew overhead as by now I was running, my breathing was labored and sweat was running down my back, into my eyes and my legs were heavy. My body didn’t feel right, I was tired. The flock drew closer; their flapping was close and distinct as they swooped down directly overhead; then straight up into the clear blue horizon dancing one direction and then the next but always together, in sync, as if they had an invisible leader. It looked like fun and the grandeur of the moment swept my thoughts away and finally this stubborn soul began to listen to Him. “See, I am leading you to My grandeur, had you stayed home you would have missed the miracle of my guidance, this beauty I wanted to share with you this morning. Listen to me. I love you more than anything, more than this flock of birds, I will guide and direct you in every turn of life; I will strengthen you at every turn, just listen to Me!”

Suddenly, His world and arms engulfed my entire being; His presence renewed every fiber within me. I was re-energized body, soul and spirit, my faith was immediately strengthened. I could sense the mightiness of His presence and see His world with brilliance as never before. The corn stalks were deep green, stout and straight due to His handiwork. The beans now were taller than the wheat stubble; a perfect yellow butterfly with black spots danced merrily about the roadside. I heard the locusts’ exuberantly from the woods and the birds chirped endlessly on in tune. God’s world was in perfect order and he wanted me to join Him, to let Him lead me and put His perfect plans in place; His order in my world. He wants to teach me how to make my world more like Him.

My heart tugged again to remind me He knew the number of birds in each tree and provided for each one all year long. I learned through my sweat and struggle that today He had provided a gift for me as never before. The gift of His unconditional love for me; His holiness to enjoy and bless my heart and soul in a way I could never have imagined. He strengthened me physically, mentally and emotionally during those 4 miles under His presence. I soon prayed for forgiveness of my stubborn spirit and selfish heart for I would have missed His plan for me today had I not listened to His tug to join Him in His world; to be present with Him.

Ladies, I challenge each of you the next 90 days to spend 90 minutes a week in His world and anticipate His tug on your heart during that time. Listen to Him. Find a tree, plant or flower and watch the transformation that will occur the next 90 days. The power of transformation you will see is just a small portion of the power His transformational plan holds for your life. However, first you must enable yourself to access that transformation. I encourage you to move past what might be in your daily schedule to spend 90 minutes a week for Him.

Joanie and I would love to hear from each of you what happens when you let go and let God have 90. And if you would like to share with us on the blog, via email, letter or personally we would love to hear from you. Our prayer is for you to understand that each of us struggle with many of the same priorities, time issues and being just plain tired about life, but Joanie and I are learning to put ALL in God’s hands and pray about it. We want you to be a part of our learning and growing, too.

Please join us at WE GROW and let Him begin to show you His plan for your life.

Sweet blessings to each of your lovely ladies,

Resa
08/04/07

P.S. The flock of birds was waiting for me in the field ½ mile from my house. They flew up in all their grandeur and led me back home. God is awesome, isn’t He!!!

“Dear God, you my shield, my provider, my father, you think of me even when I don’t think of you. I praise you for always being in my life!!”

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above; and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” James 1:17

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

Carried Along by the Spirit

2007-08-06T12:57:00.000-05:00

As I was reading from God’s precious word today, part of a verse of scripture captured my heart and set my mind on a fanciful journey. The words I read were from II Peter I:21, “For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (NIV – emphasis mine)

Although this passage is written by Peter and is referring to prophecy spoken by men, through the Holy Spirit, as I read the words “carried along by the Holy Spirit,” a different sort of picture painted itself across my vision. I saw my life, and how it could be; no, how it should be, if I would take my selfish desires out of play and turn every issue, even my every breath over to direction by the Holy Spirit.

If I were to live this way how much more would I accomplish? How much more loving would I act? Would I react to people and their needs with more compassion and offer much more grace, grace, grace? Would my selfish desires begin to take a backseat to selflessly serving the Lord and seeking to promote His kingdom?

This same chapter of God’s word gives us me even more insight and wisdom for living a Spirit filled life. II Peter 1: 3 – 4 says: “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” (NIV ~ emphasis mine)

I can see it, I can feel it; dear Lord, I can almost taste the sweetness of it! Living a life of Godliness; a life where I can escape the corruption in the world caused by my evil desires! But, the key to it all is found in “Him.” Through the knowledge of Him! To get there I must read His word, I must converse with Him, I must humble myself to listen and then act upon what the Holy Spirit speaks to me.

This is no easy task because before long, sometimes before I have even closed my Bible, or finished my prayer, life comes along and smacks me in the face! I’m human; I struggle with anger, envy, selfishness, pettiness, greed, etc., etc. I am going to sin. I am going to stumble and fall.

What I have learned over the pages and years of my life is that it is okay to fall. The goal is to not allow satan to keep me down long. I am to reduce the time curve that I allow myself to stay wrapped in sin and away from my precious Savior’s will for my life. When I fall, I must confess quickly, my very life depends upon my restoration of God’s grace. I do not want to stay in the dark for long. I need the living water that Christ alone provides. I need my comforter; my guide the Holy Spirit; not just today, but every day, every minute.

“Oh Lord, you know that I desire to serve you as one who is “carried along by the Holy Spirit!” Soften my heart and shape my mind to receive the words that the Holy Spirit whispers softly to me. May I have the courage and conviction to act upon the direction that I am given. Help me to filter every thought, every desire through You! May I always seek to serve only you!”

"45 for HIM"

2007-07-25T13:21:00.000-05:00

Please mark your calendars for August 14th at 6:00 p.m.

“We Grow” Women’s Ministry will be hosting a prayer event, and we would love to have you join us. This will not be the normal “stuffy” prayer meeting. We will have focused prayer topics, you will be placed in a prayer circle of no greater than five people and our prayer session will last no longer than 45 minutes; Guaranteed! We will also offer snacks and time for fellowship. Now, you know you can spare 45 minutes to speak to God with a group of fellow believers; don’t you? I just know that the “buzz” around church on Sunday August 19th, will be about this event, and you want to be able to “be in the know!” So, don’t miss out!

TEASER

2007-07-19T13:04:00.000-05:00

Do you want to more spiritual growth?

Do you want to see God move?

Do you want to know God’s purpose for your life?

If you answered “Yes” to any of the above questions, “We Grow” ministries has an upcoming event that you WON’T WANT TO MISS!!!

Keep your eyes open for more information about “45 for HIM.”

As a teaser, and to get you thinking, I hope that you enjoy the following devotional.

Poo-Poo Prayer

2007-07-19T12:56:00.000-05:00

My child is a delight; and a challenge. Right now we are in potty-training boot-camp. At least it feels like I have become a Marine drill Sergeant, barking out “Let’s go to the potty!” every 30 minutes like clockwork. (I’ll bet you never thought you would hear someone talking about potty habits in a devotional, did you?)

As those of you with children realize, this potty-training stuff is a big challenge. Not only is it a challenge for our children, but for us adults as well. We are hyper vigilant, always at the ready to pick them up and run. We monitor their intake of liquids and solids, trying to predict, and prevent, an accident from happening. We want so badly for our child to succeed, to master this new task. Mastering potty-training brings them one step closer to independence; and, truth be told, we look forward to not having the cost or clean-up associated with diaper days.

Throughout this struggle, I have gone through a wide range of emotions. Everything from, “I’m not ready for my baby to be this grown up”, to triumphant cheers; and, I ashamedly admit, a fair amount of frustration, even anger.

As I am going through this trying time of potty-training boot-camp, I find that I am doing everything I can think of in an attempt to help my little boy succeed. Yet, I know that this is a goal he must master on his own time line. I am not in control of his body; and at times neither is he.

Once I began to realize the truth of the situation, my attitude began to change. I began to relate this trial to our calling to serve the Lord. Often we see a friend struggling in an area of obedience or faith. We want to jump in and do whatever we can to fix things for them. But, ultimately unless our friend first recognizes their need and desires the end result of change, there is little we can do to help; except cheer from the side-lines, and pray. Our pushing, and suggesting, and monitoring their activities will be of no assistance.

While reflecting on this it occurred to me that the One who can bring about change in the lives of His people can even assist my son in mastering the potty. You see Jesus cares about anything and everything that is a concern to us; yes, He even cares about potty-training.

Why hadn’t I thought of this before? I had missed the mark. I failed to include God in my struggle. When I finally figured out that the best source for assistance with our potty-training challenge could be found with simple prayer to God, I began to take my concerns to the Lord. I even let my son know that “Mommy is praying that God will help you to be a big boy, and put your poo-poo in the potty.”

Not long after I told my son that I was praying for him, one night during our nightly ritual, (read a book, pray, sing, rub his head) when I asked my son what he wanted to pray about that night, he thought for a moment, then with a beaming face said, “Pee-pee, poo-poo, in the potty. Get candy!”

You see, my son was focused on the immediate goal of getting the “Tootsie-Roll” that we had placed on the back of the toilet as motivation for him to “put his poo-poo in the potty.” However, his prayer request gave me the vision that soon, hopefully very soon, I would have the opportunity to teach him an important life lesson about prayer and God’s awesome love.

And wouldn’t you know God answered my little boy’s prayer the following evening. My son managed to put his poo-poo in the potty for the first time, and he earned that sweet treat he had been longing for.

I rejoiced with him; clapping and saying “Great job”, and then just a short time later, I cupped his sweet, sticky, little face in my hands. I seized the teaching opportunity and I told him, “Precious Gabe, today God answered your prayer. Today, God paused just for you and helped you to put your poo-poo in the potty. Never forget this day! Never forget that God loves you and He answers your prayers!”

My sisters in Christ, just as God answered the prayer of this precious little boy, He patiently waits for you to lay your cares at His feet. No matter what your struggles or challenges are; no matter how big or how small, God cares about your concerns. He doesn’t want you to be anxious; rather He wants you to petition Him with thanksgiving, being certain that God will hear your cries; and that He will answer them. You too are His precious child. Won’t you give Him the chance to demonstrate His love for you today by taking everything to God in prayer?

Philippians 4:6

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (NIV)

Luke 18:16

But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” (NIV)

Ephesians 6:18

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. (NIV)

Chick Flick

2007-07-16T13:24:00.000-05:00

Ladies, registration for Chick Flick on Saturday July 21st is full. If you wanted to come and missed out on this one, check back here often to see what else "We Grow" will be offering. We have some exciting events coming up soon!

2007-07-03T12:15:00.001-05:00

Greetings to all!

Welcome to the NEW We Grow Women's Ministry blog page! This whole blogging thing is a new concept to us, however we desire to make this site worthy of the time you choose to invest in stopping by to visit.

The main purpose of this site will be to offer encouragement to women based upon our life experiences and backed by scripture from God's Holy Word. We will share devotionals and/or stories from our lives and from time-to-time may just post a link to another blog or web-site that we have found to be particulary beneficial in offering encouragement to our walk with the Lord. We will also be sharing information about upcoming "We Grow" events at Highland Church of Christ. So check in with us often! Our goal is to update this site with new information at least once per week. Please offer us grace, grace, grace, if we fail to meet this goal; occasionally "life happens."

We hope that our sisters in Christ find the material inspirational and enjoyable. If so give praise and thanks to our precious Lord, Jesus Christ! All blessing and spiritual gifts are given by His hand.

Blessings to you!
Joanie & Resa