April 23, 2025

Authority and Submission

September 25, 2012 by

HAPPY TUESDAY EVERYONE!!  Last week we talked about putting “First Things First”.  In that discussion we talked about what it means to put God’s Kingdom FIRST.  To do that properly, we need to know why we are to do that.  Last week we looked at Matthew 6:33, “But put God’s kingdom first.  Do what he wants you to do.  Then all of those things will also be given to you.”  Today we are going to talk about the next sentence, “Do what HE wants you to do.”  The only ways we can truly do that is by accepting Jesus’ authority over our lives and submit to that authority.  Those are two pretty scary words, so don’t shut off your brain on me just yet.  J  We can get this…

 

So I looked up the definitions of Authority and Submission for us and this is what I found:

AUTHORITY is the power or right to control, judge, or prohibit the actions of others;  a person or group of people having this power, such as a government, police force, etc; a position that commands such a power or right (often in the phrase in authority ); and  the ability to influence or control others: a man of authority.

SUBMISSION is an act or instance of submitting / to give over or yield to the power or authority of another.

Stick with me here.  I have an issue with GIVING away my authority.  I used to have a problem submitting my will to someone else’s (ok.  Sometimes I still have a problem with submission).  :-/

My Bible tells me that there is One who deserves to have Authority over MY life and I should Submit myself daily to that authority.  There is this man, Jesus that died for my sins.  He knew what kind of person I would be, what kind of trouble I would get into, what I needed to be saved from myself.

In Romans 5:6-8 it says, “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly die.  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:  while we were still sinners, CHRIST DIED FOR US.”

If that wasn’t plain enough, my favorite disciple, Peter says in 1 Peter 3:18, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, TO BRING YOU TO GOD.”

God’s authority touches every area of our lives.  When we get that relationship settled, everything else falls into place.

This is a visual image of how authority works.  I want to see how many verses in the Bible we can come up with to support each of these areas of authority.  What does and where does the Bible talk about how we are to act in our family?  Where should we begin to find out what God says about that?

What does the Bible say about how we are to treat our Government leaders?  Sometimes we don’t agree with the way they do things and we hear some pretty harsh language thrown around.  Is that OK for a Christ-follower to do?  Are we showing biblical respect for their authority?  What about in our church?  Do we give the Pastor, Teachers, and leaders the respect they deserve for offering their service to us?  Some of us have jobs or will have jobs in the future and it would be wise to see what God has to say about how we treat our employers as well.

I would like you to take some time and begin to search out what the Word has to say about Authority and our responsibility to Submit to it.  Post a comment and let me know that you have found at least one verse supporting this topic.

Maybe this is the first time you have attempted to find a certain topic in the Bible.  I’m so glad you are here.  Most Bibles have a section in the back called the Concordance.  It is arranged topically.  You look up “authority” just like you would in a dictionary.  It will give you verses to begin reading to see what God has to say about that topic.  Some of your Bibles will have a dictionary in the back as well, use it when you don’t understand certain words or phrases.

It is my prayer that we can grow deeper in the Word of God together.  We don’t want to meet God in heaven and be wearing our spiritual diapers and sucking on a binky.

I want to leave you with a thought from Mother Teresa (if you don’t know who she is, look her up on Google):

There is always the danger that we may just do the work for the sake of the work. This is where the respect and the love and the devotion come in – that we do it to God, to Christ, and that’s why we try to do it as beautifully as possible.

Mother Teresa

I love you guys.  Mama T <3

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Our secret fellowship group on Facebook  is OPEN, so join us to make some new friends who love the Lord!!!! :)

Please “like” our Facebook Community page here to stay up-to-date on all we are doing for teens over here at GCH: decaf: https://www.facebook.com/GCHdecaf.

Be sure to email our lead barista, Megan, if you would like to join a small group or if you have any questions about the study or this ministry. She would love to hear from you!  Teens@girlfriendscoffeehour.com .

Our first study will start October 1st!  We will be studying A Daughter’s Worth by Ava Sturgeon.

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Unexpected Legacy / Set in Stones

September 25, 2012 by

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

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

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

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

“This heritage must be carried on”.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

Reminder!!!    Our next Women’s Online Bible Study starts next week on October 1, 2012!!  We will begin an awesome study by Lynn Donovan and Dineen Miller, “Winning Him Without Words…10 Keys to Thriving in a Spiritually Mismatched Marriage“.  We are excited about this study!!  This study will end on December 13th.  I hope you will join us!!

To sign up for this study, please email us at:     WOMENS@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com

We will send you all the details to get registered.  To being you will need  a copy of the book (you can purchase a hard copy of the book or download to an e-reader device), a pen/pencil, your Bible, and a journal (if you like).  Each day, Monday through Friday, we will blog about this study RIGHT HERE on our website!  Then you will go to our Facebook Discussion Group, where we have set up a PRIVATE Facebook Group, so you can share your thoughts privately with just the women in that group.  The Facebook Groups are an awesome way to let your hair down, be yourself, be real, and not have to worry about the whole world reading your thoughts!  Plus, it’s a GREAT way to meet other Christian like-minded women and build friendships all over the world!  Sure hope to see you join in with us!

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Are YOU God’s daughter?

September 23, 2012 by

 

In preparing our hearts for our Bible study we will be beginning next week, we thought it would be good to take this week to talk about all the things that make us a daughter of the most-high King! THIS  is the schedule for our blogs this week….

I’m excited for you to read what Diane will be sharing with you tomorrow here on our blog about how being a godly girl isn’t about doing a list of things… it is about being obedient to Christ in everyday life and showing His love through every interaction!

Right now you can be obedient to Christ by doing things like obeying your parents and other authority in your life. Teresa will be sharing more with you about that on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Jordan will be talking with you about having a pure heart. What Does it Mean to Have a Pure Heart? Well, purity means cleanness from foulness or dire and Daniel 12:10 says, “Many will be purified, made spotless and refined.” Purity really begins in our hearts and thoughts. Pure daughters must learn to control their thoughts. Sometimes, it will be hard. To control your thoughts, it helps to focus on God by praying, thinking of Bible verses and hymns. This is a time when the Bible verses you’ve memorized really help; think of Psalm 19:11: “Your Word have I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.”

Tonya can’t wait to share with you on Thursday about your attitude! Is your attitude right, or are you just going through the motions? How we act reflects the attitude of our hearts. “As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man. ” (Proverbs 27:19, ESV)

On Friday, our new blogger, Edwina, will be sharing with you about beginning anew! Let’s start this Bible study with open hearts and fresh eyes ready to hear from our Lord and Saviour!

And on Saturday…. Coleen will be continuing our series on prayer. I hope you enjoyed her 1st post in this series yesterday! I really loved it! 🙂

Friends, I am so excited to see how God is going to work though each and every single one of us through this study! Have you signed up yet? There is still time!!! All you need to do is email us at Teens@girlfriendscoffeehour.com and let us know you’re interested! THEN… we will give you access to our super safe and secret Facebook groups where you can meet and hang out with other teen girls who love the Lord just like you do!

You can like our public Facebook community page here:

https://www.facebook.com/#!/GCHdecaf

Let’s pray…

Dear Lord, thank you for each and every one of your daughters reading this blog today. Father, we are believing You for BIG things in their lives through diligently seeking You in such an intentional way through GCH:decaf. We pray that You bless every household and every precious heart involved. We love you, Lord, and we thank you! In Your Son’s mighty name we pray, amen <3

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Saturday Prayer with Coleen

September 22, 2012 by

Lord, I thank You for Your promise that as we draw near to You, You will   draw near to us!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpdAk7CG3DI

Be quiet. Sit still.  Draw   close.  Dwell in His presence.

Rest in His love.  Listen as He speaks.  Cling to His words. And remember, God speaks to those He loves….

What a privilege we have that the Almighty God, He Who is mighty to save,   the Creator of the heavens and the earth would speak with us!  That He   would draw us to Himself, bringing us into a tender and close relationship   with Himself!

Think about the importance of God’s words.  With His words He   spoke all of Creation into existence.

And God said, Let there be light; and there was light.

Then God said, “Let there be an expanse   in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the   waters..and it was so.

Then God said, “Let   the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the   dry land appear” and it was so.

Then God said, “Let the earth   sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth   bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them;” and it was so.

Then God said, “Let there be lights   in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them   be for signs   and for seasons   and for days and years;” and it was   so.

Then God said, “Let the waters teem   with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth…God created the   great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters   swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind;  

Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth living   creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth   after their kind”; and it was so.

Then God said, “Let Us   make man   in Our image, according to Our likeness…God created man in   His own image, in the image of God He created him; male   and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and   multiply….”

(excerpts from Genesis   1:3-28)

This same God, YHWH, the Creator   desires to speak to us!  He wants to speak words—His words—that will   heal us, set us free, comfort us, bless us.  Throughout the Scriptures we   read often of God speaking through prophets and holy men words that had   much impact.  Words that brought life…sometimes death.  God   communicated His heart through His words to His people.

And the Lord said to   Moses,

Say to Aaron and his sons, This is the way you shall   bless the Israelites. Say to them,

The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and   keep you;

The   Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious   (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you;

The   Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace   (tranquility of heart and life continually).

(Numbers 6:22-26)

God was   speaking to Moses the words that the priests were to speak to the Nation   of Israel  to communicate to them the blessing of God.  These words   had life.

You have said, ‘Seekmy face.’  My heart says to you, ‘Your face, Lord, do I seek’ ”  (Psalms   27:8).

As you seek Him,   know that He will be found.  Your God desires to care for you, to bless   you, to provide for you.  And He wants to speak to you…take time to   listen.  < 3

Love,

Coleen

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Our secret fellowship group on Facebook  is OPEN, so join us to make some new friends who love the Lord!!!! :)

Please “like” our Facebook Community page here to stay up-to-date on all we are doing for teens over here at GCH: decaf: https://www.facebook.com/GCHdecaf.

Be sure to email our lead barista, Megan, if you would like to join a small group or if you have any questions about the study or this ministry. She would love to hear from you!  Teens@girlfriendscoffeehour.com .

Our first study will start October 1st!  We will be studying A Daughter’s Worth by Ava Sturgeon.

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Resolution for Women: Sabbath Spaces

September 20, 2012 by
Today’s blog is brought to you by Donna Day.  Donna is new to our Women’s Ministry Blogging Team, and will become a full-time blogger when our next study “Winning Him Without Words” begins on October 1st.  I hope you enjoy her post today, as much I do!! <3 Christi  

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I remember as a little girl growing up in Wisconsin, the snow days like the one Priscilla talked about in this part of our study today. Of course we had a lot more snow days than Dallas would have had. We wished for them so we could get out of school and go sledding or ice skating. Snow days here were not a day of being stuck in the house with nothing to do. All the kids in the neighborhood would gather and have a great time in the snow.

Our dilemma would have been the stormy days when the electricity would go off and we were forced to a day of solitude indoors with no radio or TV. I hated those days then, but now I love them! A chance to get caught up on reading a good book or just meeting with God for some quiet time.

Isn’t it humbling to know that we have a God who wants to meet with us? The God of the universe, the creator of everything desires my presence with Him! Out of the hustle and bustle of our world our Father wants us to know that he desires to be with us and spend time together.

That’s why I love this “14 challenge” that Priscilla has given us. Our world today is so pushy and intrusive. With all the internet, cell phones and television we can’t live without, sometimes it’s overwhelming. Society tells us that we have to constantly be busy achieving and going to the next level to accomplish all-even if it takes 7 days a week! To teach our children that we need this 14 minutes of carved out, purposely planned time with God is a gift to them. Teaching them how to listen and pray and hear from God helps them know how to plan for the day and for life.

My husband recently remodeled our bedroom and added a balcony on to the back. I have always tried to find a quiet place and time everyday to meet with God and during nice weather days, that balcony is where I meet with God. It’s a tangible place I can go to and know it will be quiet and peaceful.

My children have always known that Mom has a quiet time everyday. They are grown and gone and have their own lives now but I pray that I have instilled in them the pursuant of peace, a sabbath rest from which to draw on for the day.
May I suggest some  practical tips you could use to make your “Sabbath Rest” a success?

* Decide during the day what time can be easily set aside for this. Whether it’s morning, nap time, or evening when everyone is quiet. Whether you have to get up earlier or stay up a little later.

* Find a peaceful spot so that you are not distracted by anything around you.

* Turn off all phones, TV and radio, so you are not distracted by them. It won’t hurt for this small amount of time and it says you’re serious about taking the time to meet with God.

* Set everything out the night before, if possible, so that when you are ready it’s all there and you don’t have to go hunting for it.

* Go in with an attitude of prayer and be ready to let God speak to you.

Now that you have done all this in preparedness, purpose to take time everyday-it will change your life!!! If it’s 14 minutes or half an hour, you will not regret it. In fact you will look forward to it and God will meet with you. You will find that “Sabbath Rest” we all need on a daily basis!

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Let’s pray: God we want to meet with you. Help us make it a priority in our lives. Help us carve out time to make this happen-even if it’s only a few minutes a day. so that we can teach our children and be an example to them of this important time. teaching them that it is necessary to be able to live grounded in You. Thank you so much  that you desire time with us. In Jesus name Amen
Your assignment:Share in the comment section below, how you do or will carve out that necessary Sabbath rest time with God. Be honest and share and be creative too, sometimes we need to be creative to make it happen!

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Donna lives in Southeast WI, with her awesome husband Ronald.  Together they have 3 children and 2 grandchildren.  She went to school in the Brodhead WI area, and met her husband in the 5th grade!  He told her years later that when he first met her, he knew he was going to marry her!!  How sweet!!

Donna attends Rock Assembly of God, where she is active in coffee ministry, Worship team and heads up their Women’s Ministry, as well.

She loves to read, sing and listen to some talk radio.

She became a born again Christian when she was 12, but didn’t really get discipled until she had been married for 2 years. Then she and her husband both gave their lives to Christ and they’ve never looked back.

We are so blessed to have Donna on our Leadership Team.  She is such an encourager, and a joy to be around!

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Reminder… on October 1st, we will begin our brand new Online Bible Study, entitled “Winning Him Without Words” by Lynn Donovan and Dineen Miller.  If you are in an unequally spiritual marriage, you won’t want to miss this study!!

To sign up for this study, please send an email to: Womens@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com and we will send you all the details you need to get started!

Now jump on over to our Facebook Group for the daily activity!! If you do not yet belong to this group, and would like to, send us an email atGirlfriendsCoffeeHour@gmail.com with FB GROUP in the subject line, and we’ll be glad to add you!
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God: The Same Yesterday and Today…

September 20, 2012 by

… and He wants to connect with YOU!!

Hello GCH: Decaf Girls!!! I am so excited to be walking alongside you on this journey! I want to share with you that the God you hear about and have read about in your Bibles, is the same today as He was a long time ago. He reaches out to us in so many ways.

I can sense who He is whenever I am by water…any large body of water.  The water is like God in a sense. The water is soothing and comforting. The sounds of the water brushing up against the bank is as if God is reaching out for me to tell me that everything is going to be okay and that He is here for me.  Water is also a source of cleansing which reminds me that He washed away all of my sins and I am a new creation in Him. He loved us that much to send His only Son to die for our ugly sins. He loves us so much!

Whenever I am around nature I quickly think of the trees, grass, creeks, and cool breeze.  When the wind is blowing it is as if God is speaking to me Himself. You feel the wind but you can’t see it. It is like that with God. You can feel Him but you can’t see Him…but for me, I see Him when I look at my teens, my face in the morning, through my friends on Facebook and Twitter.

God is so smart that He has allowed us to create ways in today’s time to see Him. The Bible on the internet, scriptures and quotes that some of your friends may place on their pages, text messages that some of your friends may send that may be the scripture of the day or even our own GCH women who place daily devotions on their Facebook pages.

God desires to be a part of every aspect of your lives. He doesn’t want to be left out. He wants to be included. Maybe the next time you are on Facebook or sending a text message to a friend…you could send a prayer, scripture, or inspirational quote for encouragement, or even a smiley J. Those are a few ways that we can include God in ALL that we do. You will be sharing Him with others.

Hebrews 13:8 (NKJV)

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

He LOVES you my dear precious friends and He desires to be connected with you and in all that you do.

He is still the same God today as He was yesterday!

Love you bunches,

Tonya <3

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Remember… we are giving away 5 copies of the book for our very first Bible study A Daughter’s Worth by Ava Sturgeon!!! How do you enter to win?!?!?!?

1. Tell your friends about the Bible study! You can call, txt, email, FB, etc…. any of your best girlfriends that YOU think would benefit from this online Bible study!

2. Have them send an email to teens@girlfriendscoffeehour.com to sign up for the Bible study and have them give us YOUR name as referring them.

3. The 5 people who refer the most people to the Bible study WINS a FREE copy of the book!

Our secret fellowship group on Facebook  is OPEN, so join us to make some new friends who love the Lord!!!! 🙂

Please “like” our Facebook Community page here to stay up-to-date on all we are doing for teens over here at GCH: decaf: https://www.facebook.com/GCHdecaf.

Be sure to email our lead barista, Megan, if you would like to join a small group or if you have any questions about the study or this ministry. She would love to hear from you!  Teens@girlfriendscoffeehour.com .

Our first study will start October 1st!  We will be studying A Daughter’s Worth by Ava Sturgeon.

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Resolution for Women: Ok

September 18, 2012 by

“For the law was given through Moses,

grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

John 1:17

 

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

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

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

Okay.

That’s it.

Proverbs 15:1

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

On page 235, Priscilla writes:

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

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

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Let’s Pray:

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

Your Assignment:

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

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

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

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Reminder… on October 1st, we will begin our brand new Online Bible Study, entitled “Winning Him Without Words” by Lynn Donovan and Dineen Miller.  If you are in an unequally spiritual marriage, you won’t want to miss this study!!

To sign up for this study, please send an email to:  Womens@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com and we will send you all the details you need to get started!

Now jump on over to our Facebook Group for the daily activity!! If you do not yet belong to this group, and would like to, send us an email at GirlfriendsCoffeeHour@gmail.com with FB GROUP in the subject line, and we’ll be glad to add you!

Be a blessing,

Megan 🙂

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A Daughter’s Worth…… A Giveaway!!!

September 17, 2012 by

Happy Monday to each of you, my precious sisters in Christ!!!

I have a video message for you today AND information on a giveaway!!!

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We will be giving away 2 copies of the book for our very first Bible study A Daughter’s Worth by Ava Sturgeon!!! How do you enter to win?!?!?!?

1. Tell your friends about the Bible study! You can call, txt, email, FB, etc…. any of your best girlfriends that YOU think would benefit from this online Bible study!

2. Have them send an email to teens@girlfriendscoffeehour.com to sign up for the Bible study and have them give us YOUR name as referring them.

3. The two people who refer the most people to the Bible study WINS a FREE copy of the book!

We are opening up our secret fellowship group on Facebook today so get ready to make some new friends who love the Lord!!!! 🙂

Thank you and be a blessing today! <3

Megan 🙂

Psalm 145:4-6, 11-13 

4 One generation will commend your works to another;

they will tell of your mighty acts.

5 They will speak of the glorious splendour of your majesty,

and I will meditate on your wonderful works.

6 They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds.

11 They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might,

12   so that all men may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendour of your kingdom.

13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations.

The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving towards all he has made.

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

Resolution for Women: Chapter 12 – Living With Grace

September 16, 2012 by

“For the law was given through Moses,

grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

John 1:17

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(Girlfriends Coffee Hour is not affiliated in any way with Crossroads CA)

Is your home a welcome place for all that enter?

Let’s study this week how we can make our homes a resting place, not only for our families, but for all who enter.  One thing others have always told me, and it has given me much joy to hear, is “I love coming to your home Christi.  I always feel like I’m at ‘Home.'”  There could be no sweeter compliment to me!  I work hard at making sure people feel comfortable in my home, and want to come back!  Not only does to speak to others as to what kind of people we are, but it also shows them Christ.  And that, is the most important thing to us, for them to see.

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Your Reading Assignment

Monday:  Read pages 228-233 – “Grace” – Then come back to our blog to see what Christi has to say about this chapter.

Tuesday: Read pages 234-236 – “OK” – Then come back to our blog to see what Megan has to say about this chapter.

Wednesday:  Read pages 237-239 “Off Broadway” – Then come back to our blog to see what Kelley has to say about this chapter.

Thursday:  Read pages 240-246 – “Sabbath Spaces” – Then come back to our blog to see what our what our brand new Blogger, Donna Day, has to say about this chapter.  Donna will be filling in for Beverly this week.

Friday:  Come on back to our blog for our Weekly Review with Christi.

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Reminder… on October 1st, we will begin our brand new Online Bible Study, entitled “Winning Him Without Words” by Lynn Donovan and Dineen Miller.  If you are in an unequally spiritual marriage, you won’t want to miss this study!!

To sign up for this study, please send an email to:  Womens@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com and we will send you all the details you need to get started!

Now jump on over to our Facebook Group for the daily activity!! If you do not yet belong to this group, and would like to, send us an email at GirlfriendsCoffeeHour@gmail.com with FB GROUP in the subject line, and we’ll be glad to add you!

See you tomorrow!!

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

Tonya’s Journey to GCH:decaf!

September 16, 2012 by

Introducing……

GCH: decaf blogger Tonya Elliott

I have always known who God was. I can remember as far back as 4 years old, kneeling beside my bed, with my mom and dad on each side of me, teaching me how to say my prayers…you know how it goes: “Now I lay be down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep…”. If my mother and father didn’t do anything else, they made sure that my sisters and I had some form of concept of who God was. “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6.

You have to understand that my mother and father weren’t avid church goers, but my mother would consistently place my sister and me on the church bus every Sunday to go to church. In a way, I am so glad that she did that, because those wonderful ladies helped introduce Jesus to my sister and I more and more…more seeds were planted…”I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.” 1 Corinthians 3:6). Thank you Jesus for the lovely women of Christ who took time out to plant seeds, while others watered and I can now definitely see God’s increase! God is awesome like that!

I spent most of my elementary and middle school years traveling back and forth between Germany and Ft. Campbell, Kentucky. Ft. Campbell, Kentucky was my father’s home base. He was a Sergeant First Class in the Army…a Mess hall Cook. I LOVED my life growing up on the many military bases. What my sisters and I didn’t know was that our father’s drinking problem was starting to affect his work, and he was making more mistakes with his cooking.

I can remember coming home from school in the 8th grade, to my mom packing our belongings. I was used to packing and moving, but I knew that my dad was not scheduled to be transferred anywhere else, so I asked her what was going on. She replied that we had to move because my dad was being discharged because of his drinking. I was devastated! My world as I had always known it was coming to a complete halt!

How does a person…a young teenage girl comprehend all of that? To be honest with you, I had a difficult time trying to adjust to the news. I was angry, I was frustrated, sad, confused, all of the above. We ended up moving to Memphis, Tennessee, which was where my parents were from. We moved with my mother’s family and the saga began. I won’t go into details about all of that, but I will say that it was a very emotional time in my life. We went from having everything we wanted, to not having anything at all…well; at least we still had each other, right?

During this time, I met a lady who changed my WHOLE life around! She was my Young Life leader who would take the second baton of my Christian  growth and help me to run with it. She took the time to get to know me, share with me in my time of hurt, frustration, confusion, and anger, through the love of Jesus Christ. She took what was a horrible time in my life and helped me to refocus everything in my life towards Jesus. She loved me in spite of what was going on in my life.

Did my dad ever stop drinking, I am sure that you are asking? Unfortunately no, he did not, but our relationship got better. I loved my dad unconditionally, even through all of the hurt and disappointments. I learned to see him through the eyes of Christ…and believe me, once I truly became a Christian, that wasn’t hard to do at all! My dad passed away in November of 1998 and I miss him so much, but I know that God has him in His care. I have learned so much since then.

Today I am a Young Women’s Coordinator for a ministry called Red Zone, which is under the Memphis leadership Foundation umbrella, here in Memphis. I work with youth in the inner city Memphis area. I work primarily with middle school aged youth, but I have been working with the youth in that particular area for such a long time, that I have youth who are now grown and some married. I know that this is what God was calling me to do. He wanted me to go through what I went through, so that I could see that trying Jesus really does work and that He could work for the youth too.

I was married for 14 years and I have been divorced for 2 years, and I have 4 AWESOME children of my own, who have faced all kinds of odds, which I will share with you a later date. Trinicia (19), Jonathon (15), Justin (14), and Carlia (12).

Smiling is my thing! It is one of my ways of encouraging others. I am crazy enough to believe that if you share your smile with others, especially those who may be having a bad day, you just might brighten up their day!

I found Girlfriends Coffee Hour and it has been the BEST thing that I have ever done! GCH has brought life back into my world, and I feel alive again! My desire is to come alongside teen girls through this new ministry and walk with them and mentor them and share with them the love of Christ.

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Please “like” our Facebook Community page here to stay up-to-date on all we are doing for teens over here at GCH: decaf: https://www.facebook.com/GCHdecaf.

Be sure to email our lead barista, Megan, if you would like to join a small group or if you have any questions about the study or this ministry. She would love to hear from you!  Teens@girlfriendscoffeehour.com .

Our first study will start October 1st!  We will be studying A Daughter’s Worth by Ava Sturgeon.

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Tonya Elliott is a 40 year old Memphis native…  but she was raised all over the world, Germany, Kentucky, Tennessee, etc…Her father was in the military for 16 years. She has 4 beautiful children, Trinicia (19), Jonathon (15), Justin (14), and Carlia (12).

Tonya met Christ when she was 7 years old and really began to walk along beside Him when she was 14 years old. She has always had a heart for youth ministry! She currently works for a faith-based organization called Memphis Leadership Foundation as a Young Women’s Coordinator, working with middle school aged girls, and she loves it!

She was married at 23 and divorced at 37 years old, but she is thankful for that part of her journey because it has helped to shape her into the woman of God that she is today.

She loves to read, read, and read!! Tonya also loves to learn new things and is currently seeking her degree in Human Services. She is eager to see where God is leading her.

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we just LOVE that Tonya is serving with us on our Leadership Team AND with your precious daughters! Please take a moment to leave her a comment and let her know how happy you are that she is answering God’s call eith GCH:decaf!!

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