There is no situation so chaotic
that God cannot from that situation,
create something that is surpassingly good.
He did it at the creation.
He did it at the cross.
He is doing it today.
-- Handley C. G. Moule
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
We Love the 918 Coupon Queen!
If you missed our latest W31 meeting, you missed a GREAT night!
We had a delicious variety of healthy and decadent snacks to enjoy while learning "Choose to Turn -Negative into +Positive". This lesson took portions of previous "Smart Choices" and applied them to situations we face every day. Will we choose to be a victim, an Eeyore, a whiner? or will we stop and pray, seeking God's wisdom in how to get His best for our lives from whatever is thrown our way?
Sarah Roe, the 918 Coupon Queen, is the perfect example of someone who took what the enemy intended for evil and turned it around (using God's Word) to bless not only her own family but thousands of others! Sarah's testimony inspired us all.
Sarah's class included explanations on the definition of peelies, blinkies, catalina, tearpads and much more. She shared how to begin watching the sales rhythms of the stores we shop in order to find the week that would be most beneficial for making purchases. She also shared numerous websites and organizations that help us become more efficient coupon-ers. It was a LOT of information and insight for only $5! She also sold coupon organizers that included $50 worth of coupons, definitely a bargain.
If you have the opportunity, attend one of Sarah's classes. They are also available online at www.918moms.com, just look for the Coupon Queen.
I'll leave you with Sarah's verse of provision:
We had a delicious variety of healthy and decadent snacks to enjoy while learning "Choose to Turn -Negative into +Positive". This lesson took portions of previous "Smart Choices" and applied them to situations we face every day. Will we choose to be a victim, an Eeyore, a whiner? or will we stop and pray, seeking God's wisdom in how to get His best for our lives from whatever is thrown our way?
Sarah Roe, the 918 Coupon Queen, is the perfect example of someone who took what the enemy intended for evil and turned it around (using God's Word) to bless not only her own family but thousands of others! Sarah's testimony inspired us all.
Sarah's class included explanations on the definition of peelies, blinkies, catalina, tearpads and much more. She shared how to begin watching the sales rhythms of the stores we shop in order to find the week that would be most beneficial for making purchases. She also shared numerous websites and organizations that help us become more efficient coupon-ers. It was a LOT of information and insight for only $5! She also sold coupon organizers that included $50 worth of coupons, definitely a bargain.
If you have the opportunity, attend one of Sarah's classes. They are also available online at www.918moms.com, just look for the Coupon Queen.
I'll leave you with Sarah's verse of provision:
You will have plenty to eat until you are full
and you will praise the name of the LORD your God
Who has worked wonders for you.
Joel 2:26
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Needing to trade-in for a new model with fewer quirks?
Then join us on June 17th at 7 p.m. !
We'll be starting the DVD series,
We'll be starting the DVD series,
"Have A New Kid By Friday",
featuring Dr. Kevin Leman.
Have a New Kid by Friday will take parents through a six-lesson parenting "boot camp" with practical ideas and strategies that they will use for the rest of their child's growing years. Through each lesson, Dr. Leman helps parents understand why children behave the way they do, points out mistakes that parents make to encourage bad behavior, and helps parents develop the courage to do what is best for their kids.
Workbooks will be selling for $7.00
Now see, you don't have to trade yours in,
Have a New Kid by Friday will take parents through a six-lesson parenting "boot camp" with practical ideas and strategies that they will use for the rest of their child's growing years. Through each lesson, Dr. Leman helps parents understand why children behave the way they do, points out mistakes that parents make to encourage bad behavior, and helps parents develop the courage to do what is best for their kids.
Workbooks will be selling for $7.00
Now see, you don't have to trade yours in,
Monday, June 8, 2009
Butter Bar Recipe (Southern Girls' Delight!)
1 yellow cake mix
1 stick of butter
1 egg
1 8oz pkg cream cheese
2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla
1 box (1 lb) of confectioners sugar
Mix together butter, 1 egg, and cake mix. Pat into the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Cream together all other ingredients. Pour over the top of the other mixture in the 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.
1 stick of butter
1 egg
1 8oz pkg cream cheese
2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla
1 box (1 lb) of confectioners sugar
Mix together butter, 1 egg, and cake mix. Pat into the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Cream together all other ingredients. Pour over the top of the other mixture in the 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.
He Restoreth My Soul....
Laughter
is the hand of God
on the shoulder
of a troubled world.
- Candis Goodwin
Choose To Turn Negative Into Positive!
Choose To Turn -Negative Into +Positive! is this month's lesson for our W31 women's ministry.
We will be meeting at 5 pm at New Life for snacks and our lesson, followed by Sarah Roe, the 918 Coupon Queen. Dress casually, bring your favorite snack, and ask a friend to join you. Sarah's class will cost $5.00 but it is worth every penny!
If you watch the news, read the paper, or listen to talk radio, you've heard enough NEGATIVE to last a lifetime. Join us on Sunday evening, June 14 at 5 pm and let us help you find ways to turn all that negative into positive!
You'll positively LOVE it! ;)
We will be meeting at 5 pm at New Life for snacks and our lesson, followed by Sarah Roe, the 918 Coupon Queen. Dress casually, bring your favorite snack, and ask a friend to join you. Sarah's class will cost $5.00 but it is worth every penny!
If you watch the news, read the paper, or listen to talk radio, you've heard enough NEGATIVE to last a lifetime. Join us on Sunday evening, June 14 at 5 pm and let us help you find ways to turn all that negative into positive!
You'll positively LOVE it! ;)
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
From Shame to Significance
Subscribe to this newsletter here <http://strangmail.com/newslettersignup/>
A Special Word for Women: Ruth's Journey from Shame to Significance <http://charismamag.com/index.php/fire-in-my-bones/22148-a-special-word-for-women-ruths-journey-from-shame-to-significance>
Tuesday, 02 June 2009 09:16 J. Lee Grady Newsletters - Fire In My Bones
If you think your past has disqualified you, take courage from the life of this Gentile widow.
It is truly profound that Ruth's name appears in the royal genealogy of Jesus Christ. The gospel of Matthew tells us: "Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of David the king" (Matt.1:5-6 <http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt 1:5-6&version=31&src=tools> , NASB).
In Old Testament times women's names rarely appeared in genealogical records. Women were invisible. They were not valued for their gifts or talents; they simply faded into the background—even though they worked hard, served their husbands and raised children. Women had no voice.
"We have ignored the message of the book of Ruth—and as a result many women have remained spiritually barren."
For that reason alone it is amazing that Ruth's name appears in this biblical list. Yet it is more shocking that a destitute Gentile widow from the land of Moab ended up in the lineage of Christ. If normal cultural rules had been observed, Ruth would have been disqualified. She had too many strikes against her.
First she was a Moabite. These people traced their lineage to the incestuous relationship between Lot and one of his daughters (see Gen. 19:30-38 <http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Gen 19:30-38&version=31&src=tools> ). Ruth was carrying a huge load of family baggage, as well as the shame that is attached to sexual impurity.
Second Moabites had been cut off from the assembly of the Lord because of the way they had treated the nation of Israel during their wilderness journey. Deuteronomy 23:3 <http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy 23:3&version=31&src=tools> says the idolatrous Moabites were alienated from the Lord's presence to the 10th generation. Ruth must have felt a deep sense of rejection.
Third Ruth was not only a widow but was probably considered barren. She had been married to her husband, Mahlon, for several years yet she never had a child. In Old Testament times women were expected to produce heirs immediately after they married, but Ruth remained childless until her husband's untimely death. Widowhood and barrenness placed a doubly depressing stigma on her.
Yet against this sad backdrop the book of Ruth presents a beautiful picture of Christ's redemptive power. When Ruth pledges her loyalty to her mother-in-law, Naomi, she takes a courageous step of faith and chooses to serve the God of Israel. In response to both of these women's faith, God not only provides for them in a miraculous way but also enables them to find a place in His salvation plan. By the end of the story, Ruth marries into a Jewish family and she gives birth to an heir; meanwhile Naomi's tragic emptiness is turned to joy.
What does their story mean to you today? No matter how many strikes are against you, God wants to use you in His awesome plan. If He can do it for Ruth, He can do it for you!
If you want your life to count for God, all you have to do is participate with His grace and follow the same steps Ruth took:
1. Leave your shame behind.
Walk away from your past by trusting fully in the blood of Jesus to forgive and cleanse you. Even if you have experienced abortion, rape, sexual abuse, domestic violence or addiction, you can leave your Moab and move to Bethlehem, the "house of Bread." God has made it possible for you to transfer from darkness to light.
2. Turn away from your idols.
Ruth had to leave Moab even though her sister-in-law, Orpah, chose to stay in that land of idols. Sometimes we have to make hard choices when following God. But you must make a clean break. Don't give in to the temptation to compromise.
3. Get out of your comfort zone.
It was not easy for Ruth to go with Naomi to Bethlehem. It was a foreign land and she had no guarantee of provision. Yet when she took the risk she discovered the amazing goodness of God. Many Christian women today have been living in the same spiritual ruts. You must get out of the pew and take a risk. God has a spiritual adventure for you, but you won't find it if you just sit there. Like Ruth, you will find your destiny in the harvest field.
4. Find a mentor.
God never intended for us to walk through life alone. He provides us with spiritual mothers and fathers as well as friends to encourage and counsel us. Ruth chose to serve the Lord because she saw God's kindness reflected in Naomi. And it was Naomi's counsel that prodded Ruth to go to the threshing floor of Boaz where she found God's ultimate purpose.
As I travel I find so many women full of spiritual potential who feel trapped by depression, disappointment, grief, shame and physical pain. Yet when they look to the church for help they often find that the patriarchal attitudes of the Old Testament are alive and well.
The church has failed when it comes to helping women discover and implement their spiritual gifts. Women's ministry has focused on trivial things like fashion shows and recipes when God desires to train His daughters to win souls, disciple new believers, start and run businesses, fund kingdom enterprises and transform communities. We have ignored the message of the book of Ruth—and as a result many women have remained spiritually barren when it was God's intention that they become dangerous weapons that make the devil tremble.
Women please hear me. Jesus has included you in His plan! Allow Him to reveal to you how much He loves you and how He desires to use you. He wants you to leave a spiritual legacy, just as Ruth did. May you be filled with the same courage, faith and determination that marked her life.
J. Lee Grady is editor of Charisma. He preached this message last Friday at a women's conference at Hatfield Christian Church in Pretoria, South Africa. You can find him on Twitter at LeeGrady <http://twitter.com/LeeGrady> .
A Special Word for Women: Ruth's Journey from Shame to Significance <http://charismamag.com/index.php/fire-in-my-bones/22148-a-special-word-for-women-ruths-journey-from-shame-to-significance>
Tuesday, 02 June 2009 09:16 J. Lee Grady Newsletters - Fire In My Bones
If you think your past has disqualified you, take courage from the life of this Gentile widow.
It is truly profound that Ruth's name appears in the royal genealogy of Jesus Christ. The gospel of Matthew tells us: "Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of David the king" (Matt.1:5-6 <http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt 1:5-6&version=31&src=tools> , NASB).
In Old Testament times women's names rarely appeared in genealogical records. Women were invisible. They were not valued for their gifts or talents; they simply faded into the background—even though they worked hard, served their husbands and raised children. Women had no voice.
"We have ignored the message of the book of Ruth—and as a result many women have remained spiritually barren."
For that reason alone it is amazing that Ruth's name appears in this biblical list. Yet it is more shocking that a destitute Gentile widow from the land of Moab ended up in the lineage of Christ. If normal cultural rules had been observed, Ruth would have been disqualified. She had too many strikes against her.
First she was a Moabite. These people traced their lineage to the incestuous relationship between Lot and one of his daughters (see Gen. 19:30-38 <http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Gen 19:30-38&version=31&src=tools> ). Ruth was carrying a huge load of family baggage, as well as the shame that is attached to sexual impurity.
Second Moabites had been cut off from the assembly of the Lord because of the way they had treated the nation of Israel during their wilderness journey. Deuteronomy 23:3 <http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy 23:3&version=31&src=tools> says the idolatrous Moabites were alienated from the Lord's presence to the 10th generation. Ruth must have felt a deep sense of rejection.
Third Ruth was not only a widow but was probably considered barren. She had been married to her husband, Mahlon, for several years yet she never had a child. In Old Testament times women were expected to produce heirs immediately after they married, but Ruth remained childless until her husband's untimely death. Widowhood and barrenness placed a doubly depressing stigma on her.
Yet against this sad backdrop the book of Ruth presents a beautiful picture of Christ's redemptive power. When Ruth pledges her loyalty to her mother-in-law, Naomi, she takes a courageous step of faith and chooses to serve the God of Israel. In response to both of these women's faith, God not only provides for them in a miraculous way but also enables them to find a place in His salvation plan. By the end of the story, Ruth marries into a Jewish family and she gives birth to an heir; meanwhile Naomi's tragic emptiness is turned to joy.
What does their story mean to you today? No matter how many strikes are against you, God wants to use you in His awesome plan. If He can do it for Ruth, He can do it for you!
If you want your life to count for God, all you have to do is participate with His grace and follow the same steps Ruth took:
1. Leave your shame behind.
Walk away from your past by trusting fully in the blood of Jesus to forgive and cleanse you. Even if you have experienced abortion, rape, sexual abuse, domestic violence or addiction, you can leave your Moab and move to Bethlehem, the "house of Bread." God has made it possible for you to transfer from darkness to light.
2. Turn away from your idols.
Ruth had to leave Moab even though her sister-in-law, Orpah, chose to stay in that land of idols. Sometimes we have to make hard choices when following God. But you must make a clean break. Don't give in to the temptation to compromise.
3. Get out of your comfort zone.
It was not easy for Ruth to go with Naomi to Bethlehem. It was a foreign land and she had no guarantee of provision. Yet when she took the risk she discovered the amazing goodness of God. Many Christian women today have been living in the same spiritual ruts. You must get out of the pew and take a risk. God has a spiritual adventure for you, but you won't find it if you just sit there. Like Ruth, you will find your destiny in the harvest field.
4. Find a mentor.
God never intended for us to walk through life alone. He provides us with spiritual mothers and fathers as well as friends to encourage and counsel us. Ruth chose to serve the Lord because she saw God's kindness reflected in Naomi. And it was Naomi's counsel that prodded Ruth to go to the threshing floor of Boaz where she found God's ultimate purpose.
As I travel I find so many women full of spiritual potential who feel trapped by depression, disappointment, grief, shame and physical pain. Yet when they look to the church for help they often find that the patriarchal attitudes of the Old Testament are alive and well.
The church has failed when it comes to helping women discover and implement their spiritual gifts. Women's ministry has focused on trivial things like fashion shows and recipes when God desires to train His daughters to win souls, disciple new believers, start and run businesses, fund kingdom enterprises and transform communities. We have ignored the message of the book of Ruth—and as a result many women have remained spiritually barren when it was God's intention that they become dangerous weapons that make the devil tremble.
Women please hear me. Jesus has included you in His plan! Allow Him to reveal to you how much He loves you and how He desires to use you. He wants you to leave a spiritual legacy, just as Ruth did. May you be filled with the same courage, faith and determination that marked her life.
J. Lee Grady is editor of Charisma. He preached this message last Friday at a women's conference at Hatfield Christian Church in Pretoria, South Africa. You can find him on Twitter at LeeGrady <http://twitter.com/LeeGrady> .
Monday, June 1, 2009
Praying for your Children
Nancy Campbell of Above Rubies sends out wonderful devotionals. I thought you might especially enjoy this one!
START BEFORE BIRTH
Judges 13:8, 12, "Then Manoah entreated the LORD, and said... teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born... How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him?"."
This prayer is from the story of Samson, when the angel came to Manoah and his wife to tell them that they would have a son. Manoah's wife was infertile and unable to conceive so this was a great miracle. God also told them that this son was to be dedicated to God as a Nazarite from his birth and that he would rise up to deliver their people from the Philistines who had subdued them for the last forty years.
There are three things I notice about Manoah's prayer:
He entreated the Lord. This was not a formal prayer but an imploring, a beseeching and a desperate plea to know what to do. How we need God's wisdom and anointing as we parent our children. Cry out to God for your children, dear mother. He will hear your cry. When you ask for wisdom, He will give it to you. (James 1:5)
He prayed for the child before he was born.Don't wait until your child is born to start praying. Start praying for your child as soon as you conceive. Bathe your unborn child in prayer. Lay your hands upon your womb and pray over him/her. Read the Scriptures to your unborn child. Seek God for the destiny of this child. This will help you in the naming of your child, too. You don't even have to wait until you conceive to get a vision for children and to pray for your future children. God gave Abraham a vision for children when there was no earthly hope of him having children. God told him to look at the stars in the heavens and try to count them. "So shall your seed be," God told him. And Abraham believed God's inconceivable promise and it was counted to him for righteousness. (Geneses15:3-5) God gave Jacob a vision for children when he was a young unmarried man. He didn't have a girlfriend at that time and wasn't even thinking about marriage. God said to him, "Thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed." (Genesis 28:13-14)
He sought guidance for the order of his life.The margin of the King James Bible and all other translations write the question in verse 12 as, "What will be the boy's rule of life, and his work?" The word rule or order as in the King James Bible is the Hebrew word, mishpat, which is usually translated justice. Justice means the use of authority to uphold what is right. It relates to all functions of government. Justice is a very important part of parenting. As parents, we must seek to know and understand justice. We must have a true knowledge of what is right and wrong in the eyes of the Lord so we can train our children to know justice. We must execute justice in the training of our children or they will not know the true knowledge of God. God's favor was upon Abraham because ordered his household in the ways of justice. God said, "Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do... For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment." (Genesis 18:17-19) Because justice is a primary attribute of God, it is important to him. It is important in the raising of our families.
NANCY CAMPBELL
PRAYER: "Oh God, please teach me how to train my children in your ways. Help me to teach them justice. Help me to raise children who are not "wishy-washy" but strong in their convictions. Amen."
AFFIRMATION: I am seeking to understand justice so I can execute it rightly.
Many women like to save these devotions. They print them out and keep them in a folder to read over and over again. Some print them out and pin them on the fridge with a magnet to read through the week. If you are printing this devotion and need it to be smaller, highlight and change to a smaller font.
If you know others who would be blessed by these devotions, you are welcome to forward them or let them know they can subscribe by sending a blank email to mip://038c8b90/subscribers-on@aboverubies.org <mailto:subscribers-on@aboverubies.org> To unsubscribe from the Above Rubies Devotional, send a blank email to mip://038c8b90/subscribers-off@aboverubies.org <mailto:subscribers-off@aboverubies.org> PO Box 681687, Franklin, TN 37068-1687, U.S.A.
START BEFORE BIRTH
Judges 13:8, 12, "Then Manoah entreated the LORD, and said... teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born... How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him?"."
This prayer is from the story of Samson, when the angel came to Manoah and his wife to tell them that they would have a son. Manoah's wife was infertile and unable to conceive so this was a great miracle. God also told them that this son was to be dedicated to God as a Nazarite from his birth and that he would rise up to deliver their people from the Philistines who had subdued them for the last forty years.
There are three things I notice about Manoah's prayer:
He entreated the Lord. This was not a formal prayer but an imploring, a beseeching and a desperate plea to know what to do. How we need God's wisdom and anointing as we parent our children. Cry out to God for your children, dear mother. He will hear your cry. When you ask for wisdom, He will give it to you. (James 1:5)
He prayed for the child before he was born.Don't wait until your child is born to start praying. Start praying for your child as soon as you conceive. Bathe your unborn child in prayer. Lay your hands upon your womb and pray over him/her. Read the Scriptures to your unborn child. Seek God for the destiny of this child. This will help you in the naming of your child, too. You don't even have to wait until you conceive to get a vision for children and to pray for your future children. God gave Abraham a vision for children when there was no earthly hope of him having children. God told him to look at the stars in the heavens and try to count them. "So shall your seed be," God told him. And Abraham believed God's inconceivable promise and it was counted to him for righteousness. (Geneses15:3-5) God gave Jacob a vision for children when he was a young unmarried man. He didn't have a girlfriend at that time and wasn't even thinking about marriage. God said to him, "Thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed." (Genesis 28:13-14)
He sought guidance for the order of his life.The margin of the King James Bible and all other translations write the question in verse 12 as, "What will be the boy's rule of life, and his work?" The word rule or order as in the King James Bible is the Hebrew word, mishpat, which is usually translated justice. Justice means the use of authority to uphold what is right. It relates to all functions of government. Justice is a very important part of parenting. As parents, we must seek to know and understand justice. We must have a true knowledge of what is right and wrong in the eyes of the Lord so we can train our children to know justice. We must execute justice in the training of our children or they will not know the true knowledge of God. God's favor was upon Abraham because ordered his household in the ways of justice. God said, "Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do... For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment." (Genesis 18:17-19) Because justice is a primary attribute of God, it is important to him. It is important in the raising of our families.
NANCY CAMPBELL
PRAYER: "Oh God, please teach me how to train my children in your ways. Help me to teach them justice. Help me to raise children who are not "wishy-washy" but strong in their convictions. Amen."
AFFIRMATION: I am seeking to understand justice so I can execute it rightly.
Many women like to save these devotions. They print them out and keep them in a folder to read over and over again. Some print them out and pin them on the fridge with a magnet to read through the week. If you are printing this devotion and need it to be smaller, highlight and change to a smaller font.
If you know others who would be blessed by these devotions, you are welcome to forward them or let them know they can subscribe by sending a blank email to mip://038c8b90/subscribers-on@aboverubies.org <mailto:subscribers-on@aboverubies.org> To unsubscribe from the Above Rubies Devotional, send a blank email to mip://038c8b90/subscribers-off@aboverubies.org <mailto:subscribers-off@aboverubies.org> PO Box 681687, Franklin, TN 37068-1687, U.S.A.
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