November 21, 2024

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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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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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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God and Life Balance: Take God With You

January 13, 2013 by

Hello Friends!

This is week 2 of learning HOW to be successful with balancing your relationship with God and other things in your life. Today our focus is going to be on taking God with you throughout your day.

Do you do this already? If so… good for YOU!!!!! It’s not something that comes naturally for us to do and it takes some work on your part to make it a habit. Let’s dive right in and take a closer look at HOW we can keep God with us throughout our day, no matter where we go or what crazy situations we find ourselves in!

 

girl on rocks

1. Pray

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Rejoice always,  pray continually,give thanks in all circumstances;for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

I want to challenge you not to limit your prayer time to when you wake up or when you go to bed… or even before you eat a meal. God calls us to pray, to stay in constant communication with Him throughout the day. He cares about your school day and even your soccer practices…. your time with friends and even the guy you like in 6th period. He wants you to talk to Him about your concerns at home and even about what to wear to prom! He cares about you that much, dear heart….. and wants to hear from you more than you know!

2. Be Still with God

I know you are super busy. I know you move from one class to the next and one activity to the next all day long. But, in His Word, God calls us to take time to be still.

Hebrews 4:10-11

…for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.

Throughout your day, you are bombarded with information and noise which make it pretty impossible to hear from God. As you are able to give yourself time in your schedule, God will certainly meet you right where you are and help you rest and feel balanced through His promises. Please, dear sister… make a commitment to make room in your schedule to be still with your Heavenly Father.

3. Share The Good News!

Mark 16:15

He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

God calls us in His Word to share His good news through all the earth. Do you talk with your friends about God? What about your relationship with Him? I know those types of conversations can be hard to start-up, but I do know that God will guide you and give you the perfect words to say if He nudges you to share about Him! I think that is a pretty awesome way to keep God with you during your day and to help stay balanced. Not only will that keep Him on your mind and your heart, but I know it will make Him so happy to know You care about Him enough to tell people about how He has changed your life! What a blessing!

Next Sunday, I will be back and ready to talk to you all about Accountability and how that fits in with your God and Life Balance. I hope you will come back and let me know how everything is going as you work on maintaining balance in your life every day! This will certainly help to prepare you for the GCH:decaf new online Bible study of NOT A FAN starting in just a few weeks!

Let’s Pray:

Father God, thank You for being with each of us everyday as we strive to walk in step with You and Your will. Come with us, Lord. Be with us all day long as we do our best for Your Glory. We ask for Your wisdom in discerning what changes You might have us make in order to have more time to be still with You and keep You with us always. We love You and thank You for this mighty provision. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen <3

 

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 12, 2013 by

IMG_1391

Each Saturday for the next four weeks, we will look in-depth at a few of the most important aspects of having a dedicated, purposeful quiet time.  Last week 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

This week in our current series, Seeking Him, we are focusing on one of the most important building blocks of a devotional time—spending time reading the Bible.  If we are to come to know God, we must begin to seek Him where He has made Himself known…and that is in His written Word, the Bible.

I would venture to say that almost every single one of us owns a Bible (at least one).  Did you know that the Bible continues to be the best-selling book in the world?*  One reason the Bible is so popular is that it is God’s Rule Book. He reveals Himself within the pages of the Bible.  In the words of His written Word, we find that:

The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.
They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.
Psalm 19:7-11

So, we learn that the Bible—which contains the Lord’s law, testimony, precepts, commandments and judgments—is to be desired!  It can be, as the Psalmist wrote, more desirable than gold and sweeter than honey!  And, in keeping (obeying) the words of the Bible (the Lord’s law, testimony, precepts, commandments and judgments) there is great reward!  Such encouragement then to spend time reading the Bible, wouldn’t you agree?

One of my oh-so-very favorite Scripture passages is Psalm 119.  (And, yes, it directly correlates to the psalm we just read—Psalm 19!  You noticed that, hmmm? Watch, you’ll see!)  Psalm 119 is the longest chapter of any of the 66 books of the Bible; it totals 176 verses.  Each of these 176 verses communicates a truth about the Lord’s law, testimony, precepts, commandments and judgments along with His ways, statues, and ordinances.  I find it so amazing (our Lord IS so amazing!) that every single verse tells us something new and different!  Reading and considering and meditating upon the dynamic truths contained in this ONE chapter could be a continuing study for your quiet time.  Perhaps these three verses would be a good place to start:

With all my heart I have sought You;
Do not let me wander from Your commandments.
Your word I have treasured in my heart,
That I may not sin against You.
Blessed are You, O Lord;Teach me Your statutes.
Psalm 119:10-12

Our desire, our intention, our focus, our goal, our purpose, our heart is to seek God!  He is what we yearn for…being with Him!  And these three verses express that desire so simply.

Here is a link to a cd that I think you will find a useful tool for your devotional time.  It is called Psalm 119 in Song by Susie Kimbrough,  a compilation of the 22 songs from Psalm 119 all of which are original musical compositions.  Listen to each of the selections and meditate on the Scriptures being sung.  http://www.shepardmusic.com/ps119cd.php

Keep Seeking Him and enjoy your quiet time with your Lord!  As you do, He will keep you from wandering, help you not to sin, and will teach you His statutes.

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!

<3 coleen

*The Bible is the best-selling book in the world:

http://www.booksellerworld.com/bestselling-booksever.htm

http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/1/best-selling-book-of-non-fiction

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 concerning this series, you may email her at: Coleen@girlfriendscoffeehour.com

 

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GCH:decaf – Meet Diamond

January 8, 2013 by

Meet my beautiful

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DIAMOND

 

I have been a fan of this young lady for several months now.  I have been watching her…  not in a creepy way (I hope), but really watching to see what she is made of.  We began this online teen ministry and this girl named Diamond signed up.  She was very quiet, at first.  Then one day out of the blue (to me anyway) Diamond posted the most mature, profound question and response I think I have ever seen.  While we were studying “A Daughter’s Worth” we were talking about dating and how that fits into our lives.  One day this awesome girl posted a statement that blew me away with her insight and maturity.  After I did this interview I realized that Diamond was 12 when she got this revelation from God to her heart.  I was immediately drawn to her.  I can’t wait for you to “meet” my friend Diamond.

This sparkly beauty is 15 years old and lives in Lexington, South Carolina.  I have family in South Carolina so I can’t wait to go for a visit and see Diamond on the way.  Look out girl!

We talked a little about music and she brought up this band that I keep hearing about:  One Direction…or something like that.  I have seen the pictures of these guys and they are rather unfortunate looking.  I really hope they can sing.  LOL  There are several girls in our group that like these boys!!!!  Hmmmm  I may need to check them out a little better.

NOW, when we got to Christian artists, Diamond and I think a lot alike.  She loves  tobymac and so do I.  I have seen him in concert several times and I plan to see him again in February when he is in Nashville.  Diamond has pretty good taste in her tunes!!!

We talked about TV and movies a little.  She loves, loves, LOVES the movie Grease (I’m sure the original one with John Travolta and Olivia Newton John) and she goes “old school” Will Smith with the Fresh Prince of Bel Air for her favorite TV show.  I have to admit that I have seen Grease more times than I probably should and I have seen ALL of Fresh Prince (even when it was new, LOL).  Those kids sure did get into some crazy trouble.

Diamond’s favorite thing to do with friends is just to spend time.  I love that.  Time is monetarily free, but is priceless.  It doesn’t have to cost you money to have friends.  They want your time and attention, so just hang out.

On this next topic of food, I must say Diamond surprised me.  I know she is from South Carolina and I know my family in South Carolina can COOK.  I love South Carolina Barbeque (especially the mustard sauce) and macaroni cheese pie.  When I asked Diamond what was her favorite food she said…  Chinese (and more specifically at China House restaurant).

So then I got this funny picture in my head of Diamond at China House in NERDY glasses listening to tobymac and I just had to laugh.

Our pastor shared a scripture with us and I thought about Diamond again.

It was 2 Peter 1:5-9, “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.  For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  But if anyone does not have them, he is NEARSIGHTED and BLIND, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.”

Then that brings us to the Bonus Question:  “What is one thing that changed your life?”

To that Diamond answered a very mature “The one thing that changed my life is when I realized that dating isn’t everything. God showed me this 3 years ago.”  That is what Diamond shared with the GCH: Decaf group back in the beginning of our first Bible study together.  This one statement told me that Diamond was listening to what God had to say to her about her life.  She took it to heart and applied that truth to her relationships.  Diamond doesn’t need a boy to make her feel complete, she has her relationship with God in first place.  Not only did she hear what God said, she was willing to share that knowledge with the other girls in the study group.  I love that!  Every experience is useful if we share it with others and help lead them to the truth of Jesus.

Thank you Diamond for being a light in our last study!!!  You are one very special young lady.  I can’t wait to see how God uses you in our “not a fan” study that begins in February.  I can already tell that you are not a fan.  Keep on teaching us how to be committed followers of Jesus.  Love you girl!!!

Mama T

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We begin our next study on the book by Kyle Idleman, “not a fan”.  We will be working from the red, Teen Edition book and the Follower’s Journal.  Get your books now and be ready to start the study on February 4th.

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 Teresa, you may email her at: Teresa@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

Filed Under: Women's Ministry Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

GCH:decaf – Meet the Totally Awesome, Zinni!

January 4, 2013 by

It’s a new year girls and I can not wait to see what God has in store for me and my family, as well as what He has in store for all of you. Let us wait with expectant hearts on the Lord!

Today I have the privilege to introduce you to my beautiful daughter, Zinni. While interviewing her, she told me that the interview is about her and not about me, so here we go.

zinni

Zinni is 13 and is living in Cape Town, South Africa, but will be moving to Stafford, VA soon. When asked about her favorite group she gave me a list, but I will narrow it down to one group, which is One Direction, for now. She’s been going on about these guys lately; personally I think they have weird hairstyles :). Anyone out there who agrees with me?

Zinni’s favorite Christian artist is Mandisa, and here I agree with her wholeheartedly!!!

What you have to know about Zinni is that she loves movies! Did I tell you that Zinni loves movies yet? So I did, but I need for you to see how serious this girl is about movies. At first she said that ‘Marigold Hotel’ is her favorite; not the answer I expected, but its not about me, right! Anyway, she changed her answer to ‘ Rise of the Guardians “, a more accepted answer for me, seeing that I raised this girl and know her very well.

Her favorite TV show ? Girls we have a list, so be patient please. She loves to watch, Psych, The Mentalist, CSI, Power Rangers and Winx, just to name a few.

Now when it comes to clothes, we clash most of the time. To Zinni comfort is more important than being cute. She loves skinny jeans and loose fitting tops. She loves flats but do not like to show her toes; weird right?  On occasion she will put on earrings and other jewelry, but remember, I said on occasion.  So she will wear jewelry like three times a year or so. Blue is definitely her favorite color.

Zinni is a social butterfly, she loves to talk!  She and her best friend Gillian have this special language that they converse in. Watching movies and playing in the pool are other favorites.

Her favorite foods are pizza, chicken, bacon, crispy potatoes and cake.

Zinni’s return to South Africa after living overseas for 10 years has changed her life remarkably. Although the return is not permanent, she has been changed for the better. She says that this experience has changed the way she views things, and it has also brought her much closer to God.

Well girls, this is all I have on Zinni, for now.  I hope you have enjoyed getting to know her, as much as I enjoyed interviewing her!

I love you Zinni!

Be blessed.

If you are interested in joining us in our GCH:decaf Teen Girls Ministry, please email GCH_Decaf@girlfriendscoffeehour.com for more information. We’ll be starting our next online Bible study soon! So be sure to keep checking back for sign-up details to be posted!

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GCH:decaf – Meet My Friend VICKY

January 1, 2013 by

It’s Tuesday, January 1, 2013!!!  We made it!  Of course the Mayans were wrong…the BIBLE says in Matthew 24:36, “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”  Let’s live 2013 like it is a GIFT from God…because it is!  The month of January we will be meeting a different GCH:decaf girl every day.  Each blogger will be introducing you to a new friend.

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Today, I want to introduce you to my friend VICKY.  She is a rockin’ awesome girl that I have met personally (swoon).  We did an interview session and I want to share what I have learned about Vicky.

Vicky  is 14 years old and lives in Murfreesboro, TN.  When asked “Who is your favorite musician or group”, Vicky answered, “One Direction”.  Hmmm, I’m really gonna have to look these English boys up.

Vicky’s favorite Christian artist is Francesca Battistelli.  She writes and sings her own music and is a totally cool young woman.  Frannie actually lives the life she sings about.  Check her out.  Thanks Vicky!

I asked Vicky what her favorite movie of all time was and she said, “Spiderman”.  That surprised me a little.  I’m going to have to investigate that topic a little further with her.  Is it because she has 4 brothers and they made her watch it so many times?  Is it because of the boyish good looks of Peter Parker?  Does she like to swing by spider silk???

Vicky and her mom, Megan, like to watch Grimm together.  I introduced them to Once Upon a Time and now they like to watch both fairy tale related TV shows.  Those Grimm guys are a little dark for me, but Vicky LOVES them.  Have you seen it?

When we talked about clothes and style, Vicky said she is a fan of all things PANTS.  I’m with her.  She looks mighty cute in her pants and she accessorizes them nicely.  Way to Go!

If you were one of Vicky’s friends you would hang out and watch movies together.  She loves to curl up and watch movies.  I’ll bring the popcorn.  You guys should totally show up and crash her couch.

I bet while she is watching movies she has a plate full of her favorite cookies.  Vicky has been taking a course in home economics and has been learning to cook.  We have seen some pictures of her delicious creations on the fellowship page.  I bet those are some good cookies!  Let me know when the next batch is coming out of the oven.

I asked Vicky one final bonus question.  “What is one thing that changed your life?”

Vicky has shared with us before in our last study that “Having her mom, Megan, come into her life” was a life changing moment.  Does that seem odd to you guys?  Life deals us some pretty rough things to handle sometimes.  But when it does, GOD is there to give us a hand out of the rough stuff.  Vicky’s mom, Megan, was adopted into their family.  Maybe you guys have similar situations.  I am thankful for Vicky and for Megan and their willingness to share their life story.  It’s pretty cool.  You really should get to know my friend Vicky.

Each day a blogger/leader will introduce you to another fellow decaf friend.  Check back every day and get to know the hearts in your study group.  We love each of you very much and pray for you daily.  If you ever want to talk to us, just leave us a message.  We would love to get to know you better.

Thanks Vicky for being such an GREAT interview subject and for doing such a great job on our study “A Daughter’s Worth” by Ava Sturgeon.  You are a true blessing.

Love you,

Mama T

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

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