November 16, 2024

Lady in Waiting: Lady of Purity / Deadly Deception

November 5, 2012 by

 

Girls, I want to be honest with you from the start, this chapter was a struggle for me.  As I read through it, a lot of feelings of shame and embarrassment came up for me.  Feelings I honestly didn’t even know I had.  Then followed the thoughts of, “How am I ever going to talk to these women about purity, when as a single, never married mom, it is obvious I am not “pure”.”  I can say this much to you all.  I have been saved for 3 ½ years, and I have made the commitment to remain pure until the Lord sees fit to show me the man He has planned for me.  I have not had a perfect past, but I ask for your grace as we travel through this topic of purity together.

We live in such a sexually charged society don’t we?  Sexual promiscuity seems more the norm than the exception to the rule.  Yet as Jesus girls, we are held to a higher standard, we have a higher calling.  God wants better for us.  The temptations to compromise physically are all around us, but we are called to be ladies of purity.

This is not a situation unique to 2012.  If you look back to the time of Ruth, her story took place in the time of the judges – a time of disobedience, idolatry and violence.  These were dark days for Israel, when “everyone did as he saw fit.”  Sound familiar?  So to think that Ruth had it any easier than we do in modern society would be fooling ourselves.  So how do we, like Ruth, safeguard our special treasure and stay women of purity?  We will spend the next week trying to figure it all out together.

The deadliest deception we face in today’s society is that we should seek its ultimate pleasures because that will give us the least pain.  More often than not, the exact opposite is true.  As far as guidance on the topic of sex before marriage, look no farther than our Heavenly Father.  God intends for us to enjoy the pleasure of sex within marriage only.  The joy of such an intimate act between two people is maximized when both of you remain pure.  We, especially as women, can get caught up in the fantasy of it, the romance of it, but there is always the truth, His truth: Sex is special!  Not sensuous sex, but satisfying sex in your Creator’s will and time.

We are worth more my dear women of faith.  We are worth more than a temporary pleasure that is likely to lead to the sting of regret.  We are worth more than having a man try to lure you into something you don’t want, by using manipulation.  We are worth the joy and pleasure and love that our Heavenly Father has waiting for us.  Believe it, believe Him.

LET’S PRAY

Father, it is so easy for us to be lured by the traps of today’s society and the pleasure seeking, selfish ways of this world.  But we know you have so much more for us.  We are a precious gift, not to be given away freely.  Help to give us strength when we feel weak.  Show each and every woman reading this her worth.  We are special, and in Your strength we prepare to give ourselves only to the man you have chosen specifically for us in your will and in your time.  We ask this in Your Holy Name.  Amen.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

Is staying pure a difficult aspect to your single life?  Is it something that is easy for you to cope with?  In either situation, why do you think that is?  What strategies do you have, or can you come up with, to help stay pure in today’s world?

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For the “Lady in Waiting” Bible Study, you will need the book, your Bible, pen or pencil, a highlighter and a quiet place. You can order the book right through our website by clicking the “sign-up here” button at the top of our webpage; which is also where you can sign up to participate in this awesome bible study!

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Lady in Waiting: Lady of Purity

November 4, 2012 by

 

My beloved girlfriends, I thank God each day for giving me this opportunity to take this amazing journey with you.  What a blessing it is to study with you.  This book is so full of life changing truths.  Each chapter is rich with honesty and makes one to really look at life in a different perspective.

Our chapter for this week, Lady of Purity is no different.  My prayer is that we will allow God to open our eyes and eyes of faith so that we can receive what He has for us.

Purity is a “sensitive” subject among us Christians because of the world we live in but as children of God we are to remain pure as the bride of Christ.  But what happens when we have given away our most treasured gift?  I don’t want to preempt things.  Why don’t you join us this week as we dig deep into this chapter?

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Here is our reading assignment for Week 7

November 5:

Lady of Purity, Deadly Deception – Michelle

November 6:

Why Wait / Physical – Jackie

November 7:

Emotional, Relational / Spiritual – Tonya

November 8:

Guarding the Treasure – Katie

November 9:

What if it’s Too Late – Diane

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LET’S PRAY

Our God and our Father, thank you so much for being with us in this journey.  Lord, may you be with us this week as we deal with this subject of purity.  We want to be Ladies of Purity in each and every area of our lives and we cannot do it without your help.  Holy Spirit soften our hearts to receive what you have for us.  In Jesus Name Amen.

Be Blessed

Jackie

For the “Lady in Waiting” Bible Study, you will need the book, your Bible, pen or pencil, a highlighter and a quiet place. You can order the book right through our website by clicking the “sign-up here” button at the top of our webpage; which is also where you can sign up to participate in this awesome bible study!

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Saturdays with Shauna: Photography! Week3

November 3, 2012 by

Welcome to week three of Photography!  Last week, I gave you ten tips on how to take better photos and the week before, I talked about why you should take more photos.  This week, we will cover what to do with all those digital images you now have!  If you’re like me, my photos have generally lived on my hard drive or the memory card.  Not anymore!  I’m making it my mission to print photos and make albums, cards, etc. with my photos from now on!  Are you with me?

First of all, you need prints.  When computers crash a paper print is still there.  Sure, a physical print can be ruined, torn, lost, etc.  But treated properly, a print can last a very long time.  Plus, prints can be more easily enjoyed than digital photos that you have to pull up on your computer or other device in order to view them, especially if you have elderly relatives who are not computer savvy.  If you take the time to print your photos and decorate your home with them and fill albums with them, then others can easily enjoy them along with you!

Look around your house.  How many photos do you have displayed?  Only a few?  None?  That describes me.  For a former photographer, I’ve been really lazy about displaying my own family photos in our home!  If you look around and see many photos, then good for you!  You are a few steps ahead of us! 🙂  For those of us who have little to no family photos on display, we need to get busy.

The first step is looking through all your digital photos and picking out your favorites that you would like to see hanging on your walls or in albums.  When I used to make albums for my photography clients, I would start by making a new folder on my desktop (or anywhere, just remember where you put it).  Then I would look through all the photos and copy the ones I knew I wanted in the album into the new folder.  That way you have them all together in one place.  You can always delete this folder later after you’ve made your prints.  You could make separate folders for events or occasions or a folder for each of your kids and add photos to it throughout the month.  At the end of the month (or whatever time period you decide on), you could make an album for each event or for each child.  If you keep on top of your current photos this way, it makes the process much less painful.  But for those of us who have thousands of photos from years past to sort through, you will just need to set aside a day or maybe a full weekend to do this.  Don’t just say you’re going to do it either, write it on your calendar.  Schedule the time to do this and get it done!

Now that you have your photos together, look at them again and decide if you’d like to make larger prints of any of them for your walls.  Most people think an 8×10 is a “large print”.  Think again!  Take a look at the image below, borrowed from catewatersphotography.com, which compares print sizes.  An 8×10 looks puny in comparison to the others!  And on your wall, it will look tiny and be barely noticeable.  So when it comes to wall prints…. GO BIG!

Photo from: http://catewatersphotography.com

So you have your prints picked out for your album and you’ve selected a couple to print BIG for your wall 🙂  Where do you print them?  Personally, I find that many photo labs at the discount stores have color issues.  They may have cheap prints, but you get what you pay for.  Try to find a local lab that takes the time to calibrate their machines daily.  Their prints may be a few cents more but it will be worth it, plus you’re supporting a local small business!  You could also submit one or two photos to several local labs and compare the colors to see which one you prefer.  If you just can’t find a suitable lab in your area, there are some good online labs you can go to.  Just upload your photos, select print sizes, and submit.  Easy peasy!  My favorites are mpix.com and shutterfly.com.  These labs also offer photo canvases, which will really make your photos look like a work of art!  They are usually a little pricey, but if you have a special photo you really want to show off BIG on your wall, a canvas is worth the extra money!

You can also make albums and photo scrapbooks online through many different websites like mpix.com and shutterfly.com.  So if you’d rather do that instead of making individual prints and compiling your own album, go for it!  The options are endless!

The bottom line is that you have to make an intentional effort to manage your photos.  Set aside some time once a month or once a quarter, whenever you can, and get it done.  Remember, your photos are a legacy that will be cherished for years to come by your children and their children, etc.  I have several albums that belonged to my parents from the 50’s and 60’s and I’m sure they didn’t think they were anything special.  But I do and I’m so thankful they took the time to organize their photos into albums so I could have them now that they’re gone.  So if not for yourself, do it for your kids and grandkids!

Next week, our final week on photography, I will give you some pointers about photo storage, for both prints and digital images.  You’ll want to know how to preserve your digital files so that in the event of a computer crash, you won’t lose them.  And you want to make sure your printed photos will survive for many generations to come.  Your homework is to review some of your past digital photos, pick out some favorites and print them! 🙂

<3 Shauna

PS – you can visit me on my personal blog for recipes, knitting, and other fun stuff!  www.workhomeplay.net

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Lady in Waiting: An Advantageous Position

November 2, 2012 by

This chapter makes me think of my sister so incredibly much!  Reading through the story of the married lady you may think-no way does married life really get that crazy.  Now, I am not married, but my sister is, and I can assure you that the story in the book is not even close to as crazy as it really gets being married and having children running around.  Trust me, I have experienced the crazy right alongside of my sister and honestly if it wasn’t for the grace of God-there would be no way she could get through her day without putting her children and husband up for adoption.

My sister and I are very close and very similar.  We both strive to live our lives for God alone.  We both cry at the same things, and laugh at the same things-mainly each other.  We share similar passions.  We encourage one another and are both thankful we are sisters and have each other to go through life with.  There is one thing about us that makes us very different as we live out the lives God has planned perfectly for each one of us- she is married with three ADORABLE children (I know I am biased but they truly are the most adorable kids in the universe) and I am single living in a perfect little apartment all for me.

There are so many times that my sister and I will be talking on the phone (me usually whining on the phone) in the midst of living out the difference in our lives and she will mutter the words, enjoy being single while it lasts because when you are married you won’t have time to yourself.  This is usually said after I go on and on about the fact that I am single and alone and wondering how I am ever going to find the man God has for me if I am sitting home, alone talking to her.  Meanwhile, my sister on the other end is wishing and praying for some sort of miraculous thing where time freezes just for her kids and husband and she can move around doing what she wants and needs without them just for even a minute will do.

I am always reminded of a few things when I talk to my sister in these moments:  living out married life with kids is a lot different than the married life with kids we dream of when we are single.  By enjoying single life she doesn’t want me to enjoy the fact that I feel like a loser sometimes, she wants me to enjoy the time I have with God alone and make the most of that time.  Married women want what single women have-not so much singleness, but aloneness: time to spend alone with God or with a good movie without any interruptions of motherhood and being a wife.  In the same way single women want what married women have: a husband to come home, give us a kiss, ask us how our day was, and to spend our evenings with him and not alone.

The fact of that matter though is that GOD IS CALLING ME AND YOU TO SINGLENESS FOR THIS SEASON OF OUR LIVES.  WE MUST NOT WANT SOMETHING WE DO NOT HAVE.  WE MUST EMBRACE THIS TIME IN OUR LIFE, WE MUST USE OUR TIME THAT WE HAVE ALL TO OURSELVES AND SHARE IT WITH GOD, YEARNING TO HEAR FROM HIM AND GROW CLOSER TO HIM.

My sister will be the first person to tell you that marriage and motherhood is such a blessing and gift from above.  You NEVER want to trade those blessings and gifts for anything.  She will also be the first to tell you that being a wife and mommy makes spending time with God a little more of a challenge.

As a single woman, I am telling you that the only thing that keeps us from taking advantage of the TIME we have to spend with God daily (distractionless) is the whining we do in our minds, the unrealistic dreams we will not let go of.  There will come a day when most of us will not have the luxury of one-on-one time with God without a husband needing socks, a poopy diaper needing changed, and the Bible you are so desperately trying to read being chewed on by a teething little child.  So let us make the most of the time we do have to put all of our attention and focus on the one and only satisfaction to our hearts desires.  You are where you are for a reason, married or single-God still desires to spend time with you.  And as a single woman of God it is our hearts desire to be concerned with living our lives for HIM ALONE.

LET’S PRAY:  Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you and praise you so much for the time you give us every day to spend with YOU!  I pray that in the midst of our singleness we do not become distant from you, but instead we use this time to grow closer to you.  Prepare our hearts for whatever lies ahead for us.  Help us to take full advantage of our single days-with you.  I love you so much Jesus!  We pray all of these things in your HOLY name, AMEN.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT:  List everything you want in your life.  Give that list to God, literally take that list and pray to God about everything on it.  Then put the paper in a safe place.  Ask God to turn that list of your wants into HIS LIST OF HIS WANTS.  As time goes by, compare the lists.  See what has changed and what you have been living out for Him all along!

Love you ladies!!

Diane

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For the “Lady In Waiting” Bible Study, you will need the book, your Bible, pen or pencil, a highlighter and a quiet place. You can order the book right through our website by clicking the “sign-up here” button at the top of our webpage; which is also where you can sign up to participate in this awesome bible study!

 

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Lady in Waiting: Meditations

November 1, 2012 by

“You are my daughter.” “You are a priestess.” “You are a child of the Most High God.”

“Quiet your heart and rest.” “My child, I love you.”

The times that I wait to listen for the Lord’s voice are few and far between, but these are some of the words he has spoken when I have asked. And these words from the Lord have meant the world to me. When I take the time to meditate on his word, when I seek him in prayer, when I journal, and when I wait for his responses, I begin to build a deeply intimate relationship with the God that I love. I get to know the God of Scripture, rather than simply the God I have been told about or have decided he was. I hear his heart for me and I learn when he aches for me.

Meditation on the Lord is not an easy feat. It is hard to rest, relax, and shake the things of this world out of your mind, in order to hear the Lord’s voice better. The competing and often opposing words of the world sometimes shout into your ear as you wait on him. And the enemy longs to convince us that the things we are hearing are simply not true. So, how do we know they are from him, and not just made up in our minds? We turn to Scripture to learn about who God is, and the promises he has made to us. Here are some of the verses affirming the gentle whispers that the Lord has spoken to me:

“Some of the tree’s branches were pruned and you wild olive shoots were grafted in…” (Romans 11:17a The Message)

 

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9 NIV)

 

“He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”” (Psalm 4:10 NIV)

 

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39 NIV)

The times that I actually wait to listen for my Lover’s voice are few and far between. Yet I rarely shut out the voices of all the lovers of this world; rather, I hold their opinions and thoughts to quite a high standard. But the only way to differentiate our Lover’s voice from the voices of those around us is to know Scripture. Find a devotion plan that will help you to work through the books of the Bible at a pace that is good for you. Find a quiet place where you will not be bothered (this could even be a coffee shop or a book store with a reading space if you fear you will be bothered at home!) Take a journal, and take notes of the verses that stand out to you. In your prayer time, ask the Lord to engrave these things on your heart.

If you are having trouble focusing or hearing the Lord, write down everything that is distracting you from him and decide that those are not things you are going to focus on for the next half hour. The enemy wants those distractions to come up, but our God desires our heart even more. Ask the Holy Spirit to come into this time with you and protect you from the attacks of the enemy.

What would the Lord have to say to you if you took the time to hear? What gentle reminders would he whisper into your ear? What convictions would he strengthen, what sorrows would he quiet, and what desires would he quench? I ask myself these questions today, just as I am asking you. Our Heavenly Father has plenty to say, if we open our ears, put our talking on pause, and listen!

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Let’s Pray:

Heavenly Father, I ask right now that you would cleanse our minds from the things of this world. We long to meditate on your word so that we can know you deeper. As single women, we know that we have even more time now than we ever will to get to know you intimately. Give each of us the mind of Christ, to hear your voice. Holy Spirit, protect us from the attacks of the enemy that keep us from hearing you. Engrave you Word on our hearts, Lord. We love you. Amen.

Your Assignment:

When was the last time you spent more than 15 minutes talking with God? To be completely honest, I have made many excuses to not spend time with him because of how early I get up for work. Put those excuses away! This is the most important relationship you will ever, ever, ever have! Let’s sit down and look at our schedule for next week. Find a time on each day that you can get quiet with God. Read Scripture for 30 minutes, and then spend time praying and listening to him for 30 minutes. I’d encourage you to take a journal and write down anything he says!

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For the “Lady in Waiting” Bible Study, you will need the book, your Bible, pen or pencil, a highlighter and a quiet place. You can order the book right through our website by clicking the “sign-up here” button at the top of our webpage; which is also where you can sign up to participate in this awesome bible study!

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Lady in Waiting: Seeking True Love

October 31, 2012 by

True love.

I think these are two words that every woman wants to not only hear, but two words that she wants to feel. As a single woman I felt that I was unable to find true love. As a woman in a failed relationship I felt that what I thought was true love, truly wasn’t  and that true love was something I could never truly feel. The true love that I was seeking always seemed to be out of my grasp.

In retrospect I learned a lesson. Whether I was single, dating, married, divorced. Whatever stage of life I am in there is one person I need to seek true love from. God.  It’s not about where I am in life; it’s about my personal relationship with God. It’s about me seeking him with an open heart, a clean heart. It’s about me seeking him with all of me. It’s about the relationship between my God and me.

Seeking God isn’t some elaborate, grand quest. Like the authors of the book said, it is similar to developing a friendship. We can talk to Him, we can listen for His answers, we can write our thoughts and prayers to Him, and He has written the most beautiful book to us. We can think and meditate on His promises and on His word.  We can set our minds on pleasing Him, and on walking in His will.

Jeremiah 29:12-13

Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

His is a true love that we are promised to find. A true love that is unconditional.  Like many promises God makes to us we have a responsibility to do our part. We can seek and find this true love but we must do so with “our whole heart, a clean heart.”  We need to seek God for who He is, not what He can do. We previously talked about motives. Why do I desire to seek God? Because I feel that it will make me look better in God’s eyes and I’ll receive what I’m asking for?  We need to seek God’s face, not just His hand.”

We will find the true love that we seek when we seek God with an open heart, a pure heart and a willing heart.  Despite where we are in our lives, married or single, this true love needs to be the desire of us all. It was promised to us all, and it is our responsibility to be seekers of true love.

God Bless,

Tonya

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Lets Pray:

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for the promise of true love. Thank you for an unconditional love. Create in us pure hearts Lord, so that we may seek you with a pure clean heart, with all of our heart, soul and mind. Please teach us how to seek you intimately, teach us how to build a relationship with you. We want to be the woman in Jeremiah 29, the woman who finds you. Thank you for giving us your true love.

In Jesus Name I pray, Amen

Your Assignment:

The first part of this section lists how we can develop a friendship with someone, then compares this to developing a relationship with God. How can you apply these steps to your daily life? How can you apply them to building a relationship with your Heavenly Father?

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For the “Lady in Waiting” Bible Study, you will need the book, your Bible, pen or pencil, a highlighter and a quiet place. You can order the book right through our website by clicking the “sign-up here” button at the top of our webpage; which is also where you can sign up to participate in this awesome bible study!

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Lady in Waiting: Two-Way Conversation

October 30, 2012 by

Today we will be starting meditations. We will do these once or twice a week through the rest of our study. This is to get you to pray about, think about and write about some of the topics that we have been discussing. It is not enough to simply read the individual quotes, write a few words, and then move on. The authors, as well as Jackie and I, encourage you to prayerfully meditate on these powerful truths. As you do so, these meditations can become a powerful resource that will draw you into a deeper level of intimacy with Jesus and prepare you for deeper relationships with those around you.

 

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Some tips for doing your meditations:
• Find a quiet place where you can be alone
• Read each passage several times
• Allow the Spirit to enter into your presence and thoughts

 

Quote from pages 161 – 162 in Lady in Waiting:

Meditative reading is choosing some important practical or speculative truth, always preferring the practical, and proceeding thus: whatever truth you have chosen, read only a small portion of it, endeavoring to taste and digest it, to extract the essence and substance of it, and proceed no farther while any savor or relish remains in the passage: then take up the book again, and proceed as before, seldom reading more than half a page at a time.

It is not the quantity that is read, but the manner of reading, that yields us profit. Those who read fast, reap no advantage, than a bee would by only skimming over the surface of a flower, instead of waiting to penetrate into it, and extract its sweets. Much reading is rather for scholastic subjects, than divine truths; to receive profit from spiritual books, we must read as I have described; and I am certain that if that method were pursued, we should become gradually habituated to prayer by our reading, and more fully disposed for its exercise.

With all that being said, here is your meditation for today:

 

Two-Way Conversation

Have you ever tried to develop an intimate relationship with Jana Jabberbox? She’s the gal that has lots to say and loves to hear herself say it. You try to say something when she takes a breath – which isn’t often – but she keeps right on talking. She never listens. It’s a one-way conversation, and you are left out. Even when someone is very special to you, you do not get too excited with a steady monologue. Listening is an important part of developing a closeness with someone else. If you want to get to know the Lord, you must seek Him not only with a whole, clean, and pure heart, but also with a listening heart.

As you spend time with God during your daily devotional time, learn to listen to Him as you read of His love and thoughts about you in the Bible. Think about what He is saying to you personally. Sit silently and write what impressions come to your listening heart. As you read and study His love letters, the Bible, you begin to see what He really thinks of you and what wonderful plans He has for you. As a result, your devotion grows and grows.

LET’S PRAY
Father God, we treasure our time with you. So many times we talk incessantly about our needs, our wants, our hopes and dreams. We know that you love hearing our cares, but we also know you love to speak to us also. Help us to slow down in our prayer and devotional time so that we can hear from You. It is You who guide us, and without taking the time to listen to the guidance we will become lost. Thank you Jesus for your patience and love as we continue the process of drawing close to you.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT
Please share your thoughts on today’s meditation, either in full or in part, below as well as in our Facebook group. Our hope is that you take the time to journal these meditations so that you have them to look back on and use them to help you grow.

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For the “Lady in Waiting” Bible Study, you will need the book, your Bible, pen or pencil, a highlighter and a quiet place. You can order the book right through our website by clicking the “sign-up here” button at the top of our webpage; which is also where you can sign up to participate in this awesome bible study!

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Lady in Waiting: Lady of Devotion

October 29, 2012 by

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Girlfriends, today, I want us to go on a journey to the place where it all began, to the Garden of Eden.  Let’s go back when everything was beautiful, pure and unstained.  Before sin entered the world.  We meet a beautiful woman named Eve.  Can you imagine how the first woman ever to be created looked like.  She had no one to compare her looks with.  God created her not as an afterthought but as the ultimate work of art.  This is just my opinion, but I must say when God created Eve, He must have showed her off to everyone present.

Adam and Eve had the best of everything life could offer, the perfect place to live, food in its abundance and the best and most loving Father anyone could dream about.  Can you imagine what it was like talking and walking with God in the cool of the day?  The Creator of the Universe taking His time to have fellowship with the two people created in His image, teaching them everything they needed to know about life.  Eve just like every woman must have listened attentively and dreamt that one day she would share what she was learning with her children.  This is what we call “the fullness of devotion.”

How I wish life could just remain forever like this without what happened next.  How the same woman was deceived by the Devil to question her devotion to her Lord.  Just like Eve most of us have been deceived to doubt how much the Lord loves us because time is going and we have not yet met the love of our life, or the one whom we gave our body, mind and soul has told us he has found someone else and leaves our heart so scarred that we feel no one else will ever love us again.

This is how Naomi felt when she left Moab to return to Jerusalem, she left Jerusalem so full of life but she returned empty.  “She said to them, ‘Do not call me Naomi [pleasant]; call me Mara [bitter], for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. …the Lord has witnessed against me and the Almighty has afflicted me?’ ” (Ruth 1:20-21).

Our devotion to the Lord should not depend on our past experiences, present circumstances, or our parents’ devotion or lack thereof may cause us to have an incorrect view of God.  Life is so full of trials.  We experience pain, loss, fear, and so much more.  People will hurt us in ways that we could never think of.  However, to take what life and people have done to us and think that God will do the same to us is a misconception.  Don’t allow guilt, fear, your inabilities or imperfections to cause you to hold back from receiving what God has in store for you.

The Love of God is so much different and it cannot be compared to human love.  When we want to know how much God loves us, we should look to the cross.  How God spared His only Son, Jesus Christ to redeem us from our sins.  It took Jesus Christ to die for us in order for us to return to the “Garden of Eden.”  In order for us to regain the devotion we lost when Adam and Eve sinned.

God loves us so much that each day He waits for us to go to Him to have that fellowship with Him, He longs to hear about the plans we have made.  He longs to share with us what plans he has for us as He says in Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to give you hope and a future.”

“As a single woman, you have a wonderful opportunity to use your time to maximize your fellowship with God. When you love someone, you give them your heart, the center of your being. God asks for no less.  He desires a totally devoted heart.  Deuteronomy 6:5 says that you are to love Him with all your heart (deepest devotion), your soul (what you think and what you feel), and your might (your strength and energy).”

Furthermore, “as a woman, you have been created with a desire to be known—not just in a physical or general way, but deeply known and intimately loved. If you are hoping a man will one day fill your heart’s desire for intimacy, you will be disappointed. God knows your deep longings for intimate love. Only He, the Lover of your soul, can fill this need completely. Your heavenly Father tenderly created you with needs that only God can fully understand and fulfill. As you come to know who He really is, He will meet your needs for love.”

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LET’S PRAY

Lord, I come to you to ask for forgiveness, there are times when my devotion to you has died because of what life and others have done to me.  Father, forgive me for comparing your love with the love of those around me.  I realize that you love me unconditionally, you long to have fellowship with me each day, and your thoughts towards me are not of evil but good.  Create in me a clean heart Lord and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Restore to me the joy of my salvation.  May I know you intimately, personally and devotedly.  Take me back to the Garden of Eden.  In Jesus Name Amen.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

Meditate on your picture of God.  Has a wrong picture of God been invented by the enemy in order to rob you of a true knowledge and love of God?  Read Psalm 103: 8 – 14 to help you with the wrong assumptions that you have about God.

 

Be Blessed,

Jackie

 

 

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 For the “Lady in Waiting” Bible Study, you will need the book, your Bible, pen or pencil, a highlighter and a quiet place. You can order the book right through our website by clicking the “sign-up here” button at the top of our webpage; which is also where you can sign up to participate in this awesome bible study!

Please email Christi@girlfriendscoffeehour.com if you have any questions, or if you have a private comment that you would like to forward to one of our bloggers in regards to their post that day.

 

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Lady in Waiting: Lady of Devotion

October 28, 2012 by

 

Wow girls!  I can’t believe that we have made it through our first month of our study!  I know it has stretched a lot of us, and it has been difficult for many of us, but ladies – we are doing it!  This is what God wants.  God wants us healed.  He wants us close.  He wants our undivided attention right now.  I am proud of each and every one of you for taking this journey and wanting to be the best you can be, no matter what your marital situation.  Remember, that doesn’t define you, our Lord and Savior does!

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Here is our reading assignment for Chapter 5, you will notice we will be adding some meditations this week, we hope they bless you and help you carve out some time to spend with Him:

October 29:      Lady of Devotion – Jackie
October 30:      Meditation – Michelle
October 31:      Seeking True Love  – Tonya
November 1:    Meditation – Katie
November 2:    An Advantageous Position  – Diane

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LET’S PRAY

Lord Jesus thank you.  Thank you for loving us so completely.  Thank you for continuing to draw us close even when we wander.  I pray for each and every lady in this study.  I know that life circumstances sometimes seem to get in the way of the study, or other things seem more important, but Lord we know that it is time with you that is truly most important.  Help each of us make time to dedicate not only to you, but to this study.  You know each woman’s struggle, you know the challenges they face.  Come along side of them and give them the strength they need to continue.  Thank you Lord, we love you and are so grateful for you.  In Your Name we pray.  Amen

In Him,

Michelle

For the “Lady in Waiting” Bible Study, you will need the book, your Bible, pen or pencil, a highlighter and a quiet place. You can order the book right through our website by clicking the “sign-up here” button at the top of our webpage; which is also where you can sign up to participate in this awesome bible study!

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Saturdays with Shauna: Photography! Week 2

October 27, 2012 by

PHOTOGRAPHY

Last week, I explained to you why it’s so important to take pictures of your loved ones and to do it often and I hope you’ve taken my advice and have been intentionally capturing your memories!  This week, I’m going to give you some basic tips so that your pictures look less like snapshots and more professional and interesting, no matter what kind of camera you have!

 #1 – What’s in the background? 

A cluttered background = a bad picture! (photo swiped from Google, so I blotted out the child’s face)

Pay attention to what’s behind and around your subject!  If you’re taking pictures in the living room and there are toys all over the floor behind your subject, the photo is going to look cluttered and the background will distract the viewer from your subject.  To avoid this, simply move your subject!  Or if you are able to, remove items from the background.  You want a simple background so the viewer’s eye is drawn to your subject, not the junk behind them 🙂

 #2 – Get down on their level! 

When taking photos of kids or pets, try getting down on their level when you take their picture instead of standing and looking down at them.  When you’re on their level, you get a new and interesting perspective in your photos.

 #3 – Don’t center! 

Imagine a grid in the frame to compose your photos

Try putting your subject off-center in your photo.  It creates more interest than having your subject right in the middle of the frame.  Imagine a grid in the viewfinder of your camera and try placing your subject at any of the points where the lines intersect.

 #4 – Get a little closer! 

Fill the frame for beautiful close ups! My son, Gunnar 🙂

Try moving in closer to your subject…. Fill the frame with your subject’s face for a beautiful close-up!  If your camera has a zoom feature, you won’t even have to move closer to them, just zoom in.

 #5 – Try not to use the flash! 

Photo swiped from Google, so I blotted out the girls’ faces… but you can still see the flash shadows behind them. Not pretty!

Using your camera’s on board flash creates background shadows, which are a tell-tale sign of a snapshot.  If possible, place your subject in a well-lit area where flash is not necessary.  If you must use a flash, diffuse it.  For example, wrap some bubble wrap around your camera’s on board flash before you take the photo.  This will scatter the light and eliminate the harsh shadows.  There are many creative and inexpensive DIY ways to create a flash diffuser, just Google and pick one to try!

 #6 – Watch the light! 

Photo swiped from Google, so I blotted out the person’s face… but you can see an example of dappled light on her arm. You wouldn’t want dappled light like this on her face, so pay attention to the light while shooting.

When taking photos outdoors, pay attention to the light and how it falls on your subject.  If you have your subject facing the sun, they will squint their eyes, which doesn’t make for an attractive photo.  If you have them in the shade of a tree, for example, watch to make sure there isn’t dappled light on their face.  The best times of day to take photos is early in the morning or late in the afternoon, when the sun is not high in the sky.  FYI, Late afternoon sun produces a beautiful “golden” look in your photos.  If you’re taking photos in the middle of the day and it’s sunny out, you’ll have to be more careful.  If you notice your subject is squinting, ask them to turn in a circle and stop when they are able to open their eyes fully.  Or ask them to move to a shady area cast by a building or a tree.  Another FYI, overcast days are the BEST days to take portraits outside!  The clouds act as a natural diffuser for the sun 🙂

 #7 – Be bossy! 

Who doesn’t love Journey?? 😉 When taking group portraits, don’t be afraid to tell your subjects to move where you want them!

When taking photos of several people, don’t be afraid to be bossy!  If you think it would look better if Uncle Joe moved over a few inches or you need Aunt Betty to stand behind someone, ask them to move!  It’s your shot, so feel free to direct your subjects in order to get the best shot possible.

 #8 – Be bold! 

Experiment with your camera’s settings!

Don’t be afraid of your camera.  Experiment with settings and read your owner’s manual.  If there’s a particular shot you want to take but don’t know how (for example – night photography or fireworks), just Google it and find out how others do it.  You really can’t mess up – there’s always the “delete” button!

 #9 – Use what you’ve got! 

You don’t have to have the fanciest camera on the block, just use what you have!

Don’t think you can’t get good photos just because you don’t own the newest DSLR with all the bells and whistles.  Good photography happens because the person behind the camera has a unique perspective and knows how to get the most out of whatever equipment he/she has.  You can have the latest and greatest DSLR but if you don’t know how to use it, you won’t produce good photos.  So, even if all you have available to you is the camera on your smart phone, don’t despair!  Read up on all the features your camera has and use them!

 #10 – Practice makes perfect! 

Practice makes perfect!

You can read all you want about how to take good pictures but you have to get the camera out and experiment with what you’ve read and experiment with the settings on your camera!  And if at first you don’t succeed, try again!  Keep practicing and implementing these tips and others and I promise, your photos will improve!

I hope you will use these tips and get out there and take some photos!  I want to see photos posted in the fellowship group on FB this week! 🙂  Remember, you have the opportunity to preserve your precious memories, so do it!

<3 Shauna

Shauna Jared’s personal website is www.workhomeplay.net.

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