November 23, 2024

New Beginning

September 28, 2012 by

Hi, everyone, my name is Tina Marin. I am a mother to a son, Brandon, age 22, a daughter Nikki, 25, and a wife to John for 17 years. I live in Murfreesboro, TN where I attend World Outreach Church and serve in a couple of different areas.

I have known Megan for a little over a year while serving with High School Infinity, but more intentionally through an online Bible study. I must say, I have found it easier to have a relationship with other women as I mature than when I was younger. Partly a trust issue I suppose. I haven’t been much of a role model in that area and I never saw it modeled very well.

However, through it all God has his hand in my life. My aunt and uncle adopted me, while both of my parents were still alive and I always seemed to know I did not belong to them. We lived in Memphis, TN for a while and moved to North Mississippi until I was around 22 when I moved to Memphis to live with my half-sister. That was an adventure. Anyway, God always had made my heart soft and pliable, not able to hold a grudge after I worked through the anger, hurt and forgiveness necessary.

God had his hand in my life, it was not until I received deliverance that I knew I was a daughter of the King, forgiven and redeemed through the precious blood of Jesus. I felt His loving embrace, encouraging me to become the woman I strive every day to be for Him.

You see, even though I did not have my original family, God knew what family I did need.  He knew what I would go through as a child. I love my parents, both sets, and I know my Aunt (Mom) did the best she could with what was going on. Even though I was mistreated, I still had to honor them for who they were to me and I had to release them from the anger, guilt, and shame I had. It was up to me to release it, not them to say they were sorry, because God would take care of that for me. I had to take care of my part in everything that happened and forgive myself. Once I was able to do that, I could move on. Did that happen overnight, in two months, two years? No, I had to work on some of it for a while.

God had his hand in my life, it was not until I received deliverance that I knew I was a daughter of the King, forgiven and redeemed through the precious blood of Jesus. I felt His loving embrace, encouraging me to become the woman I strive every day to be for Him.

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for revealing the truth, that I am a child of the King! I know the precious blood of Christ your son redeems me and that you have adopted me, yet again, into your Family! How great and wonderful is that. I love you Father and pray your grace and comfort to those who read this today. In Jesus’ precious name, AMEN!

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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 A Daughter’s Worth starts October 1st! Please email teens@girlfriendscoffeehour.com for more information.

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Attitude…. Does It Really Make A Difference?

September 27, 2012 by

What does the word attitude mean? The dictionary states it as meaning: a manner, disposition, feeling, position, etc., with regard to a person or thing; tendency or orientation, especially of the mind: a negative attitude; or a position or posture of the body appropriate to or expressive of an action, emotion, etc.: a threatening attitude; a relaxed attitude.

When you hear the word attitude, what are some words that come to mind? Do you think of words like angry, bold, sassy, mean, and bossy? Have you ever looked at the word attitude in a positive way? Attitude makes all of the difference in the world! My mom used to say that your attitude will either break you or make you. I always wondered what she meant by that saying. I found out what it all meant once I got older. Look at it like this; if you look at something with a positive attitude, it will make you…you will see things in a more upbeat light. People will love to interact with you and will see you as a happy person, and most importantly, they will WANT to be around you. If you have a negative attitude towards things, people will NOT want to be around you and will avoid you at all cost. People with negative attitudes always look at the down side of everything and will have everyone around them talking and acting in a negative, bad way. Your attitude will dictate to others who you really are. Your attitude is like people seeing who you are on the inside.

          I can remember when I was younger, going through my teen years, my mother and I didn’t seem to see eye to eye on anything…I’m being honest. Whatever she said, I would say the opposite. If she said go left, I would go right. I don’t know if any of you can relate to that… I had a smart mouth, can you believe that?! I always had to get the last word and my attitude stunk, if you know what I mean. I needed what my mom called an “attitude adjustment,” and quick!

Well, that didn’t happen until I started getting a little Jesus way deep down on the inside of me. I couldn’t share a space in my heart with Jesus, that space that seemed to be so grim and bleak and nasty on the inside. I had to allow God to slowly come in and give me the attitude adjustment that I so very much-needed. I had to change the way that I viewed life. I was angry because of what happened with my dad and his drinking. I was frustrated with having to move. I was angry with my mom because I somehow thought that she could have helped my dad. I was young and scared and didn’t know how to process it all, so I took on a negative attitude towards a lot of things. Things such as life, people who were allowed to continue their lives on the Military base, my friends who got to continue to live that lifestyle, the lifestyle that I always knew. I was just plain ole Tonya with the ugly attitude that needed changing.

Psalm 51:10

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me

            Well, once I started attending Young Life, the ministry that was picking up at my school in the afternoons, God used my Young Life leader, Rita, to help me with that process. I began talking more and not holding things in, I started reading the Word, I started spending more and more time with My precious Jesus and He began to create a new heart and attitude within me. I was being made into a new creation…God’s ultimate daughter! Jesus started taking up that negative space in my heart and mind and I began to change! The new me was and is so much greater and better than the old me! I just had to start looking at the positive side of things, which helped me to change my attitude. God is so awesome like that!! He can do the same thing for YOU!!! Why don’t you give Him a chance to show you? 🙂

Precious Jesus,

I ask that you please forgive us of the things that we have done that were not pleasing to you and we ask that you come into our hearts and start moving those negative things around and help us to move them out, so that we can have room in hearts for all of the positive things that you desire for us. Things like love, peace, joy and true happiness. Lord we know that you are able to do this and so much more. We are going to thank you now, in advance for what you are about to do. We thank you now in your Darling Son’s Jesus name we pray. Amen

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

AND…. all of our SECRET FB Bible study groups are opening TODAY!!!!!

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

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

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

Join by clicking HERE !!!

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A Pure Heart

September 26, 2012 by

 

A Pure Heart

Psalm 51:10

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

I’m sure you’ve all heard this verse, and maybe you even know the song… But what does this really mean? And how do we achieve a pure heart?

In Proverbs 4 verse 23 it says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do.” When it says “heart”, I think it means to be cautious of your thoughts, words, and the things you seek after. Notice in the verse in Psalms that GOD is the one who is creating the pure heart. Apart from the Lord, we are anything but pure. But because of JESUS, we have the privilege and the opportunity to walk in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. We can walk in righteousness and purity, because we have been made righteous and pure through Jesus’ sacrifice.

This also takes some work on our part. Hear me when I say this, you do NOT have to work for Jesus’ love. You have NOTHING to earn. But it is our responsibility, as believers who have been made new, to walk in freedom from the enemy. It is our responsibility to live a life that is holy, so that people will see Jesus in our actions and will want to know Him.

Here are some things you need to think about….

The movies & television shows you watch:

  • Do they portray things that are pleasing to the Lord?
  • Or do the story lines and actions that take place in the movie reveal things that are impure?

The music you listen to:

  • Do the songs exalt the name of Jesus?
  • Do they celebrate the things He has done?
  • Or do the words of the songs reflect the things God asks us to stay away from?

The words you use:

  • Are they encouraging?
  • Or are they sarcastic and intended to hurt people?

Girls… we HAVE to be realistic here. We must take practical steps in order to FEED our spirit and STARVE our flesh.

In order for the Lord to reveal to you what it means to have a pure heart, you have to spend time with Him. I know that life is busy, especially in junior high and high school. I promise you, it will NOT kill you to wake up an hour early to spend time with Jesus. Here are some other things you can do throughout the day to spend time with our Lord and Savior:

  • Whenever you have a free minute in class, pull out your devotional book.
  • Say little prayers throughout the day.
  • Be in communication with Jesus. He LOVES to hear from you, and He LOVES to speak to you, too.
  • Find some good worship music. I listen to worship music all the time. It helps you fix your gaze on Jesus, to fix your heart on Him.
  • Get in the habit of reading your Bible every day.
  • Put notecards inside your locker with lyrics to a worship song or a Bible verse so you can be encouraged throughout the day.

The more time you spend doing things that remind your spirit to worship, and the more that you do to fix your heart on Him, the more you will see your heart beginning to transform into a pure one.

Pray with me~

Jesus, thank You for Your sacrifice. Thank You for redemption, and thank You for allowing me to have a relationship with You. I ask, Lord, that You would begin to change my heart, and that You would reveal the things in my life that I need to lay down in order to be more like You. Give me wisdom and discernment to know what You say is best for my life. I love You, and I worship You. Amen

~Jordan

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

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

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

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

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Authority and Submission

September 25, 2012 by

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mother Teresa

I love you guys.  Mama T <3

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

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

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

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

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How do I know I belong to God?

September 24, 2012 by

Made in Heaven

 

There are just some things you notice about people that stand out in a way in which you know there is no way they are not related.  One day I saw a momma with her two kids, their facial features were IDENTICAL.  There was no way those precious children were not hers.  My nieces have the same long, blond, straight hair.  They look like twins.  When you see them, you know they belong to one another.  Now on the contrary, you will see that family of red heads along with a blond haired little girl.  Does that blond girl really belong with the rest of the family?  There is no way by just looking at that family you would be able to say without a shadow of a doubt that the blond haired girl is related to the rest of the red heads.

Have you ever felt like the blond haired girl with Jesus?  Feeling like because you do not fit in with the rest of the world that there is no way you fit in with God?  How many times do you think to yourself, there is no way I belong to God?  I am not sure that I am His, and that He is mine forever.   You let doubt sink in, and because you do not think you resemble God in any way, shape or form, you fall into the lie that you are not His, you do not belong to God (He is a red head, you are a blond).

With every lie we sometimes believe, there will always be a truth to go right along with it.  Please listen to this truth and let it sink into your hearts; YOU BELONG TO GOD, HE IS YOURS, YOU ARE HIS, HE CALLED YOU BY NAME, AND CREATED YOU FOR SUCH A BEAUTIFUL PURPOSE!  Don’t just take my word for it, take the Lord’s word for it; lets seek the Bible for this truth!  Isaiah 43:7 says, “Everyone (insert your name here) who is called by my name whom I have created for my glory I have formed him, yes I made him”.  We are literally called, created, and made by God.  God loves us so much!  Anytime you want to believe the lie that you are not God’s precious daughter, remember this truth and let those lies melt away!

Do you think people know you are related to God when they see you?  Do you think you resemble God?  The coolest thing about being in God’s family is that we do not resemble him by looking the same, we resemble him by being different and standing out in HIS love.  We were not created to fit into this world, but rather created for God’s glory by standing out in His love and beauty.  This has to do with our actions, and remaining obedient to Him.  People see Jesus in us when we “act” differently.  Instead of cheating on a test, we study hard.  Instead of teasing kids, we stick up for the bullied.  We stand up for God in a place where people talk badly about Him.  Let us desire for others to know positively when they see us that we are God’s forever and ever, and that they are too- no matter what color their hair-no matter what they have done or where they come from.  We are all made in Heaven, and living in this Earth-for God’s glory.

Let’s Pray:

Lord, I lift every single person reading this up to you!  I pray that you let them stand strong in YOU and accept the truth that YOU love them and that YOU called them by name and have created each one of them for YOUR glory.  I pray you help us to stand out in your beauty, and not be discouraged by being different.  We desire to fit into YOUR life for us.  I thank you so much for this comforting truth: we belong to you, and we are yours forever and ever.  Amen.

I have learned that doubt has a really tough shot trying to sneak in when I can shout it away with the Lord’s powerful words.  Meditate on the power of the Lord’s words in Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the LORD’s (belongs to the Lord) and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.”  Let’s memorize this verse together.  Let us hold onto this truth and use it against Satan when he tries to fill our head with lies! 

<3 Diane

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

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

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

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

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Jordan’s Journey to GCH:decaf!

September 14, 2012 by

Introducing……

GCH: decaf blogger Jordan Spring

Hello precious readers!! I am SO excited to be writing this blog post, and I can’t wait to write more in the future. I really feel so honored and so thankful that the Lord has connected me to all the right people in order to be involved in this ministry, and because God is the ultimate networker, He brought them all to me!

I am currently in a “waiting room” season in my life. I’m 20 years old, and because of our financial situation, I have yet to start college. I have spent many days these past few months asking the Lord what His purpose is for me while I’m in this season, and I firmly believe that GCH:decaf is one of the reasons the Lord has not opened the doors for me to go to school yet.

Looking back on my teenage years, I can see clearly where the Lord used other women and girls within the Kingdom to minister to me. Many times He would speak into my life through mentors or friends, and He always brought about the conversations exactly when I needed them. My teenage years were not all butterflies and gumdrops. I loved Jesus, but I, far too often, allowed other things to take His place as first in my heart. I was constantly searching for friends to tell me my worth, and when they couldn’t be found, I went to boys. It took me a very long time before I BELIEVED in my heart that JESUS defines me. JESUS tells me I’m beautiful, worthy, loved, etc. Only He can satisfy my heart. Once I had that revelation, I fell madly in love with Him. I want to be a part of what God is doing in the Kingdom in any way that I can. I want to make Him known and to be an instrument of His hands.

My prayer for you is that, through this ministry, you would allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you about who you are in Jesus. We serve a God who is SO much stronger than any lie the enemy uses to keep us in a place of insecurity. You are all called to something very specific and very unique, and we NEED your gifting. The Kingdom needs you to walk out your calling CONFIDENTLY; knowing who God is and believing what He says about you. I also want you all to grow in your relationship with Jesus while growing in friendship with girls who are seeking the Lord alongside you. Fellowship is SO important. Jesus says, “Where two or more are gathered in My name, I am there.” So He is definitely HERE in GCH:decaf! I believe that He is going to move mountains in your hearts as we begin our first Bible study. I believe that He is going to bring healing to the brokenhearted. I believe that He is going to give hope to the girls who have been burdened by the struggles they have faced. I believe that Jesus is going to show up, and He’s going to change lives through our time together.

I hope you’ll join me on this amazing journey we’re about to begin. And I PRAY that you’ll have an open mind, an open heart, and open hands to receive from the Lord through this ministry.

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

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

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

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Jordan Spring is 20 years old, and is waiting on the Lord’s timing for her to go to school for ministry. She was saved when she was five, has led worship since she was 13 and senses a calling on her life to lead worship full time. Her dream is to travel around the world and lead people in worship. Her heart for worship comes from walking through brokenness and having encounters with the Holy Spirit during those seasons, and she wants to lead people into His presence so that they, too, can encounter His love while walking through fire. She also writes songs, and her prayer during her songwriting is that she would write songs from the Lord that would give people hope and would draw people to worship.

Jordan has such a heart for teenage girls and LOVES to talk to them about Jesus. She loves to encourage them to walk in the confidence of who God is and who God has created them to be! She works with teen girls at her church and has lead them in small groups and retreats.

She loves blogging, singing, eating healthy, all things Christmas, coffee, a good book, fuzzy socks, Disney World, frozen yogurt, and rainy days. She also LOVES headbands, pearl bracelets, hairspray, and loves to put together outfits that are trendy, cute, comfortable, and modest.

Jordan grew up in Jackson, MS. She and her family moved to the Sunshine State when she was 18, where they now live in Pensacola Beach.

We are so happy to have Jordan working with us on our Leadership Team and with your precious daughters! Be sure to leave her a comment and let her know how happy you are that she is answering God’s call!

Be sure to check out her personal blog here: www.justacupofjo.com

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