Memory Verse #3

"and you have become a new person. This new person is continually being renewed in knowledge to be like her Creator".
Colossians 3:10

First off, let me say that I have been obsessing over what verse to share since I found out I would be posting...4 weeks ago! Should it be serious, should it be enlightening, should it be shared with humor? Hopefully it can be all that and more. I have not been a Christian all my life although I have believed in God for most of my life. It was only a few years ago that I made the decision once and for all to trust Him, follow Him and love Him. It has been invaluable to me to have that date, March 24, 2008 @ 3:07 p.m., that I can hold up during those times that Satan attacks me with his lies and seeks to have me question my salvation.
This verse, given to me by my daughter, is one that I have hanging up and look at often. It reminds me that I have become a new person in Christ. That I am continually, every day and in every way striving to follow His ways, to become more like Him. It is a deliberate and intentional way of living. It involves a lot of stumbling and falling, but more importantly getting up, dusting myself off, seeking His forgiveness, learning from my mistakes and turning to His Word, which is knowledge. As women, we juggle many things and we can be harsher critics of ourselves than others are. I have to remember; it's a journey, not a guilt trip! When I read this verse, it helps me relax and know that I am a work in progress, I am "being" renewed. It's an ongoing, lifelong process and I am thankful for a God of mercy and grace who accepts me as I am, but continues to work in my life to make me more like Him!

First Blog?!?!

So...i have never blogged before and only recently started reading the other blogs posted. I must say I am a little nervous for the first one, but it has been awesome to see everyone's honesty and transparency through these blogs!! I am so excited to be a part of the women's ministry and see what God has planned for me, but have also been a little intimidated, mostly just doubting where I will fit in, if I am equipped or worthy for God to use me. While studying this week about Jehovah-jireh, The Lord will Provide, I felt like I wanted to share with you how God has provided for me! A few weeks ago, after the first women's leadership meeting, these yucky feelings started creeping in, doubt, worry, fear... The next day as I opened my devotion for the day, Jehovah-jirah provided for me the assurance that I needed!! As I read the devotion, my eyes started filling up with tears at how awesome our Lord is. It was titled, "When God calls a Woman" and it talked about how God chooses us for His service and when he calls us He also equips us. I realized the feelings I was having were feelings of selfishness and that all I need to do was trust the Lord for His guidance. If you want to read the devotion, I put a link below. I am so thankful that we serve a merciful God who promises He will provide for us!!
So, the first blog was not so bad, it's nice to go ahead and get this one out of the way!!

http://proverbs31devotions.blogspot.com/2010/04/when-god-calls-woman.html

MEMORY VERSE # 2

Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me . Psalm 51:10


This scripture is what I pray throughout the day when my heart's attitude begins to turn away from loving thoughts to unkind and unloving thoughts or when I am beginning to waver from being fully surrendered and dedicated to the Lord. The Lord is faithful to do just that, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me." What a WONDERFUL and AWESOME GOD we serve!

Women's Ministry & Facebook

Well...we did it! Venture Women's Ministry is now on facebook. Click on the link to become a member of the group. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=102512313128682 This page is open to the public so feel free to share the link with everyone. This will be a great place to reach out for prayer, share events or just plainly talk about the Lord and what He is doing in your life. "I hope everyone is having a wonderful day in the Lord" as Brenda White would say!

Monday Gals

I love Monday nights. It's just myself, my daughter, 5-6 friends, a diet Coke and Lisa. Lisa Terkherst is associated with Proverbs 31 ministries which is one of the scriptures that gives women instruction on how to be women. We open our Bibles and discuss what spoke to us that week and how the chapters of the book seem to always mirror what is taking place in our lives and our hearts. We laugh, we share, we pray for one another and are an ever changing group. Women to women, it's just one of those relationships that seems to be annointed by God to encourage you, lift you up and cover you with their approval and prayers. Monday nights around the kitchen table are what I envision Heaven to be like, laughing, smiling, joyful, honesty; only in Heaven, Jesus is physically around the circle, laughing with us. Becoming more than just a Bible Study Girl is the topic of the book we are in right now, learning that He wants that sit around the table relationship with Him. I've started just talking out loud in prayer in my office when I need strength, guidance or am just at the end of the rope. He is the Ancient of Days, the Holy One, but He is also Abba, Father. He wants to talk with us about our struggles, share in the joy of victories, and help us when we are tempted.
Every woman needs a gaggle, are you a part of a gaggle of gals who can encourage you, build you up in the faith, hold you accountable? If not, why? Pray and search you heart for that group and jump in feet first. There are never any guarentees in relationships, but keep trying and you will find that Monday night bliss and be blessed for it.
BTW, I am 8 lbs down and this low carb kick is really going very well. Thanks for all the prayers.

Check out other blogs we like

I am working today but sat down on my break to check out the blogs I follow for updates. It is always exciting to see a new update because God has spoken to me many times through blogs where bloggers are honest about their struggles and things the Lord has shown them in their lives. We are not all that different you know, we face much of the same stuff day in and day out. I read Austin's blog and bingo.... add to that I am working my way through a CD set from Jill Briscoe (www.tellingthetruth.org) called Prayer That Works. I just recently heard a poem she recited on one of her messages. It dealt with praying for something but when waiting for the answer "don't tell Him how and don't tell Him Now". He answers in His own way, according to His will, in His infinite wisdom and His timing is always perfect.

Check out the list of blogs we follow on the right-hand side of the page and be encouraged by others who walk the same road we all do.

Austin's blog is titled "My Blog".

There is a first time for everything...

Well this is my FIRST time blogging, can you believe it? Yes the computer nerd has never blogged. I know that must come as a shock to some of you.

I am a new member of the women's ministry and I must say that I am so glad to be part of such an amazing group of women and more than that be part of such an awesome church. I love the path that my family (husband, Mike and son, John Michael) and I are on right now and we are so blessed to have God at the center of our lives. It took us a minute to get there but now that we are there, there is no turning back.

We just found out that God is blessing us with another child in December. We are all very excited and our family is REALLY hoping for a girl this time. We have so many boys in our family that I am not sure what we would all do with a little girl, but I know my mom, aunt and sisters know. Although I have been excited about the pregnancy, I have also had so much anxiety. I am not sure why. Sometimes I wonder why God feels that I am deserving of another child. My brother told Mike the day we found out we were pregnant that children are God's blessings to parents and He must of felt that we were deserving. That touched Mike so much that when I mentioned me getting my tubes tied he said "well lets not make that decision just yet." This is coming from a guy that was unsure about have two children. Amazing how God speaks to you. Please keep me in your prayers. I know God is in control so I pray daily to keep my faith and trust in Him.

Whewww, that wasn't so bad. I thought blogging would be much harder. Hope everyone has a wonderful day. Until next time.

ALMOST ONE WEEK IN, HOW ARE YOU DOING?

Memorizing our first scripture verse that is.... I find that breaking it up and progressively getting individual parts down first, then spending a few days putting them all together in my head works best for me. I use index cards and have also found index cards that come in a spiral notebook-type format that sits up nicely on my desk.

While memorizing this particular scripture (Hebrews 4:16) this past week, I have really concentrated on meditating on it as well. The Lord has given me some insights into this scripture by recalling information I have read recently and in the past. For instance, "let us draw near with confidence"..... why would He tell us to draw near with confidence? First, the most obvious, He wants us "near", He wants our company! He eagerly waits for us to show up. Alright, this is something we need to really get into our hearts and heads..... the God of the Universe who created ALL things eagerly waits for us to come and spend time with Him. A mental picture I get of this is from a book (Grace Walk by Steve McVey) I read a while back of the Lord waiting in the sitting room for our morning talk while we frantically get things together to rush out the door to get our day started, then as we fly by the door of the sitting room and see Him there, we gulp and say "sorry, I am so late, maybe tomorrow?" Have you ever thought about it like this before? Yet I believe this is indeed the scene that plays out far too often in our day-to-day lives. We are too busy to "draw near"!! Then take the word "confidence". The first meaning in the dictionary I looked this word up in says "firm trust", the second "certainty". We are to approach with absolute firm trust and certainty that we are accepted because we have accepted Christ. That's faith folks..... trusting with absolute certainty that we are accepted; that is what we are to approach the throne of grace with. Now the phrase that reads "so that we may receive mercy".... mercy, what is mercy? The dictionary states it is refraining from inflicting punishment on an offender or enemy.... yep, that was us, enemies of God until we accepted His Son's, Jesus Christ, sacrifice for our sins and in return we were granted mercy and the punishment (which is death, by the way) was averted. Now, grace... we use this word a lot in speaking about the Lord BUT do we understand what it means. It is defined as unmerited favor. In an article I read not long ago in Decision Magazine it was defined as God's blessings, not just once when we were saved by grace but every day, day in and day out. He pours out His grace on us because we deserved death but instead received life and life in abundance as we, day by day, draw near with confidence and partake of what was Christ's alone but made ours by His great mercy.

Now... let us begin our days by drawing 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 (paraphrased).