OFF AND RUNNING, MEMORY VERSE #1

Therefore, let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16


Here we go ladies, our first memory verse of many. I prayed for guidance in choosing this verse. I asked the Lord for a verse that would set the tone for our challenge. This verse tells us that no matter what our need, the Lord is there to listen and to help and we are to have confidence in approaching him with that need. Go to your bible and read verse 15, the verse that precedes our memory verse. Have you ever wished you had someone to talk to who understands your need or your problem completely, someone who understands you completely? You have that !! We all do!! He is Jesus, our Lord. We can come to Him knowing that He sympathizes with our weaknesses, knowing He understands. He was tempted in all things as we are yet without sin. Couple this memory verse with prayer as you meditate on it for the next two weeks and draw near to Him with confidence.

Dieting, Will I Die?

I have been on literally every diet known to man. I have struggled with overeating and have often turned to food as comfort. This is one of the only struggles that shows, literally. Other sins we can hide and keep to ourselves, but this is one that is out there for everyone to see. Well, I've enlisted my husband this time and we are doing a low carb diet. Hopefully it will stick this time, I do have faith. I am not giving up without a fight. There is that balance between being able to cross your legs with minimal discomfort and feeling comfortable in your own skin that isn't a magic number on the scales, it just is. So, for the 1264302056020th time, I am getting going (well actually as of yesterday) so say a prayer for me. I have been using the Wii Fit and have actually been enjoying it, mostly every day for 53 days. I am almost sure I want to get rid of my treadmill and gazelle (which currently serve as my hang-up space for ironed uniforms). I chose this program because there are a bunch of girls at work who have lost weight on the New Adkins diet and because I think my husband loves the idea of eating lots of protein and pork rinds. I am also starting to see that the Lord wants us to glorify Him with every area of our lives and if I can give up the smutty romance novels, surely I can give up apple fritters. So, ready, set, go.......I'll let you know how it goes!

WOMEN'S SCRIPTURE MEMORY CHALLENGE

WOMEN’S SCRIPTURE MEMORY CHALLENGE
Ephesians 6:13-17

Venture Women’s Ministry is introducing the Women’s Scripture Memory Challenge which will be based off the blog, www.hardinwomen.blogspot.com. Once every two weeks, a Women’s Ministry Team member will choose a scripture verse and post it on the blog. We will begin on Thursday, April 29th, please check the blog that day for your first scripture. By the end of the year, we will have memorized 17 scripture verses. It is very important to memorize not only the verse but the chapter and verse numbers. These are our “pointers” when we share scripture God leads us to share with someone He places in our path. We need to not only know the scripture but where it is in the bible.

We encourage everyone to participate. We also encourage you to comment on this scripture and what the Lord has shown you through these two weeks of mediating on and memorizing this scripture verse. Also you may want to share some of your memorization techniques that may help others sharpen these skills.

Our blog will begin to be utilized for the building up of the Body and growing us in Christ. This will be a challenge but one that is necessary to meet. We learn and memorize every day of our lives just to be able to function. There is usually a block that comes up when Scripture memorization is mentioned and we automatically assume we can’t do it. If we investigated further into this resistance, we could identify it for what it is, the flesh warring against the spirit.

There is so much available to us as the Church. We have book stores filled with bibles and other materials for Christian growth; we have radio stations that fill the air waves with Bible teaching and Christian music. To whom much is given, much is required. The Holy Spirit will remind us of scriptures that we filed away in our minds. He can’t remind us of something we haven’t bothered to learn in the first place.

Pursued by a Relentless God

I borrowed some of the words in the title from the cover of a book I just finished reading, Crazy Love by Francis Chan. An absolutely amazing and life-changing book, and I highly recommend it. As I prepare for the upcoming Wed night bible studies beginning this week, I am just amazed at where I am. I can hardly believe the Lord is using me in the way He is. I am humbled by the mercy and grace that has placed me where I am. Without Him, I would not be experiencing this amazing journey.

As I reflect on my past, my mistakes, my failures, I see how the hand of God has sustained me through the years, years where He was not even a passing thought in my mind even though I've been saved since age 9. I can appreciate all the more the pleasure of His presence because of the emptiness I have experienced without it. I can appreciate the abundant life even more as I have experienced the wasted life. I have been given the opportunity to share this experience with others and can relate to that person who wonders "I must be missing something, there has to be more". I can testify to true surrender as God Himself brought me to that place and gave me the ability to seek and do His will for my life. Lord, I pray that I will always remember my place and that my limitations under El Elyon (God Most High) are always before me. Give me a heart that loves unconditionally, give me a non-judgmental spirit, and give me Christ's love to show to others.

As we embark on this first round of the Lord Series studies, I pray for lives to be changed forever. We are being pursued by a relentless God that never gives up or gives in. Embrace the study you have chosen, give your time and devotion to it and watch as miracles unfold in your life and in those around you.

Jury Duty Anyone

If you know me, I rarely back down from a fight, a battle. I was the one person who even tried to make the best of jury duty. I know, right? The journey of the juror is one which I would not care to repeat after days of uncertainty and waiting and seriously thinking about topics like capital punishment, right and wrong, presumed innocence, burden of proof. The one thing that kept creeping up in my thoughts was the blood of Christ. He has assumed the punishment, cleansed us from wrong and taken our offenses onto Himself just for love. Wow. The main difference is that we are not presumed innocent but all guilty and in need of Him love to free us. The devil is the D.A. trying to taint our innocence and show the Father the guilty, ugly things we have done and make our identity in those accusations. The Son is the pardon and although I don't deserve it, I am forever grateful for that grace! Whatever reason He had for allowing this experience in my life I am thankful for the experience and of course, I feel a story in the making! Jurors meet from across the jury assembly room and their eyes meet.................
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Revenge of the Nerds

The best part of becoming an adult is embracing the God given qualities you have. You no longer have to read in private or in the bathroom, because "who reads for fun?" My name is Karen Schultz and I am a nerd. Who knew, there are a bunch of us at Venture!!!!! Tonight was awesome, getting to know some of the fellow nerds (you know who you are) and laughing, escaping from our day to day worries. We had a room full of doctors, teachers, nurses, those who love to clean their homes, Duke basketball fans and even those who love horror movies! (Not really those were all falses, I mean who likes Duke basketball?) Mainly we enjoyed getting to know each other and share our love for growing in Him. Wow, there is just something about a gaggle of women to make me smile! If you are interested in getting in on our nerdfest, if you love to read and share your thoughts about what you've read, you've landed in the right spot! Shoot myself or Jane Stevens an email and start the adventure into the pages of a book!

Training

Well, it's been about 15 years since college and in the interum, I have been to plenty of conferences, education classes and training sessions. None like the one I've been to the past 4 weeks. The Crisis Pregnancy Center of Gaston County has training twice a year to prepare counselors in various capacities to help with work at the center. Several of the women of Venture have attended this spring's training and BOY OLE BOY has it been something. If you read this blog, start praying for the women who have comitted to volunteering with the Center and taking the training. The front lines of life and death are at stake and the victor is the precious life of a baby. The enemy is a prowling lion who seeks to destroy that which is good. Bathe this ministry in prayer. I have recently spoken with someone who volunteered at the Center for years and feels the enemy was able to destroy her marriage taking her out of the ministry ultimately. We are headed into battle and need your support and prayers. This is not a ministry the devil will let go without a fight.
We have learned so much that has opened our eyes about the way abortion is dressed up, "safe sex" has lied to our generation and how government has snuck in and established itself as the judge and jury for these poor little babies. Heck, we even learned that "Roe" from "Roe vs. Wade" never had an abortion but was used sorely and left to live a life of pain until the Lord saved her.
So, as Venture enters into this partnership in the future, pray that the ministry and services the Center stands for translate well into this community. Start praying now!!!!!

Children. When most women are growing up, they dream of raising a family. These dreams often include picnics, laughter and hugs and let's face it, running along the beach hand in hand. They definitely do not include a call from the school saying, "Mam, this is your daughter's school. We have a little problem. She is stuck in her jacket and starting to panic..." Not one of the best moments in a long list of phone calls from the schools over the years. As I deal with the delima at hand, I am reminded to laugh as I say, "only my child".
Today, I was privy to a little slice of heaven as my sister gave birth to her 5th child. That moment that I capture with each delivery of a new baby when the mother "meets" the child for the first time and that bond is formed that is so precious to both for their entire lives is something I never fail to keep inside. The urge to just belly sob fortunately has been reigned in over the years and I simply pray that the bond never fades as usually a tear escapes and is quickly wiped away.
As I instructed the school to cut my daughter out of her jacket recently and spoke with her to calm her down, I was aware that I will always be a voice of reason in her life. I am reminded that the Father loves us with such perfect love as he cuts us from the "jacket" of sin and sets us free. When we say "only my child!" our Father is saying, "my child!" Because, try as we may, we can never fathom or capture the Love He has for us. I love Psalm 13913-15, "You made all the delicate inner parts of my body and knit them together in my mother's womb. You were there while I was in utter seclusion!" This verse gives me that same feeling in my belly as that moment with baby and mom.....BEFORE you were, He loved you.
The best gift we can give to our kids is the love of Christ which will sustain them beyond what love we have for them. As we enjoy these gifts from God, remind yourself that He loves them before we do and more than we do!