January 28, 2010

Gather and talk Giliad

Thursday is upon us and while pile of laundry, a sick kiddo and wiping every surface in my house is on the docket today the sweet carrot that dangles is the chance to meet“with my ladies” tomorrow morning. This week for some reason each and every day I have been so blessed by just thoughts of you girls, our study, and our times together. I hope that our time together each week is a bright and refreshing part of your week.

Tomorrow will be a video day: Week 8.
PLEASE do your best to arrive promptly so that we can start our video without delay.We will then spend our time after the video praying. Wow! What a list we have huh? (Katie, Jenn, Sarah’s requests)

{ Jennifer, please know that you and your family will continue to be lifted up in prayer in our group.we were so thrilled to meet you, have you join us Friday mornings. What a blessing to us to be able To journey along side you and approach the throne with you asking, waiting and expecting God to be big.We so want to be kept in the loop and notified as to how we can pray for you….and oh, when the “big day” comes, girl, we cannot wait to celebrate and praise with you. We love you, would love to see you again and know that you and your family rest in the best hands- God’s good hands.}

Alrighty, there it is. Between now and tomorrow. Get that study done, get on your knees on behalf of your sisters, and hold off on a healthy breakfast…because yummy snacks will make an appearance.

January 13, 2010

Putting that Mouth to Good Use

We find ourselves mid- week and I pray that you have had the opportunity to tackle some of this week’s homework.I just finished Day 4 and found it so encouraging and challenging. Days four and five deal with praying specific scriptures over our loved ones, our situations and our circumstances. What a powerful way to use our mouths for blessing. Day Four asks you to list individuals that you want to pray for, for your specific request for them and then to list scriptures that could be turned into prayers.

**I thought that it might be fun to compile a list of the verses that we have chosen, without the name of who they are for and to share them with one another.It might be helpful to some that are struggling to find verses that fit their people or situations. A way to build our index card pile. As your working on your would you send me an email with the reference of your scripture…..I could put together a little list for us. Also, on other occasions you have chosen a verse for your child/ren , or your family, or your spouse why don’t you send that a long as well.
What a great encouragement to the rest of the group.

And because this week involves a video please do your best to arrive on time.
Have a great rest of the week.

November 12, 2009

By Faith...I think that was the lesson

It took me a bit to jump into this weeks homework. For a few days I was stuck in a place of mulling over the notes from last week’s lesson about believing we are who God says we are. I know that even as I have gone about my week God has been good to draw a few of those traits out for me to explore a little more. For those who may have missed our time together here is a little recap:

We are LOVED, We are BLESSSED,
We are CHOSEN, We are ADOPTED,
We are ACCEPTED IN THE BELOVED,
We are REDEEMED, We are FORGIVEN

Clinging to those statements about who we are
we are thrust in to the hard work of
By Faith...By Faith...By Faith.

Well ladies there it is. This week’s mantra.
By Faith. This week we will discuss together days 1-3 (pg 74-84) . In our time we will be reviewing the stories and life/faith lessons that we can learn and be encouraged by of some of the people of faith who walked before us...WAY before us. While a few of the names are familiar I was blessed in my study time with new respect for the level of faith that each man we will look at displayed in his day. Before it was the nature of the situation that appealed to me, but now I am in awe of their persistent, lived out loud act of faith. I look forward to hearing how these stories of “old” are encouraging you today.

Thank you ladies for all the work that you are doing for our time together. What a blessing and encouragement it is to share our stories, insights, thoughts and journeys with one another. I don’t know about you, but I always leave our time together just itching for more.

November 4, 2009

What does healing really look like

Our time together last week was great as we were able to discuss and practice what it means to ask God to work in our situations of life . This week we will wrap up our discussion of week 3 by discussing pages 63-72 and watching our next video. That discussion will cover what it means to be in the process of healing as well as how to handle when we make specific requests of God and yet they go unanswered by our understanding. Even as you prepare to join us on Friday consider these two quotes for these last two days of study.

“ Almost all the healing works God has accomplished in my life have been processes, stitch by stitch so that I would learn to appreciate being continually in His hands.” pg.65

“ Dear One, we can’t let our fear that God may not affirmatively answer our every prayer keep us from praying.” pg. 67

I pray that even in our short time studying thus far you have begun to make a shift in how you approach prayer and have been challenged to expect more from God. He is lavish with his love, his grace and his compassion. He desires to work in the lives of his obedient children...so ask away...I can’t wait to be astounded at how God will work.

October 28, 2009

Believing that Wonders Never Cease

This week we will be discussing days 1-3 , pages 49-62. If you haven’t already started you better jump on it because day no.2 is quiet a doozy when it comes to looking up scriptures. So grab a cup of coffee, class of wine or your diet coke, say “dishes | laundry | toilet scrubbing you must wait” and settle into the Word. We will be discussing the fact that we have permission to believe God to perform miracles along with discussing why was that Christ performed miracles. Finally we will discuss the continuing nature of miracles in our everyday lives. The work is a lot this week ladies, but don’t cheat yourself out of the opportunity to sit, see God at work and reflect on how you might believe God to be huge in your situation. I am praying for you as you study this week.

October 22, 2009

From one of our own

Amazing message for me this week in our bible study. The fact that God knows everything about us by taking an utmost interest in us and how much time he invests in knowing and purifying our hearts...why shouldn't we reciprocate that investment to truly understand his heart. "You get what you give back!" It was a eye opening, face slapping reality. :)

Just thought I'd share...
Good Morning Girls,

Yet again Thursday has arrived and I feel like I just got Monday’s chores and tasks done. This last week we have been continue to discuss "Believing God is Who He Says He is". Here are some of our recaping bullet points:

- Believers who know what they want to believe and refuse to be challenged may have a stand of faith but not a walk of faith.

- Our plumb line for measuring the accuracy of biblical concepts must be teh Bible itself,not what we've seen or heard.

- Consider how it is that your faith, as you know and understand it, has come to be.

Also,

- Our goal of week 2 was to analyze our spiritual belief system, consider how we developed it, measure it against scripture and comtemplate whether we'd like to alter it.

For our study time tomorrow we will be discussing Week 2 | Days 4&5 (pgs.41-47) then we will be watching the video that kicks off study week three “ Believing God Can Do What He Says He Can Do”. I am really looking forward to our time together and hearing God’s word. I hope you will make it.

** Important Child Care Note**
Tomorrow Shelly will be gone so child care will happen with Becka the Babysitter…at her house, which is just around the corner from where we meet for study. Please just come to Becca’s house (like you do for study) and then we will point the way to Becka the Babysitters house 
SHANNON is providing kiddo snacks, this week.

We look forward to seeing you tomorrow. If you know that you will not be able to make it, please let me know so that we can plan for that. Also, listed below are the prayer requests from last week that are relevant even now.

- Shelly and Jonathan are in Montana. Prayers for safety, travel and for Dan who is out hunting for two weeks.
- The Nultons (Marisa) have moved out of their house and are waiting for their new house. Pray for smooth transition.
- Lifting of the “men” of our families. Work and Stress in particular. That we would know as wives how to best pray and support them.

Have a great Thursday. See you tomorrow.