November 26, 2024

Winning Him Without Words … Our Journey Begins!

September 30, 2012 by

Good Morning!

My name is Christi Wilson, and I am the Founder of Girlfriends Coffee Hour and the Women’s Ministry Leader.  I, along with an amazing team of bloggers, will be leading you through this study, “Winning Him Without Words: 10 Keys to Thriving in a Spiritually Unequal Marriage” by Lynn Donovan and Dineen Miller.

I want to welcome you to Girlfriends Coffee Hour!  We are a group of women all across the world who love the Lord Jesus, and are always looking for ways to better our walk with Him, and improve not only our selves, but our marriages, as well.

PLEASE be sure to read this blog post all the way through, as there are some very specific directions for you towards the end.

I can’t begin to tell you just how excited I am about this study!  Being involved in Women’s Online Bible studies for quite a while now, I have learned that many women across the world struggle being in spiritually unequal marriages!  It’s heartbreaking to hear some of their stories!

2 Corinthians 6:14 tells us to not be yoked to unbelievers. But what happens if you become a Christian AFTER you’re already yoked to an unbeliever?  You are going to love this book, if you are in this position today.  This book truly is an encouragement to all of us who are spiritually unequally yoked to an unbelieving spouse!

As I began reading this book, I wanted to write down all of the things I could find that would help explain to you what you can expect from this study.  I think you will be pleasantly surprised to learn that it IS possible to thrive in a spiritually mismatched marriage!  The authors of this book Lynn Donovan and Dineen Miller, have an amazing way of making you feel right at home with this study!  They are real, authentic, funny, and so encouraging!  I’m sure you will begin to love them just as much as I do, once you dive into this study with us!

So, with all that said, I want to tell you what you CAN expect from this study:

  • you will experience the wonder of Scripture as it comes to life in this book
  • truths that will rock your world
  • fresh perspective and optimism
  • no matter “how” you arrived in your spiritually unequal marriage, God’s plan for your marriage and your future are fantastic and may take turns that are often unexpected
  • you will find that God is the Master of redeeming our past and our pain to reveal  a life He has always desired for you to live
  • you will discover a hope so wild that you will thrive in your challenging marriage
  • you will find healing and wholeness
  • you will find hope and practical tips
  • you will discover the key principles to thriving in your marriage
  • you will find prayer, support, encouragement, accountability, motivation, love, from other women, just like you, who are struggling or have struggled and found freedom in their spiritually unequal marriage, through Christ Jesus

Wow!  Now can you see why we are so very excited to go on this journey with you!!??

Let’s talk about HOW this Online Bible Study works.  

1.  Each SUNDAY, you will want to come here for your reading assignment for the week.

2.  Every Monday through Friday, you will come here to read what we have blogged about for that days lesson.  Saturday’s will be a day filled with DIY projects, crafts, recipes, homemaking tips, and more!!  🙂

3.  You can leave your comments in the comment section of this blog, if you wish.  We actually like it when you do because it gives us feedback on how we’re doing!  So please do comment!  Remember, anything shared here on our blog is open to the public.  It is not private.  HOWEVER, you do have the option of commenting anonymously, as well.

4.  Then you will go to the Facebook Online Bible Study Discussion Group that you have been assigned to, to discuss that days lesson just a bit deeper than we do here on the blog.  THIS is where you will be able to share openly and honestly without anyone outside of that group reading what you’ve posted.   This Facebook Group is set up to be a SECRET Facebook group.  That means two things:  1) No one outside of this group can even find this group, and 2) Everything shared within the group cannot be seen by anyone outside of the group!  How cool is that, huh?  We want to make sure that we provide a place for you to share your heart without the concerns of a friend or family member seeing what you are posting!  We take every precaution to make this a SAFE place for you!

That’s it!  Pretty Simple, huh??  There are just TWO places that you will want to check every day:  HERE (our blog) and Your Facebook Group!  It can’t get much easier than that!! 🙂

In your Facebook Group, we have a team of women put together for you that will be there to pray with you, and encourage you along the way.  They are members of our Prayer Team, who have specifically asked to be placed in the Women’s Ministry group.  They have a heart for prayer, and for women’s ministry!  I’m sure you will grow to love them just as much as we do!!

We also have an AMAZING Team of Bloggers, who will be blogging about this study!  You are going to love these women, and their hearts for the Lord, and for Women’s Ministry!  We took quite a while looking for the perfect women to work with us on this journey, and we believe we have found the perfect women for this study!  We can’t wait for you to meet them!  Their names are Beverly McCormick, Donna Day, Jennifer Mlenczynski, and Sarah Boyer.  Amazing Women!!!

Well, now it’s time to actually begin this study!!  Below you will find your reading assignment for each day, Monday thru Friday, and who will be blogging for that day!  So, let’s begin!!

Your Reading Assignment:

Oct 1 – Matthew 28:20 –  Introduction / Know You’re Not Alone –  Beverly

Oct 2 – The Alone Factor – Jennifer

Oct 3 – Is it Really Possible to Thrive / Mismatched Marriage – Donna

Oct 4 –  Placing Christ on the Throne – Sarah

Oct 5 –  Jesus With “Skin On” / Discovery / Prayer –  Christi

DON’T FORGET TO MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!

Tuesday, October 2nd, Conference Call Special Guest Speaker is:

Lynn Donovan

Co-Author of “Winning Him Without Words”

If you would like to take part in this call, please EMAIL US at:

Womens@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com

YOU MUST BE A MEMBER OF THIS ONLINE BIBLE STUDY GROUP TO PARTICIPATE.

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Let’s Pray:

Father, as we begin this new journey learning how to thrive in spiritually unequal marriages, we ask Lord for Your wisdom, direction, discernment, and guidance.  We ask Lord that You open each heart that is represented in this study; prepare that heart Lord to receive what YOU have for them.  Remove the veils Father, so we can each clearly see what Your intentions are for our marriages.

I pray Lord for each woman that is hurting in her spiritually unequal marriage.  I ask that You touch her Lord, and love on her.  Help us to minister words of love and encouragement to her Lord.  Help us to see her and her marriage Lord, through Your eyes. Father break our hearts for what breaks Yours, in this spiritually unequal marriage study.  Lord, I also pray that You show us through the first few chapters of this book that there is HOPE, and that it IS possible to thrive in these marriages!  That it is possible to get past the hurts and offenses of the past.  That it is possible to forgive and forge ahead in the plans that YOU have for us!

Lord, Your word tells us that You have plans for us.  Plans not to hurt us, but to prosper us, and to give us HOPE and a FUTURE!  Lord, I claim that now for each woman who has signed up for this online Bible study, and I thank You now Lord, for the mighty work You are doing in each life represented here.  Lord, we give You honor, glory, and all praise for the good work that You have begun in each us, and for continuing that work!!  In Jesus’ Precious Name, AMEN!!

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If you have just stumbled across this website today, and you would like to join us for this Online Bible Study, please click on the “Sign-Up Here” button in the Menu Bar at the top of our website and follow the instructions.  We’ll get you placed in one of our discussion groups as soon as possible!

Be Blessed, 

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Meet Sarah Boyer — Women’s Ministry Blogger

September 28, 2012 by

 

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to Sarah Boyer.  Sarah is one of our new bloggers to the Women’s Ministry.  I hope you will enjoy her writing as much as I do!  We’re very pleased to have her here with us at GCH!  <3 Christi 

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Hello! My name is Sarah Boyer and it is an honor to be a part of Girlfriends Coffee Hour! I’d like to tell you a little bit about myself.

 

I am married to my high school sweetheart, Monte. We dated for 8 years and have been married for 16 and still madly in love. Our marriage is a great testament to God because you can name any trial or tribulation and we’ve been through it, but only thru His help!

We have been blessed with two beautiful daughters. Kelsey is 13 and Ashton is 11. They are both very athletic, artistic and have hearts of gold. Their activities keep US very busy, but we love every minute of it!

 

For the past 13 years I have run a daycare from my home. It has been a wonderful career because I love children and it has also provided me a way to stay home with my own girls, but yet contribute income! As a hobby, I keep up a blog called simplysjb. I write about my day to day life as well as certain passions I have, such as the bully problem in our school systems nationwide.

 

Women’s ministry is important to me because I think it is important for women to support women in a positive way. Back that support up with scripture and I truly believe you can change a woman’s life. In my own experience I have two very spiritual friends who have helped me through difficulties by offering prayers over me and my situation and then pointing me to a specific verse to meditate on. The friendly support is wonderful, but it’s His word that is what always helps my situation turn from one of despair into one of hope.

Through these friends I’ve realized that nothing is impossible as long as you have faith. I believe it’s now my turn to help others find the answers to their problems in God’s word.

 

I try to be a very positive person and I love to be of help to others. I am hoping that by being a blogger and leader at GCH I will be able to reach more women; wives, mothers, daughters, sisters and friends every day and help them to see that there is always an answer in God’s word and a positive attitude.

 

I’m looking forward to getting to know all my sisters in Christ better and developing lifelong friendships here at Girlfriends Coffee Hour!

 

________________

We are thrilled to have Sarah join our Women’s Ministry Blogging Team!!

Sarah Boyer lives in Wayne, Ne. with her husband and two daughters. She is a self-published author of two Christian novellas, Follow A Certain Path and its sequel, Follow My Lead.

 

Sarah loves to write, make slideshows and all things retro. But most of all she loves being a wife and mother. During the week she runs an in home daycare.

 

Sarah has been involved in her church’s Sunday school and vacation bible school programs. She finds inspiration from women like Joyce Meyer and Beth Moore because of their down to earth presentation of God’s word and the way they apply it to everyday living.

 

You can read Sarah’s personal blog at www.simplysjb.wordpress.com.

 

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If you are interested in joining our next Women’s Online Bible Study

“Winning Him Without Words” by Lynn Donovan and Dineen Miller

Please send us an email at:

Womens@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com

We wills end you all the details you need to get registered.

 

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

Meet Jennifer Mleczynski — Women’s Ministry Blogger

September 27, 2012 by

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to Jennifer Mlycenski.  Jennifer is one of our new bloggers to the Women’s Ministry.  I hope you will enjoy her writing as much as I do!  We’re very pleased to have her here with us at GCH!  <3 Christi

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Hi ladies! I am thrilled to be joining you here at Girlfriends Coffee Hour! So, grab your beverage of choice, sit back, and take a peek into my journey to GCH!

 Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost, but now am found.

Was blind, but now I see.

I was raised to believe in God, but I did not understand what it meant to have a relationship with Him until two years ago. At 24 years of age, my doctor informed me that I would not be able to have a biological child. For a young woman with her whole life ahead of her, I was dumbfounded. Every dream of my future always included a husband and children. What had I done that was so awful that God would take this from me? My world shattered and crumbled around me. I entered a depression that consumed me for eight long years, which also included panic attacks and severe anxiety. I became a shell of my former happy-go-lucky self. Why did God hate me?

But God, in His Amazing Grace, found me right where I was. And He brought me home. He whispered the sweet words that I longed to hear. “I love you, my child. I have a plan and a purpose for your life. Trust in me.” He planted me in a church family with people who surrounded me with love. He countered every negative thought the enemy planted in my mind with positive biblical truth. He turned a woman who felt like a failure as a woman into a woman who stands tall, without fear or hopelessness; a woman who fully trusts in the Lord to fulfill His plan for her life.

The Lord helped me to see that I have a plan and a purpose to fulfill on this Earth. I may not understand the Lord’s plan this side of Heaven, but I trust His plan above any vision I could have for myself. He promises in Jeremiah 29:11 that His plans are for good and not for disaster, to give us a future and a hope.

So I grabbed on to Him and haven’t let go.

You might think my story ends there, but it is only just beginning (and honestly, just that part of my story could be a twelve part series!). The Lord placed me in women’s ministry and for a while I thought we must have gotten our signals crossed. Although my heart aches for women and I want them to experience the joy, peace, and love of our mighty God – I am a writer! What do women’s ministry and writing have to do with each other?

Well, as God politely told me – a lot. As a blogger for several years, I was tasked with starting a blog for our women’s ministry. I learned that words, filtered through God’s truth, could do something – they wield power to impact lives. So, I began blogging, albeit a bit sporadically. My own fears got in my way – the self-confidence regarding my ability, the thought that these women actually know me and are reading what I write, and my own stubbornness to fully submit to God’s will for me. I mean, can writing actually be a ministry? (Yes, I actually asked my women’s ministry leader this question at one point and she point blank laughed at me!). I started a personal, anonymous faith blog so I could pour my heart out there, without anyone knowing it was me. I loved the anonymity of it! It was freeing! It was comfortable. I was safe.

But God isn’t in the business of keeping us comfortable.

As it is written:

My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.

“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.

 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,

 so my ways are higher than your ways

 and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”

(Isaiah 55:8-9, NLT)

As I continued in my writing ministry, I began to feel restless. I felt a bit lost with my writing. I wasn’t sure if I should be blogging. God had been quietly whispering for me to write my story, so I was pondering the writing of a book, too. I was very unsure where to step next. I took my questions to God.

And He knew, of course. He is always faithful to answer our prayers. And He spoke very clearly into my life on this.

He brought me to the Winning Him Without Words bible study. I was waiting for an online study for this book for a very long time, so I was very excited to find it offered here at GCH. A couple of days after I signed up for the study, I saw a request for a blogger to join Girlfriends Coffee Hour Women’s Ministry team.

Now, I am someone who likes it when God is very explicit and clear. If He would write things in the sky, that would be even better. But, this was very clear to me. I needed to pursue this and see where the Lord took me.

The Lord worked it all out and here I am – a blogger for GCH Women’s Ministry. I feel an unbelievable sense of peace and happiness about where He has placed me, although I am not so anonymous anymore! I am excited to begin this study with all of you. I look forward to learning with you and from you. I know that we will gain much from this study.

May you be blessed abundantly today,
Jennifer

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We are thrilled to have Jennifer on our Leadership Blogging Team!!

Jennifer lives in upstate New York with her husband, Shawn, and three dogs. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Sociology and is currently employed full-time as an Educational Grants Specialist. She is actively involved with her local church, serving on the women’s ministry leadership team and maintaining her church’s website.

Jennifer grew up believing in God and attending church, but fully gave her life to Christ in 2010 after nine long years of walking in darkness after an infertility diagnosis shattered her sense of self-worth and identity as a woman. She is happy to say that God rescued her and showed her that her sense of worth can be found in Him alone!

Jennifer loves to read, write, blog, watch movies, and play board games. She has also recently discovered a love of running through the completion of the Couch-to-5K program. She looks forward to continuing to run the race God has set before her, with endurance, eyes fixed solely on Jesus! (Hebrews 12:1-2)

___________________

If you are interested in joining us for our upcoming Women’s Online Bible Study

“Winning Him Without Words”  by Lynn Donovan and Dineen Miller

Beginning October 1, 2012

Please send us an email at

Womens@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com

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

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

Unexpected Legacy / Set in Stones

September 25, 2012 by

The chapter on unexpected legacy was tough for me because it is close to my heart, as this example shared is exactly what my daughter is facing in her life.   Just a few weeks ago she was deemed by her doctor as being “infertile”.   Here is a link to my daughter’s story if you would like to read it…

http://bethpensinger.com/the-hopefuls/not-a-baby-story-matt-kelly-edition/

Kelly has so much strength in God and I know that my God can do what He desires no matter what the doctors “deem”.   She has grown so much in the past 5 years that the legacy she and her husband leave for their children will be amazing.   Reading this chapter truly helped me to deal with my hurt concerning Kelly’s health issues but it also helped me to ‘”see” the legacy I left in her path that she picked up and followed and I am so thankful that I get to see and experience her picking up the stones.

As I began to move over into the chapter “Set in Stones” I noticed on Pg. 258 of our study this little but big sentence that said:

“This heritage must be carried on”.

And then I got to thinking, have I been dropping those stones, setting them in place for my children to see and learn from?  And as I was skimming through my Bible, God powerfully showed me YES you are my child, just look in this Word you have in your hands and see what one day your children will get to read   (prayers you have lifted up, notes you have written, words of wisdom God has taught you as he chastened you in your life, instructions of obedience He wanted you to follow over the years) and on an on.

So I took this picture to show you “YES” I indeed am not only leaving this legacy example in my Bible but many more as I sit and look around my bedroom just in the areas my eyes can see,  I see photos galore, journals on my dresser, so many books to help me learn God’s Word, trinkets given to me from my children, a hope chest full of memories from our life).

And then these three things came to my mind about how we should leave a legacy (set some stones out) and they are:

LET’S  TELL IT –  don’t expect schools and churches to raise our children, that is our job! Let’s teach them what the Bible says…be honest, trustworthy, have integrity, depend on God, be Christlike.

Deut 6:5-says: “Love the Lord your God with all you heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your homes and on your gates.”

In other words, always be telling it. Tell what the Lord has done for you. You may not have God’s Word memorized fully but you know what God has done for YOU in your life.

And don’t just tell our “children”. We must tell our husbands, friends, neighbors, co-workers, other family members….everyone we come into contact with, let’s….TELL IT!

LET’S LIVE IT– Let’s show our legacy of faith by how we act, how we respond, how we handle situations. Let’s show where we go when we need help….and that is to God in His Word and on our knees!  Let’s be Christ’s example…a living Bible for others to read. We are also God’s hands and feet on earth….so let’s LIVE IT!

LET’S DOCUMENT IT – Record our spiritual journey. Our beliefs make up who we are. Let’s desire our children and grandchildren to know the prayers we’ve prayed, the blessings we’ve received, the lessons we’ve learned, how God has worked in our life and how He can work in their lives too.

Don’t we want our children, grandchildren to know what we believed, what we did, how we reacted to life? What our thoughts were, our victories and our battles? What our hobbies were? Did we have a relationship with God? Did we depend on God and live for Him?

In order for them to know of the legacy we have left for them we must gather stones and set the stones in places they will “see them” and “pick them up”.

“The lessons we teach today will be the legacy’s we are leaving for tomorrow”.

 

Let’s Pray:   God, You have called on us, Your children, to be reliable in giving a solid witness of our faith in You.  We are to live godly lives so that we faithfully model that which we also teach to our children and all whom we are privileged to influence.   Fix our eyes on Jesus so that we fulfill the calling to be faithful and influence others for the kingdom of God. In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

 

Reminder!!!    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 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.  To being you will need  a copy of the book (you can purchase a hard copy of the book or download to an e-reader device), 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 PRIVATE 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!  Sure hope to see you join in with us!

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

Resolution for Women: Choose Wisely

September 24, 2012 by

Ladies…. if you have read today’s resolution you know that it is imperative that you ask yourself the following questions…

  • Are you making today’s decisions with tomorrow’s impact in mind?
  • When you’re arranging your priorities and forming your habits, do you think about your children, your grandchildren, about the kind of character they’ll remember about you and inherit from you?
  • When you spend your money, or sport your fashion sense, or speak your piece, or spare your time, does it ever occur to you that you;re not just making a choice for yourself, in the moment?

The types of resolutions you choose to make each and every day not only matter RIGHT NOW, but they keep on mattering because they are your LEGACY!

Proverbs 13:22

A good (woman) leaves an inheritance.

Last Sunday my family and I were having dinner and my 14-year-old daughter Vicky announced to everyone that *I* am her God story.I was blown away. She said that through watching me, she has learned how to have an intimate relationship with the Lord and she doesn’t think she would be this close to Him if I was not in her life.

I am not her biological mother. I have been her mother for the past 10 years and have been walking with Jesus for only that last 6 of those years. I have yelled, I have screamed, I have been mean, I have gotten frustrated and I have not always been the best example. I HAVE BEEN HUMAN.

BUT….. that isn’t what she credits me for. By the grace of God, she chooses to credit me for teaching her to pray and walk with our Lord and Savior. I can’t think of anything more humbling…. can you? I can only pray that her brothers will one day be able to say the same thing. They have all seen me INTENTIONALLY spend my time every day working to be BETTER in all that I am and all that I do.

They see me serve. They see me pray. They see me say “yes” to God when I want to say “no.” They hear me encourage and they see me be a good steward of my time and other resources. They see me work hard. They see me mess up and they see me repent. They see me give and they feel my love.

I am telling you all of this for you to see that leaving a legacy does not mean that you are perfect by any means. It means that you purpose to be your BEST and live intentionally with the future in mind. It means that it’s not about YOU… and if it has been in the past, you can change that NOW and be a difference maker for you and your children… and every other life you make contact with. It is not too late. Please, let your legacy begin now <3

Let’s pray:

Lord, I ask that you be with each and every one of us as we determine to start this day anew with a fresh heart and spirit and intentionally look to the future in all our actions. We want to be difference makers, Father, and we desperately need your help in order to impact our children the way you intend us to. Help us leave a legacy like only we can, God! We thank you for this perfect provision! In Your Son’s matchless name we pray, amen <3

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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!

Many blessings,

Megan 🙂

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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!!

_______________________

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!

______________________________

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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Resolution for Women: Ok

September 18, 2012 by

“For the law was given through Moses,

grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

John 1:17

 

Some of you know that my oldest son James (who I CANNOT believe will be 21 this month!!!) has Asperger’s Syndrom. One of the characteristics typical to Aspies is that they tend to not show a whole lot of emotional about things and can even have a robotic-type of sound to their voice when they speak.

My Aspie is no different and it used to drive me crazy when I would be really upset with him about something and the only response I would get from him would be “ok.” You see, I am an extremely passionate person… when I am happy, I am super happy. When I am upset, I am super upset. SO, to have someone simply say “ok” in response to one of my epic rants would just drive me insane…… but it always instantly got me to calm down and it diffused the situation.

I know I say this all the time, but it’s true…. EMOTIONS ARE DECEIVING!!!! Ladies, we don’t always HAVE to be right, or get the last word in, or be in the driver’s seat for every conversation. We need to just STOP and simply say…

Okay.

That’s it.

Proverbs 15:1

A gentle answer turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath.

On page 235, Priscilla writes:

“Truly the wise woman doesn’t always seek to be heard or validated but sometimes- in order to protect and preserve relationships, in order to invite peace back into her home- chooses a soft, delicate, gentle response in place of one that’s harsh and explosive, harmful and wounding. She is resolved not to tend the fire of quarrelsome conversations, knowing she’ll only be covered in ashes long after the embers have burned out… she is patient. She brings calm to the storm.”

Choosing to respond in this way, and NOT react makes you wise and graceful… not a pushover or a doormat. I cannot think of a more intentional way to show grace, respect and honor in conversation than to be so careful with your words. God calls us to this, but it is up to us to obey and show this grace.

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Let’s Pray:

Lord, help us to temper our tongues and show grace in every conversation today. We need you to work within us from the inside out to get out-of-the-way be graceful in all circumstances. Help us to model this in our homes, in our work places and in our communities. Help us be difference-makers, Father! Give us the courage and wisdom to know when to be silent or only mutter the tiny word “ok.” We thank you for this provision, Lord! In Your Son’s matchless name we pray, amen <3

Your Assignment:

Prayerfully consider how you can apply the message of these verses in your life today:

  • A soothing tongue is a tree of life, but perversion in it crushes the spirit.” (Proverbs 15:4)
  • Patience can persuade a prince, and soft speech can break bones.” (Proverbs 25:15)

Resolve to respond with “ok” as much as you can in the next 48 hours in order to begin to make this a habit. Take note of the impact it makes in your closest relationships <3

__________________

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!

Be a blessing,

Megan 🙂

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