November 23, 2024

Captivating – Chapter 3: A Woman’s Deepest Question – The Curse

January 22, 2013 by

We were driving the other day and my 6 year old son proceeded to tell me that when I get old there was this stuff he saw on Television that I could use to take the wrinkles away.  I sat in the front seat stifling a laugh and thanking him for his concern.  But I found myself wondering about the quality of my skin. Do I have wrinkles? Is it time to invest in more effective skin products? I think of the days where I have a pile of clothes on my bed because all of the shirts I have tried to wear that day just didn’t look right. I think of my daughter, who will be ten later this month, preparing for the day in the mornings and taking a good amount of time doing so because she wants to get everything just right. We want to be lovely, we want to be captivating.  We question our inner “loveliness” in addition to our outer beauty. How do I come across to others? Do I display the traits of a Proverbs 31 woman?  We are always questioning a loveliness that was once natural and automatic or women.

Biting that apple changed everything…

How often do I find myself taking matters into my own hands? How often do I find myself telling God that I put all of my faith in Him to give me the life He wants me to have, but then I “take matters into my own hands”? Speaking for myself, the answer is far more often then I would like to admit.

 Proverbs 19:21

Many plans are in a man’s mind, but it is the Lord’s purpose for him that will stand.

This scripture brings me such peace, no matter what plans we may have, or how much we try to be in control, God’s plans for our life will come to pass. And He plans for us to be lovely and captivating.

The implications of the curse can be intimidating; they do not paint a very promising picture.  But we cannot allow this to deter us.  Yes, we women do have vulnerabilities…we do have the habit of wanting to control situations…we are affected by relational issues, but where we are weak, He is strong.

 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me!

So for the sake of Christ, I am well pleased and take pleasure in infirmities, insults, hardships, persecutions, perplexities and distresses; for when I am weak ]in human strength], then am I [truly] strong (able, powerful in divine strength).

Rest assured God knew what was going to happen; He knew what the outcome would be. He also knew that, despite the curse and despite the fallout from the bite, we would be beautiful!  We would be—and are—captivating.

With love,

Tonya

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Let’s Pray:

Dear Lord, we wonder about the opinions of others…we question our inner and outer beauty…we worry about looking right and acting right. We are vulnerable, and like to take matters into our own hands. Please help us to remember that where we are weak, You are strong.  Help us to keep our eyes focused on You, and remember that Your plan for our life was written before Eve took that bite.  And that Your plan will happen. Thank you for making us beautiful and captivating, Lord.  In Jesus’ name, we pray.  Amen.

Your Assignment:

I have the habit of taking matters into my own hands, or trying to that is. This week I am going to intentionally give everything to God. I carry a journal with me. So when a situation comes up, and I get that urge to take care of it, I am going to write it down…pray…and give it to God. I encourage you to do this. You can use your phone, a notebook, or whatever you are comfortable with.

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

Once we receive your registration, we will email you further details.

 If you are interested in sending a private message to Tonya, please email her at TonyaEllison@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com

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Life’s Healing Choices: Week 3 “The Commitment Choice” – What’s Holding You Back?

January 22, 2013 by

I have a question for you this morning: What is holding you back from surrendering your problems and your life to the care of God?

Today we are going to talk about five things that keep us from making this choice: Pride, Fear, Guilt, Worry, and Doubt.  

This has been, and to this day still is, a battle for me in a few areas in my life. I found it painfully hard to fully acknowledge to myself those painful feelings of guilt that I tried to push down deep inside that would continue to pop up and hurt. Satan loves to try and ruin our day by bringing up past scars. He loves to see us reliving that pain and being pushed bit by bit away from God. His desire is that the pain will always be there and we will not ever be able to heal.

Everyone has feelings of pride, fear, guilt, worry, and doubt from time to time. But God wants us to stop, let go, and give Him these feelings and hurts that cause destruction in our lives and to those we love. He simply wants to take care of our hurts; all we have to do is hand them over to Him today. For many, this is not easy. In fact, this was so very hard for me to do. I would like to share a situation in which I had a very hard time giving up control and putting my love and trust in God.

Due to the lack of male figures as a child growing up, I had trust issues and I yearned for male attention. I had my heart broken many times as a young child and I truly felt very sorry for myself and very angry toward men, but on the other hand, I wanted their love so badly. When I was 14 years old, I was raped by my boyfriend. He pressured me to be with him because he “loved” me. Although I wanted that love so bad, I wasn’t sure if I was ready to give myself to him.  At the last minute, I decided not to go through with it, but he chose to continue…without my consent.  Afterwards, he threatened that if I ever told anyone what he did, or tried to break up with him, he would let everyone know what I had done with him; that I was no longer innocent and pure.

As time went on, anger, hurt, love, and trust turned into major resentment toward every man I came in contact with. I was not about to trust a man with my heart. I would be the one in control, and I would not have to fear rejection. I started using my body as a way to control that overwhelming need for love. I used sex lying to myself calling it “love.” I would now become the rejecter. Although, reality was that sex became disgusting to me because it was filth and not love that I always yearned for. That was when I decided I would be the one who would cause one to feel sad, hurt, and unloved. I wanted men to “want” me, because this is what I thought love was. I learned great ways to manipulate them with my eyes, the way I moved my body, the way I did things to cause them to feel jealousy so they would stay with me. This was (in my mind) justifiable behavior. I had been treated that way, so why shouldn’t I treat men that way. Isn’t that how love works?

After this, I turned very selfish and could not offer real intimacy and pure love to anyone, even with my devoted husband who truly loved me. I just never believed that love was real. I had never received it in any other male relationships before, so I thought how would my marriage be any different. That boyfriend I had, said he loved me, but look how that turned out. I believe this is my reason for having a hard time putting my trust, not only in my husband, but mostly with the Lord. How on earth could my Heavenly Father really love me that way?

Finally I woke up and decided to quit playing the victim. I chose to give this hurt to the Lord along with the control, pride, guilt, fear, worry, and doubt. In the beginning, I did not think He could change me, but God did. He was going to set me free!

“I have swept away your sins like a cloud.  I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist.  Oh return to me, for I have paid the price to set you free.”  — Isaiah 44:22

Today, love is changing between me and my husband. I am “learning to trust” him and even more, trusting God in all things. God is calling out to all of us “This is the Lord, trust me, let go, and I will catch you.” (Baker)

How about you? Are you willing to lay down your pride and surrender? Are you ready to stop being tormented by your hurts that have controlled you for so long? Are you having doubts right now even though you want to believe? Ask God right now to help you with your unbelief. As John Baker says, “Jesus said, that’s good enough.” All you need is faith as small as a mustard seed. If you put that faith in our Big God then you will get results. (Baker)

Jesus replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20

So what are you waiting for? Let go and give Christ control! He wants a loving relationship with you more than anything!

 

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Let’s Pray:

Lord, Thank You for Your love for us. You tell us, Lord, to come to You with all things and You will give us rest. Lord, we want to do this and surrender our problems and care over to You; but it’s not easy. The pride, guilt, fear, worry, and doubt get in the way. Lord, we ask You to help us right now to let go and surrender our problems and lives to the care and control of You. Lord,we need help. We need You in our lives. All this we pray in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

Your Assignment: 

Write down and explain which of these things God is showing to you about yourself such as: pride, guilt, fear, worry, and doubt that is holding you back from making a decision to surrender and give Christ control of your life. Remember, comments made here are public. You do have the option of signing in anonymously.

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If you are interested in joining us for the amazing online Bible study, and would like to join our private Facebook Discussion Group, click HERE to sign up. Once we receive your registration, we will email you further details.

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

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Life’s Healing Choices: Chapter 3 – “Letting Go” – The Commitment Choice

January 21, 2013 by

Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ’s care and control.

Matthew5_5

Good morning ladies, we have admitted we are powerless to control our lives and that we are not God.  We also acknowledged God exists, we matter to Him and that He has the power to help us recover.  His word says, “ Come to Me, ALL who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me.  I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”  Matthew 11:28-30.

So, WHAT’S HOLDING US BACK?  What is keeping us from letting go and letting God? What is stopping us from receiving that peace that surpasses ALL understanding?  His Word says that even the winds and the sea obey Him.  He healed lepers, caused the blind to see and the lame to walk. When His beloved Peter kept his eyes on Him, he walked upon the water.  The grass grows, trees sway in the wind, waves hit the shore and mountains reach into the clouds.  So – again, WHAT’S HOLDING US BACK?

In Life’s Healing Choices, John Baker talks of five things that keep us from making the choice to surrender total care and control to the One True God:

  •       Pride
  •       Guilt
  •       Fear
  •       Worry
  •       Doubt

Let’s take one at a time:

Pride, what a powerful word.  When  I see the word pride, the scripture that comes to mind is Proverbs 16:18 – “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”  It is often times we think we can do things on our own, we don’t need help.  I know because I continued thinking I could walk away from the lifestyle I chose on my own, only to fall within a few days – sometimes hours.  When I surrendered completely to Him, humbled myself and realized without God I could do nothing, He took the desires away.  He restored relationships I had destroyed and showed me His unfailing love.  I would like to share a song He used to bring me into the reality of how awesome He is – that as we turn to Him, he runs to us – still amazes me today!! http://youtu.be/NBzcOGydUaA    – we only need to seek Him.

Guilt and shame can break our spirits.  John Baker asks the question – have you tried to make deals with God?  Have you asked for His help so many times, you may be embarrassed to ask again.  Maybe you think if you don’t ask for help, He won’t know you need it.  I have done all the above – actually tried to hide things out of guilt.  Like He didn’t know what was going on.  He knows ALL!!  He wants to forgive us and take away the shame – His desire is for us to live a life of abundance.  “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4 – we only need to seek Him.

How many of us have stood in paralyzing fear?  Fear that our children would not recover? Fear that we could lose our job? Fear that we didn’t know where our next dollars would come from? Fear of someone coming into our home that was not invited? Fear of finding our way home safely? Fear, fear, fear!!!  We live in a world of fear – economy, safety and health.  I know in my life, I feared that people would ‘find me out.’  That they would see who I really was.  I thought I had control, yet lived in fear every day.  When we place our belief in the One True God, He promises to take those fears. “I sought the Lord and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” Psalm 34:4 – we only need to seek Him.

Worry is a word that was often used within my family.  I grew up with a mom, grandmothers and sisters who all worried from one day to the next what was going to happen.  As I sit here and think of that, I look at a sign my mom had in her living room for years – “One day at a time.”  Oh, I know that is a popular saying, but how many of us actually do live one day at a time.  Again I will take you to His word, in Matthew 6, Jesus was speaking to the multitudes about worry.  He tells of how God takes care of the birds of the air, the lilies of the field – that we should not worry of what we eat, drink or wear.  “For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow…” (Matthew 6: 32-34)  He is willing and DOES care for us and provides all that is necessary – we only need to  seek Him.

Is my faith too small?  I have asked myself that question.  Do you doubt why God would help you?  Why would the Most High, Omnipotent God look at me and say – “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move: and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20)  Jairus went to Jesus with a request that any one of us as mothers would ask…”Please heal my child”.  Jairus had doubts, he asked for help with his unbelief.  What was Jesus’ response? “Do not be afraid; only believe” (Mark 5:36) and the girl was restored to life.  We only need to seek Him and believe.  Lord, help us believe!!

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Let’s Pray:

Most gracious Father, You have given us so many promises to grab hold of.  Oh that we would believe whole-heartedly.  That we would be able to go through each day knowing You will care for every little thing in our lives.  Your Word says You do, it is us that falls short.  Father, I ask that each one in this study would seek You and feel Your presence, that we would all lay down the pride, guilt, fear, worry or doubt that we have throughout our lives.  Let us make the decision to open our lives to Your total care and control.  Although we don’t see where You will take us, we know this is the right thing.  Give us the strength and faith, even as tiny as a mustard seed, to take one day at a time with You, knowing we matter so much to You and that Your love for us is unfailing.  We give You all the glory and honor – In Jesus’ Name, Amen!!

Your Assignment:

Let us know what is keeping you from turning total care and control over to Him?  What does living one day at a time mean to you? Remember, all comments on this blog are public.  You have the option of signing in anonymously.

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If you are interested in joining us for the Life’s Healing Choices online Bible study, click HERE.  Once we receive your registration, we will email you further details.

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

 

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Captivating: Chapter 3 – “Haunted By A Question” – What Happened

January 21, 2013 by

 

I had to laugh when I read the story at the beginning of the chapter. I laughed because I have been the woman accused of having too many groceries in my basket and because I have been the woman who was doing a silent count in my head of the basket in front of me, making sure they had the allowed amount of items.  It’s not only situations like that, it’s others. I can laugh now but after the “incidents” of losing my temper, jumping to conclusions, being unnecessarily rude, lacking faith etc. all I felt was a sense of guilt and shame. I asked myself the same question Stasi asked herself “What’s going on here?”

I’ve always wondered what the world would be like if Eve wouldn’t have eaten the apple… What kind of woman would I be then?

 

If Eve

 

Has this question ever ran across your mind?

“Eve was given to the world as the incarnation of beautiful, captivating God, a life offering, life-saving lover, a relational specialist, full of tender mercies and hope. She brought strength to the world, but not a striving, sharp-edged strength. She was inviting, alluring, and captivating.”

We often don’t feel like this. Life can be overwhelming, and we can feel caught in the struggle of balance. We may not feel inviting, alluring and captivating. ..

BUT, our God says we are. He created us as the incarnation of beautiful, each in our own way. We are relational specialists, a Gift from God. We are strong, a feminine strength that only women possess.

Deep in my heart I don’t believe that Eve’s decision that day changed God’s purpose for women. We were still created to be beautiful; we are still created in God’s image. We have tough days where we are the 15 or under police in the line at the grocery store, and we can’t explain our feelings. But God knows us, He knows who He created, He knows our tendencies, our strengths, our weaknesses and our struggles.

The days where we feel torn and unbalanced are the days we need to remember the most that we are God’s. We are inviting, we are captivating and we are alluring.

 

With Love,

Tonya

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Lets Pray:

Dear Lord, it is hard to be a woman some days. Our emotions and feelings can feel uncontrollable and we can’t justify our thoughts and actions, especially when they don’t line up with those of the woman we strive to be. But, on these days we know that we can turn to You. We can remember that we are Yours and that You created us. We don’t have the answer for the question of why we may react the way we do at times but the one definite thing we can rely on is that we can turn to You.  Thank you for loving us through our unbalanced imperfection.  In Jesus Name, Amen.

Your Assignment:

On days where we wonder “what’s going on here?”, what do you do to bring your focus back to God?  What do you do to help yourself to remember that despite the situation you are still a beautiful woman (inside and out) that was created in Gods image?

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

Once we receive your registration, we will email you further details.

 If you are interested in sending a private message to Tonya in regards to this blog, please email her at TonyaEllison@girlfriendscoffeehour.com

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Life’s Healing Choices: The Commitment Choice

January 20, 2013 by

Happy are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  Matthew 5:5 (TEV/NIV)

During our second week of the Life’s Healing Choices study, I was confronted in several areas of my life where I must have control.  When I don’t feel like I have the desired level of control, the world spins around me and anxiety reigns in an ugly way.  Conflicts arise in my relationships with my kids & my husband, and the anxiety just grows and grows.  And, gaining my perceived level of control doesn’t make anything better because those around me are already irritated and annoyed with my actions.  So when I read the first page of Chapter 3, I knew this week is going be even more hard-hitting for me.

John Baker writes, “We take desperate measures, trying to keep our life’s hurts, hang-ups, and habits up in the air so they don’t come crashing down around us.  We try so hard to keep up a good front- pretending that everything is okay – when in reality, we’re struggling with real pain and real issues that we desperately try to ignore.”  He continues, “we start feeling guilty about our behavior … I should be able to change.”   Yep, once again, I admit … that’s me.  Juggling everything for everybody, hoping nothing comes crashing down, yet I’m crawling inside with anxiety, worry, and fear that my lack of control will be found out.  I should be able to do it all!  I should be able to change the world around me!  I should … I should … I should.

Ah, but there’s where the problem lies.  I was never designed to do it all, or be all.  Especially not in my own power, strength, and energy.  We saw last week how we must plug in to God’s power to overcome our past experiences, and daily strive to become closer to Him.  This week’s lesson will be on letting go. 

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Choice 3: Consciously choosing to commit all my life and will to Christ’s care and control.

We will learn the things that keep us from making this choice, how to move forward & toward Him more, and how God will be with us every step of the way.

Remember, God never told us that life would be easy.  But He did promise that our load would be lighter and easier to bear if we allowed Him to walk alongside us.  Matthew 11:28-30 reminds us…

Matthew11_28thru30

When I read that verse, I think of my idea in 2011 to participate in the Flying Pig Half Marathon in Cincinnati.  I’m not a runner, but I can walk.  I walk every day … from the parking lot to my office building.  I walk with the family … at fairs, festivals and activities on weekends.  I can handle walking for 13.2 miles … without formal training … because I walk every day!  Pretty crazy, isn’t it?  Well, that was my thinking at the time.  But I showed up, and started walking before dawn that gray, rainy May day.  I saw friends at the 3 mile mark that had come to cheer for our group of walkers.  By the time I saw mile 6, I was near tears.  I did not expect the hills and inclines during the walk, and started doubting my ability to finish.  I condemned myself … “What were you thinking?  Whatever made you think you could do this?  You’ll never finish!”

So, what did I do?  I called a girlfriend in Virginia who had participated in long walking events and cried.  She encouraged me, told me she was proud of me for trying, and said to keep going.  I sent text messages to my mom, and received periodic messages asking where I was in the walk.   I reached out to those who could help me move forward, and 4 hours 7 minutes after I started, I actually finished the half-marathon.  I had blisters on one foot, pain in my hip & ankle from shifting my gait to avoid more blisters, but I finished.  My sister, who had completed the route as a runner, met me at the finish line and told me she was proud of me. While my Encourager’s may not have been with me physically, they helped bear my burden of doubt, provided encouragement, and kept me moving forward … one step at a time.

God may not be physically visible & touchable in our lives.  But He is still there giving us the encouragement, the strength, and the “YOU CAN DO IT” that we need.  Will you turn to Him for whatever challenges you face this week?

 

 Reading Assignment for Week 3: Chapter 3 of Life’s Healing Choices
Monday: Laurie will discuss Principle 2: The Commitment Choice
Tuesday: Leslie will discuss Beginning to Move Forward
Wednesday: Kim will discuss Stepping Across the Line
Thursday: Amy will discuss Make The Choice & Action Steps
Friday: Laurie will bring it all back home with a recap of our week

 

Let’s Pray:

Lord, we have all tried to manage our lives on our own, and we’ve failed to do it in ways that fully honor You.  Show us through the week’s study how we can fully turn over all areas of our lives to You.  Your Word promises that we have already been given ALL blessings, so help us recognize daily where You have shown mercy on us.  You will give us the power, strength and desire to do all that’s before us, but we need to surrender to You first.  Thank you for loving us with a love that knows no end.  Amen.

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Power Verses for Chapter 3:

Romans 10:9

Matthew 17:20

Matthew 11:28-30

Psalm 37:5

Psalm 25:5

2 Corinthians 1:9

Psalm 143:10

Proverbs 3:6

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If you are interested in joining us for the amazing online Bible study, and would like to join our private Facebook Discussion Group, click HERE to sign up.  Once we receive your registration, we will email you further details.

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

 

 

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Captivating: Chapter 3 Reading Assignment – Haunted by a Question

January 20, 2013 by

Ladies, I hope you enjoyed studying Eve last week, from a whole new perspective.  I know that my thinking was challenged and I definitely had a couple of “a-ha” moments.  The journey of getting to know the feminine me that God created has been an eye opener.  This week we look into the fall, the fatal decision made in the Garden of Eden.  Here are our reading assignments for the week:

 

WEEK of January 20th – Chapter 3: Haunted by a Question

Monday: Jackie – Haunted by a Question through Eve, What Happened

Tuesday: Tonya – A Woman’s Deepest Question through The Curse

Wednesday: Carissa – Dominating Women through Desolate Women

Thursday: Michelle – Indulging through Eve’s Lingering Fear

Friday: Edwina – Weekly Review

 

LET’S PRAY

Lord, I ask You to come alongside each woman this week as we continue the study of Captivating.  As we look into the life changing decision Eve made, and the ripple effect it has had, let us be open to the message you have for us, the lesson you want us to learn and the growth you want to see.  Thank You so much for Tour love and grace, because without that we would be nothing.  In Your Name we pray.  Amen.

 

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

Once we receive your registration, we will email you with further details.

If you would like to contact Michelle in regards to this blog, please email her at:  Michelle@girlfriendscoffeehour.com.

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GCH:decaf – Circle of Friends

January 18, 2013 by

Circle-of-Friends

There is a semi-old song that I think about when I think of the girls I have met through this GCH:Decaf ministry.  I have been singing it a lot lately.  If you have never listened to the girl group you should really look them up.  They have some awesome harmonies and the words to their songs are really relevant.  Chances are you have heard their songs and just didn’t know who sings them.  Anyway, the song I have had on my heart is “Circle of Friends”.  Here is the first part:

We were made to love and be loved

But the price this world demands will cost you far too much

I spent so many years just trying to fit in

Now I’ve found a place in this circle of friends

In a circle of friends we have one Father

In a circle of friends we share this prayer

That every orphaned soul will know

And all will enter in

To the shelter of this circle of friends

That is how I feel about all of the new friends I have met through the study of “A Daughter’s Worth” by Ava Sturgeon.  We began the study as just a group of random hearts from all over the United States mostly, then, we had friends join us in other countries.  People began reading our study blogs in over 100 countries around the world.  The leaders and the girls in the groups became friends and we got to know each other through our Facebook groups.  This study, this group of leaders, this group of girls has changed my life and I want to say Thank You to each one.  I’m sure there will be more lives touched through the words spoken through the blogs than we will ever know.  I pray that God multiplies the hearts blessed by the words He inspired us to write and publish.  The next verse of the song:

If you weep, I will weep with you

If you sing for joy the rest of us will lift our voices too

But no matter what you feel inside there’s no need to pretend

That’s the way it is in this circle of friends

Many of you have shared your hearts and hurts with us during this study.  We have grown close and that makes this Mama’s heart so happy.  We have loved to cry with you and sing with you and celebrate with you.  We are your FRIENDS and you are ours.  As we began making plans for the next study we looked at many things that might make a difference in the lives of teen girls and young women.  We began talking about doing the study “not a fan” by Kyle Idleman.  As we continued to pray and make decisions, it was becoming apparent that we needed to take a step back for a time.  We have decided to not go forward with a new Bible study for teens with Girlfriends Coffee Hour Ministry right now.  There are many exciting things happening at GCH.  I believe God will continue to bless the women as they minister to other women all over the world in the areas they have chosen to pour their hearts into.

                Among the nations, tribes and tongues we have sisters and brothers

                And when we meet in heaven we will recognize each other

                 With joy so deep and love so sweet

                Oh we’ll celebrate these friends

                And a life that never ends

                In a Prayer

                That will not be long before

                All will enter in

                To the shelter of this circle of friends

Because we have all become social media friends, we can contact each other whenever we want to.  Please know that your leaders love you all very much and would love the chance to keep in touch and be a part of your life as you mature.  Remember us if you ever need someone to pray for you, we would love that.  If you have questions about anything, please message us and we will be there for you.

                In a CIRCLE of FRIENDS we have one FATHER,

                In a CIRCLE of FRIENDS we share this prayer,

                That every orphaned soul will know and ALL will enter in,

                To the shelter of this CIRCLE of FRIENDS.

May our Father God bless and keep each of you until we meet again.  If you want to reach me you can find me at Teresa@girlfriendscoffeehour.com or leave me a comment here.  I’d love to hear from you.

Mama T

 

Song Credit goes to Point of Grace – Circle of Friends

Words and music by Douglas McKelvey and Steve Siler

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Captivating: Why a Beauty to Unveil

January 17, 2013 by

“It is the glory of God to conceal a matter,

to search out a matter is the glory of kings.”

Proverbs 25:2

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We are created in God’s image.  Think about that.  Out of ALL the things that God created, everything, it is us that He decided to create in His image.  What an amazing honor.  As I was reading this passage I was so thankful and in awe of our God.  When we take time to truly contemplate all He is and all He does, it should bring us to our knees.  It’s amazing.

Now because we were created in God’s image, we can start to look at parallels in that relationship.  In Proverbs we read, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, to search out a matter is the glory of kings.”   This is how He reveals Himself, and it is how He wants us, as women, to approach our lives also.  Does God go out and force Himself on anyone who will listen?  Absolutely not.  He wants us to know Him, and then grow more and more in love with Him each day.  In Jeremiah 29:13 it says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” He has confidence that if you truly get to know Him, you can’t help but fall in love with who He is and want to make that relationship grow.

This was a big “wow” moment for me as I was reading.  The way that God woos each and every one of us is the same way we should go about any potential relationship we may be considering.   He created us to be a mystery, a beauty to unveil, and we should take that to heart.  How do you behave when you are interested in someone?  Do you throw yourself at them?  Do you make it easy for them?  Do you give too much too soon?  I know there have been times in the past when I have done all of those things.  It has never led to anything good, let alone godly.  We need to use the example of our Lord.  Intimacy requires time; it requires a slow unveiling of the beautiful mystery you are.  I loved this quote, “Whatever else it means to be feminine, it is depth and mystery and complexity, with beauty at its very essence.“  Every single woman reading this right now has a beauty to unveil.  Every one.  You are created in the image of God.  What is more beautiful than that?

As we have read through this chapter on Eve, think about the amazing truths we have heard.  Why is it that we long for romance, we long for an “Ezer” and believe beauty is essential to life?  Because God wants these things too!  He created our uniquely feminine heart.  It is a beautiful thing.  We long because He longs.   This continues to blow me away!  As we finish up this chapter I ask each of you to not only remember this, but believe it:    “There is a radiance in your heart that the world desperately needs.“  Shine bright, ladies!

 

LET’S PRAY

Lord, we are so grateful to You for the way You love us.  Thank You for creating the beauty and mystery within us.  Please help us to keep that sacred.  We want to live out a life that honors the beauty You have given us.  Remind us to take it slow, and help us remember we are worth getting to know. We want to shine Your light through our depth, mystery and complexity.  In Your Holy Name we pray. Amen.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

When you read the account of the Creation, you saw Eve, a woman, as the crown of creation and the final work of God. How did that make you feel? What did you think about that?

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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 send Michelle an email in regards to this blog, please send it to: Michelle@girlfriendscoffeehour.com.

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GCH:decaf – Friends are IMPORTANT! and so is FAMILY

January 15, 2013 by

We have been having a most AWESOME time getting to know each other these last three months.  We began our Teen Ministry with the hopes that we would be able to reach young women all over the world with the love of God and for them to see how much they are worth to the Father.  In the process, we got to know many new hearts and smiles.

Yesterday Diane shared with us about her friend, Jesus.  How many of you truly think of Jesus as a friend?  Does He have a place in your heart like your best friend does?  When bad stuff happens to you, who do you run to?  Is Jesus first, or do you go to a friend, or a parent?  Sometimes Jesus is the LAST person we go to – and only because we couldn’t figure it out on our own.  That’s not cool.  That is not how Jesus wants us to think of Him.  How long would we have a best friend if we only talked to them when we were bored or in danger?  Not long, I think.  Friends need to be cared for even when things are fun and good.

It is a FACT that bad things will happen in our lives.  It is a FACT that we need other people to walk along side of us for support.  It is a FACT that Jesus wants to be that person that we go to FIRST…even before our friends or our parents.

Through this teen ministry of GCH:Decaf I have met some pretty amazing women, teens and friends.  We have been introducing you to some of the girls that responded to our interview questions.  Today, I would like to introduce you to a pair of sisters who I met while doing the first study and preparing for things to come.  It is truly amazing how God works miracles in our hearts and lives when bad things happen to us.  Some things girls go through are just too awful to survive, let alone use that terrible thing as a ministry opportunity.

These sisters reminded me of the scripture in Psalms 34:18, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”   Through our online study group I met Trinicia and Carlia.  They answered my interview questions very honestly, just like the other girls did.  I love these girls so very much that I want to get to know them in person.  I want to watch their ministry unfold as they walk out the path God has laid before them.  The events in older sister’s life affected the life of the younger sister.  That is the way we were designed to be.  We bear each other’s burdens and joys.  I love that they are sisters and support each other.  I love that they have a heart for God.  Here is their story:

CarliaI first want to introduce you to Carlia.  She is 13 years old and lives in Memphis, Tennessee.  She likes the group One Direction (much like many of our girls here at :decaf) and this girls LOVES LeCrae.  I have to say that I am loving me some LeCrae myself these days.  I got a new CD for Christmas.  J  Her favorite movie is “Home is Where the Heart Is” and her favorite TV show is House of Payne.  By these choices alone you can tell Carlia values “home”.

 Carlia loves to dress eccentrically and to do that she needs to SHOP with her friends. When asked about food, she responded that all things “Rafferty’s” was her fave.  I have eaten at a Rafferty’s and I would have to agree that they have good food.

 Now here is the answer to the question:  What is one thing that changed your life?

“The day my oldest sister told my Mom that my dad had been touching her in a bad way.  It was hard because that was my dad and he was a part of me, but so was my sister and she was a girl, so I could feel what she was saying and it was hard for me to deal with.  It still is sometimes.  It did bring us closer as a family and it has made all of us stronger and more protective of each other.  I love her!”

Carlia loves her big sister, Trinicia.  God truly came close to these brokenhearted sisters, daughters and friends.  He has begun to heal the wounds that have crushed their spirits and out of these precious hearts, a ministry has been born.

 Trinicia

Let me introduce you to 19 year old, Miss Trinicia.  She goes to college in Nashville, Tennessee.  Her favorite singer is Beyonce and her favorite Christian artist is also LeCrae.  Oh, yeah, and he is CUTE, too.  Trinicia said that Disney’s Pete’s Dragon is her all-time favorite movie and she likes to watch Criminal Minds and Cold Case on TV.  Don’t mess with her, she’s analytical.  LOL  Trinicia likes to be casually dressy.   She sounds pretty classy to me.  Her favorite thing to do with friends is go out to eat and her favorite is Chinese food.

 So here’s the kicker for me; when Trinicia was asked about one thing that changed her life she responded:  “Meeting my best friend Devin at a time when I had to disclose to my mom that my stepdad… had been molesting me and raped me.  God has used that horrible time in my life to help other girls and women get through such a horrific moment in their life.  God has really given me a ministry!  He has used something bad and is using it for His good!”

Trinicia could have said that the action was the thing that changed her life, but what really changed her was the friendship of Devin who stood by her when she needed support to talk to her mom.  Do bad things happen to good people?  Absolutely.  Is it fair?  I don’t think so, but life isn’t fair.  The thing that matters is how Trinicia responded to the bad thing that happened in her life.  She gave it over to God to use as He saw fit and now Trinicia has a ministry helping other girls and women recover from these crushing blows of life.

Did you notice that not only did the bad stuff affect Trinicia, it affected Carlia?  Did you notice that Carlia said that their family is “closer” now than before they found out about the “bad stuff”?  How can that be?  I can understand how these sisters were reluctant to join us in our study “A Daughter’s Worth”, but getting to know them I see that they know the Father loves them and they return that love.  They have turned their pain into ministry to others who are hurting.  I truly love these young ladies.

In Matthew 22:37 it says, “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’”  That verse sums up what we were trying to learn in our last Bible study.  We want to seek God with everything in us, make HIM a part of us that we cannot live without.  We would be lost without our HEART, our SOUL or our MIND.  Make it a point to get to know Jesus this year like Trinicia and Carlia have.  Make 2013 the year you become a true FOLLOWER of Jesus!

I love all my girls,

Mama T

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 If you are interested in sending a private message to Teresa in regards to this blog, please email her at: Teresa@girlfriendscoffeehour.com

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Captivating: What Does Eve Speak To Us – God’s Heart For Relationship

January 15, 2013 by

This book has helped me to see things in such a different way. I’ve heard many  of these concepts and teachings since I was a child but I have never looked at them from the perspective that I now am.

I had to read these few sections more than once to fully grasp what they were saying, and I’m sure I will need to revisit them again in order to understand the deeper truth. I was reading the words but they were not sinking in as much as I would have hoped they would. Like I said it took a few times; but after reading and rereading it began to sink in.  Let me explain why these concepts were difficult to grasp. In my eyes God is powerful, he is masculine, honestly the image I have of my God is far from feminine. I always understood that man bore the image of God, that man was created in his image. In my eyes “man” stood for the literal meaning of man, a male. I suppose that I never dug deeper to use the term “man” as a general meaning, man and woman. I never stopped to see my womanly traits and attributes as coming from God.

  God is relational. So are we.

God has a heart for romance. So do we.

God has a desire for intimate relationships. So do we.

God longs to love us. We long to love.

God longs to be loved. We long to be loved.

 It’s time that we embrace the heart God placed in each and every woman. A heart that is created in the image of Gods heart.

As John and Stasi say several times, we are relational beings. I know that I define myself by my relationships. Good or bad. Whether it is my husband being happy or upset with me. My children thinking that I am a wonderful mom or them thinking that I am mean because I had them go to bed early one night. It can also be the lack of a relationship by which we define ourselves.

Who is the most in-tune person that we know? God. We were designed in his image, this is why we are so in-tune with the relationships we keep. It’s not a weakness as I once thought. It is another part of our heart that is created after Gods.

Gods heart. Eves heart. Our heart.

 There is one relationship that should be held higher than any other.

 How easily do we get wrapped up in life and forget that God’s desire is to have a relationship with us. How easily do we become so caught up in pursuing other relationships that we place our relationship with God on the back-burner.  I know it’s time for me to place my relationship with God in the place He deserves. First.

 

Let’s Pray:

Father, thank You for creating our heart in your image.  Thank You for creating us to be incredibly in tune with the relations we develop.  Help us to see the strength in our hearts. Please help us to remember that our relationship with You is our first priority. You want to love us and You want to be loved by us. You want the number one place in our lives. Lord, You gave us a heart to know You and that is our true desire. Continue to teach us and to grow us Lord.  In Jesus name we pray, amen.

Your Assignment:

These sections reminded me that God created our hearts to seek Him. What is one thing you can do this week to place your relationship with God in the number one place?

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

Once we receive your registration, we will email you further details.

 If you are interested in sending a private message to Tonya, please email her at TonyaEllison@girlfriendscoffeehour.com

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