November 22, 2024

Winning Him Without Words: Jesus with “Skin On” / Weekly Review

October 5, 2012 by

 

The young mother tucked her little boy in bed, turned off the lights, and walked out of his room.  It was then she heard him cry out:  “Mom, turn the lights back on; I’m scared of the dark.”  The mother walked back into his room to reassure him.  “Now, son, don’t be afraid, Jesus is here with you.”  To which he replied:  “I know Jesus is in here with me, but I want somebody with some skin on!”

Can we admit that we all have felt that way?  “Yes, I know you are near Jesus, but, I really want someone to pray and study your word with me, someone to sit beside me in church, and most of all, Jesus, I want to talk to someone about I much I love YOU.   That someone is my husband.  Won’t you please tell him to come into the room with me?  I am scared of being in this dark room alone.”

Thirty eight years have passed since the day I accepted Jesus as my Savior, and my husband still hasn’t shown up in that dark room with me.  But, my goodness how God has blessed me by sending so many Jesus with “Skin On” people!  They brought light into my dark and lonely room!

Allow me to introduce a few of them to you.

  1. Jackie:  Always saved a seat for me in church so I wouldn’t have to sit alone.

  2. Gerry, Beth, Gloria:  Spent hours cleaning their homes for the weekly bible study.  Oh, yes, Beth Moore  taught me much, but it was these ladies who made it possible by opening up their homes to me and all the other ladies.

  3. Sylvia, Irene, Susan:  Prophets that God used to give me a prophetic word at times when I thought I couldn’t take another step.

  4. My Pastor:  Preached sermons that I know he prepared just for me!

  5. Melba, my pastor’s wife:  Gave me opportunities in ministry.  Quite frankly, I had always thought that I couldn’t go into ministry with an unsaved husband. What do I have to offer if the head of my household is not serving the Lord?

I just know that these people will receive a special reward in heaven one day for being obedient to God, and being there for me.

But, I have to confess that when the journey stretches into years of being unequally yoked as it has for me, there is a tendency to grow weary.  As the year 2010 was drawing to a close, I felt like I had reached my limits. “When is this man, my high school sweetheart, father of our two daughters, and grandfather of three going to fall down at the feet of Jesus?”  I felt the lights being turned off in the room again.

And then one day in March, 2011, God showed up with a whole army of Jesus with “Skin On” people.  It happened like this.

I stumbled upon the book, Winning Him Without Words by Lynn and Dineen.  In all my many years of being unequally yoke, I had never read a book about the unequally yoked, nor had I been associated with anyone “like me.”  But, God in his perfect timing introduced me to these two ladies, along with their community of women on their website, Spiritually Unequal Marriage.  And then, He introduced me to you, my friends, at Girlfriends Coffee Hour.

I’m not alone in the dark room anymore. – -I’m hanging out with – – Jesus with “Skin On” people from all over the U.S. and world who are “just like me!”

As for my husband?   “He has made  everything beautiful in its time.” [Ecc. 3:11]

Let’s Pray:  

Father God, I ask you in the name of your son, Jesus, that every lady taking this course be blessed with Jesus with “Skin On” people so that they will not sit in a dark room alone.  We need each other to help us walk out our lives before our husbands according to 1 Peter 3.  In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Your Assignment:  

Who are your Jesus with Skin On people?  Take time today, not only to thank God for them, but call or send them a note expressing your appreciation for being with you on your journey.  For starters, list them in the comment section.

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And now, as we come to the close of the first chapter of Winning Him Without Words, review this past week:

Monday:  Know That You are not Alone:  Beverly pointed to page 27 in our book that described her feelings of being alone: yearns for her husband to sit with her, feel his arm come around her shoulder, desires to have him look up Bible verses together,  hold her hand after they found it.  But, Beverly made a decision she has stuck with for 33 years.

  • Stopped worrying about her husband, and left him in God’s hands.

  • Kept going to church and serving God in areas that He led her into.

  • Kept asking her hubby to come with her.

  • Took her children with her so they could learn about Jesus.

  • And thanks God that He is sitting with her in that pew, along with  friends who support, embrace, and pray for her.

May we do likewise.

Tuesday:  The Alone Factor:  Jennifer pointed us to reality:  we are alone by not having a spiritual connection with our husbands, and it hurts.  But, she learned the real truth:

We live for a Savior who desires to do life with us. That actually gives me a sense of peace. I am truly not alone in this. Our Heavenly Father is walking right alongside us, infusing us with power and strength every single day. He knows the aching of our hearts. He knows our longings. He wants the same thing for our husbands and for our marriages. He will not leave us flailing.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:20(b), NIV)

May we do likewise.

Wednesday:  Is it Possible to Thrive in a Mismatched Marriage?  Donna assures us that we can thrive in a mismatched marriage and this is how she learned to do it:

When I let God be in control he takes away the anxiety of my life. God meets me right where I am and meets hubby where he is too. My marriage can grow and THRIVE!! I can rest assured God has our backs in this marriage-After all he created marriage! All I need do is get off my “throne” and hand my scepter over to God, pray for my husband and let God work!

May we do likewise.

Thursday:  Placing Christ On The Throne:  Sarah makes a statement that all of us could probably admit to when she says:  To surrender your power and control is a hard thing to do. Some may say impossible.

But, Sarah has made a commitment to start each day with the following prayer no matter how silly she may feel: Jesus, right now as I begin this new day, I surrender my place of authority over my life to You.  I am placing You firmly on the throne of my life.  Teach me to focus on Your desires for living.  I give you my entire life this day.  In Your powerful name Jesus.  Amen

May we do likewise.

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For those who are reading this blog and would like to join the Bible study, we would love to invite you to join us!  Click here and follow the instructions, (you can also click the SIGN-UP link in the menu bar above to be taken to the form). It’s that simple!  We hope to see you soon!

Above all, if you have not accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, and would like to have someone pray with you, please email our Prayer Team Leader:  Robin@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com, and one of our prayer team members will contact you.

Blessings to you,

Martha

 

 

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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, 

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

Resolution for Women – Chapter 11 – Loving My Children

September 9, 2012 by

“We must not love with word or speech,

but with truth and action.”

1 John 3:18

 

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

Your Reading Assignment for this Week:

Monday:  Read pages 206 thru 210:  True Love

Tuesday: Read pages 211 thru 216: The Soul Shaper

Wednesday: Read pages 217 thru 221: The Intentional Encourager

Thursday:  Read pages 222 thru 226: The Discipline Dealer

Friday: Come back here for our Weekly Overview

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

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

Delvis Glenn Chandler

you will be missed by many.

We love you!

Rest In Peace

________________________________

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

“Winning Him Without Words…

10 Keys to Thriving in your Spiritually Mismatched Marriage”

by Lynn Donovan and Dineen Miller.

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

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

Womens@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com

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

Enjoy the rest of your Weekend!

In His Love,

 

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The Resolution for Women: Anything, Everything, and Whatever

August 1, 2012 by

“Anything, Everything and Whatever”

From Christi:  I would like to take a moment to introduce you to Beverly McCormick, our newest Blogger for Girlfriends Coffee Hour.  I am very excited that she has agreed to become a regular on a blog!  I hope you enjoy her blogs, as much as I think you will!  Welcome Bev, to the Girlfriends Coffee Hour Blogging Team!

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We can’t do anything well, when we choose to do everything, so we decide to just do whatever.

WOW, this statement hit me hard as I studied this lesson.   Then I took a look at our scripture verse for today,“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for God’s glory”. 1 Cor. 10:31.

and then another scripture came to my mind, “And whatever you do, whether  in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God the Father through him”.  Col 3:17.

God is really trying hard to give us a message through this study today

Whatever we do

Do it for His glory

Then give Thanks.

Like many women we constantly feel like we are failing at everything, we go to bed feeling inadequate, that we just don’t have what it takes, that we just don’t have it together like everybody else. As this lesson taught us we set the bar too high, we get discouraged, we can’t do anything because we are exhausted from trying to do everything.

As Priscilla’s friend told her and should stand for us too “you cannot do a thousand things to the glory of God, but you can do one or two.”

And Paul teaches us that we should zero in on our unique set of “whatever you do” qualities, because there is value in the way we do them.

God has put us where we are in this season of life for a reason.  It may not be the most glamorous role we will have, it may not have been our choice, but it was the place He designed and chose just for each of us. We are in this place (this season)  on purpose.

God is not concerned at all about what we think we should have accomplished in our life or where we should be or how we compare to others, but God is concerned about what we are doing in the place (the season) that He has assigned us to.   God doesn’t ask us to do what other people are doing.   He wants us to do what He has told us to do and do it with all our being in the place we are in, even if the place is the “whatevers”.

Here are some of my “whatever” places that my life consists of:

-laundry
-dishes
-cleaning
-mothering
-chauffer
-cook
-library assistant
-mechanic
-nurse
-teacher
-wife

We must realize what God has gifted each of us to do and do them with all our might as unto the Lord.   Each of us will have our own set of “whatevers” because each of us are uniquely designed for a purpose.

We must take a moment to consider what God has uniquely equipped us to do as well as what He’s asking of us or (what He’s NOT asking of us) in this season of our life,  then no matter what day it is, or how old we are or what the moment demands we can be ourself,  fully believing that our personal “whatever you do” is fulfilling the purpose of God and that it will bring Him glory and honor (in anything and everything).

Pg. 100 of todays lesson from Priscilla Shirer “Resolution for Women” Paul’s instructions are not meant to inspire us to become like somebody else – to start doing more of the things they do, like they do them. It’s calling for “whatever YOU do”. There is value in the unique way you mother your children, love your husband, do your job, oversee that committee, participate in that organization and spend your time.  It’s what YOU do, how YOU do it and that’s what He has promised to undergird with His power, causing Himself to be magnified through your actions.

Be encouraged my dear sister, we are where we are on purpose – by His design. We are in this specific season of life for a reason, so whatever your whatevers are – do them all for His glory and don’t compare your whatevers to someone else’s.   Be faithful and accountable for the tasks He has assigned specifically to you for they are “preparation” for the great “whatevers” He still has yet to come in your life.

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Let’s pray:
God I thank you for all the ladies who are participating in this Bible Study and I pray that You help us all to “see” that we don’t have to “do everything” and that it is OK to say no, or there may be times we need to put things in the background and wait a while (until You are ready for us Lord), help us Lord to seek You so that in “whatever “ we do, we do it ALL for Your glory. Amen!
 
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Your Assignment:
Share some of your whatevers with us and also share if there are some whatevers in your life that God is showing you needs to be shifted to the background and replaced with what currently matters most with where He is moving you to in this season of your life.

After you have completed this assignment here, go back to your Facebook Online Bible Study Group, and see what fun activity we have for you there!  You never know what we will come up with!!  If you do not belong to an Online Bible Study Group, and would like to, please email us at GirlfriendsCoffeeHour@gmail.com, and we will be happy to add you!

Love to all,

Beverly

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The Resolution for Women: Week 5 – Boxes

July 30, 2012 by

Today, in The Resolution for Women, we talk about boxes.  Not the kind of boxes you bring your groceries home in, or the kind you pack your belongings in, or even the kind that you ship something in.  We are going to talk about the many boxes that women have in their lives, while still trying to achieve perfect balance in their life.

Are you guilty of having too many boxes?  Before you can answer that, you have to know what that question means first.  What I am asking here is how many things you have going on in your life that is pulling you in this direction, and that direction, and making you feel like your life is so out of balance!!!

Let’s take a look at our lives for a minute…..  How many boxes do we women have in our lives?

1.  Box for the Lord

2. Box for husband

3. Box for children / children’s activities

4. Box for taking care of home

5. Box for work

6. Box for family / friends

7. Box for church / ministry

8. Box for Self

9. Box for bible study

10. Box for community outreach

That’s ten different boxes, and that’s even with doubling some of them up into one box!

We women have a lot of responsibilities in our lives!  Many different boxes to take care of.  As you can see just from the boxes above that include just normal life, there is real good reason to see how a woman can get stressed sometimes, especially if she is focusing in so many different boxes that she isn’t able to give completely to the boxes that are important.

When we take on more than what God has called us to take on, our boxes begin to fall and crumble.  They don’t stay in their neat stack, the way God designed them to be.  When we don’t consider God’s priorities in our lives, we find ourselves having to move this box ahead of this one, and pushing that one behind another, and stressing because we really did need to do something with the original box, but now it needs to wait because you’ve fallen short in another box.  Can you see how this can happen??

God has called us to have order in our lives.  He has called us to set priorities and boundaries so that we can live a life that is balanced and not in chaos; feeling as if we are being pulled in so many different directions, that we don’t even know which direction we are supposed to go anymore.

So, how do we get our boxes neatly stacked and in order again?  You start by seeking God and what He wants as a priority in your life.  Then you start removing the boxes He says needs to go.  If that means you don’t do as many bible studies or serve in as many ministries as you once did, then so be it.  God knows what will bring balance into your life; and He knows which bible studies you need to be working on!

Sometimes it is so easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing, that we find ourselves involved in so many bible studies, or Facebook groups, outside activities, community events, and so on, that we find other areas of our life is suffering because we are spending so much unnecessary time on these other activities that God didn’t want us in, in the first place!

Home life begins to suffer because we have so many different boxes that we are involved in.  Which is our main priority…home or ministry (also insert community events here)?  Your home is your first priority.  Your home is your ministry.  If your home is suffering because you are never home due to the number of ministries you are serving in, or other events you have volunteered for, you need to learn to start saying no.  God will find someone else to fill that position for that ministry or event, no doubt.  You do not have to do it all.  You are not Superwoman!  We like to think we are….but we are not!

Another thing to consider about being out of balance is that once we stretch ourselves into so many different boxes, we begin to get weaker.  Think of a rubber band.  Before the rubber band is stretched, it has a lot of strength and resistance.  But the more and more we stretch the rubber band, the less strength and resistance it has, and sooner or later it snaps!!

Spreading yourself too thin and into more and more of what God has not called you to do is like stretching your own rubber band.  The more boxes you put into your life, the further and further you are being stretched.  The further and further your rubber band is stretched, the less strength and resistance you have; the more health problems you begin to have; the more chaos you will see at home; and so on….and sooner or later, YOU WILL SNAP!!  Then what good are you to anyone, especially God??

Ladies, it’s time to take a serious look at our lives and the boxes we have lined up in front of us with our name on it.  It’s time to start seeking God and asking Him which box you can close and put it away neatly until He calls you to take that box out again.  It’s time to set some priorities.  It’s time to say no to some things, even if they look fun or popular!!  It’s time to step away from the things in our lives that is sucking the life out of us.  It’s time to start taking back your life, your family, your time with God, and time for yourself!!

Priscilla says on page 91, “Balance is not when the boxes are equally filled but when we are free to fill only those that are important for now, without feeling guilt over the ones that we’ve left for another time and place.  This is balance, little sister.  Remember it.”

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Let’s pray: 

Father, we seek You today and ask Lord that You show us the boxes in our lives that need to be removed and stored away for another time in our life.  Father we ask that You give us wisdom as we review the areas in our lives that may be causing us to become out of balance, and give us direction on how to close these boxes.  Lord, help us to say no, when we need to say no.  Help us to not feel guilty, or that we are letting someone down if we don’t say yes.  Help us to achieve the kind of balance that YOU want in our lives; the kind that will bring us the peace that we so desire Lord.  Father, help us to put our priorities back into perspective, once again.  In Jesus’ Name, AMEN.

Your Assignment:

Share below which boxes you currently have in your life.  How many different boxes are you handling?  Then ask the Lord which box(es) He wants you to remove from your life, to help you find more balance.  In the comments section below, share which box(es) that is, and how you plan to put that box away for now.  How will you find balance in your life so that you are more able to serve Him.

After you have completed this assignment here, go back to your Facebook Online Bible Study Group, and see what fun activity we have for you there!  You never now what we will come up with!!  If you do not belong to a Online Bible Study Group, and would like to, please email us at GirlfriendsCoffeeHour@gmail.com, and we will be happy to add you!

Be Blessed,

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

The Resolution for Women: I’d Like a Word with You

July 26, 2012 by

Our Memory Verse

We’ve talked a lot about Quiet Time this week, and being faithful to that time with God.  We’ve talked about Divine Appointments and being Faithfully His.  We were asked in one of our blogs this week to define what faith and faithfulness means to us.  Were you able to really sit down and think that through?

What does being “Faithfully His” really mean to you?  I’d like to start by seeing what it means to God, first.

In order to find out what being faithful means to God, we have to start by looking at His Word.  His Word….the infallible Truth.  He has given us His Word to teach us; mold us; refresh us; revive us; save us; teach us obedience; to draw us closer to Him; to show us how much He loves us; and to transform us.

He is faithful in His Word.  His Word is truth.  His Word is alive and sharper than any two-edged sword.  His Word is active in our lives, every single day.  His Word is living, and never returns void.  His Word is unchanging.  He Word is eternal.  His word is an historical account of where we come from, and where we are going.  His Word is love.

His Word defines who we are in Christ.  It lifts us up, and encourages us.  It speaks intimately and personally to reveal His purpose for our life!

There is so much to be seen in God’s Word!  It is up to us, though, to be faithful in reading His Word every day.

It is up to us to open this beautiful book of LIFE, and allow God to speak to us; to pour out His amazing Spirit upon us.

It is up to us to be consistent and intentional about allowing God to speak to us through His Word … in our Quiet Time.

It is up to us to choose to shut down the outside noise of life, and to just sit quietly with Him, allowing His Word to permeate our souls and our minds; to allow Him to reach us deep down inside.  That is the only way we will hear the voice of the Shepherd.

It is up to us to CHOOSE to spend this time with Him; to be faithful to Him through this time each day.

__________________

What if God suddenly decided one day not to be faithful to us anymore?  What would our world look like?  What would our marriage be like?  What would our kids be like?  That, my friends, to me, is a scary thought!!  I thank God every day for His faithfulness to me; for always being there, no matter what the circumstances, or time of day; and for always providing for me.

I see many prayer requests every day.  I see us all reaching out to Him, asking prayer for this or that.  Are we faithful to really seek Him for those answers?  Or is it easier to just put the request out there, and ask others to do the work for us?  I don’t mean that in a hateful way, either.  What I mean to say here is this, is it easier for someone else to pray for you, instead of you spending that time with God one on one?

Are you as faithful to Him, as He is to you?  Are you available to Him, when He needs to speak to you?  To be honest, I haven’t always been that faithful to Him.  Even today, I can see areas of my life that I need to resolve to become even more faithful to Him.

What about you?  Can you see areas of your life that you have chosen to let the world, or your circumstances, rob your time with Him?  Can you see areas of your own life where you haven’t been as faithful to Him, as you could be?  What can you do TODAY to change that??

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In this chapter, Priscilla has shared five pages of scriptures with us.  She has suggested that we use these scriptures as affirmations over our lives, and the lives of our loved ones.  She has referenced not only the scripture, but the verse it comes from, as well.

I would encourage you to go through this list of scriptures and highlight the ones that speak to you; and then go to your bible, His Word, and find them there, and highlight them.  Date the scriptures in your bible, as the day that God spoke to you in His Word!  Speak these scriptures out loud, so you can audibly hear them with your own ears.  Faith comes by hearing the Word.  Speak these scriptures out over yourself and your loved ones each day during the quiet time that you are now going to choose to set aside for Him; and then just watch God’s word come alive!!! 

His Word will help renew your mind and your faith; and even your actions and attitudes toward Him will be changed!  Praise God!!

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I will close today with our latest resolution:

 

 

I, __________________, will live as a woman answerable to God and faithfully committed to His Word.

Signed:  Christi Wilson

 

Will you join me in this resolution, as well?

______________________

Let’s Pray:

Father, we come before You today Lord, and ask for Your forgiveness for the times that we have not been as faithful to You as we could have been.  Forgive us Lord for the times that we have chosen worldly distractions over our time with You.  Forgive us for not being there when You needed us, Lord.  Father, we thank You for that forgiveness right now, and from this day forward we resolve to be more committed to Your Word, and more faithful to You.  In Jesus’ Name, the Name above All Names, Amen! 

Your Assignment:

Set aside some time today to spend with the Lord.  Ask His forgiveness for the times that you have chosen other things over Him.  Repent and receive His forgiveness, and then resolve to make better choices where He is concerned in your life.  Do whatever it takes to make time for Him, each and every day!

Don’t forget to head back over to your Facebook OBS Group and see what we have in store for you today!!  If you don’t yet belong to a Facebook OBS (Online Bible Study) Group, and would like to, please send us an email at GirlfriendsCoffeeHour@gmail.com, and we’ll be happy to add you!! 

Living Intentionally to Become More Faithful to My Lord and Savior,

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The Resolution for Women — Weekly Overview

July 6, 2012 by

Well, how was your first week with The Resolution for Women?  Were you able to make some changes in your life, or at least see some areas where changes are needed?  I know I did!  I saw a few things!

Our Memory Verse of the week:  

Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.

1 Timothy 6:6 (NIV)

Monday we talked about making “every bite count” and enjoying your life where you are right now!  Taking the time to smell the coffee, and enjoying what God has given you; scraping up every last crumb of that amazing dessert!  No matter what age you are, there is still time to start enjoying your life TODAY!  Resolve to make that change in your life; spend more quality time with your husband and children, and move on from there.

Tuesday we talked about the “secret” to contentment.  Do you remember what the secret is?  Choosing to recognize that God has already supplied us with everything we need in life, and choosing to be perfectly content with what He has already given us.  Only then will we be able to fully engage in life in a way that we never have before….living life to the fullest.

Wednesday we talked about His “overflowing blessings”.  Here we learned how to be more comfortable with giving, because we have learned that God’s got our back, no matter what!  To use the abundance that He has already given us to give to others, and not to worry about “what if I run short by giving what I have to someone else”.  This was truly an eye-opening chapter for me!!  How about you??

Thursday we talked about the “balancing point”.  Again, another eye-opening chapter, for me!  What is true contentment?  Priscilla describes in so many different ways in this chapter, but the one that I liked the best was this, “It’s a balance.  A holy equilibrium.  A genuine gratitude for what the day brings, all the while maintaining a controlled anticipation for tomorrow may offer.”  I LOVE that!!  Having gratitude for today, and a “controlled anticipation” for tomorrow!  Meaning, not allowing ourselves to get ahead of God and begin to worry about tomorrow!

I don’t know about you, but I have learned a lot in this section of the Resolution for Women!  Be sure to go back over this first section once more, before we head into next week.  Highlight areas in each chapter where you feel God is speaking to you about.  Then pray and ask Him to help you resolve to become increasingly satisfied in your life, as Paul was.  Ask Him to teach you to be content.  As Paul said, being content is a process that we need to learn.  It isn’t something that just happens overnight.  But it is something that can be learned!

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Next week, our topic is “Purposefully Feminine — a resolution to champion biblical femininity”.   Another awesome chapter!
 
Have a Great weekend Ladies!  See you again on Sunday! 
 
Living Intentionally for Him,
Christi
 
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Let’s pray:
Father, thank You so much for the lessons we have learned this week.  As Paul learned how to be content in all things, Lord, we ask that You help us learn to be content in all things, as well.  We understand that in our own power, it can’t be done completely, but through You, Lord, we can truly learn to be content!  We thank You Lord for what You are doing in our lives through this study.  We ask special blessings upon Priscilla Shirer, the author of this book, for the work she put into writing this amazing book!  We love You Lord, in Jesus’ Name, AMEN!
 
After reading today’s blog, please return to our Online Bible Study Group on Facebook for your daily activity!  ♥  You just never know what we have in store for you!
 
 
If you are not currently a part of our Online Bible Study group, and would like to be, please send an email to GirlfriendsCoffeeHour@gmail.com, and we’ll be glad to add you!
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