April 22, 2025

Lady in Waiting: Chance Rendezvous

October 16, 2012 by

It all comes down to trust.  It seems to always come down to trust, doesn’t it?  No matter what the situation, no matter what we are waiting for, no matter how hurt we are, no matter what decisions we make, it all comes down to that word, “trust”.  So tell me, do you like to take things into your own hands, or do you trust God?

As I was reading today’s passage I had to smile.  If we are honest, we have to admit we have all done something to try to cause that “chance” rendezvous.  I can’t say I have joined a ministry to be closer to a man I was interested in, or that I have switched churches to find a more singles-rich environment, but yes, I have lingered at times, hoping for a chance to say hello or have a conversation.  I have also gone to an event because there was more of a chance that there would be single males there, even if I weren’t 100% interested in the event itself.

I struggle with “putting myself out there”.  To say there is a shortage of single men in my church would be an understatement.  As I sit here and think about it, there are probably less than 10 men that would be appropriate for me to even consider as a possibility (and that may be being generous) and if I am not involved in church activities, I am involved in my son’s activities, which means even if I am around men, they are married dads.  So yes, sometimes I wonder how I will ever meet someone if I am never around single Christian men.  That is when I can fall into the trap of taking things into our own hands.

The hard part, for me, is knowing what is walking in faith, and what is taking things into my own hands.  Is going to an event I am not totally sold on walking in faith, because I need to give God opportunities and sitting in my house or at my singles starved church won’t do that?  Or is it taking things into my own hands because it’s not something I would have normally chosen to attend and I am trying to force God’s hand?

Another time this question comes up for me is when the topic of online dating comes up.  Some (married) friends have asked me whether I have considered doing e-Harmony or another Christian dating site.  Cost aside, I have the same questions.  Is that really having faith in God if I go onto these sites, or am I trying to speed up a process that God may already have in place that has nothing to do with the computer?  Is it opening myself up to temptations when I should be focusing somewhere else?  Or will God use this method to give me the man He has been preparing for me?   How do we know?  We need to check our hearts.

The last part of the passage really made me think.  How is your heart preparation?  When we get ready for church, or a singles event, or a small group, whatever it is, and you know “he” or “they” will be there, do you spend as much time preparing your heart, like Ruth, as you do preparing your physical appearance, like Orpah?  I can humbly and honestly say I never even thought of doing something like that.  I make sure I shower, do my hair, makeup, try to find a cute outfit, the whole deal.  I have never taken even 10 minutes to spend praying and talking to God.  Think about the difference that might make.  Not only will we look cute, but our heart is softened and opened to the will of God.

When we talk to someone at church, maybe we won’t be thinking about saying the right thing, we will know that God will give us the right words.  How does that sound?  Instead of wondering if we should be spending time with this man, we will be open to the nudging of the spirit and He will let us know if we are where we belong.  Don’t we want a man that is interested in more than what we have on the outside? I am reminded of the quote, “A woman’s heart should be so hidden in Christ that a man should have to seek Him first to find her.” Well then ladies, I urge you, spend just as much time preparing your inside as you do preparing your outside.  Then you will be amazingly beautiful to the man God has for you.

Let’s Pray
Lord I ask You to work on our hearts today.  We may not always have the purest of motives, even when we think we do.  But You know.  You know what is in our hearts.  According to Your word “All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord” (Proverbs 16:2).  Help us to discern our true motives when we make the choices we do.  We want to have a heart like You, and we need You to help us with that.  Help us to trust You, to truly believe that Your plans are the best plans for us.  Through the tough situations, the waiting, the hurts, the hard choices, help us to know You are there for us and, as always, have only the best intentions for us.  We love You Lord and want Your will for us.  Amen.

Your Assignment:
Please leave a comment below about chance rendezvous that you have tried to create.

 

Thoughts to ponder:

Have you ever made a major decision based on finding a mate?  If so, what was the outcome?  How about the little things we do?  Share some experiences you have had.

When getting ready to go somewhere do you spend as much time on heart preparation as you do on physical preparation?  If so, have you seen a difference?  Is this a new concept for you?  If it is, do you intend on making any changes?

God bless,

Michelle

________________

If you are interested in joining us in this Online Bible Study, click on the “Sign-Up Here” button at the top of the page, and follow the instructions.  Once we receive your request, you will be added to a group.

 

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A Daughter’s Worth: Week 3 / Day 2 – Refute Satan’s Lies

October 16, 2012 by

 

TRUTH

Today, we are going to start with truth.  If we don’t know what TRUTH is, then we won’t know what a LIE is when we see it or hear it.  “Satan would love for us to believe the lie of “not good enough.” (A Daughter’s Worth, p. 32)  If Satan can distract us from the TRUTH of who God made us to be, then we feel like we are not good enough.  Feelings are deceptive, so we need to know what truth is before our feelings get involved.  Sometimes we need to tell our emotions what we KNOW is true so we don’t get distracted.

Look at 2 Corinthians 11:3:  I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.  Eve was created perfectly, by our perfect God.  She walked in the Garden and talked with God personally.  It was only when Satan began to mess with her head that she began to doubt who she was created to be.  We need to know who we are in Christ so that when doubt creeps in, we don’t believe the LIES that will destroy our hearts.  If Eve could be so easily deceived, we should not think that we can resist the devil when he wants to sneak those bad thoughts into our heads.  We have to know the truth about what and who He says we are.  We find out what God sees in us by getting to know him by reading his word and talking to him.

One of the neatest things about having eight daughters is that I have proof of how God can make us so individual, unique and BEAUTIFUL.  No two daughters are alike, but they are all the same.  God has gifted them in very different ways.  I don’t expect them to react the same way, be good at the same subjects in school, wear the same style of clothes, or reach the same kind of people as their sisters.  Wherever we go, we bring a party.  Some are planners, some are preparers, some are entertainment, but ALL of them are fun.  Sometimes one will be feeling down and we try to show her how blessed she is and how accepted she is.  We acknowledge her feelings, but emphasize the TRUTH of the matter.

When one of my girls says, “I’m not smart enough”, it usually means – I wish I was smarter or had made better choices.  Then we talk about how we can choose better next time.  When they say “I’m not pretty”, it usually means they are comparing themselves to someone else, or someone has made fun of some part of them that day.  Those days we talk about what makes them unique and how no other daughter on the face of the planet can be them.  When one of my girls thinks they have no talent or special gifts they are usually thinking about someone they admire who is gifted in a certain area and has not looked at the ways God has gifted them to serve.  We are all unique!!!!!  God made each of us special!  There could never be a more beautiful you than you are to your Heavenly Father.  When you feel those doubts creep in, and they will creep in, push them out with the TRUTH of God’s Word.

“Protect the Father’s truth with everything you have.  How?  When Satan tries to distract you, confront the lie with scripture, combat deceit with prayer, and ignore the negative messages that Satan suggests.  Thank God for His TRUTH.  Ask Him to HELP you, His precious daughter, to EMBRACE (believe) it.” (p. 33)

Let’s PRAY:

We thank you Father that you have called us daughters.  We thank you for sending your Son to us to enable us to refute the lies of the enemy of our souls.  Help us to recognize your voice.   We love you Father.  Help us to ACCEPT your love.      AMEN

“And because you are sons (DAUGHTERS), God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “ABBA! Father!”  Galatians 4:6

 

The TRUTH is…God Loves YOU!  I love you!  Your leaders love you!  Have a blessed day, girlfriends.

 

Mama T

 

For the A Daughter’s Worth Bible Study, you will need the book, your Bible, pen or pencil, a highlighter and a quiet place. You can order the book right through our website from clicking the sign-up form button at the top of our webpage.

If you are interested in joining us in our GCH:decaf Teen Girls Ministry, please click the sign-up form button at the top of our webpage. Just follow the instructions on the form and hit submit. We’ll be happy to add you to one of our Online Bible Study Groups! Our new study is A Daughter’s Worth! Please email megan@girlfriendscoffeehour.com for more information.

 

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Winning Him Without Words: Love is For a Lifetime

October 15, 2012 by

As I studied this lesson for today I sat for two days thinking what in the world can I share about “love being for a lifetime” that was not already shared by these wonderful authors and then as I was sitting having dinner and Bible Study with my sister God showed me what to share from one word in a sentence on Pg. 56, “God is freely giving us the secret to a long and joyful marriage”, and here is what God showed me:

the secret is in the “C”‘s

 

Commitment   (Matthew 19:4-6)

Without commitment to each other and to God a harmonious marriage cannot last long. Give yourselves fully to each other. Marriage commitment is a “vow for life”. Commitment is hard work. Commitment sometimes means that you are willing to be unhappy for a while until both of you can work things out. Good marriages aren’t freebies…they must be made through effort. Are you really committed to your mate or are you just hoping it will last?

Compromise

When two people live together there must be compromise. Give and take….remembering that you don’t have to be right. The husband is commanded to love and honor the wife thus fulfilling the solemn vow you have just made.  Probably one of the most unloving things we do to one another is try and change each other. Compromise is the evidence of real love.

Communication

Communication is only possible if one is listening while the other one is speaking. Sometimes the spouse doesn’t even need to be speaking! Even more importantly than understanding words, it is imperative that you understand how your partner feels. Stop what you are doing and give devoted attention to each other. Set aside blocks of time for communication and undivided attention.

Courtesy

Courtesy is kindness, good manners, being a gentleman or a lady. It almost seems an old fashioned concept in this day and age, but it is important for a good marriage relationship. J B Phillips translated 1 Corinthians 13: 5, “Love has good manners.”

Comedy

Proverbs 15:13 says, “A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.”

Let there be laughter. Joy is the mark of a Christian life. Laughter is good for the soul. Go ahead, be a clown; get that frown off your face. Tell a joke; do something silly!

Charity

It’s an old fashioned word which we often translate “love”. I’m talking about pure and simple LOVE. Love bears all things, the Bible says. Without love there is no intimate relationship. Love is a gift from God. Godly love is unconditional. It does not depend upon the other party or their behavior. It is genuine. Love is not just a physical attraction, but a spiritual commitment.

Courtship

Physical affection and intimacy is biblical and a must if a marriage is going to thrive. (Proverbs 5:18-19 – “…And rejoice with the wife of your youth. As a loving deer and a graceful doe, Let her breasts satisfy you at all times; And al- ways be enraptured with her love.”

One problem among many couples today is that we’ve forgotten how to court. The real issue is that what we did to capture our mate’s love we no longer do to keep their love. Think about it for a minute. We used to get all dressed up, perfumed up, pumped up for our dates together. We got married and things changed. We now see each other at absolutely the worst times of the day: in the morning with our bed head and doggy breath and in the evenings with bad days and droopy drawers. We have got to be intentional about continual courtship.

Don’t delete dating from your marriage. In other words, “Date your mate.” The Bible tells us in Ecclesiastes 9:9 that we are to “live joyfully with the wife whom you love…” If you’ve stopped dating, you’ve started drifting apart. Find fun things to do together. Find something you both like to do and then go do it.

The last and best “C” is CHRIST

Jesus Christ is the main ingredient that so many marriages leave out. Jesus is interested in our marriage. After all, Jesus’ first miracle was performed at a wedding where He was the invited guest. How many marriages have left Him off the invitation list? He is the only one who can give you the ability to love when you feel that you’ve run out of love.

There’s not a greater gift that you could give your life mate than to become a godly person, become like Jesus and treat your mate the way He would treat them. (Philippians 2:5 –“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.”)

Christ must be center of both of your lives and as you grow towards Him, He will grow you even closer to one another.

 A surefire way of maintaining these  “C’s”  is to pray together as husband and wife on a daily basis. Don’t let busy schedules, the TV, work, or the internet crowd this out. Make it your highest priority to “stay connected” and you will have a prosperous marriage journey that will “last a lifetime”

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Let’s Pray:

Lord I pray for each of us as we learn the “secret” you have for our marriage and which ones we need to work on to make our marriage stronger in You Lord and to be assured it will last a lifetime. In Your name I pray.  Amen!

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Your assignment:

Which one of the C’s have been easy for you since you have been married and which one do you intend on being “intentional” about changing for your future and how can you connect with your husband while making these changes?

If you would like to join this Online Bible Study and our Facebook Discussion Group, please click on the “Sign-Up Here” button at the top of our page, and follow the instructions.  We will add you as soon as we receive your request.

Love you all,

Beverly

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Lady in Waiting: Lady of Faith – Where the Boys Are

October 15, 2012 by

I must admit that when I started thinking about writing about this chapter for this blog, I was at loss!  How do I mix Faith and Boys in the same blog?  These are two different topics altogether and I was praying that I would be able to do justice to each without leaning more on one topic and neglecting the other.

But as I re-read the chapter over and over, I realize that one cannot talk about boys without talking about faith and neither can one find a lifelong partner without faith.

Somehow I equated faith with other spiritual things and not boys or men as the case may be.  I must repent I used to be logical about this subject.  Please don’t write me off yet but give ear to what I am going to say.

“Now Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1

Hebrews chapter 11 is the Faith chapter and the “Hall of Fame” for the great men and women of Faith.  When reading this chapter you are introduced to the greatest exploits that people like Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses and everyone else did.  They overcame the most difficult situations; they were tested and passed through storms that we can only read about.

 

I thought faith came into play when I am faced with health issues, loss, job hunting and other major issues that I could not handle on my own.  But what about when I meet a guy I like.  Isn’t it so obvious that if I am single and he is single we can get together and see how it works out?  Right? WRONG.

As a Lady of Faith, I must take to God each and every decision that affects me.  I need to involve God in everything including issues of dating, marriage, etc.  Just because this nice young man is found in church and is involved in ministry doesn’t mean he is the right one for me.  I need to speak to my Heavenly Father about him before I can get involved.

You must be saying, “But Jackie, I have been here for so long, I have moved from my small town where “there are more livestock than people”; I have even changed churches so much that I have lost count the number of times I have filled out the membership forms; this is my opportunity, this is “where the boys are” so to speak.  This is my time; at last someone who is interested in me, who gives me the attention I deserve.  I can laugh at his jokes, he says the right words to me and never for once has he commented about my weight.  He is someone that I can introduce to my friends and family without feeling embarrassed because he is well spoken and articulate”.

Well girlfriends, I met such a guy once and I can relate to someone who once wrote “dear diary, I think I found the man I am going to marry” because I practically said that myself.

I returned to church after a five year hiatus and this church is where the Christian boys in town went to.  These boys were involved in ministry; be it choir, ushering, Sunday school, youth, evangelism; you name it they were there on the fore front.  Like every young woman on fire for Christ, I got involved in ministry and no sooner had I done that than I met him.  He was everything I thought a Christian guy should be.  He was involved in various ministries and then some.  He was a young man the Pastor relied upon.  Well, we dated for close to a year and the relationship grew serious to the point of getting parents involved and engagement talks were underway.  But something happened that caused the relationship to disintegrate.  Mr.  Right bowed out when I needed him the most.  Mr. Right did not sign up for what I was going through and he had prayed about the way forward and it was to end the relationship.

Through this heart breaking situation the Lord opened my “eyes of faith” and I was able to see that I had been in this relationship for the wrong reasons.  The Lord showed me that I wanted to be part of the church so much that I thought the best way to be accepted was by marrying this guy.  The Lord knew my heart better than I knew myself.  He did this to get my attention and to show me that I was accepted by Him and that He loved me the way I was.  I needed to serve Him with the right motive.  I needed to know who I was in Him before I could get married.  I needed to fall in love with Him before I could fall in love with someone else.

For three years, I embarked on a journey of getting to know the Lord and falling in love with Him as well as doing the things He wanted me to do.  It wasn’t easy because when a guy came along I wanted to throw caution to the wind and let logic take charge, but the Lord always reminded me what I went through and I needed to continue to trust Him with this.  He knew the desires of my heart and in time He would fulfill them.  Well He did because when I stopped searching and trying to help the Lord, He brought a man whom I married.

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LET’S PRAY

Lord, I commit my sisters into your loving arms today, be with them as they trust you with this area of Faith and boys.  I know how difficult it is to surrender this issue to you but that is the only way we can avoid heartbreak.  Lord we surrender our will to you today.  Open our eyes of faith to see what you have in store for us as we wait upon you.  You know the desires of our hearts and in time you shall fulfill them.  In Jesus Name. Amen.

 

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

  1. When you meet a guy you like, what comes out first logic or faith?

  2. Read through Hebrews 11 and underline all the verbs. Then go back through and confess, “By faith I can __________,” filling in the blank with the verbs from each verse.

Is there anything you can think of that you can’t do by faith?

________________

If you would like to take part in this Online Bible Study and Facebook Discussion Group, please click on the “Sign-Up Here” button located at the top of our website, in the Menu Bar.  Once we receive your request, we will add you to our group!

 

Be Blessed,

Jackie

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A Daughter’s Worth: Week 3 / Day 1 – You’re Beautiful

October 15, 2012 by

 

When reading the chapter titles in this study, my heart sank a little when I read “Embracing True Beauty”. That is something I struggled with BIG TIME for a majority of my life. I was interested what this week of the study would stir in my heart and yours. I cannot help but pray that as we tackle this week titled EMBRACING TRUE BEAUTY that we all come to find our beauty in God alone and to be confident of who we are in Him; BEAUTIFUL.

About three years ago, my sister sent me a text message that said, listen to Beautiful by Mercy Me, it reminds me so much of you, you have to hear it! When I saw that message I started to tear up. I did not understand how a song titled “Beautiful” could ever remind her of me. I thought I was the farthest thing from beautiful and I certainly did not think anyone else thought I was beautiful. I went home that same night she sent me the message and listened to Beautiful by Mercy Me. Listening to it brought me more tears, but the words also tugged so softly on my heart.

For all the lies you’ve held inside so long, they are nothing in the shadow of the cross.

That is my second favorite line in the whole song. What lies about who God created you to be do you believe? Do you actually believe you are beautiful? I believed I was ugly, unworthy, damaged, destroyed forever, and disgusting. Now all I see when I look at myself in the mirror is God’s beauty shining through. After all that truly is the most beautiful thing about each and every one of us. We have God’s beautiful spirit living inside of our hearts. The more we let HIS beauty that we have in our hearts overflow into the lives of everyone around us the more beautiful you become.

Think about it again, WHAT LIES ABOUT WHO GOD CREATED YOU TO BE DO YOU BELIEVE? Can you please write them down, and throw that paper away! They have no place in your life. It is time to embrace the beauty you have within! Psalm 139:14 says, I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Are you confident that this verse is true? Are you confident that you are wonderful and unique because you were made by a God who loves you so much? I struggle with the confidence from time to time, but thanks to this study bringing Isaiah 32:17 to my attention, I will now repeat what this verse says every time I start to lack confidence in my beauty. The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.

I so strongly believe that there is nothing more beautiful than a precious princess of the King being confident in the beauty that the Lord has brought to her life, embracing it, and sharing it with others. I hope that every time you look in the mirror, that you see God’s beauty shining through. I pray that when you do look in the mirror you take a minute to thank Him and praise Him for YOU.

I remember the day I sent my sister a message that said, Beautiful by Mercy Me is on and I thought of you, I remember when you told me to listen to that song and I thought I would never believe those words, I finally believe those words, thank you! It is my prayer that you finally believe my favorite line of that song; YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL!

Let’s Pray: Lord, I lift every single person who reads this up to you. I pray that you wipe away any negative image they have of themselves, and that you give them YOUR eyes to see the beauty that they possess. I thank you and praise you for creating us. We are all special because we are created uniquely in YOUR beauty. Thank you Lord, and help us to embrace the beauty you have given us! We love you so much, Amen.

Be Beautiful Today and Always! Much Love,

Diane

Listen to Beautiful by Mercy Me Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7C2o0jHNRuU

For the A Daughter’s Worth Bible Study, you will need the book, your Bible, pen or pencil, a highlighter and a quiet place. You can order the book right through our website from clicking the sign-up form button at the top of our webpage.

If you are interested in joining us in our GCH:decaf Teen Girls Ministry, please click the sign-up form button at the top of our webpage. Just follow the instructions on the form and hit submit. We’ll be happy to add you to one of our Online Bible Study Groups! Our new study is A Daughter’s Worth! Please email megan@girlfriendscoffeehour.com for more information.

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Winning Him Without Words: Stay Connected

October 14, 2012 by

 

1 Corinthians 13: 4-7

 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

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Well, how did the first two chapters go for you?  Are you ready to move forward and learn more about making your unequally yoked marriage thrive?  I am!!  Let’s get to it!

In this Chapter, Lynn walks us through different ways that we can stay connected to our husbands.  In the beginning of this chapter, she talks about how putting together a Fantasy Football Team gave her something in common with her husband.  I admit I haven’t been that much into football, or any other sport for that matter. But there are things that my husband and I do like to do together; riding motorcycles, movies, reading, playing cards, trying new restaurants, trying new foods and recipes, and more.

A little over five months ago, we turned off our television. Yes, shut it off!  We even had the cable turned off!  We had discussed this for a couple of years, but he was never really ready to give it a try.  But one day he brought it back up again, and I jumped at the chance.  I called the cable company and asked them to turn off our cable.  We looked at each other and said, “Well, Now What????”  🙂

From there, the only time we watched television was if the two of us wanted to sit down and watch a movie.  Netflix has some fun programs that we enjoyed watching, as well; like Myth Busters, or How It’s Made; both fun and interesting shows.

We weaned ourselves away from the television, and began to find new things to do together.  We began to explore new books.  We got into the reading the bible more.  We learned how to play new card games, or board games.  We went for more walks. We TALKED more!! That was a big one!!

During these five months, we grew together.  We learned more about each other.  We learned each others Love Language.  We spent more quality time together.  During our meals, we sat at the table and talked, instead of in front of the television without speaking a word to each other!  It was amazing what was happening in our marriage!

If you do not know what your spouse’s Love Language is, please click HERE for an online test.  HE WILL NEED TO TAKE THIS QUIZ.  It will be well worth it,Ladies, to learn his love language!!  His love language will speak directly to his heart!  Win-Win situation!  You will also see other quizzes for wives, children, teens, and singles!  Excellent site!

About a week ago, we decided that with winter months coming on board, and football season starting, we would turn the television back on; but we both agreed that it was not going to become the idol that it had been in our home before.  It would not become the thing that divided us, or took away our quality time!

It was funny when we turned the television back on and hooked it up to the antenna…we flipped through a few channels and said “Eh, nothing really on…so now what do you want to do?”  LOL  It wasn’t like before, where we would flip through the channels and even if we couldn’t find something worthy of watching, we would watch it anyway just to have something to do!!  That will not happen again!

We gained a lot during this time without our television, and we are determined not to let a stupid little box divide our relationship again!

I love my husband.  I know he loves me, too.  We want our marriage to be successful.  So we are determined in finding ways that we can make our marriage even better.  It isn’t a bad marriage, in any way!  Don’t get me wrong!  But I believe that every marriage has room for improvement, no matter how good it is!!  All it takes is a little work, creativity, and the determination to do it.  Whether it’s turning off the television, or creating a fantasy football league, or ??? … ask the Lord what will bring your marriage to a higher level, and then be intentional about it!!  Your marriage is worth it!

This week’s chapter has a whole lot more to offer you than what I’ve shared here.  Lynn covers some pretty awesome topics!  Be sure to spend the time that you need in this chapter.  I believe it is truly going to open your eyes in so many ways!!

 

Your Reading Assignment

Oct 15 – 1 Cor 13:4-7 – Love Is a Lifetime – Beverly

Oct 16 – All Things Are Not Equal – Jennifer

Oct 17 – Bring On the Bedroom – Donna

Oct 18 – When You Don’t Agree – Sarah

Oct 19 – Discovery / Prayer – Martha

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Let’s Pray:

Lord, I pray for each women that reads our blog posts this week.  I pray that each woman would be given creative ideas to stay connected with her husband.   Give us creative ideas of how we can meet our husbands needs physically, emotionally, and more.  Teach us his love language Lord. Help us to speak to him through his love language.  In Jesus’ Name, AMEN!

If you would like to join this Online Bible Study and our Facebook Discussion Group, please click on the “Sign-Up Here” button at the top of our page, and follow the instructions.  We will add you as soon as we receive your request.  🙂

God bless you,

 

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

Lady in Waiting: Lady of Faith

October 14, 2012 by

Oh girls…I wish I had the words to express how wonderful I think you all are!  I am enjoying the sharing and growing that I am seeing in our group already.  Is this book amazing or what?  I know it is speaking to me (even when it’s hard!)  Are you ready for week 3?  I know I am.  Here are our reading assignments for the week.  Let Jackie or I know if you have any questions.

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Here is your Reading Assignment for Week #3

Monday, Oct 15: Lady of Faith / Where the Boys Are – Jackie

Tuesday, Oct 16: Chance Rendezvous – Michelle

Wednesday, Oct 17th: Eyes of Faith – Tonya

Thursday, Oct 18th: Divine Encounter – Katie

Friday, Oct 19th: Meeting Across Continents – Diane

 

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Let’s Pray:
Abba Father, I lift all of the women in our group up to You.  You know their heart Father.  You know their pains and their joys.  I ask You to strengthen them where they are weak, and reach out to others in service where they are strong.  Teach us to embrace the single life and truly believe it is not a curse, but a gift from You.  Draw us closer Lord.  We love You.

Blessings,

Michelle

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Lord Teach Us To Pray: Part 3

October 13, 2012 by

Today we continue a series entitled Lord, teach us to pray! Do you ever cry out with that same desire as Jesus’ disciples did ––”Teach {me} to pray”?

 

Each Saturday over the next couple of months, we will intentionally pursue asking the Lord to do just that—teach us to pray. I believe that, as we continue to look at learning how to pray through the Scriptures, we will develop into daughters who pray—who delight, yearn, love to pray to their Father. This is my heart’s desire.

Jesus was asked this important question by His disciples. One of the places that it is recorded is in Luke 11, verse 1: “Then He was praying in a certain place; and when He stopped, one of His disciples said to Him, Lord, teach us to pray….” Listen to the words that He spoke to them when they asked:

Pray, therefore, like this: Our Father Who is in heaven, hallowed (kept holy) be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven (left, remitted, and let go of the debts, and have given up resentment against) our debtors. And lead (bring) us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Matthew 6:9-13

The first week, in this series, we focused on the very first, and most important aspect, of Jesus’ instruction—addressing God Almighty as: “Our Father….” We found that He wants to be our Father…our Abba Father! We learned that ‘Abba!’ (today we would say ‘Daddy!’ or ‘Papa!’) is used when talking about “a close, familiar, and usually affectionate or loving personal relationship with another person.”

Last week we looked at the very next aspect of prayer that Jesus deemed of importance—“Who is in heaven.” Jesus’ first attribute relating to God showed the depth of relationship we have with God. This next attribute also pertains to relationship but tells of the utmost importance of Who God is. He is in heaven. And we also were reminded of an awesome promise from God—in the coming ages, you and I will be seated together with Jesus in the heavens (Ephesians 2:4-8). We will dwell for all eternity with Jesus and our Father, Who is in heaven.

This week, as we follow Jesus’ instruction, we come to the third aspect referring to Almighty God— “hallowed (kept holy) be Your name.” Holy is an adjective, it describes. One definition of holy is: exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness. Another definition would be: (applied to the Supreme Being,) holy signifies perfectly pure, immaculate and complete in moral character. My understanding of our Lord’s instruction is that Jesus is not speaking about His Father’s actual name but metaphorically that His Father’s “name” is Who He is. The phrase could be stated as, “…holy are You….”

Throughout the Scriptures, we see God described as ‘holy’ many times:

But You are holy, O You Who dwell in [the holy place where] the praises of Israel [are offered]. (Psalms 22:3)

Are not You from everlasting, O Lord my God, my Holy One? (Habakkuk 1:12)

And one cried to another and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory! (Isaiah 6:3)

And [now] I am no more in the world, but these are [still] in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, keep in Your Name [ in the knowledge of Yourself] those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We [are one]. (John 17:11)

And I also heard the angel of the waters say, Righteous (just) are You in these Your decisions and judgments, You Who are and were, O Holy One! (Revelation 16:5)

Just in these five examples, we see the Almighty God, our Father, ascribed by the Psalmist as ‘You are holy’…that the prophet Habakkuk called Him ‘my Holy One’…that Isaiah saw in a vision God seated on His throne with the seraphim proclaiming ‘holy, holy, holy’…that Jesus our Lord prayed ‘Holy Father’…that one of the seven angels praised Almighty God saying ‘You Who are and were ‘O Holy One.’ There is no doubt Who each of these examples is speaking about—our Father. And there is no denying the great adulation, adoration, worship, and praise that is being communicated to our Father.

And, as such, we are to praise and worship and adore Him with that same heart…He is holy, holy, holy. What a privilege that the our Father, Who is in heaven, would allow us to come before Him and call Him ‘Holy!’ Oh. How. He. Loves. Us. So. <3

He is holy, holy, holy!

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This week we have talked about accepting our Father’s love. We have considered that He wanted us to be born; that He delights in us; that He protects us and He forgives us; as well as that He give us great advice. Possibly you have had to make a few changes in your thinking toward yourself in light of just how MUCH God loves you. Probably you are thinking more in alignment with God’s thinking about you. Perhaps you are even thinking of yourself in the same way that God thinks of you. Here is more truth that God thinks about you; consider this, daughter of God ….

But as the One Who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all your conduct and manner of living. For it is written, You shall be holy, for I am holy. 1st Peter 1:13-17

Clothe yourselves therefore, as Gods own chosen ones (His own picked representatives), [who are] purified and holy and well-beloved [by God Himself, by putting on behavior marked by] tenderhearted pity and mercy, kind feeling, a lowly opinion of yourselves, gentle ways, [and] patience…. Colossians 3:12

So I ask you to add this to your new thinking: How much worth, ______ (insert your name here), do you have if you are holy {as Your Father Who is in heaven}is holy.

“…Holy be Your Name..”

with love,

Coleen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2w_fdyLRvmE

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For the A Daughter’s Worth Bible Study, you will need the book, your Bible, pen or pencil, a highlighter and a quiet place. You can order the book right through our website from clicking the sign-up form button at the top of our webpage.

If you are interested in joining us in our GCH:decaf Teen Girls Ministry, please click the sign-up form button at the top of our webpage. Just follow the instructions on the form and hit submit. We’ll be happy to add you to one of our Online Bible Study Groups! Our new study is A Daughter’s Worth! Please email megan@girlfriendscoffeehour.com for more information

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A Daughter’s Worth: Week 2 / Day 5: Your Father Gives Great Advice

October 12, 2012 by

 

Today’s blog post is by Tina Marin 

Growing up in the south has its advantages, unless you are in a really rural area. I was protected and very naive when I went off to college and I can tell you folks had fun with me. You see I was very trusting and took what folks said literally. I wanted to trust that what others said were true and that they were not being hurtful or mean. I mean, if an adult said something, you were not to doubt what they said correct? How old were you when you learned not to trust what an adult told you something. Well, guess what? There is an adult out there that you can trust. He is our heavenly Father.

Jesus stated in John 10:27 ‘My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.’ How do I get to know Jesus and his Father? By making the effort to communicate with God and spending time thinking about how he created us to be unique and to have a special purpose that only we can fulfill.  By reading his word and getting it into my heart, I can give that love to others. I do not always succeed. Life gets in the way and I let it become too complicated. I try to find some quiet time and some way to show God how grateful I am that He chose me to be is child. How do I do this?  It may be as easy as saying thank you in the morning before you get out of bed. It  may be choosing to listen to music that does not irritate your parents.

Proverbs 2:1-6 Instructs us to receive God’s words and to seek wisdom, then we will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of the Lord. What may that look like to you? It could be as easy as listening to scripture and thinking about a verse that really stuck out while you were listening. It could be speaking with someone more knowledgeable than you in the Bible. Or it could be reading a book that speak about God’s love.

As we finish out this week, think about James 1:5. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” Repeat this verse by inserting your name,  “If any of you lacks wisdom, let Tina ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given her”…. and see how it changes your thinking and your attitude toward life and others around you. It takes on a different meaning and feel. God does care about what you do, what you say and how you think. He wants you to be his daughter and to know that he is always there to help you when you reach out to him for guidance or to just say “hi” and tell him about your day.

Let’s pray:

Heavenly Father, I thank you that you love me and that you want me to grow in wisdom and knowledge. Thank you for this opportunity to learn more about your character and build on mine. Help me be the young woman you have planned for me to be. In Jesus’ precious name I pray, AMEN!

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For the A Daughter’s Worth Bible Study, you will need the book, your Bible, pen or pencil, a highlighter and a quiet place. You can order the book right through our website from clicking the sign-up form button at the top of our webpage.

If you are interested in joining us in our GCH:decaf Teen Girls Ministry, please click the sign-up form button at the top of our webpage. Just follow the instructions on the form and hit submit. We’ll be happy to add you to one of our Online Bible Study Groups! Our new study is A Daughter’s Worth! Please email megan@girlfriendscoffeehour.com for more information

Filed Under: Teens Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Winning Him Without Words: Weekly Overview

October 12, 2012 by

“Whither thou goest, I will go, and where thou lodgest, I will lodge:  

thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.”

Ruth 1:16  

Yes, that was the scripture the minister spoke over my husband and me on our wedding day.

  1. From a peanut farm in Georgia to Tripoli Lybia, North Africa and on to Maine, Louisiana, Texas. Never would I have thought that  “going whither he goest and “lodged” would take me to so many places.

  2. His people became my dearest family.

  3. And then it happened – -seven years into the marriage, I met someone that separated us.  His name was Jesus, and at that point, my husband’s god was no longer my God.

It was then I set out on a mission to accomplish my #1 goal in my marriage – – -“Save my Husband,”  so that he would, not only go to hell, but enjoy this new man in my life with me.

But, no matter how hard I tried, he wouldn’t buy into it. To add to my place of defeat, I received a prophetic word that said:  “Sometimes we are looking for a closer relationship for our loved ones, when at the moment God is looking for that relationship with us.”

What I wanted to say to this person giving this prophetic word was:  “You missed it.  God and me are tight!  It’s my husband who needs to be in a relationship, and I am going to be the one who helps him obtain it.”  But, the Holy Spirit tapped me on the shoulder one day and politely told me that He didn’t need my help; He could handle things.

And so it was, I had to stop doing what our author, Lynn Donovan, refers to as “spiritual ambush.”  [pg 40]

As Beverly, Jennifer, Donna, and Sarah outlined each topic in Chapter 2, they bought us to a place of discovering

  • where we have been on our journey in trying to “Save Our Husbands”

  • where we are now

  • and where the Holy Spirit is leading us.

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Let’s review their points on Chapter 2 now.

Monday:  Don’t Save Your Husband, Save Yourself – -Beverly told us of all the many things she once did to get her husbands saved and in a relationship with the Lord. Beverly describes these manipulative efforts at soul winning as a handbook on how NOT to win your spouse to Christ.

Beverly arrived at an important decision about her soul winning efforts: “I decided long ago to accept that it’s God’s job to change hearts. That decision frees me to pursue my relationship with God without the added burden of having to bring my husband to faith. All I have to do is love and enjoy him. That’s God’s plan for me, and he gives me all the grace I need to accomplish it.

May we do likewise.

Tuesday:  It’s Safe to Relinquish Control – -Jennifer pointed us to the fact that we know that we can’t save our husbands, but relinquishing our control is hard to do.  She agree with the reasons that Lynn stated that made it so hard.   [page 44]

  • I am the only believer my husband encounters on a regular basis

  • I am the one person who is actively praying for him

  • If I do not show my husband Jesus, who will?

But, Jennifer pointed to Lynn’s statement that made a humbling impression on her to stop the control game.  You are underestimating the power of the Lord in your life.  [pg. 44]

May we do likewise.

Wednesday:   Throw Me a Life Preserver:   Donna pointed us to the reality that we are always in need of refining within our marriage. Forgiveness is one thing that is usually part of that refining process, which could go back to things that happened to us in childhood.  It is those experiences that might have left us with anger, bitterness, and a controlling nature.  Those things hurt our marriage and each other.

Donna summed it us by saying:  “I have found that when I hang onto God and trust him to be in control I find freedom and, to quote our author, God can change little ole me and my marriage for His glory.

May we do likewise.

Thursday:  A Daily Prayer / How Should We Pray—Sarah brought us back to the place we should be before we got on the bandwagon of trying to Save Our Husbands – – -Prayer!

Even with that revelation, Sarah points to the fact that we have to rid ourselves of distractions, get focused, and the ultimate question of “How to Pray.”

What works for Sarah has been:

  • Praying in the morning, which frees my mind of the day’s worries because nothing has happened yet to worry or stress me out! Another benefit to praying in the morning is I am better prepared to handle anything that may come along to worry or stress me out!

  • To stay focus, Sarah started a prayer journal, as Lynn suggested.  She says that by writing her prayers out in long hand, really brings her focus onto the paper and away from the distractions in the room.

  • How to Pray, Sarah says that praying from her Bible, using the right scriptures for what she needs God’s help in, but really didn’t know how to ask.  She turns those scriptures into a personal prayer.

Sarah’s new prayer life is inspiring a special person in her life – – HER HUSBAND!

May we do likewise!

Friday:  Discovery/Prayer:  Father God, if I could pray just one simple prayer for myself, and this whole community of women who are desiring a closer walk with you, it would be this:  “Help us to be doers of your word, and not just hearers.”  Those things that you have revealed to us this week are priceless.  Help us walk them out.  In Jesus name, I pray.

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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 us at Prayer@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com. and one of our prayer team members will contact you.

Blessings to you,

Martha

 

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