November 24, 2024

The End of the Resolution: Leaving a Godly Legacy

September 23, 2012 by

 

I can’t believe this is the last chapter!  This study has gone by so fast!  I have enjoyed every single chapter; every blog post about these chapters; the prayers that have gone forth; the wisdom revealed; and so much more!  This has truly been one of the best studies I’ve done!

To close this study, the last chapter is about “Leaving a Godly Legacy…A Resolution to live today with tomorrow in mind.”

With the recent passing of my step-father, attending his funeral reiterated for me just how important it is to leave behind a good legacy.  But what about leaving behind a godly legacy?  I had to think about that for a minute.   When my life ends, will my children know without a doubt how much I loved Jesus?  Have I been a godly example to them?  Have I been Jesus with “skin 0n” to them?

Or not.

It’s the “or not” that I am sure all of us never wants to happen.  So let’s take this last chapter and learn exactly what it means to leave a godly legacy.  Let’s learn how to live today with tomorrow in mind.  And let’s don’t ever forget what we will learn.

 

Your Reading Assignment:

Monday: Read Choose Wisely  — Megan blogging

Tuesday: Read Unexpected Legacy AND Set In Stones – Beverly blogging

Wednesday: Introducing Donna Day — NEW Blogger for Women’s Ministry

Thursday:  Introducing Jennifer Mlcenzyski — NEW Blogger for Women’s Ministry

Friday: Introducing Sarah Boyer — NEW Blogger for Women’s Ministry

 

I hope you will join us in welcoming our brand new bloggers for the Women’s Ministry!  I’m very excited to see them on board with us.  We won’t be seeing Megan blog here for the Women’s Ministry anymore because she has started a brand new TEENS Group for Girlfriends Coffee Hour, and will be very busy heading that up!  I hope you will stop in and drop her a line every now and then.  You will see our “TEENS” link the top part of our webpage.  I’m sure she would love it if you stopped by!

Don’t forget!!! Our next Women’s Online Bible Study starts next week on October 1, 2012!!  We will begin an awesome study by Lynn Donovan and Dineen Miller, “Winning Him Without Words…10 Keys to Thriving in a Spiritually Mismatched Marriage“.  We are VERY excited about this study!!  This study will end on December 13th.  I hope you will join us!!  To sign up for this study, please email us at

WOMENS@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com

We will send you all the details to get registered.  All you will need is a copy of the book, a pen/pencil, your bible, and a journal (if you like).  Each day, Monday through Friday, we will blog about this study RIGHT HERE on our website!  Then you will go to our Facebook Discussion Group, where we have set up a SECRET Facebook Group, so you can share your thoughts privately with just the women in that group.  The Facebook Groups are an awesome way to let your hair down, be yourself, be real, and not have to worry about the whole world reading your thoughts!  Plus, it’s a GREAT way to meet other Christian like-minded women and build friendships all over the world!  Give it a try!

That’s it for today!

We’ll see you tomorrow!

God Bless!! 🙂

Filed Under: Women's Ministry Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Resolution for Women: Living w/ Grace Weekly Review

September 21, 2012 by

Because He Gave His Everything

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This week, we’ve been talking about living with grace in our home.  Learning to just say “okay”.  Learning how to use WD-40, better known as GRACE, to loosen up a bit and not be so rigid in our expectations.  Then we ended the week in learning how to find that Sabbath Space in our home.

We could focus on grace here on out, if we wanted to; which is technically what this chapter was about.  But I want to focus on something else today.  WHY we are able to offer grace.  Because of Jesus and what He did on the cross.  He gave His everything in order for us to walk in grace and offer it to others.

His sacrifice was the ultimate act of grace!

Today, I want to Praise Him!  I want to shout His name on high.  I want to thank Him, and bring all glory and honor to Him, for that sacrifice of grace.

I’m not sure if we will ever truly comprehend the price He paid to show us grace, until we meet Him eye to eye.  The ultimate sacrifice of being scourged for our sins; of being nailed to that cross….FOR YOU AND I.

GRACE ….

GRACE …

GRACE …

Because of Him and what He did for us that day in Calvary, we CAN offer grace to those undeserving.  There is no reason for us to think otherwise.  He paid that ultimate price to give us the ability to love those undeserving, and offer them grace.

GRACE …. Because He gave His Everything!

The resolution this week calls us to cultivate a peaceful home where everyone can sense God’s presence not only through acts of love and service, but also through the pleasant and grateful attitude with which we perform them.

Next time something in your home calls for grace…and you don’t think you can offer it …. think of what He did on the cross for YOU and how undeserving you were for that sacrifice.  Then extend the same kind of grace to others.

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Let’s Pray:

Jesus, we love YOU so very much!  We thank You for the ultimate sacrifice You paid on the cross that day in Calvary.  Jesus we would be lost without You; but because of You giving Your everything, we can face tomorrow and live eternally with You!

Thank You Lord.  Some days there just doesn’t seem to be an adequate way to say thank you for the deep sacrifice that You paid.  But Lord, my heart is full today; it is alive; and I am alive today because of You!  I give You all my praise, glory, and honor.

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If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, please write to us so we can get in contact with you today to share the Love of Christ with you, and walk you through a prayer to accept Him into your heart.  We love you!  He loves YOU!!

You can email Robin Packer, our Intercessory Prayer Ministry Leader, at Robin@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com.

Robin will contact you and pray with you.

Thank you for joining us this week.  I pray the blogs this week spoke to your heart, as they did mine!

We love you, and so does He!!

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Reminder… on October 1st, we will begin our brand new Online Bible Study, entitled “Winning Him Without Words” by Lynn Donovan and Dineen Miller.  If you are in an unequally spiritual marriage, you won’t want to miss this study!!

To sign up for this study, please send an email to: Womens@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com and we will send you all the details you need to get started!

Now jump on over to our Facebook Group for the daily activity!! If you do not yet belong to this group, and would like to, send us an email atGirlfriendsCoffeeHour@gmail.com with FB GROUP in the subject line, and we’ll be glad to add you!

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Resolution for Women: Sabbath Spaces

September 20, 2012 by
Today’s blog is brought to you by Donna Day.  Donna is new to our Women’s Ministry Blogging Team, and will become a full-time blogger when our next study “Winning Him Without Words” begins on October 1st.  I hope you enjoy her post today, as much I do!! <3 Christi  

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I remember as a little girl growing up in Wisconsin, the snow days like the one Priscilla talked about in this part of our study today. Of course we had a lot more snow days than Dallas would have had. We wished for them so we could get out of school and go sledding or ice skating. Snow days here were not a day of being stuck in the house with nothing to do. All the kids in the neighborhood would gather and have a great time in the snow.

Our dilemma would have been the stormy days when the electricity would go off and we were forced to a day of solitude indoors with no radio or TV. I hated those days then, but now I love them! A chance to get caught up on reading a good book or just meeting with God for some quiet time.

Isn’t it humbling to know that we have a God who wants to meet with us? The God of the universe, the creator of everything desires my presence with Him! Out of the hustle and bustle of our world our Father wants us to know that he desires to be with us and spend time together.

That’s why I love this “14 challenge” that Priscilla has given us. Our world today is so pushy and intrusive. With all the internet, cell phones and television we can’t live without, sometimes it’s overwhelming. Society tells us that we have to constantly be busy achieving and going to the next level to accomplish all-even if it takes 7 days a week! To teach our children that we need this 14 minutes of carved out, purposely planned time with God is a gift to them. Teaching them how to listen and pray and hear from God helps them know how to plan for the day and for life.

My husband recently remodeled our bedroom and added a balcony on to the back. I have always tried to find a quiet place and time everyday to meet with God and during nice weather days, that balcony is where I meet with God. It’s a tangible place I can go to and know it will be quiet and peaceful.

My children have always known that Mom has a quiet time everyday. They are grown and gone and have their own lives now but I pray that I have instilled in them the pursuant of peace, a sabbath rest from which to draw on for the day.
May I suggest some  practical tips you could use to make your “Sabbath Rest” a success?

* Decide during the day what time can be easily set aside for this. Whether it’s morning, nap time, or evening when everyone is quiet. Whether you have to get up earlier or stay up a little later.

* Find a peaceful spot so that you are not distracted by anything around you.

* Turn off all phones, TV and radio, so you are not distracted by them. It won’t hurt for this small amount of time and it says you’re serious about taking the time to meet with God.

* Set everything out the night before, if possible, so that when you are ready it’s all there and you don’t have to go hunting for it.

* Go in with an attitude of prayer and be ready to let God speak to you.

Now that you have done all this in preparedness, purpose to take time everyday-it will change your life!!! If it’s 14 minutes or half an hour, you will not regret it. In fact you will look forward to it and God will meet with you. You will find that “Sabbath Rest” we all need on a daily basis!

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Let’s pray: God we want to meet with you. Help us make it a priority in our lives. Help us carve out time to make this happen-even if it’s only a few minutes a day. so that we can teach our children and be an example to them of this important time. teaching them that it is necessary to be able to live grounded in You. Thank you so much  that you desire time with us. In Jesus name Amen
Your assignment:Share in the comment section below, how you do or will carve out that necessary Sabbath rest time with God. Be honest and share and be creative too, sometimes we need to be creative to make it happen!

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Donna lives in Southeast WI, with her awesome husband Ronald.  Together they have 3 children and 2 grandchildren.  She went to school in the Brodhead WI area, and met her husband in the 5th grade!  He told her years later that when he first met her, he knew he was going to marry her!!  How sweet!!

Donna attends Rock Assembly of God, where she is active in coffee ministry, Worship team and heads up their Women’s Ministry, as well.

She loves to read, sing and listen to some talk radio.

She became a born again Christian when she was 12, but didn’t really get discipled until she had been married for 2 years. Then she and her husband both gave their lives to Christ and they’ve never looked back.

We are so blessed to have Donna on our Leadership Team.  She is such an encourager, and a joy to be around!

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Reminder… on October 1st, we will begin our brand new Online Bible Study, entitled “Winning Him Without Words” by Lynn Donovan and Dineen Miller.  If you are in an unequally spiritual marriage, you won’t want to miss this study!!

To sign up for this study, please send an email to: Womens@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com and we will send you all the details you need to get started!

Now jump on over to our Facebook Group for the daily activity!! If you do not yet belong to this group, and would like to, send us an email atGirlfriendsCoffeeHour@gmail.com with FB GROUP in the subject line, and we’ll be glad to add you!
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Resolution for Women: Off Broadway

September 19, 2012 by

 

For the law was given through Moses,

grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

John 1:17 

 

If you didn’t read today’s chapter, you’re probably wondering what in the world a can of WD-40 is doing in our blog today!!  If you did read it, you will know exactly what it’s meant for!  Read on…..

When I read the script Priscilla mentioned in the first part of this chapter, I have to admit that I was feeling a bit uneasy.  Why?  Because I felt like she was talking about the script that was written about my home a few years back.

The Lord is really working in me the last couple of weeks.  Last week, we talked about loving our kids; and the difference between loving them and being their friend.  This week, we are talking about grace in the home.  This chapter, we are talking about expectations / grace within the home.

I admit when I first moved into this home, I had no experience being a step-mom.  I have been a step-child before, but never a step-parent.  I had good and bad experiences as a step-child.  I learned, or rather I thought I had learned, what to do…and what not to do.  But, as life would have it, I realized very quickly that I hadn’t learned anything about step-parenting.

I had it in my head what I thought my new home was going to be like.  My husband and I talked a lot about what my responsibilities would be.  I thought I was going to just walk in and everything would just be peachy-keen!  Not!!

I can go back now and see the reason why things didn’t go so smoothly.  I was bullheaded.  My expectations were extremely high, especially when there had been NO expectations prior to me living in our home.  ANY expectations that I would have had would have been considered too high because of the lack of expectations before me.

To me, I wanted the kids to understand that I was just doing what their dad wanted me to do.  To the boys, they just wanted me to go away, and leave them to do whatever they wanted, as they had been doing for almost two years.

I was an intruder.  I was a spy.  I was a tattle-tale.  I was the enemy in their little world that had been so rudely interrupted!

Grace?  We didn’t know that word back then.  None of us did.  We were one of the most dysfunctional families in the neighborhood.  Neighborhood?  Nooo, in the whole town it felt like!

I expected the fairly tale setting.  I would move in.  We would all love each other.  We would all get along.  We would all have a great time.  And so on…..  WRONG!!!

I and everyone else in this family found out rather quickly that was not to be!

My expectations were to have respect for each other.  You did what you were told to do.  You didn’t bad-mouth each other.  You, in no way, showed violence.  You kept peace in the home.

Some may say that doesn’t sound like my expectations were too high.  But in this home, it was, only because it had never been reinforced before.  Now I come into the home and I was reinforcing these things, and the troops were not happy, at all!!  I was truly the enemy.

I admit now that I blew it.  My expectations should have been adjusted to a lower level, until we learned about each other.  Instead I just marched in and laid down the law.  Wrong way to go about things.  That blew up in my face, and it caused a lot of heartache for all of us.  I take the blame for that.  If I could go back and do it all over again, I would totally do things differently.

The lesson I learned is that each individual in your home has certain capabilities.  The expectations of that person should be based on what that person is truly capable of giving.  No individual should be forced into doing something they are not capable of doing, no matter what.  It should begin with teaching that individual first.  No one can do what they have not learned.  How can they?  They have yet to learn what is expected of them.  They Will Fail!!  And so will YOU, if you insist on them performing something they have yet to learn!

Re-evaluate your expectations of those in your home.  Re-evaluate how you can adjust your expectations to what is capable for each person in your home.  Don’t set the expectations so very high that no one will be able to reach it.  If you do, YOU will be hurt, disappointed, and more!  You will not achieve what you hope to if your expectations are not attainable.  Yes, I agree that we sometimes have to stretch our expectations to help our self and others strive for success.  But, what I am talking about here is setting the expectations so high, that no one can attain them …. To YOUR Satisfaction!

If you want peace, fun, laughter, acceptance, love, and a well oiled family unit, whip out the WD-40 (GRACE) and start spraying the areas where the expectations are too high, so you can loosen up a bit!  Don’t be a drill sergeant like I was!

 

Be a woman resolved to show grace in your home! 

 

Grace is the smile that everyone in your home is waiting to receive from you.

 

Truly if you use the grace card in your home, you will see much better results that I did when I first moved in here.  Today, we still struggle with past hurts because of how high the expectations had been set, and unmet.  We’re a work in progress, but by the grace of God, we are much better than we were back then!!  Praise God!!

 

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Let’s Pray:

Lord, I lift to You each person who is reading this today, and maybe struggling with expectations that are too high in their home, or their work environment.  Maybe they are the ones with the high expectations.  Maybe they need to loosen up a bit.  Maybe they need to learn how to use grace in their home or workplace.  Father I ask You to give them wisdom and discernment on how they can show grace to each person in their life, or how they can set the right level of expectations for their home, or workplace.  Lord, forgive us for the times that we have expected way too much from others.  Forgive us for the times that we have tried to force our expectations onto others.  Help us give grace to those who need to learn from us.  In Jesus’ Name, AMEN.

 

Your Assignment:

Tell us about an area of your life where your expectations need adjusting.  How will you go about changing them, and why?

 

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Reminder… on October 1st, we will begin our brand new Online Bible Study, entitled “Winning Him Without Words” by Lynn Donovan and Dineen Miller.  If you are in an unequally spiritual marriage, you won’t want to miss this study!!

To sign up for this study, please send an email to: Womens@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com and we will send you all the details you need to get started!

Now jump on over to our Facebook Group for the daily activity!! If you do not yet belong to this group, and would like to, send us an email at GirlfriendsCoffeeHour@gmail.com with FB GROUP in the subject line, and we’ll be glad to add you!

 

Living Intentionally to Show God’s Grace,

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Lady In Waiting: Becoming God’s Best While Waiting for Mr. Right

September 18, 2012 by

 

 

“What is your alabaster box?  Is your box full of fantasies that began as a little girl while you listened to and watched fairy tales about an enchanting couple living happily every after?  Have you been holding on tightly to your alabaster box of dreams, frantically searching for a man worthy of breaking your box?  Take your alabaster box to Jesus and break it in His presence, for He is worthy of such honor.  Having responded to your heavenly Bridegroom in such a manner, you can wait with confident assurance that, if it be God’s will, He will provide you with an earthly bridegroom.”  Excerpt from “Lady in Waiting” by Jackie Kendall and Debbie Jones

 

Being single can truly be what you make of it.  It can be an exciting time in your life.  Or it can be a dark time in your life.  Learning to see Jesus as your Bridegroom is one of the most important achievements as a single woman.  Learning that He is your ultimate source for all things.  He is always there for you, as He promises to never leave you nor forsake you.  He is a constant assurance in your life.  He is always there to listen, to give you comfort, to give you joy, to provide all of your needs.  He truly is the perfect Bridegroom!

 

Some people have a negative opinion of being single.  Some have a very positive outlook on it.  We are here to share the joys, the sorrows, the ups and downs of being single.  We are here to encourage you in this walk of life.  We are here to pray with you, and support you spiritually.  We truly will walk alongside you in this journey, as you seek the perfect Bridegroom!

 

This bible study begins on October 1, 2012.  It will teach you how to build that perfect relationship with Jesus, your Heavenly Bridegroom.  On that same day, at 8pm CST, we will host our very first Singles Conference Call with guest speaker Lois Breit!  We are very excited about to have Lois on this call!  Lois is the U.S. Missionary to Single Women for the Assemblies of God Church.  She has an amazing testimony to share with us!  What could have been a disaster in her life, God chose to take her mess and turn it into a message of hope and encouragement, for all single women!   You won’t want to miss this call!!  This call is FREE to all of our Online Bible Study members!

 

If you are interested in joining this study, please send an email to:  Singles@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com and we will send you all the details you will need to get registered.

 

Next week, we will begin introducing you to our Blogging Team, who will be walking alongside you during this study.  We have the most amazing team of women in place for this study!  We can’t wait for you to meet them!

 

So make sure you get registered today, and we’ll see you again next Monday!!

 

 

Filed Under: Singles

Resolution for Women: Living With Grace

September 17, 2012 by

“For the law was given through Moses,

grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

John 1:17

 

 

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I want to start this blog today by asking you what the word “grace” means to you.  Think about that for a minute, before you answer.  When you stop and think about that word, what pictures run through your mind?

When I think of the word “grace”, it reminds me of someone who has much poise.  A soft demeanor.  A soft approach.  A soft voice.  A soft touch.

It means a soft spoken word.  Or a gentle word of encouragement.

There are a lot of meanings for the word “grace”.  But this week, we are focusing on what “living with grace” means for our homes.  For me, living with grace means my home is a place of safety; a place of encouragement; a place that allows you to drop your troubles at the door; a safe haven.  It means a place where my husband can come home to, and not only feel peace, but see it, as well.

For me, it means being a gracious host when friends come over.  For me, I want everyone to come into my home and feel a surrounding of peace they don’t feel elsewhere.  So it’s important to me and my husband that we keep all obstacles out of our home, including people, who will not respect our peace.

When we first married, there was no such thing as peace in our home.  I walked into a home with two teenage boys who knew no discipline whatsoever.  They were allowed to do pretty much anything they wanted.  Needless to say, that changed when I moved in.  That did not set will with either one of them.  We had a lot of struggles, disagreements, and some yelling and screaming fights!  It was not pretty, at all!!  Needless to say, there was no such thing as peace in our home!

But soon, that changed for the better.  It took my husband and I agreeing that we would never allow that kind of strife in our home again!  No matter what it took!  It took both of us praying, A LOT!!!  It took us both coming to the conclusion that we did not, and would not allow satan to destroy our home environment!

Grace in my home now means we forgive quickly.  We move forward.  We respect each others privacy.  We respect each other…period!!  We take care of our home, instead of allowing things to get so out of hand, it’s complete chaos trying to get over all the mounds of “STUFF” that got left undone!!  We strive to do whatever it takes to make others feel comfortable in our home.  We WANT others to enjoy being in our home, not having to get out quickly because the strife was so thick you could cut it with a knife!

It took a lot of work, but over time, we made it happen.

Grace, by definition, is “favor or kindness expressed to the undeserving.  There were times in my home, I did NOT want to extend grace to those undeserving.  I was mad.  I was bitter.  I was hurt!  Today, there are still times I struggle with things that happened when we first got together under one roof.  But overall, I know I have to show God’s grace to others, because of the grace He showed me when I was so undeserving of it.

Offering complete grace to the undeserving in our own ability, is not possible.  But, 2 Corinthians 12:9 says,

‘My grace is sufficient for you,

for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’“

It’s during those times, when we struggle to offer grace to those undeserving, when we are weak and don’t have the ability to do it on our own, that Jesus’ grace flows through us!!  Praise God!!!  We CAN offer grace because He says we can through Him!!!  AMEN!!!

Priscilla says, “Dispensers of grace are women who resolve to put candles on the table instead of sulking in the dark.” I love that!!!   It means letting go of past hurts, and choosing to move forward and offering grace to those who don’t deserve it.  That my dear Sister in Christ, is going to offer you peace like you’ve never experienced before!  It’s revolutionary, as Priscilla says!

Showing true grace to others means making others feel accepted; no longer holding onto offenses; being grateful; no longer being critical; allowing others to walk freely around you instead of on egg shells; showing them Christ in all your ways.

 

“Give them a break.

I know they don’t deserve it.

But neither did you.

Grace came anyway.”

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Let’s Pray:

Father, we ask You to check our hearts today and see if grace lives there.  If not Lord, instruct us on what we need to do to let go of whatever it is that is keeping us from walking freely in the grace that Christ showed us, and help us to offer it freely to others, even those undeserving.  In Jesus’ Name, AMEN!

Your Assignment:

Think about a home that you have entered where grace was prevalent.  How did the home feel?  How were you treated?  If you could do one thing in your own home to extend Christ’ grace to others, what it would be?   Please leave your comment below.

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Reminder… on October 1st, we will begin our brand new Online Bible Study, entitled “Winning Him Without Words” by Lynn Donovan and Dineen Miller.  If you are in an unequally spiritual marriage, you won’t want to miss this study!!

To sign up for this study, please send an email to:  Womens@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com and we will send you all the details you need to get started!

Now jump on over to our Facebook Group for the daily activity!! If you do not yet belong to this group, and would like to, send us an email at GirlfriendsCoffeeHour@gmail.com with FB GROUP in the subject line, and we’ll be glad to add you!

Living Intentionally to Offer His Grace,

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Resolution for Women: Chapter 12 – Living With Grace

September 16, 2012 by

“For the law was given through Moses,

grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

John 1:17

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(Girlfriends Coffee Hour is not affiliated in any way with Crossroads CA)

Is your home a welcome place for all that enter?

Let’s study this week how we can make our homes a resting place, not only for our families, but for all who enter.  One thing others have always told me, and it has given me much joy to hear, is “I love coming to your home Christi.  I always feel like I’m at ‘Home.'”  There could be no sweeter compliment to me!  I work hard at making sure people feel comfortable in my home, and want to come back!  Not only does to speak to others as to what kind of people we are, but it also shows them Christ.  And that, is the most important thing to us, for them to see.

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Your Reading Assignment

Monday:  Read pages 228-233 – “Grace” – Then come back to our blog to see what Christi has to say about this chapter.

Tuesday: Read pages 234-236 – “OK” – Then come back to our blog to see what Megan has to say about this chapter.

Wednesday:  Read pages 237-239 “Off Broadway” – Then come back to our blog to see what Kelley has to say about this chapter.

Thursday:  Read pages 240-246 – “Sabbath Spaces” – Then come back to our blog to see what our what our brand new Blogger, Donna Day, has to say about this chapter.  Donna will be filling in for Beverly this week.

Friday:  Come on back to our blog for our Weekly Review with Christi.

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Reminder… on October 1st, we will begin our brand new Online Bible Study, entitled “Winning Him Without Words” by Lynn Donovan and Dineen Miller.  If you are in an unequally spiritual marriage, you won’t want to miss this study!!

To sign up for this study, please send an email to:  Womens@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com and we will send you all the details you need to get started!

Now jump on over to our Facebook Group for the daily activity!! If you do not yet belong to this group, and would like to, send us an email at GirlfriendsCoffeeHour@gmail.com with FB GROUP in the subject line, and we’ll be glad to add you!

See you tomorrow!!

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Resolution for Women: Chapter 11 Review

September 14, 2012 by

1 John 3:18

“We must not love with word or speech, but with truth and action.”

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Loving our children through action is not something that I have been the best at doing!  I have to admit that right here, and right now, that I have not always been the best at showing my love to my children, or my grandchildren.  I haven’t been the best at sharing the joy they all give me when I am with them, or when I think of them.  I know I have a lot of things to work on….and this chapter was a reminder of that…loud and clear.

My children are grown and gone.  I am the mother to two beautiful daughters, and two amazing step-sons.  I LOVE these kids with all my heart and soul, but to be honest, I have a hard time showing them how I feel about them.  I KNOW I need to work on this!

I am the grandmother to ten of the most amazing grandchildren, ranging in age from 15 yrs old to 10 months.  I have to admit that it hurts when I hear “Nonnie, I don’t like coming to your house because it’s boring.”  And you know what?  They are right!  It is boring here!  I AM BORING!

I have had to sit back this week and really look at who I am to my kids and grandkids.  Do they really know how much I love them?  Do they really know how much they mean to me?  Do they really know how BLESSED I feel to be their mom, step-mom, and grandmother?  I’m not sure of that answer.

As I’ve read this chapter and prayed about what I was going to share today, I really felt that I needed to remind all of us who are mothers and grandmothers, what an awesome privilege we’ve been given by God to have these amazing little people in our lives.

We need to realize what a huge honor it is to have been trusted by God to rear these beautiful creatures that He created.

We need to realize what an honor it is to be called Mother and Grandmother.

For those of you don’t have children yet, you need to realize what a huge impact you can have on your nieces and nephews, or your neighbors kids, or friends kids!  What an honor it is to be able to share the love of Christ with them.  Don’t let an empty womb stop you from reaching out to others kids and being the Light in their worlds!

We need to realize what a joy it can be to rear these amazing little creatures into responsible, amazing, God-honoring, adults, who in turn, give the same to others in their lives.

We also need to realize that it’s never too late to start.  THAT is where I am today, at this very moment.

I RESOLVE, FROM THIS MOMENT ON TO BE THE BEST MOM, STEP-MOM, AND NONNIE THAT I CAN BE.  I resolve to teach my kids even more who Christ is.  I resolve to continue to teach my grandkids who Jesus is, and why He is important to them.  I resolve to become a better step-mother.  I resolve to become a better mom.  I resolve to stop being boring!!  (this is a big one, by the way!! LOL)

I want God to bless my children and grandchildren, and what better way than to start being a blessing to them.

Granted, I haven’t been a horrible mother and grandmother.  But, I have much room for improvement!  And that is what I am going to focus on.

I want to encourage you to find something that your child, young or old, loves doing and then make a promise to yourself that you are going to step out on a limb, out of your comfort zone, and actually DO that thing, whatever it is, with them!  Maybe your son loves football.  Go to a football with him.  Maybe your daughter loves designer clothes, or funky clothes.  Go find a funky clothing store and go shopping with her.  Maybe your grandson loves playing in the sand.  Go find a place that you and he can go to build sand castles together!  Maybe your granddaughter loves being a princess.  Find a place that will allow her to try on princess gowns, and take pictures.  Whatever it is, DO SOMETHING with them!!  REACH OUT TO THEM!!  I’m preaching to the choir here, too, Ladies.

As I write, I am becoming more and more excited to step out of my normal boring “mom/Nonnie” mode, into the world that allows me to create precious memories together with my kids, and grandkids.  It all starts with me.

It ALL starts with ME.  I have a choice to be the kind of person I want to be in the lives of these precious souls in my life.  I have a choice to be a part of their lives, or not be a part.  I have a choice what part I want to play in their lives.  A significant part, or nothing at all.  It IS MY CHOICE!

I have the choice to sit down with my kids and tell them just how much I love them, and then SHOW them!!  I was speaking to my Life Coach today about this very topic today.  She gave me some amazing ideas on how to love on them in action, not just in word.  Sending little care packages to them, far or near.  Sending cards in the mail.  Sending coupons that allows them to pick a special place that they want to go on their birthday, with YOU!!  Sending them their favorite candy.  Sending them a magazine, for the older kids, of their favorite sport, dreams, or hobbies.  Thinking outside the box on how to better love on them!  Pinterest has some amazing ideas on FUN activities for kids.

Granted, life is not all about having fun with our kids….but it IS about creating memories.  Good memories.  Memories that your kids/grandkids will look back on and smile.  Attending my stepfathers’ funeral this week helped me realize the many wonderful memories that I have of him.  I want my kids / grandkids to look back on my life, when that day comes, and say “I will miss the amazing times we had together!”  What a beautiful legacy to leave behind!

 

Loving My Children

I will demonstrate to my children how to love God with all their hearts, minds, and strength, and will train them to respect authority and live responsibly.

I will also resolve to make time for each of my children to spend quality time with them, and get to know them and who God created them to be.

I will also resolve to put aside the “stuff” of the day once a week to do something FUN with my kids!

(Okay, so the last two lines are mine!!)

 

If you are ready to sign your name to this weeks resolution,

please join me.

Christi Wilson

September 14, 2012

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Your Assignment:

Today, I challenge YOU.  What will YOU do this weekend to show your love to your child?   Tell us about it, and how you approach your child or grandchild with this idea.  If you need ideas, go to Pinterest or call a friend and brainstorm together.  Whatever you do, DO SOMETHING!! 🙂   Pray and ask God to give you ideas….He will answer those prayers!!

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Let’s Pray:

Oh Father God, I admit that being a mom can sometimes be one of the hardest jobs You have ever given me.  There are times where I just want to give up, and say I quit!  There are times where I feel so very inadequate.  And times, where I wouldn’t trade my job for anything in the world!  Lord, I need You every single day to help me be the BEST Mom/Grandmother I can be.  I pray that You will guide each one of us Lord and give us the wisdom, courage, boldness, and JOY, that it takes to be a Mom / Grandmother.

Lord, for those women who do not have children, I pray that You will give them ideas on how they can reach out to the children in their family, neighborhood, church, or community.  Lord, help them be the Light that You have created them to be in the lives of kids who need it.  Help them to see that they have a very important role in the lives of children all around them, and then help them do what You have called them to do.

Lord, I give You all praise, glory, and honor for all that You are, all that You have been, and all that You will be in our lives, and in our kids/grandkids lives.  In Jesus’ precious Name, AMEN!

___________________________

I’ll be back on Sunday to post your reading assignment for next week!

Living Intentionally to Be the BEST Mom and Nonnie that I Can Be Through Him,

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Resolution for Women – True Love

September 10, 2012 by

1 John 3:18

“We must not love with word or speech, but with truth and action.”

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Are you a “loving” mom, or a mom who is “in-love” with your child?

Is it important to you to be your child’s best friend, or to be one that shows them true love?

I’ve been both.  I’ve been the one that shows love discipline and teaching; and I’ve been the one who just wants to be their best friend!  Let’s fact it, parenting is not for the faint-hearted, is it??

Priscilla makes some very good points in this chapter:

  • Our primary goal as mothers is teaching our children God’s truth.
  • Love doesn’t always come in the form of words.
  • Love is an action.
  • Parenting is not an easy job!
  • Parenting is a rewarding job!
  • A fair share of your actions toward your children will not always translate love.
  • Sometimes kids see our love action as being too strict, or overbearing.

I remember times when my kids were little when they used to think that I was over-protective, to the point that they told all their friends that I wouldn’t let them play out in the street for fear that a plane would crash into them! 🙂  Yes, it was a joke, but in their eyes, they really did see me as too protective.  In my eyes, I was loving them.  Huge difference.

We used to laugh about the plane crashing into them, but today they are both mothers, and the one daughter who used to joke about the plane the most, is the mom who is the strictest with her children! Ha!    I just want to look at her one day and say “When will the plane crash??” 🙂

I’ve seen parents who think their only responsibility is to be “friends” with their kids.  Friends to the point that it was unheard of to say “no” to their kids.  I saw this in my own home when my husband and I moved under one roof.  He had two teenage boys still at home, and his only goal was to be their friend.  All I saw was two boys who were headed for a serious crash when the reality of True Life hit them!  They had much to learn that life wasn’t all about getting whatever they wanted, when they wanted it.  This type of “friendship” with his boys caused us, and the boys, a lot of heartache for the first few years as a family.  But, my husband began to see how important it was to change that relationship with his boys and start teaching them to be responsible adults, who would be ready for real life when they left home.  It wasn’t an easy change-over, that’s for sure.  But we all made it out alive, Praise God!

Really, the only advice I can give new parents, or parents with fairly young children at home, please stop worrying about being their best friend!  As Priscilla said in this chapter, True Love is serious business!  We have the responsibility of training this human life in the way he/she should go, so that when they are old, they will not depart from it.  Your children need YOU to be a parent….not their friend.  There’s always time to be their best friend later in years, when they really need it!

As my youngest said to me one day, “Mom, you were always the hardest on us; but because you were, I always knew that you loved us.”  You will never know what music that was to my ears!

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Let’s Pray:

Father, we lift our children to You today and we thank You for the awesome responsibility You have given us.  We thank You Lord for loaning these children to us for a short period of time, to train them in the way they should go.  We thank You Lord for the patience we will need during this time of actually demonstrating our love through action, and not just through words.  Help us Lord to be the parent that YOU need us to be for each child in our life.

Father, for struggling families out there, Lord, I ask for Your help in repairing damage that has already been done.  Help restore the relationships that have gone sour.  Help restore forgiveness, as well, Lord.

In Jesus’ Name, AMEN!!

Your Assignment:

Please leave a comment below telling us in what way you struggle the most in demonstrating love to your child, in action. How can we pray for you today to have a better relationship with your child(ren)?

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Don’t forget, on October 1st, we will begin our brand new Online Bible Study, right here, entitled “Winning Him Without Words” by Lynn Donovan and Dineen Miller.  If you are in an unequally spiritual marriage, you won’t want to miss this study!!  It is AMAZING!

To sign up for this study, please send an email to:  Womens@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com and we will send you all the details you need to get started!

Don’t forget to stop by Craig’s blog to see what the guys are up to with The Resolution for Men.

www.adversusmundi.wordpress.com

 

Be sure to jump on over to our Facebook Group for the daily activity!! If you do not yet belong to this group, and would like to, send us an email at GirlfriendsCoffeeHour@gmail.com with FB GROUP in the subject line, and we’ll be glad to add you!

 

That’s it for today!  Megan will be here tomorrow blogging about the next chapter, “The Soul Shaper”.  I hope you will join us!

 

Living Intentionally to Be a Blessing to My Children,

 

 

 

 

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Resolution for Women – Chapter 11 – Loving My Children

September 9, 2012 by

“We must not love with word or speech,

but with truth and action.”

1 John 3:18

 

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This week we dive into Chapter 11 full force and learn how to resolve to train our kids in righteousness.  How to demonstrate to our children how to really love God with all their hearts, minds, and strength, and to train them to respect authority and live responsibly.  This is going to be yet another amazing Chapter!!

Your Reading Assignment for this Week:

Monday:  Read pages 206 thru 210:  True Love

Tuesday: Read pages 211 thru 216: The Soul Shaper

Wednesday: Read pages 217 thru 221: The Intentional Encourager

Thursday:  Read pages 222 thru 226: The Discipline Dealer

Friday: Come back here for our Weekly Overview

Be sure to come back here each day of this week to read our blog posts about this awesome chapter from The Resolution for Women by Priscilla Shirer.  We have just 2 more sections to complete before we end this current bible study!  Wow! Where did the time go!!

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I would like to take this opportunity to ask for your prayers for my family.  We lost a very dear loved one this weekend, to cancer.  He was my step-father for many years.  He and my mother were divorced many years ago, but he always remained my step-father in my heart; and always remained the PawPaw to my children, and their children.

Delvis Glenn Chandler

you will be missed by many.

We love you!

Rest In Peace

________________________________

On October 1st, right here on the Featured section of our blog, we will begin this 13-week bible study

“Winning Him Without Words…

10 Keys to Thriving in your Spiritually Mismatched Marriage”

by Lynn Donovan and Dineen Miller.

We will cover topics such as: Staying Connected to Your Man, Discovering the Essentials to Love; Trading perfection for authenticity; Cherishing each new season, and so much more!!   This book is amazing ladies, and I can’t wait to get started studying it with you!!  You will need to purchase this book for this study.  This book, a journal, and your bible is all you will need to participate.

If you haven’t already signed up for this particular study, please email us at

Womens@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com

and we will send you all the details you need to get signed up!!

Enjoy the rest of your Weekend!

In His Love,

 

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