November 25, 2024

A Daughter’s Worth: Week 4 / Day1 – Protecting HIS Name

October 22, 2012 by

 

There is this sick feeling I get sometimes.  One that leaves me feeling, honestly, to be the worst person in the world.  This feeling happens just after I choose to NOT stand up for my God in Heaven or anything I say I stand for.  It is the feeling of defeat, disappointment.  These feelings I never want, but somehow I get stuck with them when I do not want to defend my Savior.

During my teenage years I struggled with this the most.  I did not like the fact that I stood out from the rest of my “friends” because I went to church, or grew up in a pretty strict home. I tried to fit into being a cool, carefree girl, not having any real opinion or beliefs on God-all I knew about Him at the time was that He was in my heart but I did not know what that meant. I did not stand up for God or try to shine His light; instead I blew it out every morning before school. I didn’t want anyone to think I was weird or different. I did not fully understand what a relationship with God was. I was not about to try to figure it out when I could just be a fun girl with lots of friends.

Lots of friends quickly turned into no friends.  I didn’t understand this at all, I was doing what I thought they wanted me to do, why did they not like me?  I honestly believe that God was protecting me by taking me away from all of these relationships.  These friendships were not positive ones.  They were not bringing glory to God, nor were they lifting me up or encouraging me in my walk with Christ.   To my complete surprise, even though my friends had all left me, there was one friend that stuck like glue.  It was Jesus.

When I started learning about this relationship with God, I started to get that sick feeling.  Knowing the comfort the Lord so graciously gave me during this time, left me feeling so sick about how I was acting when it came to God being a part of my life.  I was so mad at myself for being so ashamed of wanting to KNOW GOD MORE. I was so disappointed in myself for not sticking up for God, or being confident in HIM.  This is why I so desperately want to help every single teenage girl come to know the love of God that they must defend every moment of every day.

My teenage years did not go so well.  I am so thankful that YOURS do not have to be anything like mine!  You have the strength and courage of the Holy Spirit living inside of you.  That power can make you be a difference maker in your school, home, or church.  YOU have the responsibility of standing up for God in a world that wants to push Him down.  You have the ability to share what HE is to you with others.  If you are scared or nervous or afraid you will not be liked, remember this verse: 1 Peter 4:14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.  If the result of standing up for God causes you to be unliked (totally made that word up) by many or even friendless, DO NOT FEAR!  In fact, you can rejoice because God tells you, YOU WILL BE BLESSED for standing up for the name of Jesus Christ!

As you are put in many different situations each day, resist the sick feeling.  Desire to feel the best feeling ever (that replaces the sick feeling when you honor God by defending His holy name) …the love of Jesus Christ and the joy His heart bursts with when He sees and hears you living as He wants.

Let’s Pray:  Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for your love.  I thank you that we have YOUR power inside of us to protect, defend, and stand up for your name.  I ask that as we go through our days, we are able to have the courage to stand up for what is right.  Give us the right words to say to share YOU with everyone you bring along our path.  Thank you for being with us and replacing that once sick feeling, with your blessings.  I love you!!  I pray all of these things in your precious name, Amen.

MUCH LOVE,

Diane

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

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

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

A Daughter’s Worth: Week 3/ Day 5: See Your Eternal Value

October 19, 2012 by

 

Girls, just like all of you, I want to look and feel good about myself. Like some of you I can spend hours upon hours in the mall. What can I say, I like clothes, shoes, bags, make-up, jewelry; did I leave anything out?

Over the past ten years I was able to travel to different countries and have seen some really amazing things and sites. But when I look back at the places I have been to and the stuff I have accumulated over the years, I have to ask myself if this is what life is all about?

 

Although I treasure the memories of standing under the Eiffel Tower in Paris, taking a water taxi in Venice and looking at awe at the Alps in Switzerland, I have to ask myself if this is what I value in life. Does this satisfy my deepest heart’s desire, is this something that will change my life for the better and more importantly, will I be able to impact someone else’s life?

Girls, I don’t know about you, but my deepest desire is to do something of eternal value. Something that will last forever and that I along with other people will hold dear. How can I do this you might ask, the answer is simple, it is in the little things we do for other people, it is in the attitude of our hearts. You know, when you do something good for someone, you automatically feel good about yourself, not that that should be your motivation.

Colossians 4:5 says: “…… make the most of every opportunity”. That can simply be paying someone a compliment, opening the door for someone, returning your grocery cart, giving someone a smile or helping out at a shelter. If we do these things, we are helping others find Jesus, and helping them find Jesus is the best gift we can give anyone.

Not all of us have the means or finances to support people in need, but all of us have the ability to go on our knees to pray for someone, to be kind, to do good, be faithful, gentle, have self-control, give love, spread joy, be patient and kind.

Girls, I don’t want to leave a bunch of photos and a closet full of clothes behind, but what I want to leave behind is a godly legacy.

 

Let us strive to see our eternal value. This is our lives; these are the moments that make up our lives. Let’s use them wisely.

Be blessed my dear girlfriends!

Let us pray:

Father, I thank you for each and every girl in GCH: decaf. Thank you Father, that each one of them are fearfully and wonderfully made. Thank you that each one of us will do something of eternal value every day to give You all the glory. Amen.

Be blessed!

Love you,

Edwina

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

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

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

A Daughter’s Worth: Week 3 / Day 3 – Watch What You See

October 17, 2012 by

 

Sometimes I find myself wishing I had been born 200 years ago, or even 100 years ago. Why? Because we are bombarded day after day by images portraying what the “perfect” woman should look like. I am sure ALL women, regardless of when they were born, have dealt with insecurity, but women 100 years ago didn’t have Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, magazines, E! news, or music videos. It is SO easy for us to compare ourselves with other women because we are constantly seeing images of them.

I struggled with my weight throughout most of high school, so I had this idea that women who were thin or fit had no insecurities. I have found that this is different for every girl. “You’re so pretty, there is nothing for you to be insecure about!” or “You’re so popular, why are you insecure?” or “Your boyfriend loves you. How could you possibly feel bad about yourself?” Whatever you’re the most insecure about, you will envy most about other people. I also found that by watching certain shows or reading certain magazines, I was in an awful funk after watching or reading. Most of the women on tv, who I envied, most likely eat around 500 calories a day and exercise for 3 hours twice a day… and the images in the magazines? They’re not real. They’re doctored. They’re photoshopped. They’re made to make those women look like they weigh 95 pounds, when in reality, they weigh around 130 or more. It is just part of the industry in Hollywood.

Am I telling you to delete all of your social media accounts? Absolutely not! Am I telling you to watch TV altogether? Nope. Here’s what I am telling you- if you find yourself wallowing in self-pity, it’s time to step away from these things. And also, you need to learn to recognize the enemy’s lies. I believed the lie that, because I wasn’t skinny, I wasn’t worthy of love. About a year ago, I recognized that those thoughts were NOT from the Lord, and I began the journey toward freedom. I started eating healthy, NOT to lose weight, but to take care of myself. My body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, and I cannot do the work of the Kingdom if I am feeding myself garbage! I also added exercise to my daily routine. Yes, I felt better physically, but I also felt better mentally. And now I can watch those shows and read magazines without experiencing thoughts of self-hatred. I have made the choice to keep my heart and my eyes fixed on Jesus. I have made the decision to take care of what He has given me. And I have made the choice to kick the enemy in his teeth whenever he lies, because I have the Spirit of God in me!

Girls~ your worth is NOT defined by your outer appearance.

Your worth is found in JESUS, and Jesus ALONE. And He says you’re BEAUTIFUL!!!!

 

Lord~ I ask that EVERY girl and EVERY woman reading this today would KNOW that You have created them, and because YOU are perfect, the work of Your hands is perfect. I pray that they would get a new revelation of Your love today, that they would be comforted and encouraged. When the enemy tries to come and lie to them, I ask that Your Spirit would protect them and that they would see the chains and bondage and they would RUN into Your arms. There’s power in Your name, Jesus. At the very mention of it, satan HAS to flee. JESUS, we call upon You in our moments of insecurity and self-doubt. We BELIEVE what You say about us! We believe that we are fearfully and wonderfully made! I pray that every girl would walk in confidence, knowing the truth! Amen.

~Jordan

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

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

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

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

October 15, 2012 by

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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LET’S PRAY

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

 

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

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

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

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

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

 

Be Blessed,

Jackie

Filed Under: Singles Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A Daughter’s Worth: Week 3 – Embracing True Beauty

October 14, 2012 by

 

My dear sisters….

We’ve made it to week 3 and this week we get to dive into embracing our true beauty! This is something I struggled with so much as a teen and into my adult years as well. It wasn’t until very recently that I finally feel good in my own skin and have embraced me for who I am. I pray that the Lord shows you through our lessons this week how to embrace your divine true beauty and be confident in how God do wonderfully and perfectly created YOU!!!

Monday, Diane will be posting all about appreciating God’s handiwork. Teresa will be bringing a message about refuting Satan’s lies to you on Tuesday. On Wednesday, you will hear from Jordan about watching what you see. Tonya will be blogging on Thursday about concentrating on your inner beauty and on Friday, you will hear from Edwina about being able to see your eternal value. I also hope that you have been enjoying Coleen’s Saturday blogging series about prayer. What a blessing! She will be back with another installment this Saturday as well!

Let’s pray:

Lord, we come to you this week asking you to help us to appreciate how you divinely made us. We ask You to show us so clearly how You want us to combat the lies that satan fills our heads with and replace those lies with Your promises and truths. Help us to find our acceptance only through You, Father, and help us to concentrate on our inner beauty… the way you so divinely created each of us. Lord, we seek to find our eternal value in You and we thank you so much for all You will show us through this week’s lessons. It is in Your Son’s mighty name we pray, amen <3

Be a blessing,

<3 Megan

Jonny Diaz…. “A More Beautiful You”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ks3R2BwyO0

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

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

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

Lord Teach Us To Pray: Part 3

October 13, 2012 by

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He is holy, holy, holy!

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

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

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

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

“…Holy be Your Name..”

with love,

Coleen

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

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

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

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

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

October 12, 2012 by

 

Today’s blog post is by Tina Marin 

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

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

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

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

Let’s pray:

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

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

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

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

A Daughter’s Worth – Week 2 / Day 4: Your Father Forgives You

October 11, 2012 by

 

Your blog today is brought to you by Memphis T and Mama T <3

Oh My!  This has been a tough topic for me to think about in my lifetime.  Growing up, my dad was, and still is a very hard worker.  He always worked his full time job, grew acres of vegetables on our farm and was active in our church.  My whole family worked around dad’s schedule.  It was rarely easy to keep up and do everything the way he needed it to be done.  When we messed up, and we did mess up, dad would go silent…until he blew up…and then he was silent for weeks at a time.  Sometimes we knew what was wrong, most of the time we didn’t though and that was hard to try to fix.

Girls have a basic need to please.  We especially need to please our fathers.  That is why it is so hard when we have messed up for us not to know how to make it better.  As a young teen I tried very hard to win my dad’s approval and to see him smile or say, “Thanks, gal”, or something.  I needed that from him.  As an older teen I began looking for approval from my uncles and wanted to have a boyfriend to care about me.  I have some really cool uncles.  I messed up a lot in the boyfriend area, but that’s another story for another day.  I have learned a lot and been so blessed with the men God placed in my life.  I got the laughs and hugs and teasing I needed in that way; but not from my dad.

This is by no means a sad story, because I love my dad very much and I know he loves me.  It could be that we are too much alike to express ourselves well, or maybe he didn’t have a good example of a relational father either.  The main thing I learned from my home life was what I wanted to do LIKE my parents raised me and the things I wanted to CHANGE when I had my own family.  Mostly I learned how to lean on my Heavenly Father when I needed that ABBA, daddy, role filled.  God never let me down.  When I messed up, I could ask Him to show me what had gone wrong, where I had gone wrong and to forgive me for my sins.  He was always faithful to forgive me; I had a harder time forgiving myself.

As I have learned to parent my daughters, I have always told them to be honest with me.  Even if it is hard to say what they have done, I would rather know what happened from them than to hear it from someone else or be surprised by the truth later.  I have made them a promise to be patient and slow to anger with my words so that they will trust me with their hearts.  I like to think that this is a lesson I learned from my Heavenly Father.

Jesus said, “Let the children come to me” (Mark 10:14), “Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3) and in Matthew 19:13 we see that parents were bringing their children to Jesus so he could lay hands on them to pray for them and give them blessings.  I wanted to be that kind of mom someday.  I wanted to be the kind of mother that my kids could come to for comfort, talking, mutual respect and love and I wanted their friends to feel comfortable talking to me too.  It took breaking some bad learned parenting behaviors, but God has been faithful to bring me children and teens to love on.  He gave me a desire of my heart.

No matter what kind of earthly dad, or parents you were born with, God wants to be your FATHER.  With that comes love, guidance and, yes, discipline.  Discipline is not a bad word.  It means having self-control.  We don’t act on every whim and do what feels good, just because it feels good.  Our verse for today is:  Hebrews 10:22, “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”  God wants us to come to him and tell him what is on our hearts and minds.  Take some time today to think back to those “secret” things you have stuffed down inside your heart and tell HIM about it.  He already knows, but HE wants to hear you say it so you know you are clean.  No more guilty conscience.  No more beating yourself up about something in your past.  Just you and HIM.  God sees you through the filter of His Son, Jesus.  You look pretty good, you know.  Embrace the Father’s love.  You deserve it!

<3 Mama T (Teresa)

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There is nothing so horrible or terrible that God cannot or will not forgive you for <3 God sent His one and only son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins so that we would have the opportunity to live in eternity with Him. How awesome is that?

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,

that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Have you ever did anything that you thought was so bad that you thought your parents would never forgive you for, and once you told them, they weren’t as mad as you thought they would be and things changed for the better? Well that is how God is J Satan would love to hold those old horrible things over your head, having you to think and believe that God will be angry with you for the rest of your life and never forgive you (while typing this, satan is trying to persuade me to not tell you all about what happened to me years ago because it was a very difficult time for me and my family, but it is part of who I am and it shows how God forgave me for something that I thought was so horrible at the time).  God is totally the opposite girls!! He is so loving and forgiving!!! He wants you to come to Him and repent (to tell Him that you are sorry and turn away from that thing that you were doing wrong) and live your life for Him. He is always waiting there with His big loving arms held open for you to run to Him. He desires to be there for you!

I can remember doing something that I thought was so bad. We are friends and we can be honest with each other here at GCH: Decaf. I was 20 years old, not married, working in ministry, and I got pregnant…yep, there it is…I said it, Ms. Tonya got pregnant. I felt like I had disappointed my mom and dad, my sisters, my boss, Pastor, friends…everybody, but most of all I felt like I had let God down!! I knew what God had said about getting pregnant before being married and I definitely was not married. Were the special, important people in my life disappointed in me? Yes they were. Did they ever stop loving me? No they did not!

It took me a while to heal from that time in my life. I had to really get to know who God was better than I thought I did. He wasn’t this mean old person who was going to point His finger at me and shake it and say, “Tonya, you make the biggest mistake ever and I am no longer keeping you as my daughter!” He was exactly the opposite. Our Heavenly Father loved on me! He sent people around me to comfort me, teach me more about His Word, and help me to get back on the right path of following and living a life for Him!

Remember this: When God forgives you. You are set free!!! You are free from being reminded of that thing that you did wrong and you are free to go to God whenever you need to!

When God forgives you, He forgives you and He remembers it NO More!! We are the ones who remember. God does not desire to torture us with reminding us of what we did wrong, He wants us to ask for forgiveness, turn away from that thing that were doing wrong, learn from it, and move forward. He is so forgiving!! Humans can hold grudges, God does NOT! Whatever it is that you think is so horrible that you think you cannot go to God about, think again, He wants you to come to Him! Try Him …Go to Him… Allow Him to show you who He really is! A loving Father who LOVES His daughters.. ALL of us 🙂

Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you so much for loving us for who we are. We are so grateful to be called your daughters. Thank you for being a loving, forgiving God and for reminding us that there is nothing so bad that You will not forgive us for. Please remind your daughters Lord that You are there for them, and that You still desire to have that Father daughter relationship with them. Let them know that You are waiting. In your Son’s Jesus name I pray. Amen.

<3 Memphis T (Tonya)

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

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

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

A Daughter’s Worth Week 2 / Day 1: Your Father Wanted You To Be Born

October 8, 2012 by

Daddy’s Little Girl

This is for the girl whose heart aches to be “daddy’s little girl”.  This is for the girl who stands tall every day, as “daddy’s little girl”.  This is even for the girl who has been so hurt by her daddy that the thought of being “daddy’s little girl” angers her.   No matter which girl you wake up to be, I pray that you know in your heart the “daddy” that sees you as his little girl and loves you and WANTS you every day.  This would be your Abba (daddy) in Heaven.

Growing up, I was the girl whose heart ached to be daddy’s little girl.  I do have an amazing earthly father and I am blessed to have him because he fought for me, my mom, and my brothers and sisters every day.  He fought the battle of depression and unemployment every morning when he woke up in order to make sure we had the best life possible; the endless list of things we wanted and plenty of food on the table.  This took a toll on my dad that I didn’t understand.  His love was not perfect, neither was mine, but that was what I was looking for, love.  Today I know my dad loves me, but back then I went on a search for someone to love me.

Thankfully I have found that PERFECT LOVE in Jesus.  No matter what our earthly daddy’s are like, we all have access to the perfect love of our heavenly daddy!  The Bible tells us in Jeremiah 29:14 that we will all find our daddy in Heaven.  I remember the first day I found Him, it was the same day I felt wanted for the first time in my life.  I am very certain that God wanted me, because I read about how he fought for me.  He fought the enemy, and WON the same day He rose from the dead.  If God did not want us to be born, he would not have fought our battle for us.  Why did God fight for YOU?  Simply because He wanted you just as you are!  You did not need to be a certain way for Him to want you, all you ever have to be is the YOU he created.  He knows the plans that He has for you.  He wants to fulfill His plans in YOU.

It is hard sometimes to come to terms with God’s love, mainly because there are no terms to the love He always has and ever will have for us!  There are no conditions, excuses, imperfections, or manipulation in His love.  There is only hope, and grace, mercy, forgiveness, and complete joy in His love!  His love is better than an earthly father’s love for us, because it covers all of our hurts we go through in this life.  It even covers the hurts that have been caused by the father we have on Earth.  With God, we do not need to win Him or His love, He has already won us.  Even if we have the world’s best dad, there will be times that you just do not feel wanted or loved by him.  You never have to feel that way with God.  He wants you; He desires to hear from you, He aches for you to find Him.

Uncertainties will come your way, but when they do you can know without a shadow of doubt that you are God’s little girl.  Our Heavenly Father created YOU and chose YOU for good, (Isaiah 44:2) and has written YOUR life in His book, before YOU were even a thought in YOUR mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13-16)!  That is love.  That is something worth getting excited about!

Let’s Pray:

Lord, I ask that as we start really getting into this study, that we accept that you want us every day, just where we are Lord.  I pray that we are able to find you just where we are, every day.  I thank you Lord that you have chosen each one of us for a specific purpose.  I thank you Lord that your perfect love showers us daily!  Thank you that as your “little girls” we are loved, taken care of, wanted, and chosen! 

Love,

Diane 🙂 

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

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

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

A Daughter’s Worth Week 2: Accepting The Father’s Love

October 7, 2012 by

 

2 Corinthians 6:18

“I will be a Father to you, and you will be my… daughters,”says the Lord Almighty.

Hey girls…. It’s Megan <3

WOW….. I hope you all enjoyed all of the blog posts from week 1 as much as I did! Are you ready to really dig into the word this week? I know I am!

Week 2 is all about accepting God’s love. That is one HUGE subject as His love is bigger than anything I know! …but we are going to break it down this week and this is what that will look like:

Monday you will hear from Diane all about how your Father wanted you to be born. On Tuesday, Teresa will share some thoughts with you about how much God delights in your existance. Wednesday is when Jordan will bring her words to you about how God protects you, while Thursday we will hear from Tonya about God’s forgiveness. On Friday, Tina will share with us about all of the great advice that God gives and Saturday we will be on week 3 of Coleen’s excellent series on prayer.

WOW….. what an AWESOME week we have ahead of us!!

Last week, you met my amazing 15 year old friend named Morgan who is a teen member of our GCH:decaf Leadership Team and she has a few words for you as we begin week 2…

Hey girls it’s me Morgan again! I hope everybody enjoyed last week, but this week we really can start to begin to dig deeper. Everyday you’ll read some verses and some really cool points that Ava makes… which is very awesome! This week we will be talking about how God is our Father, yes you have a father here on Earth, but God is the Father in Heaven, He is the Father to those that are Fatherless.

What’s also cool is that God is here for us no matter what! He will always listen to us vent… He’s like that best friend that everybody wants, that they can just go to that person, and then vent their heart out and feel so much better. God wants to be that for you and me, so just try one night and just pray whatever is on your mind. He can look at your heart, but He loves to hear the words from your mouth too.

You’ll read later on this week in Isaiah 41:13 where it says “I am the Lord your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, “Do not fear; I will help you.” Don’t you think that’s amazing?! God wants to protect you, I have 3 sisters…2 older, and 1 younger than me. I sometimes wish I had a brother, younger or older, that would be the like protective brother in my life, and God has just placed some awesome college age men of God in my life to be that for me. That blesses my socks off, and I’m so thankful for it.

They give me advice, they help me when I’m in a tough spot, they also laugh with me. Girls, God can be that for you. God will be there for you, help you, and also give you advice through His Holy Word to help you out, so I pray that this week during the study you will see all that God gives you, and you will realize that you are a daughter of the King of Kings and are worth so much more!!

Morgan (:

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

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

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