What an amazing week!! 🙂
Enjoy Your Labor Day Weekend!
We’ll be back on TUESDAY!! 🙂
Resolution for Women: Mercy Me
August 30, 2012 by
How many times a day or week have you found yourself asking these questions:
- Lord what is it that You want me doing?
- What do you require of me today?
- What jobs in the church do You want me to serve in?
- What ministries can I be of help in?
- What church do I need to attend and be a part of?
And wait there is that BIG question that we always get around to asking……Lord what is Your WILL for my life?
As we learned in today’s lesson God’s answer to His will for us is found in Micah 6:8 .
“He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God”
In this book of the old testament God used Micah to prophesy to the people who had fallen from Him. Amongst the people, there was corruption, idolatry, violence and the belief that personal sacrifice satisfies divine justice. Even with all that was going on with these people and the impending judgment for their wickedness, God was still reaching out for the “hearts” of His people.
This is the place He has always reached out to capture. When someone or something can penetrate our hearts “it sticks” whether it is something good or bad it is in there solid, and in order for God to capture our heart we must allow Him to penetrate it and then we will know His will for us.
In this verse and in your life God has BIG PLANS for you…he said so, so why do we continually ask Him what His will is for us. He has told us already….(act, love, walk)…these are clear visions from His Word of what He wants us doing right now today not in the future, He will take care of the future stuff when He is ready but for now lets do these things that His Word has described for us:
- Act justly – God is telling us to do what’s right, so in order to do this we must ask a few questions to ourselves (Do I owe anything to anyone? Do I tell the truth? Have I treated others as they should be treated? Do I have unconfessed sin in my life? Am I living a moral life?
So after reading these few questions can we truly say we are acting justly or do we need to mend some things in our life before we can say “yes I do”. Priscilla stated a woman’s primary interest is seeing justice done, seeking solutions that are fair, reasonable, objective and most importantly – are expressive of the love of Christ.
Maybe we should sit down and make a list of things we need to make right—then make them right—God can’t bless us further until we obey His convictions and change our life to live justly.
- Love mercy – this means that we must have a hearty interest in doing things that bless and impact others lives. We MUST seek other people’s needs above our own. People have many needs as we all know but the first need we want to meet is their spiritual need “to know Christ as Savior” then we can help meet physical needs or material needs as God shows us.
Do we give of ourself to others only when it is convenient to us? Do we live our day in such a way that we say I have to take care of me and my family before I can help someone else? Do we keep mental records of what people deserve from us? If this is our way of thinking then we haven’t learned what to “love mercy” really means.
Proverbs 31:20 shows us the perfect example of what we should be doing to “love mercy” to others, it says “ she stretcheth our her hand to the poor; yea; she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.”
Being merciful and loving to others should be our way of life, no matter where we are or what we are doing in our life, that is His will for us.
- Walk humbly – to live in complete dependence upon our Holy Lord, He deserves the glory and honor.
We must admit that walking humbly doesn’t fit too well in our society today. As we are all aware everything that goes on in our lives is “public” knowledge now. We post a status on Facebook or Twitter to tell everyone what we are doing, we post the latest pictures of our children/grandchildren/vacations, our lives are open for the whole world to see and know about us. It’s not the old days where what happens at home stays at home, nope the world sees all and knows all because we are the ones telling them all.
We seem to care more about what others think, did they hit the “like” button on our FB status, than what God thinks about what we did in our day today and if what we did was something that brought glory to Him and not ourself.
How can we walk humbly with God, if we aren’t walking with God to begin with in our life? We can’t begin to serve others if our lives aren’t where they need to be yet.
We can’t learn these three aspects of what God’s will is for our life until we practice them each day. (act, love, walk). As we come to this last day of study for this week and at the point of signing the resolution we must make ourself aware of what the Holy Spirit is compelling us to do concerning this lesson and how He wishes to use us. Here are some ideas that came to my mind as I was studying of ways I can act, love and walk…
- Cook a meal for someone sick
- Make cards for people at a nursing home
- Mow someone’s grass
- Offer to babysit for someone
- Volunteer at a library to read to children
- Tutor children
- Write letters to first time college students who have left home to go off to school
- Clean up the trash in your city
- Stand at an intersection and give out bottles of water to people on a hot steamy day
These are just some things that God brought to my heart as I studied today’s lesson that I intend on acting upon. My opportunity to know God’s will has been in front of my eyes for a long time, I’ve never needed to ask God what His will is for me, it’s all around me, I just need to act on it and He will continue providing other things that His will is for me as I show my obedience to doing the ones He has already presented to me now.
This weeks chapter is entitled “My Heart”, finding and knowing God’s will is really pretty simple. It starts, and ends with our heart.
Let’s do God’s will and do it without any reservations, let’s keep our eyes and hearts open and resolve to be available!
Let’s Pray
Dear God, I thank you for showing and explaining to each of us that Your will is already planned out for each of us and that as we are obedient to act, love and walk you will show us specifically where to go and what to do. In your name I pray, Amen.
Your Assignment:
Ask God to show you things He wants You to do in this next week in order to act, to love and to walk in His will, and more importantly when He speaks, OBEY and do it!
Now head on over to our Online Bible Study Group on Facebook to see what our Daily FUN Activity is. If you do not yet belong to our OBS Facebook group, and would like to, please send an email to:
GirlfriendsCoffeeHour@gmail.com
We’ll send you the details needed to get you into this group!
Don’t forget to stop by Craig’s blog to see what the guys are up to with The Resolution for Men.
Resolution for Women: Underneath It All
August 9, 2012 by
Our Memory Verse
“out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks”
Luke 6:45
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I am sure that all of you have seen a picture of a crack in the earth when an earthquake is about to happen, if not, here is a picture of one when it hits.
And next is a picture of the sheer devastation after the earthquake has hit full force.
_________________________
These pictures are what came into my mind as I was studying this lesson. As our lesson stated, “the cracks are merely symptoms of a more serious condition that is underneath”.
The only way to remedy complete and utter disaster by this thing called “our tongue” is to address the foundation, structural issues that could possibly cause an eruption. Our lesson states that controlling our tongue is a quest.
As we continue on this quest to determine how we can uncover what is hidden we will begin to see that “the cracks” are actually symptoms of a much deeper, more difficult problem that we must fix in order to be the blessing to others like God is wanting and asking us to be.
I Love what Priscilla says on page 122, “Our mouth is like a barometer, it will tell us and others whether we are truly immersed in humility and surrendered in obedience to God or if we are housing a malnourished spirit that stubbornly refuses to yield to the wisdom of God’s own Word”.
She tells us we need to take inventory of our tongues track record and use that as an instructive way for us to uncover what is hidden within, and here is the list of questions that she gave us to use as our inventory check list:
- Are we always quick to offer an opinion into conversations at every opportunity?
- Are we constantly critical and demeaning in our spoken sentiments?
- Do we frequently find ourself quarreling with our spouse or being divisive among others?
- Does gossip continue to come easily for us?
- Do our words often reveal a doubtful, skeptical outlook?
The words we use on our lips are just like the first picture in this post “they reveal what is going on in our foundation”
Here are some tongue facts for you that I thought you might enjoy knowing:
- Our tongue is the strongest muscle in our body.
- Our tongue is the only muscle in our body that is attached only on one end.
- 50% of the bacteria in our mouth lives on the surface of our tongue.
- Every person has a unique tongue print.
Our tongue may be a small part of our body, but it can cause huge devastation just like in the second picture in this post. We use this tongue to demean others and then in another breath we use it to praise our Lord. With the most powerful muscle in our body, we can either say negative things, degrade someone, cut someone down, or we can build up, edify, encourage and uplift someone. Our Words have power and those words come from our tongues. We have the ability to control how that muscle is used whether it will be used for good or bad but often we let it move unrestrained and without much thought and that is when the cracks start appearing in our foundation.
Over the past few years I have truly sought out how I speak to others, and God has used many things in my life to change “my tongue” and one of them sometimes has been “silence” and another has been to “listen”. When I make exerted efforts to do both of these, I begin to find what is “underneath it all”, I find where my cracks are beginning to surface, and how He is using these two tools to change my foundation, to help repair what is there so that no eruptions come forth.
Priscilla tells us on Pg.125 as we soak in His Word we can expect to have a deep reservoir filled with all the treasures needed to help temper our conversations with wisdom, kindness and humility. She also reminds us that its not just about watching our mouth, but watching our heart and that any lasting change we make in controlling our tongue must start at the base, the foundation, down where the cracks are forming.
One great verse that Robin gave us weeks ago when we were doing the study on our words and it has stuck with me since that day and is posted at my desk at work and other places is “Set a guard over my mouth Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips”. Psalms 141:3 NIV…..this verse gave me a foundational structure to help me build this new work God is doing in my life and this week of lessons has taught me how I can be a blessing to others (with my time, my concern and my full attention) and to do all those well I need good ears and a good tongue…..so yep these are areas I am working on giving to HIM first so I can bless others with them next…
Your assignment for today: Take the tongue inventory test talked about above and “Before signing your name to the “My Blessing” resolution, consider what changes you may need to make in order to be the person who is “quick to listen and slow to speak” make those adjustments and when you are ready to commit it to God, then sign your name on the dotted line.
Let’s Pray:
Dear Lord, I praise you for this little member of our body “the tongue”. It can destroy but it can also build up and I pray for each of us that we look for where our foundation is cracking within our tongue and show us how to get it repaired so that each of us can use this little muscle to be a blessing to others. Amen.
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Now it’s time to go back to your Facebook Online Bible Study Group to see what your Daily Activity is!! I’m guessing it’s going to be a fun one!! If you are not currently in one our FB OBS Groups, and would like to be, please send an email to: GirlfriendsCoffeeHour@gmail.com, and we’ll be glad to add you!!
Love ya’ll
Beverly
The Resolution for Women: Faith vs. Faithfulness
July 25, 2012 by
Our Memory Verse
Welcome to another day of The Resolution for Women! I’m very excited to talk to you today about Faith vs. Faithfulness! Are you ready?
I’m not sure about you guys, but I absolutely LOVED the visual we got as Priscilla described the mother Eagle! Eagles are like royalty, very regal in stature – strong and powerful – fiercly protective – beautiful birds! What an incredible picture to hold in our minds. Then, today one of our ladies spoke of a song in which she envisioned each one of us together, with suitcases, swinging them in the air and singing! I can see that scene so clearly, even without closing my eyes. We were sticking together, sisters in Christ – all with our matching suitcases! Ladies, it doesn’t get much better than that! Unfortunately these are just visions and although they are awesome, they don’t go any further than that.
To take this a step further, each week the leaders here anticipate the important words God is going to give them in order to write the daily blog for you. We have complete faith He is going to bless us with the perfect words; BUT to actually write the blog each week, to put ourselves out there, is definitely faithfulness. As Priscilla teaches, ‘The concept of faithfulness is a physical outworking of actions” – It is when the “outward expressions of your beliefs are lived out over time”. As we prepare to write our blogs each week, life happens. We may find ourselves distracted, not feeling 100%, or just plain spent. Satan may raise his ugly head and do everything he can to prevent us from sharing these teachings with you. To give you an example, it’s 1:16 am here and I went to publish my completed blog and the hotel’s wi-fi dropped. My blog did not post and in fact, when I went back into it – it was at 540 words instead of the 1008 of the finished product. However, this will not stop me! I will pray and move forward in Faithfulness, living in obedience to Him.
Faithfulness is born when the outward expression of your beliefs are lived out over time.
Jesus learned obedience through suffering (Hebrews 5:8). Day in and day out he faced trials and tribulations, was ridiculed, and was eventually beaten and forced to carry the heavy, rugged cross. However, he proved His faithfulness by surrendering His will, by praying, and by staying committed to His Father’s purpose (being the source of eternal salvation). He resolved to be faithfully His (Fathers). It is only when we live a life of faithfulness will we ‘fly on the wings of God’s spirit’. (Priscilla Shirer)
How many of you have made resolutions? Perhaps you’re going to spend more time with God, less time on the computer, or maybe you’re going to give your husband extra attention. I am working on many of these areas; however my own personal resolution is to get my temple in order so that I am at 150% capacity in order to do His work here in the United States as well as in Nicaragua. To be healthy and fit. Sure I have faith that I can do this with Him; but more importantly I have faithfulness. I have surrendered this to Him and I am doing what is necessary to see the fruits of my labor (through Him). I am adjusting my life to my beliefs. How are you doing with this?
Let’s Pray
Father God, thank you for teaching us Faithfulness, thank you for your word. Thank you for your love and the love of this group, the love of each sister here. Be with us Father, give us strength to surrender to you – may we learn to adjust our lives to our beliefs so we too can have complete faithfulness as you did. We love you, Honor you, and Praise you. Amen.
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Your Assignment Today:
Would you describe yourself as a faithful person? If so in what areas of your life? Tell us about this in your life.
Share below in the comments section about Faithfulness in your life. Please don’t be afraid to share. Remember that your testimony or experience could be the one thing that touches someone else and helps them make changes in their life that reflect our Heavenly Father. Once you’re done, go on over to your OBS Facebook Group to see what we have planned for you today! You just never know what we will come up with next!!
If you are not a member of our OBS Facebook Group, and would like to be, please send us an email and we’ll be happy to place you!! Our email address is: GirlfriendsCoffeeHour@gmail.com
Love you Bunches and Lots of Hugs,
<3 Kelley
The Resolution for Women — Faithfully His
July 23, 2012 by
Our Memory Verse
Today, I have a special surprise for you! I’m not going to be talking, or writing about today’s lesson….
I’m going to let Priscilla Shirer speak to you directly, about being Faithfully His!
Are you ready???!!!! Here we go!
_____________________________________________
Please note that Girlfriends Coffee Hour is not endorsing the
Crossroads Memberships mentioned at the end of this video.
___________________________________________
Let’s Pray
Father, as we begin this new lesson this week, let us prepare our days so we are able to clear our schedules, and our minds, Lord, to better hear Your voice. Let us lay aside all things that concern us this day, so we are able to sit at Your feet and learn from You, so we can become even more Faithfully Yours, Lord! In Jesus’ Name, AMEN!!
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Your Assignment Today:
Take at least 30 minutes today to clear your mind, and your schedule, so you are better prepared this week to hear from God. Share below in the comments section, what you will do this week to make this happen, each day. Then go on over to your OBS Facebook Group to see what we have planned for you today! You just never know what we will come up with next!!
If you are not a member of our OBS Facebook Group, and would like to be, please send us an email and we’ll be happy to place you!! Our email address is: GirlfriendsCoffeeHour@gmail.com
Living Intentionally Each Day to Become More Faithfully His,
The Resolution for Women: The Affirmation Crusade
July 19, 2012 by
Memory Verse:
You did not choose Me, but I chose you.
I appointed you that you should go out and produce fruit.
John 15:16
_______________________
A crusade can be defined as “a vigorous concerted movement for a cause or against an abuse.”
Yes, precious girlfriends, I agree with Priscilla….. what we need is indeed an AFFIRMATION CRUSADE!!!
My primary Love Language just so happens to be “Words of Affirmation.” Not only do I love to hear them…. but I am very generous in giving them out! Today’s lesson made me stop for a minute and think about why I might be so intentional about this and if I am only this way with certain people, or am I free with my affirming words to all I come in contact with.
I really think that I am so intentional about this because of the negative words I was bombarded with growing up. Of course, not everyone in my life did that, but 2 very close people to me did….. and it hurt. It made it hard for me to speak those words over myself for many years, but through understanding the truth of God’s love for me, I have been able to break that cycle.
It is important to be your friends’ biggest cheerleader! You might just be the only woman in their life who affirms them and that alone can completely change their perspective on their day.
I know I am hardest on my family and I am working very hard to change that. I expect a lot from them… more than I should. I do affirm them and cheer them on, but I also can be very critical. I am really going to intentionally do my best to squelch my critical spirit and focus more on building them up!
SO…. we have the “why”… so we need to know the HOW!”
How can you be intentional about affirming other women in your life? I’ve compiled a list here and I would love it if you could add to it in the comments section of the blog today! Let’s think outside the box and see what we can come up with together! Maybe a friend surprised you with some awesome words in a unique way that spoke directly to your heart. How did she do it?
You could……..
Write a letter….. you know, snail mail! How awesome is it to get something besides a bill in your mail box?!? Decorate the envelope in a fun way too! You can even address it “To the beautiful Mrs. Megan Smidt!!!” 😀 (…just a suggestion…)
For my daughter’s 14th birthday, we had a slumber party and all of her girlfriends wrote annonymous “love letters” that were full of affirming words and we left them all over our town. We put them on grocery store shelves, the pick up counter at Starbucks, in random mail boxes, and even in the pews at church. The girls had so much fun spreading this joy and Vicky has told me that her friends have continued to leave these letters around town even after they went home! We need to be modeling this behavior not only for our friends but also our children!
Sing them a song on their voice mail. It could be something like “That’s what friends are for” or “Beautiful, beautiful”
You could greet them in a fun way the next time you see them. Instead of greeting them with a simple “hello, ” How about giving them a huge hug and compliment them on something they are wearing or their hair. You could even address them as your “gorgeous friend” or your “most incredible sister.”
Make them a banner the next time you know they are coming to your house! Make it big and bright for all the passers-by to see! Hang it across your garage or over the front door so they can’t miss it!
Send them random txt messages every once in a while just letting them know how much you love that they are in your life!
Send their husband or kids a letter telling them how much it means to YOU that they let you have time together. Tell them how much your friend means to YOU!
What can YOU come up with???? What will you do this week to INTENTIONALLY affirm your closest sisters in Christ?
Priscilla points out to us that “…this resolution not only affects you. It will also enhance the women around you as they experience the affirmation that BUBBLES up from the security you’re living in. This should be our MANDATE, our CAMPAIGN. A MOVEMENT of women linked by our resolution and devoted to seeing it manifested in the lives of the women around us.”
WHen we are living OUR lives secure and complete in the authentically unique way that God created us, our salt and light is contagious! Give away your compliments freely to yourself and all those you love and see your love spread to all those around you! Let’s be infectiously bold in our own unique ways for our Lord and Savior! He commands it <3
AUTHENTICALLY ME
I will accept and celebrate my uniqueness,
and will esteem and encourage the distinctions I admire in others.
Signed x Megan “Lucy” Smidt
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Let’s Pray:
Dear Lord, we praise You for all of the unique qualities you have blessed us with! You have made each of us so unique for Your purposes to be fulfilled when we are true to who you created us to be. That is so awesome! Give us Your revelation into anything we are not seeing that might be keeping us from Your very best of us in this area. Help us take off our masks and be excited to show the world the beautiful and sometimes rough women you have so specifically made each of us to be. We love you, Lord, and we thank Your for Your perfect ways! In Your Son’s name we pray, amen <3
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Today’s blog assignment:
Explore for a little bit why you are or are not affirming in your words to your girlfriends. Also… think about if there are any women in your sphere who you are not comfortable affirming…. why do you think that is? Then….. resolve to commend all of the women in your life for their unique value and worth to you this week! Read the resolution out loud and sign your name below it in your book.
If you are not a member of our OBS Facebook Group, and would like to be, please send us an email and we’ll be happy to place you!! Our email address is: GirlfriendsCoffeeHour@gmail.com
my blog: www.glorytoglorylifecoaching.wordpress.com
My Craig’s blog about the Men’s Resolution journey: www.adversusmundi.wordpress.com
Many blessings,
Megan 🙂
The Resolution for Women ~ Happy to Be You
July 18, 2012 by
Memory Verse:
You did not choose Me, but I chose you.
I appointed you that you should go out and produce fruit.
John 15:16
Happy to be Me, huh? As I sit here and attempt to relate this to a situation, to someone I know, or anything that would bring this to point for you, it dawns on me that I am one of those people who has spent years and years of my life ‘wishing or pretending’ I was somebody different ~ in every way possible. For me that is pretty disappointing because I absolutely KNOW that I was created by my Heavenly Father specifically; down to every freckle, every flaw, every talent, every strength – I was designed just the way I was meant to be; however I’ve gone through life fighting that tooth and nail. Have you? Do you still? I can honestly say to you that today I too find myself still wishing I could get an ‘overhaul’ – picking and choosing the strengths and talents I see in those around me. Still unhappy being me, wanting to be better, wanting more in my life. The difference today ladies is that I have a relationship with my Heavenly Father and with Him I can accept the things that are just “me” and can change the things that keep me from being the best I can be, For Him.
I grew up on a small street in Orchard Park, New York with several beautiful girlfriends. My friend Dawn had incredible talent, a voice that you could listen to all day (even as a child), she was model beautiful (but wasn’t one to know it or show it). She went on to do Broadway and Vegas, she married well and has beautiful children – what I wouldn’t do to be Dawn! (Really Kelley?) The complete package, no flaws (more realistically, no visible flaws)! Then there was Wendy who was just a natural -I remember playing softball together as kids – she was a natural, I was a ‘wanna be’. At that time, I found it hard to retain the rules of the game nor was I as thin and athletic as everyone else. Wendy always seemed totally comfortable in her skin – she loved life and embraced it. If you didn’t like how she was, she didn’t care – she was going to be herself regardless. It was your loss, not hers. She was always laughing and enjoyed life, but realistically I know there were down times or times even Wendy was wishing or pretending she was someone else. While you are meeting all of my friends, I had a friend Susan, her family lived on top of their family restaurant. WOW, how cool is that! They had their own restaurant! When I would spend the night with Susan, they would bring us big hot fudge sundae’s upstairs. These were very cool times! But were they for her? Looking back now, I understand that each one of these awesome friends very likely spent their own amount of time wishing or pretending they were someone else. Growing up, I could not find ONE talent within me. I loved to write poetry ~ but never felt good at it. I spent day in and day out trying to find ‘WHAT” God blessed me with that was comparable with what all of my friends were or had.
Psalm 139:14-16 ESV says:
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
This reminds us that We are UNIQUE! We are one of a kind! – we were built just the way we were supposed to be.
I met a new friend who could find nothing good about herself. I challenged her (oh yes, I’m good and creative at helping others – it’s myself I pick and choose what I want to address). I had her write down 10 things she liked about herself. She struggled with this for several days, but eventually got them! For affirmation, I had her put these by her bed and read them over and over. She eventually was able to work this list up to much more than 10! God makes no junk.
Priscilla challenges us today to get to know ourselves – to ‘strip away’ those things that mask us allowing us to be the AUTHENTIC person God created us to be; the person that was specially designed for His purposes.
I’m going to use the word again – yes, the word we must live by that keeps cropping up throughout our studies. Be INTENTIONAL in accepting who you are. Once we begin accepting who we are – when we allow ourselves to be AUTHENTIC and are okay with it – only then will we find freedom from the burdens of wishing we were someone else, of wishing we had the life of someone else, from the exhaustion caused as we fret over what we are not. Live as yourself, as created by God, for His plans and purposes – not your own. It’s time to stop fighting who we are and learn to bask in that the person God intended us to be!
Homework
Record your uniquenesses other people see in you. Which of these surprises you?
Record how you can be more intentional about using and celebrating these characteristics.
How would the dynamics of your family, your office, or your relationships benefit from your doing this?
Hugs <3 Kelley
Prayer
Father God, thank you for making each of us with our own special uniquenesses. Allow us through you to embrace these, celebrate these, and accept these for who we are in You. Thank you for loving us unconditionally, for eternal life, and for every blessing. Amen.
When you have completed the assignment here on the blog, return to your Facebook Online Bible Study Group for today’s FUN Activity!! You just never know what we have in store for you!! 
If you are not a member of our OBS Facebook Group, and would like to be, please send us an email and we’ll be happy to place you!! Our email address is: GirlfriendsCoffeeHour@gmail.com
The Resolution for Women – Authentically Me — Week 3
July 15, 2012 by
Hello Sweet Girlfriends!
Today’s message is going to be short and sweet! I had surgery on my finger on Friday, and am doing well. Thank you for all the prayers! I appreciate it!
Memory Verse:
You did not choose Me, but I chose you.
I appointed you that you should go out and produce fruit.
John 15:16
This week’s reading assignment is as follows: (Feel free to post your comments after each blog; but then return to our Facebook Online Bible Study Group for each day’s FUN Group Activity!)
Week 3: July 16 – 20
Authentically Me
16th: Intelligent Design – Page 50 – Christi
17th: Supernatural Selection — Page 54 – Megan
18th: Happy to Be You – Page 60 – Kelley
19th: The Affirmation Crusade – Page 63 – Robin
20th: Week Overview — Christi
This is going to be another amazing week with the Resolution for Women! I hope you still have your seat belts fastened, as Priscilla suggested in the beginning of this book! This is an amazing journey that God is taking us on!! Praise God!
________________
Let’s Pray:
Oh Lord, we give You thanks for all the things that You are teaching us through Priscilla’s book. What an amazing tool You have placed in our hands, Lord! We’re learning so much about who You created us to be, and I am forever grateful Lord for this study!
I pray Lord that You will open our eyes even more this week, as we discover being Authentically Me …. I have a feeling Lord that we are going to discover some amazing things that we never knew before, in this week’s lessons!
Thank You Father, for all that You are doing in the lives of each woman that is following along in this study with us. We ask that You bless them, and their families Lord, as they spend each day seeking You through this study.
Lord, I ask that You continue to give the GCH Blogging Team wisdom and direction, as they post what You want to say each day. I am blessed immensely by this Team of amazing women, Lord. May You bless them, also Lord, for the time and energy that they put into this ministry.
In Your Precious Name,
AMEN!
BE BLESSED!
The Resolution for Women ~ It’s Good to be a Girl
July 11, 2012 by
Memory Verse:
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Proverbs 31:30
Wow, I had to read our chapter over and over today before actually finding the words to blog for you! – Do I say this every week in my blog? I think so [grin] because it seems every week it takes several times before I ‘get it’ and truly understand what it is that God is instructing me to pass on to you!
Now without further ado, along with reading the words Priscilla wrote, I googled ‘the great women of the bible’. I googled the women I didn’t know well, googled those I did, and really tried to get to know these women so I could share just the right message. Then it became apparent, a light bulb went off ~ He truly wants me to teach you that it’s more than okay to be a girl ~ it’s an honor and privilege to be a girl! The heck with society – as women, we have a purpose!
~we are fearfully and wonderfully made – Our God makes no junk! (Psalm 139.14)
Unfortunately being raised Catholic, mass, confession, and communion were all led by priests. Attending the Baptist church, I soon learned that there were certain situations where women could not teach or lead men. There is and has always been an awful lot of emphasis on what women could not do, could not say, or could not be, instead of what WE CAN DO (based on the God-given talents we received and His intent for our lives). This is intent, by the way, that He blessed us with at creation ~ it’s not something He decided years later to develop or invoke ~ it’s part of the BIG picture, His BIG plans for us – the ones he put into place many, many years ago as he was picking out the color of our eyes and the number of freckles on our noses!
We are NECESSARY – Did you realize the statistics in church these days? Sadly, there are more women than men in attendance. On Father’s Day in the church I attended, there were 1/3rd the number of men to women. Although men are to be the leaders in the homes and in the families, many families are unequally yoked and it is necessary for the women of the house to ‘train up their children’ in the ways of the Lord. We were given the characteristics of a ‘feminine heart’ full of wisdom, along with the gift of soft touch ~ things as wives and mothers we will use to keep Christ in our homes. We have been prepared ahead of time for what the days may bring.
We are IMPORTANT and WORTHY – When Jesus met the woman of Samaria at the well he treated her with mercy and love. He held conversation with her that showed he truly cared, that she mattered. He asked her opinions and valued her responses. Jesus treated her like a somebody, he treated her with importance and worth. He set the stage for the women of today – we too are valued. We are worthy of the Messiah’s ‘living water’. – Let me say that again, “WE ARE WORTHY OF THE MESSIAH’S LIVING WATER”
Are you there yet? Are you believing how great it is to be a ‘girl’? We have been given gifts in abundance! Our cups runneth over with amazing goodies to be used as we work with little children or the elderly ~ as we travel to other countries to share our hearts ~we lack nothing and have been blessed with all ~
Along with Priscilla in her book The Resolution of Women, there is another author who does an amazing job showing us we are loved by our Heavenly Father ~ through LOVE LETTERS to us from Him, Sheri Rose Shepherd teaches us where we stand in the eyes of our Abba Father. Here are a few of her quotes. I know they will touch you as they have touched me.
Favorite Quotes by Sheri Rose Shepherd
- Although I am God, my arms are not too big to hold you, My beloved daughter.
- Don’t let anyone define you but Me, your Daddy in Heaven.
- The beauty I had in mind when I created you is a reflection of Me. (WOW! yes, created in His image)
- You are royalty even when you don’t feel like a princess. (always important to Him!)
- Inside you is a supernatural surprise a gift that is waiting to be unwrapped…by you. (continued blessings!)
Regardless of the situation, regardless of the time and place – we are WOMAN, hear us ROAR! No, Seriously, I say this time and time again to those with no self-esteem, to those who feel less than adequate – to those that are unhappy with their physical appearance and allow that to carry over into their hearts and abilities – GOD MAKES NO JUNK!
We were each individually, especially made to fulfill God’s plans for our lives. We are not PERFECT, but being made by the KING we are precisely and exactly what we are supposed to be – each flaw intended! We are beautiful, worthy, necessary, gifted and blessed beyond words!
PRAYER:
Abba Father, Thank you for the blessing of being women who were created specifically to fulfill your plans and purposes; who were designed wonderfully with beautiful hearts, tender touches, and amazing gifts. Who are worthy Father of your ‘Living Water’ and understand your intentions in creating us. Be with us as we utilize these many tools, that lives are touched and that everything we do brings glory to you. May we always embrace your/our purpose. In your precious and Most Holy Name we Pray, Amen.
HOMEWORK:
Choose one of the many roles you currently play in your life and record for each one how you are…….. Good for it, necessary to it, an important component of it, worthy to be a part of it, and trustworthy to fulfill your role in it. Comment on the blog and let us know what this role is for you and ‘how you are’ with it.
Remember, You are Fearfully and Wonderfully Made – God doesn’t make Junk! and don’t forget to go back over to our Facebook group and see what fun Megan has going on for you over there today!
<3 Kelley
The Resolution for Women: Pretty In Print
July 10, 2012 by
And the winner of yesterday’s giveaway is…….
Donna Slaten!!!!!
Congratulations on being the winner of the gorgeous T-shirt!!! Donna, please email us @ GirlfriendsCoffeeHour@gmail.com ASAP with your address & size (small to X-large) and it will be mailed to you within the next two weeks! WAY TO GO!!!!!
…and now for Pretty In Print!!!!!!
Memory Verse:
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Proverbs 31:30
What Kind of Woman are you going to be?
One of my she-ros is Poet Laureate Maya Angelou. I would love to sit and have a nice cup of tea with her…. wouldn’t you? I honestly think that I have read everything that she has ever published and I have read it all more than once. She is 100% woman and I admire so much about her. Have you ever read her poem “Phenomenal Woman”? If you haven’t, now is your chance….
Phenomenal Woman
by Maya Angelou
Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size
But when I start to tell them, They think I’m telling lies.
I say, It’s in the reach of my arms The span of my hips,
The stride of my step, The curl of my lips.
I’m a woman Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman, That’s me.
I walk into a room Just as cool as you please,
And to a man, The fellows stand or Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me, A hive of honey bees.
I say, It’s the fire in my eyes, And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist, And the joy in my feet. I’m a woman Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman, That’s me.
Men themselves have wondered What they see in me.
They try so much But they can’t touch My inner mystery.
When I try to show them They say they still can’t see.
I say, It’s in the arch of my back, The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts, The grace of my style.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That’s me.
Now you understand Just why my head’s not bowed.
I don’t shout or jump about Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing It ought to make you proud.
I say, It’s in the click of my heels, The bend of my hair, the palm of my hand,
The need of my care, ‘Cause I’m a woman Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman, That’s me.
I believe THAT is the kind of woman God calls me to be. Phenomenal!!!! I can’t imagine Him expecting anything less from me, actually. As I devour His Word and let it breath into every aspect of my heart, soul, and being…. how can I be anything less than phenomenal for my God? He created me for it… specifically ME!!! I am the only woman on this earth who can do what He created me to do. If I don’t live each day to be intentional about my phenomenal femininity….. who will? He has created me to be ME….. every single circumstance and situation I have been in through my whole life has molded me into the perfect creature God has meant for me to be…. phenomenally for His glory!
Yes, I have seen how feminist ideals affect women in the way they dress, act and make decisions. I lived it for many years of my life. Those things have made me who I am now…. for better and for worse. They have helped me to appreciate all the more why I am here and look the way I look, act the way I act and make decisions the way I do for God to get all the glory! It wasn’t always for Him….. He knows that and He loves me anyway… purple hair and all!
How do I see young women turning away from biblical womanhood? I see them not being taught HOW to live with BOLD courage to embrace the incredible femininity that God means for all of us as Christian women. They are bombarded all day long everywhere they turn look and be how the world wants them to look and be…. and that anything else is NOT desirable or phenomenal and will not get them happiness, the job they want, success or a mate. As phenomenally feminine Christian women, it is OUR job to speak these biblical truths into their lives and into their influence. We cannot sit back and stay silent while we let the world influence our girls.
Personally, I do not feel stifled by any biblical principles of womanhood. I feel gloriously FREED by them! I am important, valued and treasured in the eyes of God. The world has never felt that way about me. The world will always tell me that i am not good enough, pretty enough, tall enough, short enough, thin enough or fat enough, dumb enough or smart enough. To God, I am perfect and wonderfully made. Period. He gives me guidelines in His Word to SET ME FREE, not to stifle me or make me feel repressed.
I don’t fit a mold… THANK GOD!!! I don’t look or act the way our world expects a God-loving, 36-year-old non-biological mother of 5 kids ages 14-20 should look or act. THANK GOD!!! I am phenomenal to my God and that is all that matters. My husband and my kids happen to love me just the way I am, so that is a nice bonus, too. I never fit into any mold growing up and I am so happy to say that as I have “matured” I have become more comfortable in my earth suit than ever and I can’t imagine being any other way.
God created you to be unique and to fill your shoes, and dress, the only way that YOU possibly can. Embrace it, dear sister, and know that you are PHENOMENAL just the way you are! Embrace your curves, embrace your femininity, embrace every way that you are uniquely YOU and live BOLDLY how GOD created you to be….. with biblical femininity and grace by just being YOU <3
Lord, I pray that You sing the sweetest love songs over each of Your precious daughters today. Show her how she specifically can live for YOU in her own uniquely phenomenal biblically feminine way. Help her to feel amazing in her earth suit and may You get all the glory, Lord, for the amazing way she stands for YOU in this fallen world. Renew her spirit today and help her see herself as you see her, Lord….. beautifully feminine in every way! Speak into her tender spirit about any priorities she might need to realign with Your Word on this issue, Father, and help guide her to be all that You have created her to be. In Your Son’s name we pray, amen <3
HOMEWORK:
Your assignment today… comment on this blog post about how YOU specifically can encourage women in your direct sphere of influence to turn towards biblical womanhood.
Be blessed and be a blessing….. and don’t forget to go back over to our Facebook group and see what fun we have for you over there today! 🙂
<3 Megan 🙂
my blog: www.glorytoglorylifecoaching.wordpress.com
Craig’s blog: www.adversusmundi.wordpress.com
