April 23, 2025

Resolution for Women: Marriage Proposal

September 4, 2012 by

I was so excited when I logged on to Facebook this morning to see that a very good friend of mine got engaged over the holiday weekend. HOW EXCITING…. right?!?!??!

I noticed yesterday that she had started pinning things like bouquet designs and wedding dresses on Pinterest… so I did have a hunch, but seeing it on my Facebook homepage made it real. She is about to live a wonderful season of planning and prepping…. designing her special day that she has dreamed of since she was a young girl. As I read today’s chapter, I wondered if anyone would be having the real-deal conversation with her like Priscilla’s friend had with her so many years ago.

“Are you sure this is what you want to do?”

Believe me, ladies….. when I was a little girl twirling in my bedroom fantasizing about my wedding day, I never dreamed of having 5 kids at the altar along with my 2nd husband! YIKES!!! Not what dreams are made of, right? Well, before Craig and I even said “I do” we had gone through more in the year and a half we dated than most couples go through in their whole lifetime of marriage! In fact, to this day, I have friends who come to be at the blossoming of a new, blended family relationship for advice because they saw what we lives for so many years and how hard it was and want me to answer for them “So…… has it been worth it?”

Wether you are in your first marriage, second, third or fourth……. your spouse must come first and they must intentionally get your very best or it will just not work. You can not give your kids, family or friends that top spot under God Almighty! Once Craig and I understood this balance and started living our life this way, everything in our relationship came into focus and our entire household was positively effected.

No matter what stage of life, or marriage, we are in, we all want to be fulfilled. We all want our deepest needs to be met and our husband wants this same thing. As Priscilla points out, “He may not be fulfilling his side of the bargain at the moment. But remember, this book is not about him. The reality is, you cannot change him. But you can pinpoint some changes in yourself, and then you can bring that new resolve to your marriage. You can be faithful. That much you can do.”

You may not WANT to do it, but you really need to do it anyway. God calls you to do it. You answer to Him above all else… and He calls us to act and live above our wants as we are not of this world.

I have a story to share that is not a-typical for second marriages, especially when there are children involved.

After the first few years of our marriage, Craig and I were not doing well as we let our house and our lives be led by fear. Craig was not putting me first (after God) because he was scared of his ex-wife and what she might do if he ever stood up to her or “rocked the boat.” This was killing our marriage because not only was I the primary caregiver for all the kids, but I had no voice and no rights. He would give-in to her requests even when it was not in the kids’ or our family’s best interests just to avoid her anger or her wrath. Slowly, it made me retreat and was killing me on the inside because I felt like I didn’t matter and I was scared that it could all be taken from me at any moment. I had given my heart away to these kids and my heart got trampled on every time I turned around. I did not feel safe and I did not feel valued.

Craig finally realized what he was doing and saved our marriage and our family by putting us all in our proper place. It took only saying to his ex a few times “I’ll talk to Megan about it and get back to you” before she got the drill and soon started to say to him “I know you need to run this by Megan but…” VICTORY!!!! He showed me that I came first which also showed the kids how to value their spouse.

I need to do the same.

I cannot have the kids or work or other people taking my top spot. Craig has to come first, or we are out of balance again. What we have found is that once we have our marital balance in place, everything else falls into line and we have a much happier home. It takes a lot of work and intentional actions, but it is so worth it to be able to model this to our kids and show each other how much we value our God and our family by having our spouse in their proper priority.

As you begin this journey this week, list some of your husband’s characteristics that you wish would change but likely will not. Then, record the way YOU can change to adapt to your husband’s characteristics if these attributes are never altered. We’ll look at this later in the week.

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Let’s Pray

Dear Heavenly Father….. no matter what marital season we are in, we need to check our priorities to Your Word. Help us today to begin to “do it anyway” to fulfill our husband’s needs for Your to get all the glory! Lord, show us today how we can make the most immediate impact and help us to lift each other up in prayer to be our best in our marriages. Lord, for those of us who are not in a marriage currently, speak to our hearts about how to best prepare to be able to give our best to our mates. We love you, Lord, and we thank you for showing us all we need to be our best for Your glory! In Jesus’ mighty name we pray, amen <3

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Your Assignment:

In the comment section below, tell us what you might say if you were counseling young woman on the eve of her wedding day. Do you feel that you have accepted the responsibilities marriage has required or have you resisted them?

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After you have commented below, go back 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.

www.adversusmundi.wordpress.com

Many blessings,

Megan 🙂

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The Resolution for Women – How do you Heal an Unbroken Heart

August 29, 2012 by

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom Shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I, Send me!

Isaiah 6:8

Wow, what a week to have me blog for this chapter!  I just came back from a life changing trip to Nicaragua.  This wasn’t my first mission trip though, in fact, last year I went to Guatemala with all intentions of going back. God started working on me way before we left on August 11.  I signed up to go to Guatemala then a Proverbs 31 She Speaks conference was scheduled in the same month – due to financial reasons I had to choose one or the other.  I chose Proverbs 31 as I felt like God was working on me to expand my personal ministry and begin writing or speaking.  So….I registered for the conference.  A few weeks later at church I see where my own church is taking their first independent mission trip to Nicaragua! Immediately God let me know that I was supposed to be on that team  – so I cancelled the conference registration and joined the missionary team.   My wonderful husband had given me the conference money which I now needed for the mission trip and I was able to raise the rest without issue. Yes, God was at work.  When I almost raised all the money needed, the people at work asked me how much more I needed, I told them $125 – they raised $82 for me.  I talked to our pastor taking us, his records had me only owing $80 and I had just received $82!  I preface this story telling you this so you understand how from the very beginning, when I was asking God to show me what ministry activity I was supposed to participate in – He was there – setting me up the entire time.

With that resolved, Like Priscilla in our story today, I now prayed for a broken heart – for the biggest, cracked, shattered, brokest broken heart because you just can’t heal one that is unbroken.  I truly wanted to FEEL the pain, I wanted to understand, I didn’t just want to go through the motions.  I needed to be broke.  Does that make sense?

The first 5 days of our mission trip were spent in a village called Salinas Grande.  It is on the ocean and is built around a salt mine. It was about 8 miles of dirt roads, Many houses were lean-to’s wrapped in black plastic, some were block but were open to weather.  People rode horses and yes, we saw many horses with make-shift wagons (piece of flat plywood) that they would ride multiple people or things on.  Most had electricity with mostly 1 lightbulb hanging for light. However running water was not an everyday gift in most houses.  People went with buckets and containers to get their water; sometimes on bikes, sometimes on horses, sometimes walking.   Oh yes, the heart was breaking already.  Thank you Jesus.  How can we have so much and they have so little?  Why God?

We met a 90-year-old beautiful, precious woman at one of the feeding programs.  She was manually hoisting the water from a very deep well with a bucket and pulley.  Our guys tried to lift the water to see how she managed, they could not lift it far!  God, she’s 90 and happy, I said.  This is life for her; but why? We all have clean running water into our homes – and this elderly sweet lady had to drop a bucket into a well for hers?  More heart break….I gave this woman the biggest hug I could possibly give.  There is no language barrier with a hug!  And the GREATest news…..We had a person on our team who dealt with water pumps at work and we were able to give this her running water at the flip of a switch.  No more pulling her water up with a 10 gallon bucket!

The children were beautiful.   They would come to the feeding programs at lunch time and get a nice hot lunch. These are funded by missionary teams through Open Eyes Ministries. They would come up on bikes or walking with their empty bowls and spoons and for some, this might be the only full meal a day they get.   Can you feel my heart shattering…..being totally broken.  And I prayed for this! I needed this!  The ladies would cook over their fires, no stoves for them, preparing a big bowl of rice, a big bowl of beans, and a big bowl of some kind of meat and vegetables and we would serve these beautiful little people.  We’d play with them – they loved to play ‘football’ (soccer), we had some doing the hokey pokey with us and a translator – All God’s people, but living a different kind of life.

We went into a pastor’s home for a sewing ministry – the young girls were learning how to sew and were making school uniforms to help furnish uniforms to the children at schools that didn’t have the money for them.  Someone in ministry had gotten them Brother Sewing Machines to work with – they looked so out-of-place in this pastors open house with chickens and little biddies running through it – they even had a couple of green parakeets  running around – but they were happy.  It was HOT and there wasn’t much air running through the house, but here these girls sat learning a trade  because someone cared.  Amazing Grace! God is so good! The navy blue skirts they made had perfect pleats.  I stood in awe.  I had to donate to this ministry.  They were working so hard to give back and they didn’t have enough themselves.  —-crash, shatter—-bang…

I know this is getting long-winded, but I have to tell you about the final straw!  We went into the schools to teach lessons to the children. We taught Honesty, Optimism, Integrity, and on the last day we took them the gospel.  I had the opportunity for the first time to stand up in front of this class and teach them about taking Jesus into their hearts, asking for forgiveness of their sins, teaching them that their slate would wash clean, and they would be new.  In my class, I had 22 students and a teacher pray the prayer of salvation!  Oh be still my heart!  Further shatter…..completely broken – emotionally exhausted.  We had 94 total give their hearts in the school that day!

I will end by telling you that I left Nicaragua with a shattered, broken, destroyed heart.  God made sure that it would never be the same again.  Even as it healed, the remnants of the cracks would remain.   I now know that my heart is in ministry for the lost.  For those that do not know Jesus Christ.  I am on a life mission to be part of the groups that change things in the world for those are less fortunate, and many times lost.   I won’t ever be the same person after this trip.  God used it to change me so I in turn could change the lives of others.  I’m thankful to Jesus for shattering my heart. For showing me the way.  I pray that if you have never had your heart spiritually broken, you pray for it.  Pray that God takes it and shatters in it pieces. The beauty of what you feel afterwards will change your life as it did mine.

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Let’s Pray

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for breaking my heart.  Thank you for allowing me to share my broken heart with others; allowing me to be a vessel for you.  Bless each one that reads this blog today and each one that doesn’t.  I pray that you will work in our lives, in our hearts, and mold us and shape us to be missionaries to the world – starting right here in our own towns and cities.  Thank you for the running water, the electricity, the way of life we have here in the USA.  Work with us so that we can take some of our wealth, spiritually and otherwise, to other places in the world, blessing your children there as we are blessed.  We ask these things in your name, Amen.

Your Assignment:

Perhaps you’ve been burned when trying to reach out too drastically, people have taken advantage of you or misunderstood your motives; but when you to go minister Christ’s love to another person, what is your real reason for going?  What’s a better way to evaluate your success than with measurable, feel-good results alone?

After you have commented below, go back 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.

www.adversusmundi.wordpress.com

With Big Hugs and a Big Heart, 

<3 Kelley

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Resolution for Women- Look Again

August 28, 2012 by

I feel so ill-equipped to write the blog post for today’s lesson. I pray you will bear with me as the Lord leads my fingers as they dance across the keyboard…..

Have you ever found yourself in a similar circumstance to the one that Priscilla describes in today’s lesson? Maybe it was at your church or a conference or even watching the news on television….. but have you ever been bombarded with image after image of horrible, unspeakable travesty that make you want to run from it and hide you face?

I have.

For me, it happened a month or two ago when I was catching up one afternoon on Facebook……

I’m “friends” with many of the teens I work with at church Thursday nights and, as you can imagine, I like to encourage them in their walk with the Lord in social media channels like Facebook. On this day, I was at a loss for what to say.

This BEAUTIFUL daughter of the King who I met through my own children at church had started dating a Muslim boy, had renounced her Christian faith, and was excited to show off her new look wearing her burqa veil. I didn’t know what to do. I could not click “like” but I also didn’t want to make her feel like she isn’t beautiful to me…… I wanted to reach through my laptop screen, scoop her into my arms, and help encourage her right back towards her Heavenly Father…… but I didn’t know how to do that in the constraints of reality… so I prayed.

I prayed a lot.

I started reading more and more about the Muslim faith and a woman’s place within that religion/ culture. I kept praying and learning and I found out that many members of my church family had been praying too.

THIS MORNING I popped on Facebook to post today’s FUN in our Resolution Group and I saw this gorgeous face staring back at me once again and my heart sank. Yes, I have been fervently praying for this precious soul, but I still have not acted on encouraging her or speaking into her life in any way…… and then God nudged me….

He reminded me that she sees every single word I post on my own Facebook page every day. She has not unfriended me so I get to assume that she has at least read one or two encouraging things I have posted! However, I know that God is calling me to be more bold than this with her heart…. and I know He will equip me with all I need to do His work in speaking into her heart…. or any other dear heart that He might show me that is in need of His pure, unconditional love.

My town has been in the national news over the recent past about many of our residents not being happy about a Muslim Training Center that is enlarging its current structure here and I am sad to say that I do not feel that some of my brothers and sisters in Christ here have handled their disapproval of this in the most constructive or Godly manner…. I don’t want to fall into that category…. but I also want to respond in a way that glorifies our Father and shows love for all people. I know he will give me the words to share with any young woman He puts in my path and I know He will also equip YOU to represent His Kingdom in a mighty way for whatever cause He places so intentionally on your dear heart.

Habakkuk 1:3

3 Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?

Priscilla reminds us that God puts these images and circumstances in front of us for a reason….. it is simply up to us whether we choose to do something about it or not. I know it is hard not to look away or just pray that SOMEONE ELSE will make a difference with it… but why not allow yourself to be that instrument, that willing vessel for God’s work to be done in this earth? Certain injustices will stir your heart in ways it wouldn’t the heart of another. God has divinely designed YOU to specifically impact that injustice in a unique way that only YOU can, dear sister. I know you don’t feel ready, or able, or prepared…. that’s what God is for!

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Let’s Pray

Dear Heavenly Father….. please please please break our hearts for what breaks your’s!!! Then, we ask that you give us the courage that only can come from You to act in such a bold way as to make a difference for Your Kingdom. We no longer want to stay idle….. we know that You have been preparing us to take action in this season and may You get all the glory, Lord! Give us your eyes, give us your heart, give us your love and give us your strength for we know we could never do this in our own power. Help us to lift one another up as we search our hearts, Lord, and may our relationships be ever strengthened for this stand we will take. In Your Son’s name we pray, amen <3

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Your Assignment:

In the comment section below, tell us about what global or local devastations are you currently seeing that stir compassion in your heart? What has kept you from doing something to help? What is one thing you can do and would be willing to make time to do?

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After you have commented below, go back 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.

www.adversusmundi.wordpress.com

Many blessings,

Megan 🙂

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Resolution for Women – My Heart

August 27, 2012 by

What breaks your heart as it breaks the heart of the Father?

 

Is it abortion?
Is it child abuse?
Is it human sex trafficking?
Is it child pornography?
Is it the homeless?
Is it the spiritually lost?
Is it 3rd world poverty?
Or is it your own backdoor neighbors?

 

What is it that brings your heart to full compassion and mercy?

What breaks your heart so badly that it makes you get up and do something about it?

That’s what the lesson is about this week, in The Resolution for Women.

It’s a chapter on finding what breaks your heart and makes you want to go out and help, or lead, or feed, or clothe???

The Father’s Heart — It’s finding out what breaks the Father’s heart and then asking Him what He wants you to do about it.

“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.

Micah 6:8

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Let’s Pray

Father, break our hearts for what breaks Yours.

AMEN

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Your Assignment:

In the comment section below, tell us about what breaks your heart.

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After you have commented below, go back to our Online Bible Study Group on Facebook to see what our Daily 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.

www.adversusmundi.wordpress.com

Living Intentionally to Be My Very BEST for Him,

 

 

 

 

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Announcing Our Next Singles Bible Study!!

August 26, 2012 by

Jackie Chingawale and Michelle Graziano, the Girlfriends Coffee Hour Leaders of the brand new Singles Ministry, are so excited to announce the first bible study for the Singles Ministry of Girlfriend’s Coffee Hour!  This study will begin on October 1st!!

We will be reading and discussing “Lady in Waiting: Becoming God’s Best While Waiting for Mr. Right” by Jackie Kendall and Debby Jones. This is not just another book for singles! With humor, honesty, and biblical truths, the authors help point women to being the right woman and not just finding the right man. By studying the biblical character Ruth, women learn the characteristics that every woman of God should develop. Learn how to become a lady of purity, faith, contentment, patience, and more as you pursue a personal and intimate relationship with Jesus. You’ll discover that only a relationship with your Heavenly Bridegroom will satisfy!

Are you a young woman preparing yourself for the man God has chosen for you? A woman who had been on a journey and is still waiting for God to show you his plan? Divorced and looking for security in The One who loves you no matter what? This study is for YOU! Even if you are married, but still struggle with dependence on your husband’s love, rather than turning to God for the security you desire, this study is for you!

A bit about the authors:
Jackie Kendall, as president of Power to Grow Ministries, is much sought after as a conference speaker for people of all ages and stages of life. Her teaching style is hard-hitting, humorous, healing and encouraging. Jackie resides with her husband and two children in Florida.

Debby Jones, a speaker for Crossover Communications International, has had the privilege of communicating the message of God’s Word in Europe, Latin America and throughout the United States. Debby resides in Columbia, South Carolina with her husband and four children.

 

If you are interested in joining this study, please send an email to:  GCH.Singles@gmail.com.  We will send you all the details you need to get signed up for this awesome study!!  

We look forward to taking this journey with you!!

Filed Under: Singles Tagged With: ,

Resolution for Women – Chapter 9, My Heart – PLUS … BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!!!

August 26, 2012 by

“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.”

Micah 6:8

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This week we deal with the heart.  What does God want from our heart?  This scripture above gives us a clue:  He requires us to pursue justice; love mercy; and walk humbly with Him.   He wants our hearts to break for what breaks His heart.   He wants us to have a revelation of what His will is.  He wants us to respond to what God has called us to.  He wants us to have His heart.

This week, we are going to see the heart of God and what He wants our heart to look like!  It reminds me of a song that I will post below…..  READ the lyrics and let them sink deep into your heart.  Pray these lyrics as a prayer to our Lord & Savior!

What stirs compassion in your heart?

What tugs at your heart?

Your Reading Assignment for this week:

  • Come to our blog on Monday, where Christi will do a preview of this weeks topic “My Heart”
  • Come to our blog on Tuesday, where Megan will be discussing pages 164-168 “Look Again.”
  • Come to our blog on Wednesday, where Kelley will be discussing pages 169-173
  • “How Do You Heal an Unbroken Heart”
  • Come to our blog on Thursday, where Beverly will be discussing pages 174-179, “Mercy Me”.
  • Come back on Friday, where we will do an overview of the week, AND sign this weeks resolution!

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Now for our BIG ANNOUNCEMENT….

 Our Next Women’s Bible Study

Girlfriends Coffee Hour is so excited to announce the next brand new Online Bible Studies that will begin October 1st!

If you are struggling with being in an unequally yoked marriage, this study is for YOU!!

“Winning Him Without Words –

10 Keys to Thriving in Your Spiritually Mismatched Marriage”. 

To join this study, please send an email to GirlfriendsCoffeeHour@gmail.com with “Winning Him” in the subject line.  We’ll send you all the details you need to get signed up!

This book is based on the scripture from 1 Peter 3:1 “…they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives.”   This Online Bible Study will be led by Christi Wilson, Founder of Girlfriends Coffee Hour.  Beverly McCormick and Donna Day will help with the blogging for this study.  You won’t want to miss this study!! It is AMAZING!!!

If your husband does not share your faith, you may feel like you are walking a tightrope of spiritual survival – guarding the flame of your belief in Christ, yet unable to share it with the person you love most in the world.  But your spiritually mismatched marriage can be a vibrant, blessed relationship where you’re free to grow in love with God and your man! 

Winning Him With Words, written by Lynn Donovan and Dineen Miller, both Christian women married to unbelieving husbands, is your invitation to thrive instead of survive!  This study begins October 1st right here on our website:  GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com.

PLUS, YOU WON’T WANT TO MISS OUR OCTOBER CONFERENCE CALL!!!

Mark your calendars also for October 2nd when Lynn Donovan,

one of the authors of this book, “Winning Him Without Words”

joins us for our monthly Conference call!!  More details to be given soon!! 

If you’ve made it this far, GREAT!  Because I am actually giving away a FREE copy of  “Winning Him Without Words” to ONE person.  This person will be randomly chosen.

All you have to do is:

1.  Comment below WHY you want to win a copy of “Winning Him” 

and

2.  Comment on our FACEBOOK Community Page why you love Girlfriends Coffee Hour! (Click HERE)

You MUST do BOTH in order to be entered into this drawing!

We will announce the winner on our FB Community Page Monday Morning!!!

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Be sure to check out our Teens & Singles blogs, also, for details on their next study, as well!   Go back to our front page … CLICK HERE …  and you will see the Teens & Singles blogs under the Featured blog.  This is going to be an amazing time with GCH!!

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If you haven’t signed up for our Online Study Groups on Facebook, and you want to be a part of this amazing trend, send us an email at GirlfriendsCoffeeHour@gmail.com, and we’ll email you the details that you will need to get added to these groups!  You will have a blast with women all across the world who loves the Lord, and enjoys studying His word!

Wow! I’m tired just from typing all this!  We have some AMAZING things happening here at Girlfriends Coffee Hour, and we hope you are enjoying the ride, as well!  Stay tuned for more announcements this week!

Living Intentionally to Be My Very BEST for Him,

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Resolution for Women — Weekly Overview – Integrity

August 24, 2012 by

“Blessed are those whose way is blameless”

Psalm 119:1

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Wow! What an amazing week we’ve had this week here at Girlfriends Coffee Hour!

We opened up our Fellowship Group to new members this week.  When we reached our 100th member, we offered a prize for that new member!  I’m happy to say that Catherine Drake, from Canada, is our blessed winner, and our 100th member of the GCH Fellowship Group!!  Congratulations, Catherine!

Our Fellowship Group is a fun group of women who are there just to fellowship with each other.  We also have our Study Group where we have our Daily Activity that is given each day, and where we discuss our study at hand!  If you would like to be a member of either, or both groups, please send an email to: GirlfriendsCoffeeHour@gmail.com, and we’ll get the details out to you on how to join these amazingly fun groups!

This week in the Resolution for Women, we discussed Integrity.  It’s been a tough week for some of us, myself included!

We’ve had to look at the things in our life that are drawing us further and further away from integrity and our walk with the Lord.  We’ve had to look at how our actions behind closed doors can heavily impact our integrity walk!  Some of this wasn’t pleasant, but it was needed in order for us to be the very BEST we can be, for our Lord and Savior!  He is worthy of our BEST!

I am so glad Priscilla Shirer offered this chapter in her book The Resolution for Women.  I hope you enjoyed the blogs this week, too!  We’ve learned a lot from the book, and from the blog posts!  We’ve had some amazing discussions about integrity this week in our Facebook Groups!

We’ve had to ask ourselves:

  • Will what I am doing or saying bring glory to God?
  • Is my behavior worthy of God’s blessing?
  • Is there an area of my life that I would be embarrassed or ashamed for others to find out about?
  • What areas do I need to be held accountable?

Some pretty tough ones to ask ourselves, but important questions to keep us on the right path to victory!! Amen?  AMEN!

Let’s close this week with reviewing our Resolution and signing our names to yet another amazing promise to ourselves, and to God!

My Integrity

 I will not tolerate evil influences even in the most justifiable form,

in myself or my home, but will embrace and encourage a life of purity.

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Your Signature

I have signed my book!  I hope you will sign too!

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Next week, we will cover the topic of My Heart – A resolution to care!  Another awesome week!!!

…don’t forget to read what the men are up to with the Resolution for Men over on Craig’s blog…

www.adversusmundi.wordpress.com

Love you & I’ll see you on Sunday with next weeks reading lessons.

Living Intentionally to Be My Very Best for Him,

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Resolution for Women: From Strength to Strength

August 23, 2012 by

As I studied this lesson the first thing that truly penetrated deep with me was the story Priscilla shared about her stepping onto the log, you know the one that looked so sturdy and strong on the outside when in fact it was totally rotten on the inside.   It got me to thinking about myself and how I must look to God on the inside and outside.    So I found these two pictures to illustrate it for you.

Look at how nice this apple looks  (all juicy looking and ready for you to take a bite, and you pick it up, wash it, and get ready to take that bite.

And when you do….ewwww…is then what you are saying because the inside looks like this….

It looked good enough to whet your appetite when in fact decay and deterioration had taken over its inside, and sooner or later this same thing is what happens to each of us, the pressures of our life will reveal the truth of what is on the inside.

We can put up fronts and “look” strong on the outside but our insides are ready to snap, to fall to pieces.

Something caused this apple not to be able to stand up to keeping it strong and juicy and ready to eat just like something inside us does the same and that something we learned about in this week’s lessons is our integrity.

The story of Daniel in the lions den is truly one of the most pure Christian inspirational stories of all times. His pure love for God put his integrity to the ultimate test!

We find the story in Daniel Chapter 6. We have all heard the story but I would like to stress some points within the story that stand out to me and will help us to understand what this lesson is trying to teach us.

The story took place during the rule of king Darius. King Darius liked Daniel a lot, and had placed him in a very high position within his kingdom.  Of course because of Daniel’s status it caused a great deal of jealousy among the individuals placed below him. So much so that they plotted against him.  Now these weren’t just everyday people they were high ranking officials.

When they got together they decided that they needed to find out something about his life that they could use against him to destroy him.

Does that sound familiar at all to the way people still act today. People are always trying to get the scoop on us and what they can find out in order to tell others….Instead of trying to work hard and handle their own lives, they find it is a lot faster to the top of the food chain to destroy those around them.

Kids are a good example of this! What is the first thing a small child will do to gain favor of their parents over their siblings? They run to mama and daddy and tattle on them for what the other one was doing!  ***I did that to my younger sister several times**** They are just trying to get to the top of the parents totem pole by trampling on the backs of anyone who stands in their way.

That is what the people were doing to Daniel. They examined his life with a fine tooth comb and could not find anything wrong.

Wow! Can you imagine! How wonderful that could be to know someone was looking into our life and not being able to find just “one” something that could destroy us.

The only thing they could figure out was that Daniel would pray three times a day like clock work in his home. Throughout his life he didn’t care who was in charge, what the rules were, he was going to worship the one and only true God!

It started from the first time they brought him captive to Babylon. He would not eat the food they presented and with the help of God was given the proper diet.

At the time, Daniel’s praying was no problem. But the people intended to make it a problem because they knew he wouldn’t give up his dedicated worship to God. That is a true testament in itself of his Integrity! He was known for doing the right thing without compromise. How about us?   Will we do the same?

So the people went to King Darius and asked him to make a decree for thirty days that no one would bow down and make a request from anyone except the King himself. The NLT version states it like this in verse 7: We are all in agreement—we administrators, officials, high officers, advisers, and governors—that the king should make a law that will be strictly enforced. Give orders that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human—except to you, Your Majesty—will be thrown into the den of lions.

Pretty straight forward huh?  They knew Daniel’s integrity would not allow him to stop doing what he would always do. That was to worship his God.

King Darius did agree to this unknowingly that they had plotted against his friend Daniel. He signed it in such a way that it couldn’t be undone. You see the people in that day believed that a king was like a God and could not make a mistake. So if a king signed a decree, it was irreversible!

So what do you suppose Daniel did?

  • Of course he went right on doing what he always did.
  • He didn’t try to hide it!
  • He didn’t try to delay it for thirty days!
  • He didn’t try to fake it by pretending not to!
  • He just kept on keeping on!
  • That’s Integrity!

He would be facing death if he were to bow down to his God, BUT he just kept on praying to Him. He didn’t change one thing about his normal routine.

What about us, are we committed that strongly to doing the right thing?

When we go into a public restaurant do we still pray before we eat, or are we afraid of the ridicule we might face?

When we have a non Christian over for dinner do we pray before eating or do we only do that with our Christian friends?

When we are behind closed doors do we worship the one and only true God or do we only do that on Sunday at Church?

Do we speak holy/churchy conversations around our church friends and need to wash our mouths out around our work friends?

These are only examples of how we might change what we are doing because we have formed our behaviors around society.

Integrity is doing the right thing no matter what the consequences!

Daniel knew that if he prayed as he always did, he was going to be thrown into the lions den. Was he afraid? I don’t know! But that showed a form of Integrity that can’t be matched anywhere, or anytime.

He decided that he would face death before he caved into the world and it’s rules of going against God!

Now we know how the story ended, but Daniel didn’t have the luxury of knowing!

I know that I would’ve probably caved like a sink hole! Each situation God allows us to experience that tests our ability to make the right choice makes us that much stronger in our relationship with Him and His Son Jesus.

Each experience we face makes doing the right thing a little easier! We can only do this with God’s help. By asking Jesus to be the Authority of our life, it will change us and make integrity a little more real everyday in our life.

Until maybe, just maybe, we will face the lions den as Daniel did and say, God I will follow you over them every time!!! I will NOT compromise integrity for a moment of fun. Remember as Christians we can still have fun but we don’t have to compromise what we know is right!  Let’s take this stand, and be free so we can be an example and an influence to those who are watching our lives so that we can draw them to a closer relationship with Christ.

Let’s pray:

God I pray for each woman who studied this lesson of integrity this week. You showed us many things about our lives that we need to give over to You in order for us to be strong over the evil influences that try to take hold in our lives and I pray You begin and continue to show each of us what those things are so we can place them at Your feet and rid them from our lives and so that we will be ready to sign this resolution to be a “woman of integrity” !  In Jesus’ name I pray, AMEN!

Your assignment:

I would love to hear from each of you how God removed your hidden infested decay that was on your inside before you did this weeks’ study and how He brought it to the surface and revealed the truths to you and because of His teachings this week you are now “strong” and resolved to be a “woman of integrity”.

Now head on back to our Online Bible Study Facebook Group for the Daily Activity (Megan always has something great/fun for us!)  If you don’t belong to our OBS FB Group, and would like to, simply send us an email at: GirlfriendsCoffeeHour@gmail.com and we’ll be happy to send you the details you will need to get started!

…don’t forget to read what the men are up to over on Craig’s blog…

www.adversusmundi.wordpress.com

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Resolution for Women: The 3% Difference

August 22, 2012 by

“Blessed are those whose way is blameless”  

Psalm 119:1

_____________

As I read this chapter, I just couldn’t stop thinking of Girlfriends Coffee Hour and how much of what Priscilla was saying about us needing friends to hold us and keep us accountable to living a life of integrity, just fits with what GCH is all about!!

But, before I go there, I want to discuss the 3% difference.  All I can say is OUCH!  This is a tough chapter!  I’ve had to look at myself with a magnifying glass this week, so I could find everything that was keeping me from living a life of Integrity!!  I’ve had to look deep into what my life really is like behind closed doors, and not just what I put out there for everyone to see.  Again, OUCH!!

The information that Priscilla shared about the rat poison and how just 3% of the whole ingredients of rat poison is what actually kills the rat….while the other 97% is what draws the rat to the poison!

What draws you to the poison?  Is it television shows, books, music, gossip, lying, stealing?  Is it what you look at on the computer?  Is it that glance at work with your co-worker?  What is it that is drawing you closer to the rat poison?

Integrity to me means doing the right thing even when others are not looking.  It means doing the right thing….period.

When you leave Wal-Mart, do you park your cart next to your car, or do you put it in the cart rack?

Do you gossip about others in your life?  In your church?  At work?  In front of your children?

Do you talk mean about others?  In front of your kids, and then expect them not to bully others?

Do you stand aside while someone is digging for extra change to pay their grocery bill?  Or do you offer to help them by giving them the extra change they need?

Do you hold the door for others as they enter a building at the same time as you?  Or do you walk through as if they didn’t even exist?

What do you watch on television?

What do you look at on the computer?

Every one of these things fit into the 97% category that entices you to get to the 3%!  Did you know that?  If not, now you do!  What are you going to do about it?

There are so many things satan uses to try and trip us up; to taint our integrity.  Sometimes we don’t even realize it…until it’s too late.

We are Christians.  We are to be the light of the world.  We are to bring honor and glory to the name of Jesus.  We are to be on our guard, so that our minds are not dulled, as it says in Luke 21:34.

We are to protect our minds, our hearts, our homes, and our walk with the Lord.  We are to stand up and ask for accountability if we are struggling with a certain area in our lives.  We are not to allow even a hint of immorality, impurity or greed enter into our lives. (Eph 5:3)

Even a hint…. Just 3 % is all it takes to kill a rat.  Just 3%.  Think about that for a minute.  Out of 100% of the rat poison….all it takes is just 3% to kill the rat!  The other 97% is what tastes good, looks good, and feels good to the rat.  But it’s the 3% that kills him….  Just 3%.

We could stand all day and look at just that small tiny little 3%, but ask yourself about the other 97%.  What is it in your life that is drawing you, feeding you, enticing you, and making you “feel” good?

You know it’s there.  You’ve known it was there for quite a while now.  You’ve tried your best to get rid of it…to tame it….to stop it…to put it aside….but it just keeps coming back to entice you.

That’s where accountability comes in.  After you’ve made the choice to step away from these things and start living a life of integrity, confess this to the Lord, and then reach out to someone you trust who can hold you accountable to that choice you have just made.

Girlfriends Coffee Hour is a great place to do just that!  A group of Christian women who love the Lord; who strive to live their lives to bring honor and glory to our Lord; who strive to encourage one another; lift each other up in prayer; and support one another along this journey.

GCH is a place where you can come to let your hair down….to get real.  To laugh.  To cry.  To pray.  To fellowship with women all across the world, who are in this journey together!

GCH is a place for others to hold you accountable.  We won’t coddle you.  We won’t baby you.  We’ll give it to you just the way you need it.  Straight up and in truth!

For some, it’s just what they need.  For others, it’s a good kick in the pants.  For even others, it’s just what God has called them to.

If you are looking for a place to call home; a place to come for fellowship; a place for accountability; a place to pray for and encourage others and to be prayed for and encouraged, we want to be here for YOU!

Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend”.  That is the scripture the Lord gave us for this ministry.  We want to help sharpen you to be the very best that you can be for our Lord and Savior!

We love you!  I hope today’s lesson sinks down deep into your heart. I hope it brings you to a place where you will give your ALL to the Lord, so you can become your very best for Him!  That’s what we pray for you!

Let’s pray:

Father, as I lift each woman who reads this blog today, I ask that You reveal Yourself to them in ways they’ve never seen before.  Help them, Lord, to dig deep and really search their hearts for things that are prohibiting them from walking in integrity.  Help us help them, Lord, as we walk alongside them today and every day, to bring You glory and honor!  We love You Lord, and we constantly want nothing more but to bring You honor in all that we do, and say!  In Jesus’ name, AMEN!

Your assignment:

Describe below in our comment section how we can help hold you accountable to what God is doing in your heart this week.  What would that look like, and would you be willing to submit to it?

Now head on back to our Online Bible Study Facebook Group for the Daily Activity, and be sure to let us know today what this chapter has said to you!  If you don’t belong to our OBS FB Group, and would like to, simply send us an email at: GirlfriendsCoffeeHour@gmail.com and we’ll be happy to send you the details you will need to get started!

…don’t forget to read what the men are up to over on Craig’s blog…

www.adversusmundi.wordpress.com

Have a BLESSED Day!!!

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The Resolution for Women: Structural Soundness

August 21, 2012 by

“Blessed are those whose way is blameless”

Psalm 119:1

____________________________

It just would not be right if I typed one more word without quoting Mrs. Shirer from page 147…

“No doubt, this point of resolution calls for an intimate, personal, introspective look at what’s going on in our hearts and homes. It touches on some of those allowances we make behind closed doors, in the quiet of our dens and living rooms, where laziness and leniency have been known to hang around after dinner and stay up into the wee hours. That’s why, honestly, it often requires a resolution like this before we recognize that these things we’ve been sanctioning with our time and attention are a glaring contradiction of who we are and what we say we believe.”

It is all about compromise, ladies….. and with God, THERE IS NO COMPROMISE!

These compromises can come in many shapes and forms and you can probably easily justify them…..

  • watching a movie or television show you shouldn’t watch
  • listening to music you shouldn’t fill your ears with
  • flirting with an old flame online
  • reading a book you shouldn’t be reading
  • eating food in amounts you shouldn’t be eating or to fill a void
  • ________________________________.

I am not interested in telling you what parameters you should have in place for this, because that is not my place 🙂 BUT…. I really would like you to take a good hard, honest look at what you are spending your time on and filling your precious senses with and decide whether you are compromising purity and virtue for the sake of entertainment.

O U C H….. yes, this hurts…. but it is more than necessary that we rip this band aid off in one clean yank rather than continue to live this charade.

We cannot continue to discourage one thing in public and then derive pleasure from it behind closed doors. The world, and God, needs us to stop being one thing on the outside and something entirely different on the inside. He NEEDS this from us in order to fulfill His purposes AND for us to be living in the fullness of what He has for our lives.

THIS is integrity.

Structural Integrity is when something doesn’t just look good, it also has strong functionality. What is the use of a house that looks nice if it will fall apart at the sign of any storm? You wouldn’t want to be seen in a gorgeous new dress if you knew that if you bent down, it would rip at the seams from weak construction. We cannot continue living day-to-day in the hypocrisy of our own actions.

Priscilla shared something with us in this chapter that MUST be shared here. John Wesley (an evangelist) received these words from his mother:

“Whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes off the relish of spiritual things- in short, whatever increases the strength and authority of your body over your mind- that thing is sin to you, however innocent it may be in itself.”

Yikes!!!! So dear sisters, which do WE want more…. God’s best, or your personal favorites?

Psalm 101:2-3 (NLT)

2 I will be careful to live a blameless life— when will you come to help me?

I will lead a life of integrity in my own home.

3 I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar. I hate all who deal crookedly; I will have nothing to do with them.

The verse gives us some guidelines that we would do well to live by:

  1. Have no tolerance for evil.
  2. Closely monitor the type of people you allow to influence you
  3. Recognize your need for divine help

So….. the big question to ask ourselves here today is: “Are you who you claim to be?”

Understand that God’s goal for you through your integrity isn’t to take away all of your fun, like it might look on the surface. He wants so much more for you than that, dear one! His goal is to “position you as a clean, pure, available recipient of His best, most fulfilling blessings.” He needs you to leave all of these compromising distractions behind so that He can fill you with His best!

That’s what I want and I hope you want it, too! Let;s dig deep today, my dear friends, so that we can once and for all be a complete open, pure vessel ready for God’s best!

__________________

Let’s Pray:

Dear Lord, You know how hard it is for us to let go of these worldly pleasures so I ask You to please kelp give each and every one of us the strength and courage we need today to stand for YOU and Your best for us! Impress upon our minds, hearts and soul what You need us to stop compromising in and help us to kick it all to the curb! We want to begin living the same life in private that we profess to live in public. We want YOur best, Lord, and although it won;t be easy, we know it will be worth it! In Your Son’s pure name we pray, amen <3

__________________

Your Assignment:

What do you participate in right now that weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, and/ or takes the relish off spiritual things? Please share with us in a comment below….

________________

After you complete this assignment, then go back to your Facebook Group and see what Megan has for us for our daily activity.  I’m sure it is going to be interesting!!  If you do not belong to one of our FB Groups, and you wish to be added, please send us an email to: GirlfriendsCoffeeHour@gmail.com, and we’ll be happy to add you!!

Join us back here tomorrow where we will discuss the next chapter of this section:  The Three Percent DIfference.

Be a blessing,

Megan <3

…don’t forget to read what the men are up to over on Craig’s blog…

www.adversusmundi.wordpress.com

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