Diiner & A Movie Recap with Pictures!

We had a great night of food, fun, friends and a great devotion by Cindy! See the pictures!

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If you haven't seen this Movie yet, what are you waiting for? Seriously it is quickly becoming one of my favorite movies. I love this version of the Cinderella story, it makes it more real. I won't give the movie away but I will say my favorite sceen is towards the end when the Prince comes to rescue Danielle (the girl) and she has sorta already rescued herself and he says her name, and she say say it again!   Don't we all want to be known, to be recognized!?! I know I do! I Love it! When we first moved here that was one thing I missed terribly was not being known. And I can still remember the first time someone saw me (outside of the church) and called my name and said Hi! 2 Timothy 2:19a But God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his."  God Knows our names, even when those around us don't!  Know You are Loved, Thought of, & Prayed for!

Have a Beautiful Day!

Christina

Rahab: Less than Perfect

 Read Rahab's story here   I think the story of Rahab is my favorite in the Bible because it shows so much about God's Love for us!  He takes the least of us, (Rahab, a prostitute) and uses it for His purpose. 

I can't even begin to imagine how Rahab must have felt to have two spies (foreigners) come to her and promise her safety and freedom if she helped them.  Then to have to wait and see if they would keep their word.  She saw her people destroyed and her city demolished.  But can you even imagine the Joy she felt when she saw that they were true to their word?  That God could and would use her a lowly prostitute.  She was obedient! Wow!  Can we I say that we I are/am always obedient to what God asks of us me? It makes me think of all the amazing things I have missed out on because I wasn't obedient. 

Rahab has been considered as an example of active faith, and despite whatever her past may have been before her turning to the true God, she was later considered among the righteous: She is even in the blood-line of Jesus 

The Story of Rahab reveals  God's willingness to use the less than perfect, the outcast, the unsuitable, to accomplish His purposes.  Thankfully God dosen't wait for us to become perfect in order to use us.  He dosen't even promise to make us perfect and then use us, instead like Rahab, He promises to use us and through that experience to perfect us.  God only asks that we are willing to be used!

God Said in 2 Corinthians 12:10 (Message)

My grace is enough; it's all you need.

My strength comes into its own in your weakness.

Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.

So It's my prayer that you will see, know, believe that God can and will use you, inspite of what you've done!

Titus 3:4-5 (New International Version)

4But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,

Have a Beautiful Day!
Christina
 
P.S. Just a reminder:Beth Moore's Esther Study starts this week!  Wednesday's @ 9 am

Dinner & A Movie: Everafter

Women's Minsitry Presents: 

EVERAFTER  Dinner & A Movie     Date:  Friday June 4th 2010    Time: 6:30 p.m.     Location: FBC Friendship Room  Come out and Join us as we watch the movie Everafter and enjoy a yummy Mexican Fiesta together.  Bring a Friend! 

RSVP/Questions to Christina  ohmommaok@yahoo.com  or check out the FBC Women's Ministry Facebook Page

Idols & Tools

This really spoke to my heart this week! I have been feeling cluttered and like I am holding on to things to fill a void, or something I feel is missing, when it's just stuff and I can't take it with me when I am gone! So I have been de cluttering my home as well as myself!   Hope this is an Encouragement to you as well!

May 4, 2010

Idols and Tools

Mary Southerland

Today's Truth

Luke 12:15 (ICB) "Jesus said to them, "Be careful and guard against all kinds of greed. Life is not measured by how much one owns."

Friend To Friend
We live in a "stuff" driven world where it does not seem to matter what we have, it is never enough. We are told the more things we have, the more successful we are. We not only want possessions, we want other people's talents, abilities, circumstances and relationships. Luke warns us to guard against "all kinds of greed." It is easy for us to covet a job that offers more power and prestige. We want the power that another seems to possess in their career. We are driven to have the best and to be the best, unable to relax and celebrate where we are and what we do have. Hebrews 13:5 is powerfully clear in its warning, "Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be satisfied with what you have. God has said, "I will never leave you; I will never forget you" (NCV). Now that is a fortune.


Be honest. How important are your possessions? How do you view them? Howard Hendricks, a great Bible teacher, was having dinner with a very wealthy and prestigious man. Hendricks was amazed at the humility of his host, knowing the man's impressive credentials and the massive wealth he possessed. At the end of the evening, Hendricks asked his friend, "How did you grow up in such wealth and not be consumed by materialism?" With a smile, the man responded, "My parents taught me that everything in our home was either an idol or a tool. The choice was up to me."

The truth is that we want whatever we put first in life. I have discovered the more I have to live for, the less I need to live on. Too often, greed and jealousy encourage wrong decisions and foster unhealthy and ungodly attitudes. The fact is - greed and jealousy are fruits of idolatry. Everything in life is either an idol we choose to worship or a tool we choose to use for good or bad.


Corrie ten Boom was a godly woman who endured great persecution from the Nazis in the World War II concentration camp known as Ravensbruck. During an interview, she once stated she had learned to hold everything "loosely" in her hands. When asked why, Miss ten Boom explained that after being a Christian for many years, she had discovered the truth that when she grasped things tightly, it hurt more when the Lord would have to pry her fingers loose. The choice really is ours to make. We need to hold our "stuff" loosely while investing financial resources in eternal things. We need to keep our gaze riveted to God's plan alone instead of entering the all too familiar and ungodly "competition" that seems to plague so many people.


To stay away from idols and avoid greed we need to change our focus from what we want to what we have and choose to be satisfied with whatever that is. In Luke 12:15, Jesus issues a warning, "Be careful and guard against all kinds of greed. Life is not measured by how much one owns" (ICB). I believe that attaching importance to "things" is sin and will lead to more sin.

I love the story of a wealthy man who prayed, asking for permission to take his earthly wealth with him when he died and went to heaven. An angel appeared to the man and said, "We heard your prayer, but I am sorry. You simply cannot take it with you." The man pleaded so passionately that the angel said, "Let me see what I can do." When the angel returned, he reported, "Good news! God has made an exception for you. You may bring one suitcase with you when it is your time to go." Delighted, the man packed his one suitcase and went on with life. Several years later, he died and appeared at the Pearly Gates where St. Peter who took one look at the suitcase and said, "I am sorry, sir, but you cannot bring that in with you", met him. The man protested, "But I received special permission." Just then, the angel appeared and said, "Peter, it is true. He has special permission to bring one suitcase in with him." Curious, Peter said, "Do you mind showing me what is in the bag that is so important to you?" With a smile, the man replied, "Not at all" and proceeded to open the suitcase to reveal stacks of gold bricks. Peter's face said it all, "Pavement? You brought pavement with you?"


Many of us are in a never-ending and futile quest to accumulate "pavement" here that is worthless there! Wealth is all a matter of perspective. We need to understand that our Father wants us to have wealth. We just have to be careful not to settle for earthly money and possessions or human power and prestige instead of the eternal treasures only He can offer.

Let's Pray

Father, I confess to You that the material things of this world often tempt me. Please forgive me for the greed in my life and help me learn how to choose against it. I choose to keep my eyes on You and the eternal wealth You alone can offer. Help me to guard my heart and mind. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Some things to ponder:
· How important are your possessions to you? Be honest.
· Make a list of your ten most important "things." Will they be just as important in a year?
· Examine your heart for any jealousy. Record your thoughts in your journal.
· Identify and eliminate any "pockets" of jealousy and greed in your heart.
· Begin each day with a prayer of thanksgiving. Evaluate the difference this prayer has made in your life after a month.

Scars

Today I am sharing part of my story, I don't do this for you to pity me but in hopes that it will be an encouragement to you.  This past summer at Middle School Camp we were talking about scars and comparing our scars.  I have a few, that  you can see one on my left arm and two on my right foot from a car accident I was in in 2005. I have some scars you cant see, they are inside.  I didn't grow up in a christian home, and there was no talk of God.  I grew up in a home filled with angry words, and flying fists. For a very long time I thought everybody knew my secret.  You see when a child hears they are stupid or won't amount to anything they believe it!  I felt ugly inside and out! I had no hope of being anything of any value to anyone. I looked to the world to find value and worth and it filled me with more lies... Be prettier, be thiner, be smarter... be better... be  more!  I couldn't do any of these things but I tried, boy did I try.  I so wanted to be loved, to feel loved, and I did whatever it took.  I did whatever it took to get that love...but I never felt completely satisfied with it, it was never enough.  I was all alone even when I was surrounded by people. 

It wasn't until after I was married that I learned true love, and it wasn't from my husband (he did/does show me love), it was different an unconditional love like I had never knew before.  I was 21 when I first met Jesus.  I tried to "fake it" like I had done with people in the world for so long, but He saw right threw me. He (Jesus) saw threw to the ugly, brokeness, and loved me anyway! He began to heal those scars, that no one else could see.  He took away the pain, the hurt that was caused by those scars.

Psalm 147: 3-5 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

 He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.

 Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.

I love this scripture because it reminds me that I am not alone!  He (God) binds up, bandages those scars those wounds I have and heals them!  He counts and knows the names of all the stars and He knows me, calls me by my name.  I never thought I deserved His Love, His Healing, but He showed me I did. 

He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities, the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by His wounds we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5) 

       His scars take away ours!  His Love is enough!

This past few weeks, I have been feeling the pull to share this with other women, because when I look at you I see the hurts so many of us still hold on to, the scars that just won't seem to fade and it breaks my heart.  It breaks my heart, that many women don't feel they deserve this healing.  Can I tell you, you do!  You have a God who love's you!  Who cherishes you, and wants you to know His unconditional Love. His Love brings a healing that only God can.  My prayer is that you will seek this healing out, that you will allow God to bind up your wounds, no matter how dirty or ugly they are. That His Hope will replace those scars.

Know you are Loved, Though of & Prayed for!

Have a Beautiful Day!

Christina

A Sneak peek at the Sweet Life!

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Waging Peace

Hello Ladies~  Todays post is one I had in my e-mail in box and thought you might enjoy it as well.  It's right in tune with what Pastor Terry has been sharing with us in his sermons the past few weeks. This devotion comes from Girl Friends in God a daily devotion. 

Waging Peace

By Mary Southerland

Today's Truth

Philippians 4:2-3 "I encourage both Euodia and Syntyche to have the attitude the Lord wants them to have. Yes, I also ask you, Syzugus, my true partner, to help these women. They fought beside me to spread the Good News along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the Book of Life"(GWT).

Friend To Friend
If we have a personal relationship with God then we have access to all of His power and all of His peace. Now stop for a moment and read that statement again. Do you really believe it? I am convinced that we have become complacent about the power of God. It is that same power that raised Lazerus from the dead, healed the blind man and made the lame man walk. That same power is ours - if we know God.

While His power is miraculous, we still live each day as if we were spiritual beggars without hope and without purpose because we do not understand and walk in the truth that God makes His power and His peace available to us. The question then becomes how to tap into God's power and peace. Scripture is clear when it says that our only power and peace comes from God through consistent prayer, bible study and right relationships.

Paul understood that peace is often the casualty of unresolved conflict in relationships and in ministry. In his letter to the church at Philippi, Paul gives us a glimpse of just how serious he is about peace. He was serious enough to call names and to call those names in front of the whole church. I don't know about you, but if I had been Euodia and Syntyche, I would have died of embarrassment and looked for the nearest pew to crawl under when Paul's letter was read. On the other hand, their names may be the reason for their anger. Euodia means "prosperous journey" while Syntyche means "pleasant acquaintance". These two women were certainly not living up to their names. Euodia and Syntyche were not bad women but women who worked in the church and had even worked with Paul. But something had happened! The scripture does not say what the problem was. It wasn't important. It usually isn't. Paul really did not care about the details. He simply said to "fix it" and tells them to agree with each other in the Lord.

Paul is not saying they must always agree about everything or that there will never be conflict. He is telling them that their bickering is destroying the peace of the church - dangerous ground on which to stand. Unresolved conflict is the enemy of peace and has no place in the church. Yet, as women in ministry, much of our time is spent on this very issue - conflict resolution - and the reason is simple. Sin is alive and well - in the world and in the church. If we "followed wholly" after God, seeking to become fully devoted followers of God, peace would be the norm instead of the exception.

The world has its own system for working out conflict. It is called retaliation and revenge! But God has a different plan.

Proverbs 27:6 "Faithful are the wounds of a friend."

The "wound" is confrontation for the good of friend. If you love - you level! Loving confrontation is a gift we bring to healthy relationships and one of the most important tools in ministry. Our refusal to confront someone because it makes us uncomfortable is like watching in silence as someone we love walks off a dangerous cliff. It is sin. God calls us as women in ministry to confrontation. However, there is a right way and a wrong way to confront someone.

My husband, Dan, was leaving for a trip, a time always filled with tension. Something he did made me very angry, but I did not want to confront him about it before his trip, knowing we would not have time to discuss the problem. My solution was to save my confrontation. I waited - and gave my anger ample time to grow into a full-fledged, volcanic eruption. Several days later, my poor unsuspecting husband walked in the front door, suitcases in hand, exhausted and so glad to be home. Well, I fixed that! I let him have it - in front of the kids. In other words, I broke every rule of confrontation. I could easily have waited until Dan had taken a nap, the kids had gone outside to play or I had managed to garner a better attitude. Better still, I could have dismissed the whole issue for what it was, an unworthy place to invest my emotion energy.

Successful confrontation is always done in love. If we enjoy or look forward to the confrontation, our motive is wrong. The harder the truth, the more love we must use to say it. Here are a few rules for confrontation done the right way:

Confront with the right motive.

Confront at the right time.

Confront with the right audience.

Confront in the right way.

The time to prepare for conflict resolution is now. The choice to handle every disagreement according to the rules of healthy confrontation must be made before the disagreement or conflict occurs. Decide right now to resolve all conflict. And if you are causing conflict - stop it! Peace is at stake.

Now It's Your Turn
Examine the relationships in your life.
Is there any conflict that needs to be resolved?
Are you willing to take the first step toward restoration?

More From The Girlfriends

As children of God, our relationships should illustrate God's love and peace. When conflict occurs, we need to be willing to initiate the process of resolving that conflict. I want to challenge ever Girlfriend to wage peace - in your relationships, your home, your family and workplace. Do not surrender the peace of God to anyone or any agenda.

Have a Beautiful Day!
Christina

P.S.  Want more from Girl Friends in God?  Check this link out:  http://www.girlfriendsingod.com/