December 24, 2024

Crazy Love- Chapter 4 “Profile of the Lukewarm” Weekly Review

February 1, 2013 by

Francis Chan has this video for us this week… Please take some time right now to watch it:

http://youtu.be/xufREJzzuxo

Yes, this was a heavy video…and chapter. But I believe it is a wake up call that we ALL need as Christ followers. If you felt any condemnation over the last 5 days…GOOD…but let that be a catalyst for change, not to give up! God needs us all to get HOT HOT HOT in our faith from this moment on…and He needs us to be contagious in order for His will to be done on this earth.

luke 14 33

God has been speaking loud and clear to me my 4th time through this book. I think He said similar things to me when I read it before…but my eyes and ears are wide open…and I am willing to be obedient. One of the things Chan talked about in the video was how in other countries, baptism has a much different meaning than it does here in the USA.  We see it as a “sanctification” and that we grow in our faith when we let God take over more and more aspects of our life. In other countries, it is a “prerequisite”…they have made the choice to be willing to lose it all for Christ and literally die to themselves in making this decision to follow God.

There is nothing lukewarm about that.

Let’s Pray:

Dear Lord, please leave us forever changed after reading this chapter and give us a hunger and thirst to be more like Jesus through turning up the heat on our faith. Lord, we want to go from a 5 to a 10 in being on fire for You! Help rid us of ourselves and be willing vessels to be obedient to Your call like never before. We love You and thank You for this provision, Father. In Your Son’s mighty name we pray, amen <3

Your Assignment:

I think it is important to take time to reflect on this chapter…. Then it’s time we put feet to the pavement and start walking it out! How has God changed you through this book so far? For real…I want to hear all about it and know how I can best be praying alongside you as you are taking this BOLD stance for God’s Kingdom! If God has spoken to you but you are afraid to move forward, please, please, please reach out…even if you would be more comfortable doing so in private. My email address is listed below and I would love to encourage you and help guide you through this. This is too important to stop now, ladies <3

Blessings,

Megan 🙂

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

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

 

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Love Letters From God

January 26, 2013 by

 

My story is made up of many love letters written from my heart to God’s heart and from His to mine.  I open up to Him with a pen in my hand and a journal in my lap.  The Lord speaks to me through my writings and I am beyond excited to share with you bits and pieces of different letters I have from God.  I share parts of my story so that God’s love, power, grace, forgiveness, so His perfectness may be showcased.  As you read I pray the Lord grabs a hold of your heart and fills you with hope!

 

Do not let your hearts be troubled;

trust in God, trust in God alone.

John 14:1

 

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for teaching me through afflictions I face in this life.  I know with every storm, drought, and sometimes tornado in my life there will always be an ending in which I am closer to You.  You teach me something through each storm.  When I am in the desert, I am learning.  When I am getting swirled around by this world’s vicious schemes, You are there holding me down; You will not let me get swept away in the tornado!  And for that Lord, I praise You.  There is one thing I struggle with sometimes, Trust.  That word scares me, BIG time.  I really want to trust You.  I do not know if I currently trust You.  How do I know?  Teach me Lord, during this waiting period in my life to trust You; please and thank You!

Love, me

Love Letters from God

Dear Precious Daughter of Mine,

Oh how I am smiling down on you to hear you praising Me through the many storms of your life.  If there is one thing I want you to know through any affliction you face in this life, it is that I am right beside you the entire time.  I never let go of your hand.  Praising Me in your storm is a wonderful sign of the trust that you have for Me; as your Protector, Savior, Healer, and most Powerful Being in your life.  It is not enough to say that you trust Me, you must act out the trust you desire to have for Me in your heart.  Trusting Me is learned through dependence on Me.  Trust comes when you wake up each morning, and empty out all of your desires, dreams, worries, stresses, sins, and burdens into Me.  It is best to trust everything in My hands.  Trust My hands that in return, I will give you My peace, comfort, love and blessings.  I promise you that when My timing is right I will give you everything you need as you need it according to My perfect will for you.  You will never not struggle with trust, because every day will bring something new that you will once again have to hand over to Me.  I wait patiently for you to surrender all to Me.  I desire to show you just how trustworthy I am.  Do not doubt your trust; just keep on surrendering and depending on Me every moment of every day of your entire life!

Love Always and Forever, Your Trustworthy Father

Trustworthy Father,

Thank You for helping me learn how to really trust in You alone!  I do not want to just say I trust You I want to act it out too.  I am glad that trust is not a one and done type of deal.  Trust is something that will be a continuous effort in my life.  Every day as I grow closer to You, I grow in trust as well.  Thank You Jesus that I can trust my heart and all of me, with You!  I am excited to see where this journey of trusting You leads me.

Love, Diane

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Questions for Reflection:

  1.  TRUST a small five letter word that can be a BIG problem for us sometimes.  Think about what areas of your life you are not trusting with God.  Ask God to help you turn over these areas to Him alone!
  2. Meditate on Psalm 62:5-8

 

 Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from Him.

Truly He is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge.

Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.

God is waiting patiently for you to pour out your heart to Him!

Copyright 2013 Diane Meyers

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If you would like to send a private email to Diane in regards to this blog, please email her at:

Diane@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com

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Seeking Him – Sing Your Praise

January 26, 2013 by

 

This week in our current series, Seeking Him, we will focus on recognizing how vital it is to include singing our praises to God as part of our quiet time.

Each Saturday we have been looking in-depth at a few of the most important aspects of having a dedicated, purposeful quiet time.  At the beginning of this series I had the privilege of sharing with you a few thoughts from some friends about their own quiet time.  Gathering from their experiences, there seem to be a few basics which include:

Bible reading
Prayer
Praise Songs
Meditation
Seeking the Lord

If you are like me, you have found that singing and praising through song is so uplifting, don’t you think?  Almighty God is the point…He is the focus…keeping my mind and heart set toward Him is my aim.  He is the reason why I sing praises to Him!

Psalms 147:1, 7

Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God,
for He is gracious and lovely; praise is becoming and appropriate.
Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
sing praises with the harp or the lyre to our God!

There are more reasons to praise our God than we have words enough to do so! Here are just a few of His attributes:

  • He is full of glory (Psalm 138:5)
  • He is great (Psalm 145:3)
  • He is wise and powerful (Daniel 2:20)
  • He is good (Psalm 107:8)
  • He is merciful (Psalm 89:1)
  • He is faithful (Deuteronomy 7:9)

And just some of His wonderful works:

  • He is the One who saves us (Psalm 18:46)
  • He keeps His promises (1 Kings 8:56)
  • He pardons sin (Psalm 103:1-3)
  • He gives us our daily food (Psalm 136:25)

There is a day coming when all will praise God by bowing to Jesus the King!

Philippians 2:10-11

That in (at) the name of Jesus every knee should (must) bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

And every tongue [frankly and openly] confess and acknowledge
that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Almighty God is oh-so-worthy to be praised!  Psalm 107 would be a great place to be encouraged with reminders of what God has done for His children!  Throughout this particular psalm is listed proof after proof of God’s goodness.

Psalms 107:8, 15, 21, 31

Oh, that men would praise [and confess to] the Lord for His goodness
and loving-kindness and His wonderful works to the children of men!

The Book of Psalms has been called the ‘Praise Book’ of the Bible.  In it are literally hundreds of examples of praises and reasons why praise is oh-so-very important.  Did you know that every single one of the 150 psalms included in the Book of Psalms is an actual song?  Steve Pearson, a wonderful singer and songwriter, has written and recorded many songs using the words of the Psalms and his own inspired musical accompaniment.  Here is a link to his website   http://www.psalmistry.com/ Check it out! 

As I read the Scriptures, one thing is clear: singing our praises is a good thing!

Join Miss Amy Grant as she sings Sing Your Praise to the Lord!

 Psalm 92:1

It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High…

Psalm 138:1-5

I will confess and praise You [O God] with my whole heart;
before the gods will I sing praises to You.
I will worship toward Your holy temple and praise Your name
for Your loving-kindness and for Your truth and faithfulness;
for You have exalted above all else Your name and Your word
and You have magnified Your word above all Your name!
In the day when I called, You answered me;
and You strengthened me with strength
(might and inflexibility to temptation) in my inner self.
All the kings of the land shall give You credit and praise You, O Lord,
for they have heard of the promises of Your mouth [which were fulfilled].
Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the Lord
and joyfully celebrate His mighty acts, for great is the glory of the Lord.

Keep seeking Him and enjoy your quiet time with your Lord!  As you seek Him, He will be found…He promises!

Jeremiah 29:12,13
Then you will call upon Me, and you will come and pray to Me,
and I will hear and heed you.
Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity]
and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

Praying for each of you!  I know that the Lord will answer your heart’s cry as you are seeking Him with all your heart!

♥ coleen

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If you would like to send a personal message to Coleen concerning this series, you may email her at:  Coleen@girlfriendscoffeehour.com

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Crazy Love: Chapter 3 Weekly Review

January 25, 2013 by

Weekly Review

WOW…. this past week had us digging into our past… living in our present AND looking with excitement and passion to our future! Let’s take a look back at this week’s lessons for a moment together…

Monday, you and I explored our relationships with our earthly father and how we can translate that onto our relationship with God. That can be good and/ or not so good…. but we learned how important it is to understand that God is above all humanity and it is dangerous to our relationship with Him to try to put earthly limits on Him.

Martha shared with us about coming to God with a reverent intimacy. I enjoyed that lesson so much as she walked us through the stages of childhood developement and how we need to look to our heavenly Father with a reverent fear out of the crazy love we have for Him.

On Wednesday, Donna shared with us about how no matter what rejection we might have faced on this earth, that God has wanted and loved us since he formed us in our mother’s womb. We are wanted by Him… always and He will never forsake or turn from us.

Jennifer shared with us on yesterday about what choice we have in all of this….. God will always love us, no matter what… but we all have a choice whether or not to love Him and live for Him in return. We need to know Him and love Him no matter what… unconditionally the way He loves each of us. He deserves nothing less from His children <3

Francis Chan has another amazing video for us this week. Please go watch it now…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Xzrv0f-UMQ&feature=youtu.be

Are you just SO struck with the love of the father… SO struck with the love of Jesus that there are no words?

Chan challenges us  to live love-struck by the love of Jesus every day of our life. He challenges us to think about the cross in traffic, at the grocery store or in line at the bank…. to think about what HE did for you and for me and be completely broken again right there. I can’t think of anything more humbling or a better way to keep our focus on Jesus as we live our every day.

No one has ever or will ever love you like Jesus has and does…. HE IS THE greatest love of my life and your life. Do you feel it? Are you letting that fill every part of your heart and soul? This love is stronger than that of a parent/ child relationship because it is flawless…. without any earthly hang-ups and issues. The redemptive work of Jesus on the cross is the most pure love ever….

And its all yours <3

Let’s Pray:

Dear Lord, thank you for the lessons in this week’s chapter. For any of us who still have not been broken by the love you have for us, I ask you today to break our hearts either again or for the first time. Help us feel your love in every part of who we are… to not just want to do our best for you to do it, but because we love you THAT much and THAT completely! Thank you for this provision, Father, as we seek you more completely and fiercely than ever before. Amen <3

Your Assignment:

Do you remember when you “got it”… when you LOVED Him?  Let’s each share those experiences when you “got it.” When you feel in LOVE with Your Creator. Chan urges us to understand this part of the book. It’s not about trying harder to please God, but to REALLY be in love with him…. to make the cross central in your life. It’s about relationship… intimate relationship and not legalism.Please share with us in a comment below about the time in your life when you “got” the Love you have for Jesus!

Blessings,

Megan 🙂

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

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

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

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

January 23, 2013 by

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

Be Blessed,

Donna

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Let’s Pray:

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

Your Assignment:

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

1 John 4:19

Leviticus 26:12

Jeremiah 1:4, 5

Jeremiah 29:11

Psalms 139:13-16

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

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

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Crazy Love: Week 3 / Chapter 3- dad and DAD

January 21, 2013 by

 

Who’s your DADDY?????

Really….. I want to hear all about him.

Wether you have the world’s greatest earthly father or not, God entrusted you to him for a reason and I would love to know not only what he is like, but what your relationship with him is like.

My dad is a hoot!!! He’s a big old hot mess, but I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love him. Have you ever seen that movie “Big Fish” about the dad who tells the outlandish stories about his extraordinary life and drives his son crazy? Well, that’s MY dad…. but he doesn;t drive me crazy. I Love it and I know I learned how to communicate effectively with other people and how to have great relationships because of him and what an amazing “people person” he is. He has this incredible ability to make a new acquaintance feel like a long-lost best friend…. and it makes my heart happy to see it in action!

Growing up, my dad worked a lot. My mom would have dinner on the table when he got home from work. We would eat together then he would settle in his man-chair for the night and nap until he went to bed. We would sometimes do things together on the weekends, and I really enjoyed that a lot. Some of my best memories are with him at college basketball games or when he would hang out with my friends and I when I had some people over and he would tell them all his wild (TRUE) stories. My dad is a great man… but I never really went to him if I had a problem or needed help. I don’t know why I didn’t, but I always tried to handle everything on my own and really didn’t communicate much of anything about “me”  to my parents unless I really HAD to.

I KNOW I brought this to my relationship with the Lord. I could bring the prayer requests of others to Him like nobody’s business, but I kept feeling God impress into my spirit the question: “What about you?”

YIKES….. I was the one that everyone always came to for help and guidance and I learned at a young age not to share my burdens with my friends because it would always freak them out a bit and they didn’t know what to do. So, I just began to stuff it all down and try to deal with everything on my own. This caused me to not let God into many deep dark places inside me for way too many years. Until I finally let Him in, I wasn’t able to truly live how He called me to and fulfill His purposes on this earth that He intended for me to do. He was begging for me to cry out to him on my own behalf…… he needed me to need Him….<3 And then He helped me heal.

You see, it was a trust issue…. and as Chan says on page 56 “God is more worthy of trust than anyone else, yet for so long I questioned His love and doubted His care and provision for me.”

Matthew 7:11

11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children,

how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

People of this earth and even your earthly father will fail you…. but your Heavenly Father never will. We need to immediately stop putting earthly hang-ups on our Great Creator! He alone is perfect and His love never fails!

Let’s pray:

Lord, help us see the areas where we are putting flawed human traits onto You. Open our eyes to this, Lord, and help us repent. We want to give all of ourselves to YOU whole and complete! Heal us of our earthly relationship hurts so we can fully begin to understand the depth of your love for us. Help us to trust and give you everything. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen <3

Your Assignment:

What hurts or hang ups are you still hanging onto from your relationship with your earthly father that you need to stop putting on your relationship with God? We want to pray along with you for healing in this area <3

Blessings,

Megan 🙂

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

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

 

 

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Love Letters From God

January 19, 2013 by

My story is made up of many love letters written from my heart to God’s heart and from His to mine.  I open up to Him with a pen in my hand and a journal in my lap.  The Lord speaks to me through my writings and I am beyond excited to share with you bits and pieces of different letters I have from God.  I share parts of my story so that God’s love, power, grace, forgiveness, and perfectness may be showcased.  As you read I pray the Lord grabs a hold of your heart and fills you with hope!

 

The righteous cry out and the Lord hears them, He delivers them from all their troubles. 

Psalm 34:17 

 

 

One night, one very dark, painful, terrified night I cried out to the Lord….

Dear God,

I am crying out to You right now for lack of any better ideas.  I do not know if You will hear me.  You are probably so mad at me and You probably do not want to talk to me ever again.  I know that I have made a mess of everything.  I know I should not go back to my sinful ways but I cannot stop.  I do not want to go back to the things that cause so much hurt and pain in my life.  Is there anything that will not cause me pain?  Is there anyone who will ever love me?  If my sorry is worth anything at all, I am sorry.  If my love is worth anything at all, I love You.  I am desperate, I am at a loss.

These feelings bottled up inside are toxic, Lord: I am being used, I am being taken advantage of, I do not have a voice in these trials or an open door to walk away.  I am miserable.  I am in pain.  I am choosing wrong over right and do not know how to stop.  I am going back to someone who is trying to kill me.  Please Lord, just DO IT FOR ME, I CANNOT DO IT.

That night, the Lord did it, He did it all! (I cry every time I remember that night and remember these words He spoke directly to my heart…)

Love Letters from God

Precious Daughter of Mine,

I not only hear your cry, but I feel the pain behind each and every one of your tears.  I am here; never will I leave you, NEVER WILL I FORSAKE YOU.  You are weak, but I am strong.  I will do it all for you.  My love is worth it all and I love you, Diane.  My forgiveness covers your sins.  You are forgiven, Diane.

I never stopped loving you; I will never stop loving you.  I will take all of the weight of your burdens in My hands, where they belong.  You are mine, and I will not let anyone harm you.  I will give you EVERYTHING you need to fight temptations.  I will open your eyes to the door that has been here all along, waiting for you to walk through out of your past and into My abundant future for you.

I am holding your heart.  I have been waiting patiently for you to give up so I could step in and give you My all.  Please, promise to always accept My love in every situation you encounter in your life.

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Dear Lord,

There are no words this side of Heaven to thank You enough for what You have done in my life.  You have turned my painful tears into happy ones.  You have saved me from a life of sin and have prepared the most abundant life for me to live out with You by my side always!  You have waited for me to turn to You. You healed my broken heart.  You fixed my mess.  You did it all and I am forever thankful.  I wish there was a word I could use to express this feeling of complete adoration I have for You—but every time, I come up empty.

I promise to love You with my words, with my actions, with my WHOLE LIFE.  Thank You for giving me the most beautiful love story with You; one my soul has been longing for ever since I was born.  My heart will continue to long for You until that glorious day when You will finally give me the words I have been searching for, all for You!

With Love,

Your Free Daughter

 

Questions for Reflection:

  1.  Have you ever cried to God out of complete desperation?  Did you believe He would hear you?  Are you scared to for fear that He will not care or hear you?  The Lord is waiting patiently to speak the words you need directly to YOUR HEART; will you let Him?
  2. The Lord wants you to give up so He can give you what you need.  Is there an area in your life where you are in desperate need of God’s healing touch?  Pray to God, letting Him into this area.  See what happens when you live constantly surrendered to God.  (Do not get discouraged if you have to continuously surrender…sometimes I have to give the same thing over to God many, many, many times a day!)
  3. One of my favorite verses is Galations 5:1 “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free; stand firm then and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”  Memorize this verse and remember that God offers you His freedom so you can live out the life He has perfectly planned for you.  It is your choice and I pray you choose His freedom always!

Love and Prayers, my dear Sisters,

Diane

© Diane Meyers

If you are interested in sending a private email to Diane in regards to this blog, please email her at: Diane@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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Crazy Love: Week 2 – You Might Not Finish This Chapter pages 45-47

January 16, 2013 by

ARE YOU READY?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

What will we leave behind?

In Christ,

Donna

Let’s Pray:

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

Your Assignment:

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

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

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

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

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GCH:decaf – Letting God Into Our Study

January 14, 2013 by

Hello there everyone!  

I know that we have been doing interviews and that is probably what you are expecting from me today.  I know you are probably wanting to get to know another friend that will be doing this study with you, but truth be told I was unable to interview someone this week.  I was nervous about what I was going to do, kind of feeling like a failure.  I was praying about it a lot and then God gave me an idea.  One thing I have learned in my life is that no matter what – God always comes through.  When I think there is no solution, the Lord opens my eyes to HIS solution!  Just when I was worried about my blog this week, God came through with the most perfect idea for a blog post for you.  I may not have a decaf friend to introduce to you this week, but I have another friend who I would like to share with you this week, Jesus!

I am wondering how many of you have done a Bible study before.  My first study was in 6th grade.  We did a study on Job at church.  I still remember things from that study.  One thing I really liked about the study was that we prayed before we discussed the study.  The leader would welcome God to our study that day.  Being eleven years old, I was kind of confused as to how God can be in our study with us.  I believed that God was there, but I could not see Him so if it were not for that prayer, I would have completely forgotten that God was really there with us doing the study with us.  He was the most important part of our study.

Let God In

God is the most important part of GCH: decaf.  God has placed each and every one of you here for a reason.  God desires to be apart of not only this study, but our lives too.  Without God, there is really no point in doing a Bible study.  As we start our new study, Not A Fan, let’s think about what God wants this study to be.  What do you think He wants you to learn?  What do you think He wants to you say?  There is something for each and every one of you that God has prepared for you in this study.

I have done this study years ago.  When I did this study, my take away moment was learning to picture myself following God everywhere I go.  This has made my relationship with God even closer.  It has helped me remember that even though I cannot see God, He is there, desiring to have me make Him the most important part of every aspect of my life.

I want to dedicate this blog to honoring God for bringing us together and giving us this opportunity to make new friends and grow closer to Him.  I want to invite God into every aspect of our group!  Giving God control of this study can only guarantee one thing: It will be better than anything we can picture or imagine!  Letting God into our study, we let Him transform this study into something HUGE, something better than we could ever do on our own!  I do not know about you, but I am really excited to grow closer to God with all of you.  Would you like to get to know God more and more?  I hope you see Him as your friend, comforter, and Savior.

For me, God is where my heart is.  God is the reason why I am here.  I love God so much.  I look to Him as my Father, and Protector.  He is the most important thing in my life.  Let’s share today who God is to us.  I thank God so much for being exactly what we need!  I thank Him for being a part of this group!  I thank Him for loving us!

Love and Prayers,

Diane

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If you are interested in sending a private email to Diane, you may email her at:  Diane@girlfriendscoffeehour.com

 

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