December 23, 2024

Crazy Love: Chapter 5 – “Serving Leftovers to a Holy God” (pp 95-98)

February 7, 2013 by

We all have a tendency to drift… away from God. It is just part of our sinful nature. Take the Israelites for example. They pleaded for God to rescue them over and over again. God heard them and He did rescue them; but then they grew restless and focused their eyes away from Him. They drifted. They looked only at the needs in front of them and not at the Promised Land to come. They even complained that they would have preferred to go back to slavery in Egypt rather than struggle through the desert period while getting to the coveted Promised Land! Can you imagine?! They witnessed numerous miracles with their own eyes, yet they still begged and asked for more.

(The Holy Spirit is screaming in my ear right now about the correlation between the Israelites and our present day lives.)

We do the same things that the Israelites did, don’t we? Our view is so limited that we can only see our present needs. It is so difficult for us to see beyond our difficulties sometimes, to know that this life is only temporary and we have our own “Promised Land” (Heaven) waiting for us. We just have to walk through these desert periods and fix our eyes on the Author and Perfector of our faith. And He promises we do not have to walk these desert times alone. He is with us through His Spirit. He will guide us and direct us. He will show us the path to take.

Exist-to-Glorify-crazy-love-francis-chan-F

With that said, it is so important to stress what our author talks about in the concluding pages of our chapter. Our faith must be intentional. Without daily, focused effort we will slowly drift away from our Lord. He is the only One who can help us through every trial we face, every fear we encounter, and each obstacle in our path. Chan suggests that spiritual drift is not a conscious choice, but it is happening because nothing else is propelling people toward Christ. If we do not make our faith intentional; if it is not a priority above everything else in our lives, then we should not be surprised when we wake up one morning and wonder, “where is God?”

God never moves. He never changes. He is always there. It is us that move and change and shift.

Does God take priority over everything else in your life? Does any earthly thing matter as much as your relationship with the Lord?

These are some tough questions. Many things in this chapter are convicting my heart and igniting a passion in me to dig deeper. How about you? Write out your thoughts. Journal what the Lord is speaking to you about. Answer these questions as the Holy Spirit moves you. Take the time to truly explore yourself, your time commitments, and your relationship with the Lord. If you want something to change, how can you be proactive and change it? Remember, with GOD all things are possible. Pray and commit your changes to Him and let Him have all the glory!

 

Have a blessed day!

Jennifer

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Let’s Pray:

Father, this book is opening up deep cuts and wounds that we have only covered with flimsy band aids. Help us to fully heal those wounds and to come to You in repentance for anything that we are discovering that is not pleasing to You. We all desire a full, rich, deep, abiding love relationship with You, Lord. Please reveal to each one of us the next step of faith we can take in pursuit of that relationship. We love You so much, Lord, and our heart’s desire is to please You always. Rid us of anything that is interfering with our time with You. Invigorate our quiet times with You. Renew a passion in us for Your Word and for living the full Christian life that Jesus speaks of in the Gospels. It is in HIS Holy, Precious, Matchless Name that we pray, AMEN!

Your Assignment:

What earthly things are currently taking precedence over God in your life?

 

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 Jennifer in regards to this blog, please email her at Jennifer@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com

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Seeking Him – In His Presence

February 2, 2013 by

This week in our current series, Seeking Him, we will focus on the joy of intentionally seeking the Lord and His presence during 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

As we have taken the time each week to consider each of these aspects in turn, we have learned that the quality and the depth of our quiet time is truly based on our hearts’ attitude as we enter into it each day.  If we force ourselves to simply eke out a few minutes…sing a song…and read a few verses…voice a quick prayer—and be done—we surely are not going to experience the joy of what the Psalmist communicates as he wrote about how important his time with the Lord was. Here is just one example from the book of Psalms where we read of David expressing his absolute need of, desire for, love for seeking his God and being in His presence.  Listen….

Psalms 27:4-11
One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek, inquire for, and [insistently] require:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life,
to behold and gaze upon the beauty [the sweet attractiveness and the delightful loveliness]
of the Lord and to meditate, consider, and inquire in His temple.
For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter;
in the secret place of His tent will He hide me; He will set me high upon a rock.
And now shall my head be lifted up above my enemies round about me;
in His tent I will offer sacrifices and shouting of joy;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; have mercy and be gracious to me and answer me!
You have said, Seek My face [inquire for and require My presence as your vital need].
My heart says to You, Your face (Your presence), Lord, will I seek,
inquire for, and require [of necessity and on the authority of Your Word].
Hide not Your face from me; turn not Your servant away in anger,
You Who have been my help! Cast me not off, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation!
Although my father and my mother have forsaken me,
yet the Lord will take me up [adopt me as His child].
Teach me Your way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain and even path
because of my enemies [those who lie in wait for me].

Can you feel yourself being drawn into David’s experience?  Can you ‘hear’ the passion in his voice?  Can you understand, to an extent, just how very much David yearned to just dwell in his Lord’s presence?

Here…try this: read these verses through again and this time, in each place where David speaks of and about himself, think of yourself.  Put your name in there.  Try it, would you?

Almighty God desires to make Himself known to you.

He wants you to seek Him with all your heart.

“As we seek Your face…May we know Your heart…Feel Your presence, acceptance…As we seek Your face.   At Your feet we fall…Sovereign Lord…We cry ‘holy! holy!’…At Your feet we fall.”

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 the series, Seeking Him, you may email her at:  Coleen@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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Seeking Him: Praise in the Storms

January 19, 2013 by

Do you ever wake up and instead of saying a happy ‘G’morning, Lord!’ to your Heavenly Father out of your thoughts comes ‘Oh, please, Lord…<big sigh!>…I SO need you!”  That was me this morning.  I went over to the window, looking out into the darkness surrounding our neighborhood (it is only 5:10 a.m.), I purposed to sing my need–-confess my GREAT need—for my Father. I had settled my body down last night, but my mind was tossing and turning all night long.  And so I did what the Psalmist did when he was troubled and despondent…I sang.

David spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hands of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.   He said: The Lord is my Rock and my Fortress and my Deliverer;   My God, my Rock, in Him will I take refuge; my Shield and the Horn of my salvation; my Stronghold and my Refuge, my Savior—You save me from violence.   I call on the Lord, Who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.   In my distress I called upon the Lord; I cried to my God, and He heard my voice from His
temple; my cry came into His ears.  

2 Samuel 22:1-7

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This week in our current series, Seeking Him, we are going to focus on recognizing how essential it is to praise our God even in the midst of trials and troubles and heartaches.  Yet one more reason to purpose to have your quiet time—to bring our hearts before Almighty God first thing in the morning.  Taking the time…making the time… to be still and to seek your heavenly Father is vitally important to the state of your heart throughout the day. 

Just like my early morning today (and let me tell you, the attacks did not stop! oh, no…they did not!) and the balance of the day, we ALL experience trials and temptations.  But we can experience a preparation for those times when we purpose to be in our Father’s presence at the beginning of each day.  Listen to this song by Mrs. Sara Groves, encouraging us! 

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHmenrxcbsw>

First Song That I Sing

In the morning when I rise • Help me to prioritize • All the thoughts that fill my day • Before my schedule • Tells me that my day is full • Before I’m off and on my way •

I want to praise You • I need to praise You • Let the first song that I sing • Be praises to my God and King •

Before the curtains part • Before my day is starting • Before I make up the bed • Before the snooze alarm • Reminds me that it’s morning • Before the dreams have left my head •

I want to praise You • I need to praise You • Let the first song that I sing • Be praises to my God and King •

Before my feet hit the floor • I’ll praise You, Lord, I’ll praise you Lord • Before I fill my cup • I’ll lift you up, I’ll lift you up • Before I start my day • I’ll sing your praise, I’ll sing your praise • Before I start my car • Before I get too far •

 

Oh, the joy that wells up in our hearts as we continue to praise our God!  Yet another reason for our morning quiet time, my friends!  Consider this,  

Through Him [Jesus], therefore,
let us constantly and at all times
offer up to God a sacrifice of praise,
which is the fruit of lips that thankfully
acknowledge and confess and glorify His name.
Hebrews 13:15

Sometimes giving our praises to God requires us sacrificing our own desires and purposing in our hearts to voice our thankfulness, even when we don’t feel very thankful.  “Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus…” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

To the end that my tongue and my heart and everything glorious within me
may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.
Psalm 30:12

Keep Seeking Him and enjoy your quiet time with your Lord!  Even in the midst of it all, sing your praises and thanksgiving!  God will be honored and magnified! 

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 

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 – Week 2 / Chapter 2 “You Might Not Finish This Chapter” Weekly Review

January 18, 2013 by

Weekly Review

This week has been all about living in the present and living each day as if it were our last. Here’s a re-cap…

Monday, I shared with you about living each day as if you don’t have another…not putting things off and certainly not wasting time we have on this earth.

Martha had some pretty bold words for us on Tuesday about it being not about YOU. She warned us that we all really need to get over ourselves. Ouch…. But so very true.

On Wednesday, Donna shared with us about legacy and had us ask ourselves a very important question…. “What will you leave behind?”

Jennifer shared Brooke’s story with us on Thursday and we were all totally inspired to action about how fully we are living our lives to point people to God!

Yes… this has certainly been a powerful week and I pray each lesson has been a blessing to you <3

 

Francis Chan has THIS video for us about Chapter 2. Please watch it now…..

 Your Assignment:

What is your one BIG TAKEAWAY from this chapter and Francis Chan’s video for us for this week? How has this kicked you into action for change? Please share with us below 🙂

Let’s Pray:

Dear Lord, thank You for another week and for the blessing of this study. I pray that as we go into our weekend, that You continue to mold our hearts and help us to begin today to live like we have no tomorrow. Help us turn hearts to You, Father, and live OUT LOUD for Your glory! In Jesus’ name we pray, amen! 

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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God and Life Balance… with Megan Smidt

January 6, 2013 by

phil 413

 

You all know I have 5 kids, right?

My oldest is 21 and my youngest (sweet Vicky) is 14…. and the one thing they have all struggled with is balancing their life with their relationship with God.

Yesterday, my dear friend Coleen Hayden shared with you a glimpse into what it looks like to seek the Lord as she will be blogging about this for you the next 4 weeks. I hope you had a chance to read it! If not, you can see her post here.

I will be doing a very similar thing over the next 4 weeks, but I will be discussing with you what it really and truly looks like to be able to balance having a wonderfully intimate relationship with God and also still have time for all of your important activities.

Being a teen, you are BUSY… I know! If you’re like my teens, you might have a few things on your plate like…..

  • church
  • family (maybe even in 2 houses…)
  • school
  • a job
  • sports
  • work
  • serving
  • hobbies
  • friends
  • boyfriend
  • ____________________

 

SO……. How DO you balance your relationship with God and other things in your life????

Well, you MUST be spending time with the Lord every single day! I am talking real, quality, in-the-Word time with God. Hopefully, you have a parent or other family member at home who has modeled this for you. If not, it’s okay….. Coleen will be going over this with you on her blog for the next 4 Saturdays. You can also be talking about this in our secret Facebook GCH:decaf fellowship group!!!

What else do you need to get and maintain this balance? Here are a few things we will be discussing over the next 4 weeks….

  • Take God with you throughout your day
  • Give your schedule to God
  • Accountability
  • Values vs. priorities

I do hope that you will take this journey with me over the next 4 weeks! I would love for you to be able to not only protect your time with God but also be able to feel confident about all of the other aspects of your life that are important to you. If you can learn this now, you will be amazed at how much easier life will be as more and more responsibilities get put on you as you continue to get older. This will be instrumental in helping you to not just be a FAN of Jesus…. but be one AMAZING FOLLOWER!!!!

Let’s Pray…

Dear Lord, thank You for giving each of us such big hearts for You. Help us as we begin to intentionally make time to deepen our relationship with You every day. Give us all that time back in our day for Your glory, Lord. Help us balance all of the demands of our time and begin helping us to discern what activities or demands on our time might not be what You have for us in this season. We love You and thank You for this, God! Amen.

Blessings to you all,

Megan 🙂

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If you are interested in more information about GCH:decaf, email us at: GCH_Decaf@girlfriendscoffeehour.com.

If you would like to send a personal message to Megan, you may email her at: Megan@girlfriendscoffeehour.com

 

 

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Seeking Him by Coleen Hayden

January 5, 2013 by

Jeremiah 29:13

 

All this week, we have been ‘listening’ to interviews between our bloggers and some of our girls. I have loved it…haven’t you? It has helped me to learn a little bit more about Vicky, Tristan, Rebekkah, Rachel and Zinni…as well as about Mama Teresa, Jordan, Miss Tonya, Miss Diane, and Miss Edwina, too! We have heard them talk about music, clothes, movies, and food amongst other things. And we were privileged to hear each of them share about a special life-changing thing that has occurred in their lives.

They learned about each other through relationship. In order to have and maintain a relationship two people need to spend time together (yes, online DOES count!)…they need to speak AND listen…they need to consider what the other has said.

All of this has caused me to think about our exciting new study looming on the horizon…and about being a follower of our Lord Jesus, NOT a fan! Through the Bible, I can learn so much about just WHO my Lord is…and WHAT He has accomplished. AND I can learn even more about my Lord through my relationship with Him! We need a relationship with Him! We need to speak to Him AND to listen to Him. We need to consider, to ponder, to meditate on His words. One way I know to do this is to spend time with my Lord. In ‘Christian-ese’ some folks call this a ‘quiet time’ or ‘devotions.’

So, inspired by the interviews we’ve heard about this week, I asked to ‘interview’ some of the ladies here at GCH:decaf. I offered 3 questions about their own quiet time/devotional time. May I share their responses with you? (Prepare to be blown away…I’m just sayin’!)

Question 1: Would you please tell me a little about YOUR quiet time?

  • I shut off all my phones and the TV.
  • It’s pretty much only in the morning that I do.
  • I found that if I read or listened to the chapters before I got out of bed in the morning…it set the tone for my day.
  • I try to have some sort of quiet time all day long with God. I try to be in communication with Him always.
  • Sometimes I will just start to sing…other days I start by listening to praise music.
  • I turn on some praise music…nice and low at first. I begin by singing…my own song…my own words…never the same.
  • I like to listen to Christian music…it helps to focus my thoughts and I have worship time then as well.

Question 2: Do you have a favorite devotional (printed, digital) that you enjoy?

  • I have a digital devotional on my phone that I read…from Rick Warren, and Joyce Meyer (*a few ladies read devotionals on their phones).
  • I’ve never really done any devotionals by myself really.
  • My favorite devotional is which ever Bible study we are working on at that time.
  • I tend to favor writings by pastors like Max Lucado, David Jeremiah, Charles Stanley and now Kyle Idleman.

Question 3: How does this time each day help you to remain a follower…not a fan?

  • Usually helps me to remember who He is, how powerful He is, how loving He is, and how blessed I am that I am His!!
  • It keeps me from being a person who SAYS she’s a Christian when her life doesn’t show it. I want my works to prove that I am…while also knowing & keeping in mind that works don’t save me.
  • The time I spend reading the Word, listening to music, listening for the voice of God in my life teaches me about the character of God and who He is. I not only know about Him, I KNOW Him.
  • Basically God is always there and being in communication with him all day long reminds me of that. Then, when I get my alone quiet time with Him in the Bible that is when He really speaks to me and teaches me new things through His word.

As you can easily see, by the examples of these ladies, having a daily quiet time is oh-so-important! If you already faithfully do this, I venture to say you can hardly imagine a day without it. If you have enjoyed a quiet time as part of your daily routine in the past…and would like to resume it…jump back in; you KNOW you want to! If you have been considering beginning the discipline of having a quiet time, try it with us for the next month.

Each Saturday for the next four weeks, we will look in-depth at a few of the important aspects of having a dedicated, purposeful quiet time. Gathering from the experiences our friends have shared, there seem to be a few basics which include:

  • Bible reading
  • Prayer
  • Praise Songs
  • Meditation
  • Seeking the Lord

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

<3  coleen

If you are interested in more information about GCH:decaf, email us at: GCH_Decaf@girlfriendscoffeehour.com.

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

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Lady In Waiting: Introduction to Meditations

December 7, 2012 by

Diane

Just like anything else, if you keep God out of meditation there is absolutely no point in doing it.  Meditation is defined as a written or spoken discourse expressing considered thoughts on a subject.  I find it HIGHLY important that discourse is defined as written or spoken communication or debate.  Meditation is not about feeling relaxed or a place where you can be calm.  Meditation is an opportunity for YOU to communicate with GOD about any subject you or He would like to discuss.  It is easy to think it is about us: our calmness, relaxation, peace from our craziness.  When in reality, it is all about being with and sharing with our Divine Lover, Jesus!

When you sit down for quiet time what does it look like?  Is your cell phone right next to you just in case your future husband decides to call you while you are trying to hear from God?  Are you alone or in a crowded coffee shop because even this is an opportunity to be seen by God’s man for you?  More importantly though, can I ask you what your heart looks like?  Is your heart open for what the Lord wants to share with you?  Are you willing to be patient and not leave your quiet time until you hear from God?  Does your heart desire to soak in all that God has for you in this moment?  We must empty of “ourselves” and fill up with the Spirit of the Lord!

This week we have been talking about patience.  I was looking forward to this week because this is where I most struggle.  Can I be honest with you ladies; I have not read one blog post this week so far.  Despite feeling the need to read what these women have openly prepared for us to read, I want to wait until I am ready to open my heart for the words God speaks through each and every one of their fingertips.  My heart wasn’t ready for what may be revealed in those posts.  I struggle with the waiting part of being single.  I do not so much struggle with actually being single, just with thinking I will be single forever.  I believe that as much as we are to be patient with God, He is always willing to be patient for us.  He is waiting for me to open my heart to the hearts of the ladies that have shared this week in our study.  He is waiting and His Spirit is praying for me that I will talk with Him about my struggles with patience.

I truly believe the best meditation with God is when we have the ambition to be beyond honest with ourselves and with God, trusting that no matter what the true state of our hearts are at that moment, it is safe to say God will surely transform them into more like His heart when we commune with Him.  He rejoices in the moment we turn to Him for communication.  Just like our Father in Heaven waits patiently for our hearts, so we wait patiently for the heart of the man He is preparing perfectly for us.

I plan to spend quiet time with God, when I know I am ready to get rid of all hindrances, reading the blog posts from this week.  Praying that God will bring out the important truths that I need to let sink into my heart.

Throughout this study of A Lady In Waiting, I just know each one of us struggled with something more than another.  That something more for you, please go back to this weekend or whenever your heart is ready to.  Go back to the chapter; go back to the blog posts for that week.  Most importantly go to God in meditation.  Seek His face in your time alone with Him.  Find out what is in the way of your heart being controlled completely by the perfectness of God and give it over to Him once and for all.  You will find in your moments of complete surrender God’s loving presence.

I pray that we take advantage of the opportunities in the back of the book for meditation with God.  As you work through each meditation, open your heart but also open your ears that you might hear what the Lord has been patiently waiting to whisper in your ear.  I promise it will be just what you need and it will sustain you in the struggles of singleness.

Let’s Pray:

Father God, I thank You so much that we have the privilege of talking to You every moment of every day.  I ask that You prepare the hearts of each and every one of these ladies for the words You want to speak to them.  I ask that they can clearly hear from You.  Lord, Your faithfulness and patience truly take my breath away!  Your love for us is incomprehensible.  I pray that inside of all of us is a desire to spend time with You, growing closer to You, and feeling Your presence in our lives making You more and more real to us.  Bring to light the area we struggle most with and help us to have the courage to spend time talking with You about this area.  I pray all of these things in Your precious name, Amen.

You’re Assignment: 

Look back on your journey through this study.  What are you struggling with still?  What area of your life is God not present in?  Go back to that chapter or topic, and spend a lot of quiet time with God being honest with Him about these struggles.  Ask God to make your heart ready to hear from Him.  Let His presence fill where that struggle once was.

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Our Next Single Women’s Online Bible Study

“Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman’s Soul”

by John & Stasi Eldredge

Begins January 6, 2013

To sign up for this Online Bible Study, click HERE and follow the instructions. You will also be given a link to where you can purchase this bible study. We’re looking forward to studying “Captivating” with you!!

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Resolution for Women: Sabbath Spaces

September 20, 2012 by
Today’s blog is brought to you by Donna Day.  Donna is new to our Women’s Ministry Blogging Team, and will become a full-time blogger when our next study “Winning Him Without Words” begins on October 1st.  I hope you enjoy her post today, as much I do!! <3 Christi  

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I remember as a little girl growing up in Wisconsin, the snow days like the one Priscilla talked about in this part of our study today. Of course we had a lot more snow days than Dallas would have had. We wished for them so we could get out of school and go sledding or ice skating. Snow days here were not a day of being stuck in the house with nothing to do. All the kids in the neighborhood would gather and have a great time in the snow.

Our dilemma would have been the stormy days when the electricity would go off and we were forced to a day of solitude indoors with no radio or TV. I hated those days then, but now I love them! A chance to get caught up on reading a good book or just meeting with God for some quiet time.

Isn’t it humbling to know that we have a God who wants to meet with us? The God of the universe, the creator of everything desires my presence with Him! Out of the hustle and bustle of our world our Father wants us to know that he desires to be with us and spend time together.

That’s why I love this “14 challenge” that Priscilla has given us. Our world today is so pushy and intrusive. With all the internet, cell phones and television we can’t live without, sometimes it’s overwhelming. Society tells us that we have to constantly be busy achieving and going to the next level to accomplish all-even if it takes 7 days a week! To teach our children that we need this 14 minutes of carved out, purposely planned time with God is a gift to them. Teaching them how to listen and pray and hear from God helps them know how to plan for the day and for life.

My husband recently remodeled our bedroom and added a balcony on to the back. I have always tried to find a quiet place and time everyday to meet with God and during nice weather days, that balcony is where I meet with God. It’s a tangible place I can go to and know it will be quiet and peaceful.

My children have always known that Mom has a quiet time everyday. They are grown and gone and have their own lives now but I pray that I have instilled in them the pursuant of peace, a sabbath rest from which to draw on for the day.
May I suggest some  practical tips you could use to make your “Sabbath Rest” a success?

* Decide during the day what time can be easily set aside for this. Whether it’s morning, nap time, or evening when everyone is quiet. Whether you have to get up earlier or stay up a little later.

* Find a peaceful spot so that you are not distracted by anything around you.

* Turn off all phones, TV and radio, so you are not distracted by them. It won’t hurt for this small amount of time and it says you’re serious about taking the time to meet with God.

* Set everything out the night before, if possible, so that when you are ready it’s all there and you don’t have to go hunting for it.

* Go in with an attitude of prayer and be ready to let God speak to you.

Now that you have done all this in preparedness, purpose to take time everyday-it will change your life!!! If it’s 14 minutes or half an hour, you will not regret it. In fact you will look forward to it and God will meet with you. You will find that “Sabbath Rest” we all need on a daily basis!

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Let’s pray: God we want to meet with you. Help us make it a priority in our lives. Help us carve out time to make this happen-even if it’s only a few minutes a day. so that we can teach our children and be an example to them of this important time. teaching them that it is necessary to be able to live grounded in You. Thank you so much  that you desire time with us. In Jesus name Amen
Your assignment:Share in the comment section below, how you do or will carve out that necessary Sabbath rest time with God. Be honest and share and be creative too, sometimes we need to be creative to make it happen!

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Donna lives in Southeast WI, with her awesome husband Ronald.  Together they have 3 children and 2 grandchildren.  She went to school in the Brodhead WI area, and met her husband in the 5th grade!  He told her years later that when he first met her, he knew he was going to marry her!!  How sweet!!

Donna attends Rock Assembly of God, where she is active in coffee ministry, Worship team and heads up their Women’s Ministry, as well.

She loves to read, sing and listen to some talk radio.

She became a born again Christian when she was 12, but didn’t really get discipled until she had been married for 2 years. Then she and her husband both gave their lives to Christ and they’ve never looked back.

We are so blessed to have Donna on our Leadership Team.  She is such an encourager, and a joy to be around!

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Reminder… on October 1st, we will begin our brand new Online Bible Study, entitled “Winning Him Without Words” by Lynn Donovan and Dineen Miller.  If you are in an unequally spiritual marriage, you won’t want to miss this study!!

To sign up for this study, please send an email to: Womens@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com and we will send you all the details you need to get started!

Now jump on over to our Facebook Group for the daily activity!! If you do not yet belong to this group, and would like to, send us an email atGirlfriendsCoffeeHour@gmail.com with FB GROUP in the subject line, and we’ll be glad to add you!
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The Resolution for Women: I’d Like a Word with You

July 26, 2012 by

Our Memory Verse

We’ve talked a lot about Quiet Time this week, and being faithful to that time with God.  We’ve talked about Divine Appointments and being Faithfully His.  We were asked in one of our blogs this week to define what faith and faithfulness means to us.  Were you able to really sit down and think that through?

What does being “Faithfully His” really mean to you?  I’d like to start by seeing what it means to God, first.

In order to find out what being faithful means to God, we have to start by looking at His Word.  His Word….the infallible Truth.  He has given us His Word to teach us; mold us; refresh us; revive us; save us; teach us obedience; to draw us closer to Him; to show us how much He loves us; and to transform us.

He is faithful in His Word.  His Word is truth.  His Word is alive and sharper than any two-edged sword.  His Word is active in our lives, every single day.  His Word is living, and never returns void.  His Word is unchanging.  He Word is eternal.  His word is an historical account of where we come from, and where we are going.  His Word is love.

His Word defines who we are in Christ.  It lifts us up, and encourages us.  It speaks intimately and personally to reveal His purpose for our life!

There is so much to be seen in God’s Word!  It is up to us, though, to be faithful in reading His Word every day.

It is up to us to open this beautiful book of LIFE, and allow God to speak to us; to pour out His amazing Spirit upon us.

It is up to us to be consistent and intentional about allowing God to speak to us through His Word … in our Quiet Time.

It is up to us to choose to shut down the outside noise of life, and to just sit quietly with Him, allowing His Word to permeate our souls and our minds; to allow Him to reach us deep down inside.  That is the only way we will hear the voice of the Shepherd.

It is up to us to CHOOSE to spend this time with Him; to be faithful to Him through this time each day.

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What if God suddenly decided one day not to be faithful to us anymore?  What would our world look like?  What would our marriage be like?  What would our kids be like?  That, my friends, to me, is a scary thought!!  I thank God every day for His faithfulness to me; for always being there, no matter what the circumstances, or time of day; and for always providing for me.

I see many prayer requests every day.  I see us all reaching out to Him, asking prayer for this or that.  Are we faithful to really seek Him for those answers?  Or is it easier to just put the request out there, and ask others to do the work for us?  I don’t mean that in a hateful way, either.  What I mean to say here is this, is it easier for someone else to pray for you, instead of you spending that time with God one on one?

Are you as faithful to Him, as He is to you?  Are you available to Him, when He needs to speak to you?  To be honest, I haven’t always been that faithful to Him.  Even today, I can see areas of my life that I need to resolve to become even more faithful to Him.

What about you?  Can you see areas of your life that you have chosen to let the world, or your circumstances, rob your time with Him?  Can you see areas of your own life where you haven’t been as faithful to Him, as you could be?  What can you do TODAY to change that??

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In this chapter, Priscilla has shared five pages of scriptures with us.  She has suggested that we use these scriptures as affirmations over our lives, and the lives of our loved ones.  She has referenced not only the scripture, but the verse it comes from, as well.

I would encourage you to go through this list of scriptures and highlight the ones that speak to you; and then go to your bible, His Word, and find them there, and highlight them.  Date the scriptures in your bible, as the day that God spoke to you in His Word!  Speak these scriptures out loud, so you can audibly hear them with your own ears.  Faith comes by hearing the Word.  Speak these scriptures out over yourself and your loved ones each day during the quiet time that you are now going to choose to set aside for Him; and then just watch God’s word come alive!!! 

His Word will help renew your mind and your faith; and even your actions and attitudes toward Him will be changed!  Praise God!!

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I will close today with our latest resolution:

 

 

I, __________________, will live as a woman answerable to God and faithfully committed to His Word.

Signed:  Christi Wilson

 

Will you join me in this resolution, as well?

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Let’s Pray:

Father, we come before You today Lord, and ask for Your forgiveness for the times that we have not been as faithful to You as we could have been.  Forgive us Lord for the times that we have chosen worldly distractions over our time with You.  Forgive us for not being there when You needed us, Lord.  Father, we thank You for that forgiveness right now, and from this day forward we resolve to be more committed to Your Word, and more faithful to You.  In Jesus’ Name, the Name above All Names, Amen! 

Your Assignment:

Set aside some time today to spend with the Lord.  Ask His forgiveness for the times that you have chosen other things over Him.  Repent and receive His forgiveness, and then resolve to make better choices where He is concerned in your life.  Do whatever it takes to make time for Him, each and every day!

Don’t forget to head back over to your Facebook OBS Group and see what we have in store for you today!!  If you don’t yet belong to a Facebook OBS (Online Bible Study) Group, and would like to, please send us an email at GirlfriendsCoffeeHour@gmail.com, and we’ll be happy to add you!! 

Living Intentionally to Become More Faithful to My Lord and Savior,

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