Begin Conversation Peace

Hey Girlfriends! I didn't say anything when you picked up books last night, but go ahead and be doing the first week in it. It is similar to what we've been doing. Be ready to discuss the activities when we meet next week.

Training for Princesses

Remember how we talked last week about we are children of the King, so we are Princesses? Well, as heavenly royalty-in-training here on earth, our number one job is to spread His love. How are you doing with your training? Usually, I do the love thing pretty easily, but ever once in a while, I think I trip on my princess robe. Pray for me that I won't trip, but that instead I'll show His love all the time. In fact, let's all pray for each other.

Thankful Thursday

I've seen several women's groups that have "Thankful Thursdays" where they all stop to think of something they are thankful for. I think it would be good for us to do that. So I'll start. You can add your thankful item by clicking on comments and typing in what you think. Or if you can't figure it out, e-mail me and I'll make your comment for you. Remember we'll be doing this every Thursday.

I am thankful for the great response we have had to our Girlfriends study. I know a lot of you don't really have extra time, but you are taking it to try to do some things that God asks of us. So, if you're a Girlfriend, I'm thankful for you!

Conversation Peace Wins Out

You voted, and the results are in. Between the votes online and those in class, Conversation Peace had 12 votes. So, we will begin studying how to make our conversations reflect what God wants, based on the Bible. The new study will begin Wednesday, August 6.

For those of you you will be working with AWANA Clubs when they kickoff, we will have our own study if there is enough interest. Be thinking of a night you'd like to do that--or a morning in the week. We'll do whatever gets the most people available.

Begin praying now for our study. We want to be girlfriends who honor God in everything we do, especially in our conversations.

The Juggling Act

Thanks to my daughter Jamie for this post. I "borrowed" it for this blog.

Have you ever felt like your life was a juggling act? You're doing it ALL - wearing a million hats and trying to please everyone from your family, to your boss, to your pastor, to your friends... it never ends! All the while, you're a super woman! You can't let anyone know this is difficult or that you're struggling. What would they think? What if someone knew my marriage was in jeopardy? What would they think if they had any clue how horrible I am at being a mom while working full time? I've felt all those things and a hundred more. It prompted me to write this poem a few years back. My prayer is that it will help you see GOD'S TRUTH in the midst of satan's lies.

The Juggling Act

Balls in the air moving around
One goes up another comes down
They move with grace in utter perfection
How does she keep that perfect formation?

Just one woman, only one
She cooks and cleans, the laundry is done
The house is tidy all the time
Her bed sheets tight, could bounce a dime

Awards for baking, planting, creating
A star employee, legend in making
How does she do it, one hat, then another?
How many can she wear, yet keep it together?

Inside she cries, her heart torn in two
If all the admirers only knew
Too many plates to keep them all spinning
Pressed by desire to show that she's winning

Can't keep up this crazy facade
Confusion and hurt, this path that's been trod
Desire to please everyone she's around
Produces a fear and weighs her soul down

Wearing a mask of perfection and pride
A gentle reminder, whispers inside
The voice of her Father speaks to her soul
"Let go of your need to always control"

Her value and worth, found only in Him
Not in the number of plates she can spin
Not the formation of balls in the air
Nor in rewards her perfection will bare

So as you look at achievement to guide
Remember all stories have two equal sides
No need to feel that your image is bound
In wrong expectations of others around

Our only fulfillment, a result of His blood
His grace and His mercy have washed out the mud
Our one true identity, in Christ is found
Forgiveness and love that always surrounds

Search Me, O God

"Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way." (Ps. 139:23-24)

Are you willing for God to search your heart and reveal to you any areas that are creating a barrier in your relationship with Him? Try it. You'll feel better knowing you're where you need to be.

Empowered By God

I just read a quote from Suzanne Farnham. It says, "God often calls us to do things that we do not have the ability to do. Spiritual discernment is knowing if God calls you to do something, God empowers you to do it." What's He calling you to do that you're worried about trying? Don't worry about it. Instead say "Yes" and let God do His thing in your life.

Taking Care of Your "House"

Headaches? Backaches? Neck Tension? Depressed? Exhausted?

If you say yes to any of those things, you can pretty much bet you're not taking care of yourself. If your lifestyle is stretched to the maximum, physical symptoms can be common to you. I know, you don't know where you'll get the time to change anything.
Your body belongs to God, but He lets you take care of it on this earth. If you don't take care of it, absolutely no one else can. Either you honor God with what He gave you, or you continue to live in stress. So maybe if we look at taking care of ourselves as honoring God, we will be more likely to do it.
In "The Frazzled Female" Cindi Wood says there are four areas we need to work on...eating, sleeping, exercising, and relaxing. I have two of those down pretty well. But is 50% really honoring God. I Corinthians 6:20 says we need to glorify God in our body. That is a statement, not a suggestion. And as Cindi says, "when you have time" is not dangling at the end of the statement.
I hope you'll join me in working on the areas you need help improving. I eat and sleep like a champion. I don't exercise and I don't really relax. I'm making a commitment to start doing both. If you need to take better care of yourself, join me:).

Last Night

Thanks girlfriends for opening up and sharing with us last night. Here are the requests from the evening:
1. Virgil's brother James was having chest pains and at the Yukon hospital.
2. DeAnna's boss in ICU with several problems.
3. DeAnna's nephew Cody had a bad cystic fibrosis exam.
4. Virgil's sister Ima that doctors could find a way to prevent her migraines.
5. Nathan and Chasity--family moving in with them temporarily
6. Shannon's Dad--heart issues.
7. Shannon--unspoken.
8. Frank F. that doctors would find out why he can't walk.
9. Praise--Tommy and Cindy building a home.
10. Unspoken--Marsha
11. Paula will take insurance exam on the 29th.
12. Unspoken praise--Sue
13. Kyla and kids traveling to Frederick
Check these often, or print them out, and remember them daily.

Which Book Do You Like?

We're coming to the end of our "Frazzled Female" workbook, so we need to discover what we'd like to study next time. We passed out a flyer with these books on it Wednesday night. Look them over, them vote on which one you think you'd most enjoy by voting in the poll on the upper right column.


Bad Girls of the Bible by Liz Curtis

Women marvel at those "good girls" in Scripture--Sarah, Mary, Esther--but on most days, that's not what they see when they look in the mirror. If they're honest, women see the selfishness of Sapphira or the deception of Delilah. They catch a glimpse of Jezebel's take-charge pride or Eve's disastrous disobedience. Like Bathsheba, Herodias and the rest, today's woman is surrounded by temptations, exhausted by demands of daily living and burdened by her own desires. So what's a good girl to do? Learn from their lives say humor writer Liz Curtis Higgs, and by God's grace, choose a better path. ($10.75)

Victoriously Frazzled by Cindi Wood

This continuation of "The Frazzled Female" will help any worn out, burned out and stressed out woman understand the Spirit God has given her. The goal is to lead women into the presence of God--right in the midst of their "frazzledness." By doing so, women will gradually pull back from confusion and doubt, from fear and self, and allow God's Spirit to have His way in their lives. ($9.95)

Living Your Life as a Beautiful Offering by Angela Thomas
How can an imperfect life with blemishes and scars reflect back to God a true gratefulness for His love? Jesus know you are not perfect but He also knows that you are made perfect in Him. If only you will come and surrender to him daily. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus give us His compassionate instruction for everyday living and then wraps His teaching with the promise of His blessing. "Jesus wants us to learn to live in a way that reflects the kingdom of God to the world, to live as a woman with a kingdom heart." ($10.95)


Conversation Peace by Mary Kassian
Here's a women's study that really hits home. Mary Kassian masterfully presents the biblical principles to help women revolutionize their speech habits and improve their relationships by focusing on ways to positively avoid sharing gossip, throwing negative barbs, or snapping sarcastic replies throughout everyday life. ($11.95)

Showing Love

When we give our lives to Jesus, we know we can look forward to Heaven. In fact, Jesus is saving a place just for us.
But, while we're here on earth, we're seldom treated that special. In fact, there are times we feel left out, mistreated, stepped on, unwanted and overlooked. So what do we do about it? Yell? Scream? Throw a fit? Tell people off? When we're really frazzled we at least want to do all those things.
Cindi Wood offers five strategies to keep you from doing those things when you need to focus on the fact that you'll be with Jesus someday instead of feeling stress. Here they are:
1. Make It Not Matter: When people do things that hurt you, ask God to not let it matter to you. You may not get immediate release, but He will help you.
2. Walk Away Before You Blow Up: If you feel like your fuse is being lit, remove yourself from the situation. End the phone conversation. Walk away from someone. It will take determination, but you can do it. After you calm down, talk to the Lord about it before you speak.
3. Breathe Deeply: Take several deep breaths when you begin to feel uncomfortable. Blood and oxygen will flow to your brain and you will think more clearly. You need to think before you speak.
4. Deal with Your Negative Attitude Quickly: Don't let a negative attitude find a home in your heart or mind. Replace negative thoughts with scripture or pleasant thoughts.
5. If You Are Wrong, Admit It Quickly: Admitting you're wrong shows your willingness to act like a Christian. It lets you model the compassion and forgiving nature of God.
Does being with Jesus for all eternity offer you enough pleasure to let these things happen?

It Depends On Me!

In Romans 12:3-5, 10 Paul told the church in Rome that we need to show affection to one another with brotherly love. In fact, he said "Outdo one another in showing honor." But, if we're honest, reaching out with the love of Christ is sometimes a major challenge because we're all different and differences can breed conflict. Many conflicts could be avoided if we just stepped back, counted to 10 (or 3 or 4) and conceded our right to be right. Getting rid of self is not an easy process. It takes constant work. Cindy Wood says that "when I become preoccupied with my way, my feelings, my rights, then my energy is drained and my peace slips away. But when I make a conscious and deliberate choice to put me out of the way, then I can more easily turn the situation over to Jesus and let him handle it."

When you are a bundle of nerves and you feel your "self feelings" are justified, it is hard to get rid of self. Cindy says to remember that by giving up yourself, you are in no way justifying another person's behavior. You're just following scripture that says to "bless those who persecute you...if possible, live at peace with everyone."

Is there someone in your life, your neighborhood, your church family or anywhere that could use a little appreciation and kindness? Try not to let them get you angry or frazzled. Instead, try to show them God's love. In the process you'll feel less frazzled and more loveable yourself.

Prayer Requests

Great meeting tonight, as usual. Thanks to everyone for your input and participation. Here are the prayer requests you need to remember as you pray this week:
1. Young sister of one of Rachel H.'s teammates who has a high fever and is in the hospital. Doctors are unsure what is wrong.
2. Deanna C.'s nephews--15 and 19--moved to Dallas this week. Pray for them.
3. Jessie Mendoza--back surgery tomorrow.
4. DeeAnn S.'s brother Jimmy Fleming who had a heart attack on Sunday. He had a stint put in.
5. Kerry's boss and his family.
6. Randall Harris--Ken's cousin--that doctors could isolate what his problems are and be able to fix them.
7. Paula T. as she takes her life insurance exam on the 18.
8. Vicki R.'s health
9. several unspoken

Time! Time! Where Are You?

There never seems to be enough time to do all the things we have to plus some things we'd just like to do. In fact, there is frequently not enough time to do all the things we need to. In her hardback book The Frazzled Woman, Cindi Wood talks about a verse that we usually associate with money. In Mal. 3:10 the Bible says "Bring the full 10 percent into the storehouse so that there may be food in My house. Test me in this way, says the Lord of Hosts. See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure." She suggests we apply this verse to our time also. That means the Bible is saying that if we spend time with him every day, he will open the floodgates of heaven and pour out blessings in our lives. God desires a relationship with us and daily communication with us. When you give Him some of the time you think you don't have, He will shower you with love, peace and joy. He can take your time and multiply it with His blessings. No, there won't be more than 24 hours in your day. But it will seem like it. It's sort of like starting to actually give 10% of your income to God. At first, we say that there is nothing left after we pay the bills, buy food and gas. But when we give the 10% to God FIRST, He finds ways to let us pays the bills and eat. Give Him time and He will take care of you. We cannot outgive God with our money or our time.

Celebrate Eternally

It's July 4th and we're all taking time to celebrate the freedom of the U.S. We are blessed to live in a country where we have the freedom to celebrate as well as the freedom to worship God in the way He wants us to. We take a full day each year to celebrate our country. But how often do we stop and celebrate the freedom God gives us through his son's death on the cross. We are free indeed, and if we continue in our faith, we will be eternally. That should be much more of a reason to celebrate continually. If we have time to celebrate, spend with friends, cookout, pop fireworks, etc., we have time to spend with Jesus. Take some time today to let Him know you are thankful he has given you freedom.

Prayer Requests

Great session tonight, ladies. Thanks to all of you for your input. Here are the requests from tonight...please pray for these daily.
1. Traci Owens' family as they have the funeral for her aunt Tammy Thursday morning.
2. Marvin and Marissa Davis need their house to sell.
3. Maddy Davis health issues.
4. Becky and Ryan Vandenburg (Chasity's sister) as they start a new church in ElDorado Kansas.
5. PTL for Marsha getting better. She is approved to drive again.
6. DeAnna Cross--hopes to be in our study next week.
7. Sue's cousin Frank Fountain--as he goes to Scott and White Clinic in Texas to determine why he can't walk.
8. Back to School Bash.
9. Marie Schorsack having outpatient surgery Thursday a.m.
10. Several unspoken requests.

A Positive Attitude

Did you do the mini-retreat from John this weekend? I didn't get it done until today, but it was pretty awesome. Basically, if Abraham could have a good attitude when asked to move away, leave his family, go somewhere unknown, if Jesus could have a good attitude knowing that He was going to be crucified for us, it shouldn't take much for us to have a good attitude. I fall pretty short of a good attitude part of the time. How about you? Let's all pray for each other's attitudes.