December 23, 2024

Crazy Love: Our Final Week – “Is This What I Want To Be Doing When Christ Comes Back?”

March 14, 2013 by

“What will people say about your life in Heaven? Will people speak of God’s work and glory through you? And even more important, how will you answer the King when He says, ‘What did you do with what I gave you?’ ”   These words by our author gave me pause. I wanted to really think about them and see what my answer would be. They are important, and they are personal.

I think about where I am in the grand scheme of things. Really it is small, but God counts it. I am 53 years old, married for 35 years, have raised 3 children and have 2 grandchildren. I have kept my marriage alive, and we serve God together.  I have raised my children in the truth of God’s word.  I have been in the workplace witnessing whenever and wherever I could. God has been an integral part of this life of mine. But am I capable of more?

YOU BET I AM!!!!

In this Empty Nester season of my life I feel I have even more time to give to God’s work. I am praying for His leading and attempting new things; this blogging was one of them. I have resources I have never had before, like this Crazy Love book, to help encourage me to be all I can be for Christ. I also have learned over the years to be more open to His leading and voice in areas I never thought I could do.

In reading this book, God has reminded me of some principles I already knew, and maybe forgot, and new ones that I never knew. He has touched my heart with new concepts that I want to put into practice. But through it all He has made me think. God wants what is best for me, and He also wants His best to be shared and given and downright sacrificed for His glory!

I want to do whatever He wants me to do without limits. To use some of these old and new concepts to further His kingdom. That’s what I’m here for, that’s my goal, and that’s what I want to be doing when Jesus returns.

When I stand at the throne at the end of my life I want to say like Paul:

fought the good fight

That’s what I want to be doing when Christ returns!!  How about you?

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Let’s pray: 

Thank You, God, that You brought this book into our lives. Now that we’ve finished it, I pray we can take all that you have given each of us individually and apply them to our lives where you have put us. Let us seek out the new things and the old things, and us them for Your glory, Lord. Praise You for all You are about to do in us and through us. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Your assignment:

What new or old things has God impressed upon you to do to further His Kingdom and bring others to Him? Let’s share with one another and get excited that God is using us, though we are small, to further His work here for His glory. Just think: the God of the universe is using little ol’ us!!!!

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If you would like to email a private message to Donna in regards to this blog, please email her at: Donna@girlfriendscoffeehour.com.

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GWS

Our next Women’s online Bible/Book study will begin March 24th.  To sign up for Girls with Swords study, click on the picture above to be taken to our sign-up page.  Once we receive your registration, we will send you more details!  We hope you will join us!

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Crazy Love: Chapter 9 – “Who Really Lives That Way” (pp 161-164)

March 7, 2013 by

The people Francis Chan highlighted in this part of our chapter are such an inspiration to me!

The Robynson Family: Giving their Christmas morning to the homeless with a cup of hot coffee and pancakes, teaching their children while they are young to offer  themselves the way Christ did for us.

 

Susan Diego: Telling God she would do anything He asked her to, then putting  into practice that promise. Helping students, teaching young mothers, starting a school, and opening her home to people of all walks of life. Even doing the one thing she hoped He wouldn’t ask her to do: speaking in public.

 

Lucy: Leaving a life of prostitution and drugs when she met Christ and gave her life to Him. Now she is opening her home (on the same streets she was on) to other young women caught in drugs and prostitution. She shares Christ with anyone in need.

 

Cornerstone Community Church: Giving away 50% of their budget, “loving their neighbors as themselves.”  Also building an outdoor amphitheater to hold services and reach people for Christ.

These examples encourage me, and I hope they do you as well. They are average people like us, who use the talents God has given them to spread the Gospel. I want to do that! Even in my own little world I hope I do that. I pray I can be half the woman of Christ that these examples are! It’s something to strive for, and I can achieve, with the help of my Father.

In Christ,

Donna

 

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Let’s Pray:

Father, thank You for the inspiration that these examples of Your love give us. I pray You will give each woman who reads this blog opportunities to be like the examples here and spread Your truth to the world around us. Helps us to also recognize those opportunities when they come and give us Your words to speak.  In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Your Assignment:

Can you think of some opportunities in your life that you could share the love of Christ in your part of the world and encourage someone else? Let’s name them and pray that we take advantage of those times.

 

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GWS

Our next online Bible study begins March 24th!

Click on the picture to sign up TODAY!!  

 

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Crazy Love: Chapter 8 – Profile of the Obsessed (pgs144-148)

February 28, 2013 by

Two things stood out to me that Mr. Chan said in this part of our book today….

First: God desires true intimacy with each of us, and that comes only when we trust Him enough to be fully transparent and vulnerable.

I think you would agree with me that it is really hard to be fully transparent and vulnerable in this world today. When we open ourselves up like that we often get hurt. I know I have. So we hold back. We don’t trust and we lose that special something called intimacy with that other person because we just don’t want to be hurt again.

When I had my first baby back in 1979, I felt so blessed and amazed by her! First I KNEW she was a gift from God. Second I was responsible for her every need in life. It was sometimes overwhelming when I thought about it. But it was a joy, too! She trusted me to feed her, to clothe her, play with her, and love her. My heart almost burst with joy as she learned each new thing. And when she learned to say “mama”— WOW!! When she would run to me when she was hurt or because she wanted to be with me, I almost cried! I felt so proud to be her mom. Those of you who have children, nieces, or nephews (or even pets) know what I’m talking about.

Isn’t that how we should be with God? He says to come to Him like a child. My baby was a good example of why He said that. He wants us to be dependent on Him. He will not let us down. He will not hurt us. He only wants what’s best for us, just like I wanted only the best for my child. He will be our Provider, our Helper, our Father. He will love us unconditionally no matter what.  He wants us to be obsessed with him. We can run to Him when we are hurt or let down by this world.  We can open up fully and tell Him all our hurts and how terrible we are, He won’t mind!

I believe how to do that is in the second thing Mr Chan  hit me with:

God wants His word to be a delight to us, so much so that we meditate on it day and night.

If we are studying His word—spending time with Him outside the 40 minutes on Sunday morning, getting to know Him on a daily basis—we learn that He is faithful, loving, and trustworthy. We learn that He is there for us at any given moment. Then we have a real intimate relationship with Him that He so desires and is so fulfilling to us. We have real joy that only comes from our Lord. We look forward to reading His word and getting to know more and more about this Father we have. We want to spend time with Him. We want to tell Him everything. We want to live in His continual grace, and we want to sing His praises all day long.

Does that sound obsessive?? I hope so!!!

In Christ,

Donna

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Let’s Pray:

Father, immerse us in Your presence today as we seek to become more intimate with You. Reveal to us today those things that hold us back from being transparent and vulnerable with You. Teach us what a faithful and loving Father You are to us as we read Your word and get to know You more. We love You, Jesus, and want to be completely obsessed with You in our lives. Thank You for the opportunity to do that. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Your Assignment:

What things hold you back from enjoying this intimate relationship with God? What actions can you take to break that stronghold in your life and completely give yourself to God? If you can name some things, we will pray here for you and help you to live that completely obsessive life that God wants with you!

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If you would like to send a private message to Donna in regards to this blog, please email her at: Donna@girlfriendscoffeehour.com.

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Crazy Love: Chapter 7 – “Your Best Life…Later” (pp124-127)

February 21, 2013 by

Chap7_CL

“What are you doing right now that requires faith?”  That is a profound question posed to Mr. Chan in this part of our chapter today. For some of us, we are holding onto faith for our next breath. For some of us, faith is getting through another day. And yet for some of us, it’s doing what God has asked us to do, though it might not be something we’re comfortable with.  Whatever it is, I think it’s worth looking at and pondering.

I read chapter 58 of Isaiah and here are some things I am pondering:

The Israelites cried out to God and acted like they were a nation that was right with God and had not forsaken God’s commands when in reality they were just going through the motions of fasting because it was required of them at that time.

There was a whole host of things that God wanted for them listed in the chapter, for instance:

  • He wanted them to break the yoke of all that entangled them in the day and set the oppressed free!
  • God wanted them to share their food with the hungry.
  • He wanted healing for them.
  • He wanted them to not turn away from their own flesh and blood.
  • He wanted them to stop pointing fingers at each other.
  • And most of all He wanted them to honor the Sabbath.

He told them when they did these things they would take delight in the Lord.

And isn’t that still true today of us when we fast? We immerse ourselves in God, putting away all the things in our world that hinder us from meeting with God for a time. Isn’t our faith bigger when we’re done because we have dwelt in the presence of the Lord? We feel like we’ve heard from God and He has increased our faith, so we can step out and do more. God wants this for us! He wants us to shout His name from the rooftops unashamed! Living freely and able to share our faith whenever called upon is what God wants for us too!! We just need to grab hold of His hand and step out.

Are you ready………?

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Let’s Pray:

Father, I pray we can holdour hands out to You and take that step that leads us into bigger faith for You. Increase our faith as we are obedient to Your call so that we can do even more. Let us live freely as You want us to and serve others more. Thank You for Your faithfulness to us, Lord. In Jesus’ name, we pray.  Amen.

Your Assignment:

What steps can you take even today that God has been calling you to do that will grow your faith? Let us know so we can all pray for you as you step out in faith for God.

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If you would like to email a private message to Donna in regards to this blog, please email her at: Donna@girlfriendscoffeehour.com

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Crazy Love: Chapter 6 – When You’re in Love (pgs 109-111)

February 14, 2013 by

Back when we were married for just a few years, my husband had to change jobs. It was a good move, but in the first month we were strapped for cash.

The bills came in and we were able to pay all of them but one. It was a daunting $100 (back then that was a lot of money to us)!  We didn’t have it.

So we prayed and told God that we wanted to be good stewards of our money, but we just couldn’t pay that one. We went to church that week and told God that we couldn’t do it without Him.  We made a plan to make up for it in the coming weeks, but the bill would be late.

It was hardest on my husband as he was never late with his bills. While we were discussing how we were going to pay this bill in the future, I kid you not, there was a knock on our door.

It was one of the deacons from our church. He handed us an envelope and said someone was told by God to give this to us anonymously. He said the person wanted nothing in return except that, when we could afford to, we would bless someone else who needed it! We were stunned!! I mean we never told anyone about our need! How did they know?

This was a good lesson on how faithful God is to His children. We prayed and thanked God for His provision for us in that time. We have also  been able to do this a few times since and know the joy that person must have felt when they gave it to us. You can’t out-give God! We’ve learned that over the 35 years that we have been married.

YouCantOutGiveGod

The seasons that we go through in life are a testament to  God’s faithfulness. We can be real and cry out to him and hold nothing back.  He already knows our needs and what we feel anyway.

What does God need from us? Absolutely nothing!! He has everything He could ever need; after all, He created it! Including us!!  So what can we give that means anything to Him?

We can give Him ourselves…that’s what He truly wants! Our heart, given to Him willingly, open, and truly waiting for God to fill it. Wanting God is the thing He wants from us, and we need Him too.

In Christ,

Donna

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Let’s Pray: I like the prayer at the end of the chapter that Francis Chan writes so let’s pray that prayer:

“Jesus, I need to give myself up. I am not strong enough to love You and walk with You on my own. I can’t do it—I need You. I need You deeply and desperately. I believe You are worth it and that You are better than anything else I could have in this life or the next. I want you, and when I don’t, I want to want You. Be all in me. Take all of me. Have Your way with me.  In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Your Assignment:

What holds you back today from giving your all to God? He wants you and you need Him. If you can, list those things; and let’s pray for one another to let go of them and live full on for God.

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If you are interested in joining this amazing online Bible study for Crazy Love, click HERE to sign up. Once you are registered, you will receive an email with further details.

If you would like to email a private message to Donna in regards to this blog, please email her at: Donna@girlfriendscoffeehour.com.

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Crazy Love: Chapter 5 – Serving Leftovers to a Holy God (pgs. 90-94)

February 6, 2013 by

In this part of the chapter Mr. Chan really challenges us to re-think what we are offering to God. Are they leftovers? Or are what we offer truly given out of a heart solely wanting to give the best of everything we have to God, our first fruits? Is it the best we can give? I know I was really convicted when I read this! I am examining everything.  I was thinking about when I get up in the morning,  Do I quickly pull out my Bible and give God the first minutes of my day before everything comes crashing in? Or I do I think about what’s on my plate today and put it off ’til later when I think I might get a minute? (Honestly, I never find that minute!)

I grew up in a family of seven people. Because my dad grew up on a farm, dinner was always a big meal. Lots of meat, boiled potatoes and veggies. Most of the time both parents had to  work and we had five growing kids. There was always a little something left over to put in the refrigerator for another day. Once a week at our house was “leftovers night.” YUK!  I hated leftovers! Not all things you warmed up the second time tasted good. In fact, I didn’t like most of them. It was always a race with my brothers to get the best of them. Dry meat, soggy vegetables and fried potatoes were not my favorites. Sometimes I just skipped dinner because I didn’t really care for anything on the table. To this day I try to cook just the right amount of food, so there won’t be any leftovers. Can you tell I’m not a fan??

If I am giving to God the kinds of things I don’t like or skip because I don’t even like them, what does that say about how God feels about them? What does it say about me? I think it says that I’m serving Him things that are sub-standard. OUCH!!! It calls into question my commitment and love for Him. Do I really love God and put Him first in all I do and say? Or do I feel like a liar, as Mr. Chan says? If I am to represent what love is to other people, how can I truly do that when I haven’t first given the best to the Author of love?  It’s very humbling when you think that God has already given us His sacrificial best in Jesus, doesn’t it?

In 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 we read the example of what God means by real love. Francis Chan challenges us to put our names in place of the word “love.”  How do we measure up against these words? I’m afraid I fail miserably at times in this. I am committed, though, to work at this more and more. I want to love like God loves me. With an abandon and an unreserved feeling!  I want “Perfect Love” to reflect out of me…so people know it’s God.

Mr. Chan also shares a line from Mark Buchanan’s writings. He says, “Physical sickness we usually defy. Soul sickness we often resign ourselves to.”  Did any of you get the flu this winter? How many of you got a flu shot? There is no vaccine for soul sickness. I had the stomach flu for a week and a half. By the time I was done I was weak, tired, and just wanted to be done with it. I fought it every step of the way. I didn’t want to be sick! Why don’t I fight “soul sickness” with the same resolve? Why don’t I come out with my spiritual dukes up and fight it with all my might? I don’t want to be like the church in Laodicea, I need to acknowledge that I desperately need what Christ has offered. And what Christ has offered is a real commitment, real love—no leftovers! It’s the “shot” for soul sickness that is there for the asking. Can we ask Him for it? Who knows what could actually happen when we are giving God all the first fruits of our life without holding anything back? It gives me “Holy Ghost Shivers” just thinking about it! Now to put it into practice….

In Christ, Donna

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Let’s Pray:

Father God, today we pray for our hearts to be willing to give You our first fruits not our leftovers. We pray for Your cure for our Soul Sickness. We dedicate ourselves to truly love and show love to others the way You have authored it. Touch every woman reading this today and help us all to renew our commitment to You. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Your Assignment:

Substitute your name in the verses in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.  Pray over it and have God reveal to you how you can change the way you measure yourselves in these verses. Ask Him to show you how it can be done. It could be life changing. Share with us, if you wish, how God is leading you.

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If you are interested in joining this amazing online Bible study for Crazy Love, click HERE to sign up. Once you are registered, you will receive an email with further details.

If you would like to email a private message to Donna in regards to this blog, please email her at: Donna@girlfriendscoffeehour.com.

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Crazy Love: Chapter 4 – Lukewarm People

January 30, 2013 by

This chapter in the book is hard to read because it’s making me examine every part of my walk with God. It’s also very good because it’s making me examine every part of my walk with God! If that sounds like a contradiction, I guess that’s okay. I believe God gives us these study books, times, and people in our lives to re-examine our walk and commitment to Him. We shouldn’t take it lightly. Everything is done for a reason and  for His purposes.  Some of the things presented do not line up with our world today and that is a good thing. We don’t want our lives to measure up with the world and what it thinks we should tolerate and be today.

So, in reading this part of the book, I have compiled a few questions for myself:

1. Do I love God with all my heart, soul, and mind?

2. Am I one of those people who think that this kind of love is radical?

3. Do I love others more than myself, or just those that love me back?

4.  Am I willing to serve God without limits?

5. Do I think about my life here on earth more than I do eternity in Heaven?

6. Do I give out of a heart that is willing to sacrifice even if it makes me uncomfortable?

7. Am I content with being just good enough?

8. Do I just play it safe or do I sacrifice and takes risks for God?

I find myself really lacking  in some of these questions. I love God and am so grateful for my salvation. I need to let go of things that hold me back from experiencing all God has for me. I know there are some things I could change to help my walk be closer to His ideal. First and foremost, I could spend more time with God, learning more about Him and His plan for my life.  Then put into practice more of what these questions are implying, a more Godly approach to life and others, a right perspective.

Perhaps I need to examine how many  worldly things I participate in that can be curtailed or even taken out of my life. Like how much time DO I spend in front of the TV watching things that  I shouldn’t be watching?  Have you seen some of the shows on TV? I mean I try to be selective in what I watch but even the commercials are ungodly! Do I realize that Jesus is right there watching along with me?  WOAH!  And how about the music I’m listening to, does it glorify God? What about the book I’m reading?

These things are hard!!  These things are so accepted in the world today and, yes, even in the Christian realm! We tolerate so many things in our lives because the world doesn’t think it is wrong. But we need to ask God if it’s wrong instead.

When I’m in church do I seek out the unlovely and pour out God’s genuine love on them?

I have a dear friend who often asks me to go a little past comfortable…go a little further in the things of God. She says she is stretching me! Sometimes that make me uncomfortable, but I do it. You know what? It usually turns out to be exactly what I needed! She’s not afraid to take risks and she helps me see the good in that.

shallowchristian

I want to be able to answer all of these questions, and more, in the positive, but unfortunately I can’t do that at all times. There are areas in my life that I need to work on. I believe we all do. I don’t want to be a shallow Christian. I want my roots to go deep into God. I believe our walk with God is a continual growing process. We should never be at a stand still, but moving forward with our eyes fixed on the upward call of God. The minute we take our eyes off Him, they go to self. And then we get caught up in ourselves, our circumstances, and the world. Our priority is the Gospel of Jesus Christ and sharing it with others; that’s why we’re here. It’s not about us.  It’s all about Him.

 

 

In Christ,

Donna

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Let’s Pray:

Lord, I am praying for a right perspective on our world and how we live in  it. May You be our one and only priority when living out our faith. Bring to mind in our daily lives these questions and help us to answer them in the positive at the end of the day. And that we have our faith and walk on track with Your purposes in mind. Thank You that You love us with such unending love.  In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Your Assignment:

Did you ask yourself some questions when reading this part of the book today? What are some of those questions? Let’s get our heads together and ponder them and maybe they will help us to change some things in our lives that God would have us change in order to serve Him with a right perspective.

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If you are interested in joining this amazing online Bible study, click HERE to sign up.

Once you are registered, you will receive an email with further details.

If you would like to email a private message to Donna in regards to this blog, please email her at: Donna@girlfriendscoffeehour.com.

 

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Crazy Love – Chapter 3 – Pages 57-60 – Wanted

January 23, 2013 by

Wanted!  Oh, how I longed to hear that word when I was a child! I think all of us have the need to know we are not here by accident, that we are wanted. That’s why I loved the verses Mr. Chan shared with us in Jeremiah 1:4-5, “The Lord came to me saying, ‘ Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart: I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.’ “

When I was a teenager I met God and was so blessed to find out through His word that I was not a mistake, I was WANTED! It was threaded throughout His word as proof!! I was actually planned!!!

When my husband and I married we actually wanted a dozen kids! Really!! When nothing happened for almost 2 years, we went in search of answers. My doctor tested both of us and came back with the devastating news…we would never have any children! My husband and I, not really serving God as yet, cried in each others arms. We were heartbroken. Then my husband said three words that I will never forget. Speaking of the doctor, he said, “He’s not God!”

Now we had both had an encounter with God when we were young, but we were never discipled and so fell away from God. I always knew God was there, I just hadn’t figured out how to serve Him. So we both decided we’d pray about having children. Come to find out God was at work all along!  I was pregnant even during the testing. I just didn’t know it yet. Isn’t that just like our God? When we left it up to God how many children we would have, He took care of it. We were blessed with two daughters and a son. That was God’s plan all along!

 

I’m so glad I have a Heavenly Father, aren’t you? I don’t have to worry about what to do from day-to-day; He will direct my path. In fact, He wants to! He loves us so much. He planned for us and wanted us and has a plan for us. He even made a way for us to spend eternity with Him if we just accept His FREE gift. We don’t have to work, because our works are as filthy rags to Him.   All we have to do is accept Him.

Thank you, Father for Your free gift of eternal life with You!!

Be Blessed,

Donna

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Let’s Pray:

Father, I praise You from the depths of my being for wanting and planning for me. I am not worthy, but You made a way for me. I pray for any ladies who are reading this who have not accepted Your free gift of salvation. May they do so today by just praying and asking You for it.  In Jesus’ name I pray.  Amen.

Your Assignment:

I love reading in Scripture how God has wanted me from my formation in my mother’s womb. Read these verses and meditate on them for a while. Then tell us how they are speaking to you today.

1 John 4:19

Leviticus 26:12

Jeremiah 1:4, 5

Jeremiah 29:11

Psalms 139:13-16

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If you are interested in joining this amazing online Bible study for Crazy Love, click HERE to sign up. Once you are registered, you will receive an email with further details.

If you would like to email a private message to Donna in regards to this blog, please email her at: Donna@girlfriendscoffeehour.com.

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Crazy Love: Week 2 – You Might Not Finish This Chapter pages 45-47

January 16, 2013 by

ARE YOU READY?

This question should get us thinking. I would like to think I would be like Stan, ready to meet Jesus with His name on my lips if these were my last words. But am I really? None of us knows how long we have here; God is the only one who plans that. We are not in control.

Now that concept makes me feel a little uneasy, being a bit of a control freak. I like knowing the next move; I like routine; I like everything falling into place. So I have learned over the years to roll with the punches and leave it in God’s very capable hands. When you have a husband or children, you know (or quickly learn) life is not always going to be set. You can make plans, but they sometimes have to be changed on the fly. I have learned this lesson the hard way at times.  Then again, it is somewhat freeing to know that we have a big God who has our steps counted out and has a plan for our lives. Especially when we think about lasting things.

Do we take every opportunity to share Jesus with people we know are lost? I’m guilty of not taking advantage of those times. Sometimes I’m in a hurry and think I don’t have the time. Sometimes it’s my own selfishness that hinders me; and other times it’s been because I worry what they will think of me, if they’ll think I’m some kind of crazy person.

About 10 years ago I worked at a “Coffee Cart” in our local library. It was just a small cart that served snacks, Latte’s and Cappuccino’s. It was tucked away in the back corner of the bottom floor of the library. I worked there for over 5 years til they closed down. During that time, I felt God giving me a new way to look at people. All walks of people came through the library. Most of them would stop and get a snack or something. I saw hurting, lonely people and my heart went out to them. So I prayed that God would give me boldness to share Jesus with them. I’ll tell you I was never so blessed in my life! I was able to encourage and share Jesus and sometimes they even let me pray for them! It’s so amazing how God works that out when we move ourselves out of the way and let Him take over. I don’t know if I left lasting memories of myself, and I don’t care. I just pray that they had an encounter with Jesus and hopefully changed their lives.

Have we taken the time to ask God to give us boldness in our everyday lives? To our co-worker who needs a kind word or to that waitress who is so tired and has had a bad day? How about our own family members who we know are lost?

Never in a million years would I think that one of my children, who was brought up in the truth, would not be serving God today. I have a 21-year-old son who has fallen away from God and chosen not to serve Him, at this moment. I haven’t lost hope though. I pray for him on a daily basis and trust God for his salvation. I also know it’s my son’s choice. He knows the truth. All I can do is pray for him, love him unconditionally, and leave little nuggets of Jesus in him every time I see him. He knows I pray for him, I’ve told him that. And I am the first person he calls when life gets tough. We have a good relationship in spite of his choice. I pray though that what he remembers most about his mom is that she loves Jesus. I want Christ to be my legacy. And someday I hope he will take it to heart and accept Jesus Christ for himself.

As Mr. Chan says on page 46, ” in fifty years, give or take a few decades, everyone we know will be gone.”

 

What will we leave behind?

In Christ,

Donna

Let’s Pray:

Oh God help us today to be bold, to see people as You see them. To love them with YOUR heart. Give us opportunities to share Jesus with someone and then let You work. For the glory of God. In Jesus’ name we pray-Amen

Your Assignment:

What kind of legacy are we leaving for the next generation to see? Would you be brave and ask God for boldness to share His message with people you meet?  He will give you the right words and people in your daily path if you just ask Him. Let us all know what you think you can do and then let’s pray for one another as we leave our legacies of faithfulness.

If you are interested in joining this amazing online Bible study for Crazy Love, click HERE to sign up.

Once you are registered, you will receive an email with further details.

If you would like to email a private message to Donna in regards to this blog, please email her at: Donna@girlfriendscoffeehour.com.

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Crazy Love: Week 1 / Chapter 1: “Stop Praying” pgs. 29-34

January 9, 2013 by

I love what Francis Chan says on page 29 of our study today: “Most of us know that we are supposed to love God; that we are supposed to read our Bibles and pray so that we can get to know Him better; that we are supposed to worship Him with our lives. But actually living it out is a challenge.” I was so blessed when I read that! To actually have that said, out loud, was a relief to me, because some days it IS a challenge. Life just seems to get in the way:  husband, kids, school, job, dishes, just everyday life. Hard things we can’t understand too, like divorce, betrayal, death. Wow! Those things pull us away from reading, praying and worshiping. That “amnesia” flares up and we forget!

Let’s go over the defining attributes of God that Francis Chan pointed out to us in this section.

God is Holy: In Exodus 3:14 we read: “God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am’.” No one can change that. And yet it is so hard to fathom! So, in other words, He is everything. He is our all. We just can’t brag on Him enough because He IS all that and even more!

God is Eternal: Francis points out that we would probably all agree to this, and yet we don’t really comprehend it because we are limited to time, beginnings and endings. God has always been and always will be. Psalm 102:12,17 says “But you, O Lord, sit enthroned forever, your renown endures through all generations….. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.” We, however, are here only for a short time.

God is All-Knowing: YES in the deepest part of me that I hide from everyone else, God knows me! Hebrews 4:13 says “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give an account.” That is sobering. I like that “He doesn’t have to know us so well, but He chooses to.” In spite of my sinfulness. So why do we question? Do we know more than the One who created us? He sees the whole picture from beginning to end. He is not obligated to explain Himself, we just need to trust Him.

God is All-Powerful: Psalm 115:3 says: “Our God is in the heavens; He does whatever pleases Him.” If He wanted He could destroy us in a second. He could create a whole new world and not even blink an eye. And He can take care of every little thing we have on our plates if we yield it to Him.

God is Fair and Just: One definition Of justice, Francis tell us, is reward and/or penalty as deserved.  God never excuses sin. We must let God decide and mete out justice and judge what is fair. He is always consistent. And thank God He does it!  I don’t want that responsibility!  As Francis Chan says, When you get your own universe you can make your own standards.

Let’s put it all into perspective as much as I can: When life gets in the way, when the hard times come, when we struggle sometimes to just keep it together – remember God. Don’t let the amnesia take over or you will miss out.

God is Holy and you can’t change that. Even if you think He’s far away, He’s not. And He is working it out for us.

Because He is eternal, He is not limited by anything.

Because He is all-knowing He sees us and knows the deepest parts of us that we keep hidden from everyone else. He knows your doubt and your lack of faith. He chooses to know us well.

Because He is all-powerful He’s got it under His control; we need not question, we just need to trust.

Because He is just and fair He has to punish sin. But because He loved us, chose to know us, and is concerned for us, He made a way. He sent His son to be spit on, laughed at, beaten and killed to pay the penalty of our sin that we could know Him.

Because He is GOD He knew it was the only way.

He loves you – worship, praise and adore this God who is our Father and loved us that much.

When you can’t see His hand, trust His heart.

**********

Let’s pray:

Father we are so humbled that You love us. We thank You that you have all of these attributes that we can count on. Help us to trust You. To keep in perspective that You are GOD. Let us not forget to worship and pray and adore You. Be with every woman today reading this. Pour Your love out over them and let them bask in your Holiness. In Jesus name we pray-Amen

Your assignment:

Name some of the things that hold us back from acknowledging God for who He is? What steps can you take to not let the amnesia set in and live a full life in Christ? Then let us pray over these for you and bless you.

In Christ,

Donna

If you are interested in joining this amazing online Bible study for Crazy Love, click HERE to sign up. Once you are registered, you will receive an email with further details.

If you would like to email a private message to Donna in regards to this blog, please email her at: Donna@girlfriendscoffeehour.com.

 

 

 

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