A Busy Past Couple of Months...

Well...once again I am returning from a rather lengthy time of being MIA.  I can hardly believe that the last time I posted on my blog was when I was beginning my Beth Moore "Breaking Free" Bible study!  That alone tells me that it has been AT LEAST 12 weeks since I blogged...because my class ended last week!  Yikes!  Where does the time go??

Speaking of "Breaking Free", it was an amazing Bible study and I have to admit that I am kinda sad for it to be over.  I met some wonderful godly ladies and learned so much about the captivity and bondage that the enemy can sometimes keep us, as women, in.  How exciting it was last week to hear testimony after testimony of what the Lord has done in the lives of so many as a result of this study!  I plan to start back through the study at my own pace and just take my time...because there is just too much awesome information to absorb in 12 short weeks and I don't want to miss anything the Lord has for me!

In the midst of this in-depth Bible study, (what was I thinking!)  my youngest daughter, Grace, got married! It was such a joyful time for our family as God sent a wonderful man into our family that He had chosen specifically for Grace and Emma!

It was an absolutely perfect day...the wedding was outside on the Green in our neighborhood and the weather was beautiful!  It was very simple, but everything about the day was just as I had envisioned.  We were blessed to share this special day with about 100 of our closest friends and family members, which made it even more special!

These are just a few of my favorite memories of the day...

Me and both of my girls

Father of the Bride and all the handsome groomsmen

Me and my sweet girl dancing

One of my friends made the cake and it was amazing!  It was almond pound cake and each tier had three layers. Each tier had a layer of Chocolate Cream Cheese frosting and also a layer of Cream Cheese frosting and the cake was iced with a Butter Cream Icing!  I can't even begin to tell you how delicious it was...OR, how gorgeous it was!

We had the Reception at the restaurant where I have been working as a Hostess a couple of nights a week for about a year now and it was just the perfect little Saturday afternoon venue. We had a DJ and there was lots of dancin'!!

Hmmm.....Not sure why my son-in-law, Chad, is the only one going the opposite direction, though?!?! LOL

Welcome to this big ole' crazy family, Josh! We couldn't be more tickled to have you be part of it! We thank the Lord for bringing you into Grace and Emma's lives...as well as into ALL of our lives and we already love you to pieces!

God has now blessed me with TWO amazing son-in-laws! I thank the Lord for the godly men that He has provided for both of my girls! 

It's TIME....to BREAK FREE!!

Over the years I have done a number of Beth Moore Bible studies. The last one I was a part of was on the book of Esther and it was an awesome study. Every one that I have been a part of has been great...so you can imagine my excitement a few weeks ago when I learned that my church would soon be offering one of her studies that she has recently updated.  

On that Sunday morning, I saw this "promo" for her "Breaking Free' study and as I watched I KNEW that I wanted to be a part of this study, but more importantly, I felt in my heart that God wanted me to be a part of it.

I dropped my registration for the class in the "connection box" at the back of the church on my way out that morning and have been counting down the days until it starts.

Well...it is FINALLY here!  My "Breaking Free" study begins tomorrow night.  Over 100 women are signed up to go through this study with me and I could not be any more excited about what God is going to do in my life and the lives of each of these precious women.

The class is a 12-week commitment...with 5 days of homework each week and class for 2 hours every Wednesday night.  I would have to say, I am a little concerned about all the demands that I currently have, with my work schedules and all the details of my daughter's upcoming wedding...so I covet your prayers as I commit to this study. 

Please pray that I will discover the victory that only comes in complete surrender!

2009 - Hiding God's Word Verses #15 and #16

I am so behind on blogging and I am also late in posting my last two memory verses, but both of them have been very meaningful to me in recent days. As many of you already know, in January of this year, I committed to the LPM Scripture Memory Challenge to memorize 2 verses of scripture each month for the year 2009. I can hardly believe it, but with these 2 verses, we have memorized 16 out of 24! We only have 8 more memory verses remaining for 2009! I cannot tell you what a blessing this Scripture Memorization plan has been for me!

The verse that I selected for August 1st was a verse that God just seemed to keep putting before me. I heard my pastor refer to it in a recent sermon and then when I went to Deeper Still in Greensboro, Kay Arthur mentioned this verse in her teaching in Hebrews that Friday night. I knew then that this was a verse that I needed to have in my "arsenal".

"Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it."

Hebrews 2:1 (ESV)

It is so easy to drift, isn't it? Have you ever been floating on an inner tube or air mattress out in the ocean when you decide that you need to paddle back to shore, only to find that you are way downstream from where you originally started out. You thought you were floating in the same place, but all the while you were drifting--without even knowing it--unaware that you had moved from your original location.

I believe that our very heritage is being destroyed in this country. We, as a country, have not listened to God and we are in trouble. I believe that God is saying to America, and to me in particular, that He wants us to wake up and listen to Him!

I pray that the verses that I have committed to memory this year, might be an anchor for me --that I might "pay closer attention to what I have heard...lest I drift away from it"!

The verse that I chose for the second half of August is found in Ephesians and is one of my favorite promises found in God's Word. I have always loved this verse, but after Priscilla Shirer taught an amazing lesson on this verse at Deeper Still, I will never look at it in quite the same way.

"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us"

Ephesians 3:20 (NASB)

Just a few of the awesome points that Priscilla made about this passage that made an impression on me were:

• My ability to rest comes from whether or not I believe that He is able to handle what concerns me.

• Whatever difficulties I may face in life, I need to see them through the "filter" of God.

• Whether or not He chooses to change my situation is a question of His sovereignty --not of His ability!

• The most incredible miracle is - not when God changes a circumstance, but when He changes a life.

I guess if I had to summarize the main message that I take away from this verse is that OUR GOD IS ABLE! Whatever it is......OUR GOD IS ABLE! If we truly believe that God is God, we will let Him do His job! We can rest because God Is Able!

He is able to do it FOR ME and He is able to do it FOR YOU, sweet friend!

I'll Be There

With the death of the "King of Pop" this past week, the news has been full of stories about the life of this very talented, but obviously troubled man. It got me to thinking, though, about all of the "hit" songs he had and some of my fondest memories of Michael Jackson were when he was a part of the Jackson 5. That cute little boy with the high-pitched voice.

The one song of Jackson's that really sticks out in my mind is "I'll Be There". I can still remember being at the county fair with 3 of my very best friends in the early 70's, when that song was being played over the loud speaker system throughout the fairgrounds. To this day, when I hear this song, it conjures up fond memories of fresh-cooked corn dogs and french fries sprinkled with salt and vinegar!

You may recall that the chorus went something like this:

Don't you know, baby, yeah
I'll be there, I'll be there, just call my name, I'll be there

(Just look over your shoulders, honey )
I'll be there, I'll be there, whenever you need me, I'll be there

As I was reminiscing about those days some 25+ years ago and the lyrics to that song, God began to take me in a different direction with my thoughts. As a wife and mother like so many of you, I feel like I am pulled in so many directions. Many days I feel overwhelmed by all the tasks that I need to accomplish that day. I do laundry, answer phone calls and emails, pay bills, shop for groceries, make dinner, clean house AND work a full-time job OUTSIDE the home. 

I am a serious list maker and I LOVE the feeling of being able to cross off something on my to-do-list when I have completed it. As I have confessed to you before, I have even been known to write down something on my list AFTER I have already completed it, just so I could mark it off the list! That's pretty bad, huh?

Sometimes in an effort to multi-task and be able to cross off more things on my list, I find that I do not give the proper amount of attention to my family members. When my little granddaughter is asking me question number 200 in the last 30 minutes, I find that I am not really listening to her, but rather preoccupied about what I need to accomplish that night before bedtime. Or, when my husband is telling me about his day, my mind is thinking about what I am going to fix for dinner or my day at work and I'm not really listening.

God reminded me that I need to be there for my family - to give love and attention to my family members - not just try to check things off of my never-ending task list.  I need to learn to prioritize and realize that it is OK for some things to wait. 

Lord, I want to be there for my family. When my husband comes in the house at the end of his day, help me to get off the computer or phone and give him my undivided attention. When I pick up my granddaughter from daycare, help me to give her my full attention as she recounts all of the "events" of her day. When one of my children call and I am in the middle of cooking dinner, help me, Lord, to stop what I'm doing and listen to their concerns.

I want my family to know that I'll Be There for them!

"She looks well to the ways of her household,

And does not eat the bread of idleness.

Her children rise up and bless her;

Her husband, also, and he praises her"

Proverbs 31:27-28

2009 - Hiding God's Word Verse # 13

In January of this year, I, along with many of you, committed to the LPM Scripture Memory Challenge to memorize 2 verses of scripture each month for the year 2009, and with this week's verse, we are now on verse 13 out of 24 verses! Can you believe that we are now over halfway!

If you have been reading my blog for very long, you know that I record my verses on index cards and I always have a picture of my memory verse written on my card. Unfortunately, I am not able to have a picture this week as I had to put my camera in the shop for repair. I have really realized how much I use my camera since I have been without it! I am praying that it will be repaired and returned prior to my trip to Brazil.

My verse that I have chosen to commit to memory for the first half of July is:

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart 

Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer."

Psalm 19:14 (NASB)

2009 - Hiding God's Word Verse # 12

WE'VE MADE IT HALFWAY!!!!!! 

Back in January of this year, I, along with many of you, committed to the LPM Scripture Memory Challenge to memorize 2 verses of scripture each month for the year 2009, and with this week's verse, we are officially halfway! We are on verse 12 out of 24 verses! I can hardly believe it!

 

My verse that I have chosen to commit to memory for the second half of June is:

"And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account."

Hebrews 4: 13 (NKJV)

2009 - Hiding God's Word Verse # 11

As I continue with the 2009 LPM Scripture Memory Challenge, I can hardly believe that we are already on verse 11 out of our goal of 24 for 2009! On the 15th of this month, we will be halfway through the verses that we have committed to memorize for this year! Where has the time gone?

I have been so blessed by the commitment I made back in January to memorize 2 verses (or passages) of Scripture each month. Sometimes I have a difficult time retaining things that I want to remember, but God has definitely honored my commitment to this challenge by giving me the ability to "hide these verses in my heart"-- many times bringing them to my remembrance at the precise time that I need them.

The verse that I have chosen for the first part of June is:

"He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord." 

Psalm 112:7 (NIV)

I don't know about you, but this verse has "my name ALL over it"!  As many of you that have been reading my blog for awhile may recall, I am the reigning Queen of "What If". I like to think of myself as a "realist", rather than a "pessimist", but I tend to worry about what COULD happen.  There is so much bad news in our world today!  Just turning on the evening news, picking up the newspaper or even reading some people's blogs, makes it very difficult to not to be fearful.

Case in point:  Many of you know that I am planning to be a part of a mission trip to Brazil in September and I have some fear about flying that far.  I have never been on an airplane for that length of time, over THAT MUCH WATER, and I get MOTION SICKNESS!  Need I say more?

What timing to learn this week about AirFrance 447 vanishing only 4 hours into their flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.  The plane carrying 228 passengers disappeared!

How timely that God would give me this very verse this week!  

I must put my trust in the Lord, and Him ALONE!  

If I am trusting in HIM, and in HIM alone, then His Word says that I will have NO fear of bad news!

I don't know about you guys, but for me --- "them's shoutin' words!"

2009 - Hiding God's Word Verse # 10

I can hardly believe that we are already on Verse #10 in the  LPM Scripture Memory Challenge -- to memorize 2 verses (or passages) of Scripture each month for 2009. It has been such a blessing to have the previous 9 verses committed to memory and God has given me so many opportunities to use these verses in recent weeks.

There just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day for me any more! My life has been so busy recently and I have not been able to find the time to blog as much as I used to or would like to. As a result, I must say that the 15th of the month slipped up on me this time!

Without further ado, the verse that I have chosen to commit to memory in the last half of the month of May is:

Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.

Psalm 37:4 & 5 (NASB)

As I ponder the meaning of this verse, I believe that God is reminding me once again that HE must become the obsession of my life! HE must be the focus of my life and the object of my affection!

If I will let everything in my life focus on HIM, then I will be absolutely amazed at what HE will do for me!

2009 - Hiding God's Word Verse # 9

As I continue with the LPM Scripture Memory Challenge -- to memorize 2 verses (or passages) of Scripture each month - I am now up to verse # 9  in 2009 and what a blessing it has been to have 8 new verses in my "arsenal"! God has brought these messages to my mind so many times over these past months and He has also given me opportunities to share these verses with others.

My verses for the month of April were 2 Corinthians 5:9-11:

Therefore, we make it our aim, 

whether present or absent,

 to be well pleasing to Him.

For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, 

that each one may receive the things done in the body, 

according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 

Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.

What an awesome reminder and challenge these verses have been to me, not only of the need to share my faith with others, but to also live a life that is well pleasing to God, because we will ALL stand before the judgement seat of Christ. Unbelievers will be judged for their rejection of Christ and believers will be judged for our works.

Simply put -- how I live my life here on this earth is going to determine what I experience at my appointment with God. 

This week my Target group began an in-depth discussion of how do we go about living our lives so that we will be well pleasing to God. The first way that we discussed is by living a life of prayer. As a result, I selected the following verse as memory verse # 9.

But you, when you pray, go into your room, 

and when you have shut your door, 

pray to your Father who is in the secret place; 

and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Matthew 6:6

I know that the enemy likes nothing better than to get me so "busy" that I don't have time --- or rather, that I don't MAKE time - to spend alone with God.  

Isn't it ironic that the thing that usually gets neglected is the ONE thing that is the MOST important - my relationship with the Lord. 

It is so important to my relationship with Christ (and with others) that I have a "quiet place" where I meet God on a daily basis. The older I have gotten, the more difficult this has seemed to be.  There are so many "things" that are constantly competing for my attention - some of which are very "good" things. It seems harder and harder to cut out all the  busyness, noise and confusion so that I can actually hear God's voice. Many times I feel as though God would have to yell over all the "noise" in my life before I could hear Him. 

When I fail to spend time in this "quiet place", not only does my relationship with God suffer, but all of my relationships suffer.

O Lord, help me as I desire to set myself apart from all the distractions this world has to offer and spend time in my "quiet place" with you. I want to be able to hear Your still, small voice. I know that if I will do this, that You will reward me for pursuing You,  for you promise in Your Word, that You are the rewarder of those who diligently seek You!

2009 - Hiding God's Word Verse # 8

For those of you that have come alongside and committed to the LPM Scripture Memory Challenge  -- to memorize 2 verses (or passages) of Scripture each month of the year in 2009 -- can you believe that we are already on verse # 8?? I can hardly believe it - time is going by so fast!

My verse for the first half of the month of April was 2 Corinthians 5:9:

Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, 

to be well pleasing to Him.

This has become such a meaningful verse to me as I continue reading the book that my Pastor has written, regarding "living my life on target".  On Easter Sunday, he brought an awesome message based on this very passage of scripture, as well as the 2 following verses. After hearing these verses preached on and covered extensively in his book, I feel that the Lord has impressed upon me to continue on and memorize the next 2 verses in this chapter.

So, as a result...my memory verses for the second half of April are:

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 

Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men."

2 Corinthians 5:10-11 (NKJV)

I am called to make it my ambition, my goal, my target, to be well pleasing to Him. It doesn't mean that I am always successful at this --in fact, many times I fail miserably! But, the desire of my heart is that I would be found well pleasing to Him.

Why? Because we must ALL appear before the judgement seat of Christ.

We all have an appointment with God!

In the words of my Pastor, "What we experience at our appointment with God.....and in eternity will be determined by how we live out our faith on earth."

Therefore... I make it my aim, to be well pleasing to Him. 

2009 - Hiding God's Word Verse # 7

I know that many of you, like me, committed to the LPM Scripture Memory Challenge at the beginning of the year. Some of you have come alongside and joined in on this challenge since then and have committed to memorize 2 verses (or passages) of Scripture each month for the entire year of 2009. 

For me, it has been an awesome blessing and just the accountability that I needed in my life. I cannot tell you how many times God has brought my memory verse(s) to mind at just the right time, in just the right situation, over these past 3 months. 

Can you believe that it is now time for Verse # 7 ?!?!?

This past weekend, Walt and I attended Discipleship 1 classes at our new church on Friday evening and from 9-3 on Sunday.  It was the most awesome 2 days of "equipping" that I can remember in my life as a Christian! I only wish that I could have been through classes like this as a young person! As a result of these classes, I had no trouble deciding what my memory verse would be for this week. 

Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, 

to be well pleasing to Him.

2 Corinthians 5:9 (NKJV)

What better day than today, my birthday, to make this my goal, my target, my AIM for my life  -  to be well pleasing to Him. 

 

GOD'S SCHOOL OF OBEDIENCE TRAINING

Sometimes on Saturday mornings, we have a young man that comes downtown on the "green" in our little town and brings numerous dogs and their owners that he has been working with in obedience training. He also brings his own "personal" dogs with him and the things he gets these animals to do is just incredible! It doesn't matter what is going on around them, they are not distracted and their attention is directed solely on their master. Anything he commands them to do, they do it without hesitation and a lot of the commands are given without speaking a word - just by a hand signal. It is really amazing to watch!

Dog owners enroll their dogs in obedience training to teach their pet to listen and obey their master's voice, as well as to break them of unacceptable behaviors. Some of these "bad" behaviors might be - barking, biting, chewing, digging, running away, messing in the house, etc.  (As I write this, I have a hole big enough to put a Volkswagen in in my backyard that my son's dog dug! lol)

As I thought about how amazing these animals were to watch, it reminded me that many times in God's Word He refers to us as His "sheep". "For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand..."

 (Psalm 95:7) 

God demands obedience in His "sheep".  When He calls us He wants us to obey Him. He tells us in His word that, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow me". (Jn. 10:27) 

This got me to thinking......If God has me in "obedience training", (and He does!) I wonder what behaviors He is trying to "break" me of in my life. 

 

** Am I guilty of "biting" words?   

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." (Ps. 19:14)

** Do I continue to "chew" on things that the Lord wants me to let Him handle? 

"...do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on.  Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?" (Matt. 6:25)

** Do I suffer from separation anxiety?  

"Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." (I Peter 5:7)

** Have I been "digging" into things that I know are "off-limits" to me? 

"Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith , love and peace.." (2 Tim. 2:22)

** Are some of my bad behaviors stemming from fear or lack of trust?  

"And those who know Thy name will put their trust in Thee, for Thou, O Lord, hast not forsaken those who seek You. (Psalm 9:10)

** Do I have a bad habit of "barking" that I can't seem to break?

"Do not talk out of both sides of your mouth. Avoid careless banter, white lies and gossip." (Prov. 4:24 The Message)

** Am I trying to listen to more than one master? 

"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other..." Matthew 6:24

When these animals are in obedience training, they attend classes with their master. Their ONLY master. They learn to recognize their master's voice and his commands. They don't concern themselves with anyone or anything else around them. They are totally devoted to their owner/master.

To teach obedience or break bad habits, some pet owners resort to various means of teaching their animals, i.e. invisible fencing, choke collars, electric shock collars, etc. 

What if God used some of those same tactics with His "sheep"?

What if every time we exhibited one of these "bad" behaviors we got a choking sensation around our neck? 

If every time we "ran away" to some place that we knew we shouldn't go, we got shocked? 

If every time we "barked", or "bit" someone with our words, we got "zapped"?

God has given us a wonderful way that we can become more obedient to His voice - by spending more time in His Word - listening to His voice, becoming more familiar with His voice, hiding His word in our hearts. "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee." - (Psalm 119:11)

We are continually in God's School of Obedience Training. Thank You, Lord that You never give up on us!

"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments."

John 14:15

2009 - Hiding God's Word Verse # 6

I am so thankful that I committed to join in on the LPM Scripture Memory Challenge at the beginning of the year. Along with many of you, I committed to memorize 2 verses (or passages) of Scripture each month for the entire year of 2009.

I can hardly believe that it is already time for my SIXTH memory verse of the year. The verse that I memorized for the first half of the month of March was Psalm 25:4-5.

"Show me your ways, O Lord,

Teach me your paths;

Guide me in your truth and teach me,

for you are God my Savior,

and my hope is in You all day long."

These verses have been such a comfort to me in recent days. I have needed this daily reminder that ALL of my hope is in Him - and Him ONLY! (Every time I think of this, it reminds me of the song "Jesus Messiah" --all our hope is in You!)

This time, I have had great difficulty deciding which verse that I wanted to memorize. There are so many that I have made a note of that I would like to commit to memory, but the next verse that God has impressed upon me to memorize and meditate on is:

"He is your constant source of stability; He abundantly provides safety and great wisdom; He gives all this to those who fear Him." 

Isaiah 33:6 NET

Is that great or what? HE is my constant source of stability! He is the solid rock on which I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.

And what is the key to unlocking all of this? Fear is the key -- fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord is wisdom. I LOVE this verse!

BTW...It's still not too late for you to jump in and join in memorizing scriptures for 2009. Just click over and read this post and join with us. I know that you'll be glad that you did!

Have a blessed week!

She Who Has A "Hamans's Ear", Let Her Hear

Wednesday was my final class in my Beth Moore study, Esther - It's Tough Being A Woman. 

This is a picture of the room where we spent the past 10 weeks digging into God's Word and applying what we learned from Esther's life, to our own lives. 

This is a picture of my sweet leader and me. I have known Libby for years, but it had been a long time since we had seen each other prior to this class.  She had not changed a bit -- she is truly one of the sweetest, godliest ladies that I have ever met. (And did I say cute as a button!) I so appreciate all of her hard work that she put into praying and studying for this class and her willingness to facilitate, week in and week out. She did an awesome job!

As I mentioned in my previous post, we ended our class on Purim (how cool is that!) and so Libby decided that we would have our own little "Feast of Purim" -- complete with Hamantashen, otherwise known as, "Haman's Ears", and noisemakers. The "Haman's Ears" are a triangular-shaped, fruit-filled cookie that are called by this name because they resemble the shape of an an ear. Some Jewish people call them "Haman's Hats" because Haman was said to have worn a three-cornered hat shaped much like these cookies. 

Libby attempted to make the cookies at home, but she said that they did not turn out well. So......Plan B was to quickly call a local Jewish bakery  and amazingly (on the last day of Purim) they managed  to save 50 cookies for our class. God is so good!

The one I tasted was filled with an apricot filling and it was actually pretty tasty. Probably not something that you would want to sit down in front of the TV with a big ole' glass of milk and chow down on, though. (If you want that, you would be better served with these !)  

The true flavor is concealed within the cookie. The fruit center being hidden represents the intrigue associated with Queen Esther and Mordecai's uncovering of Haman's evil plot. The miracle was not revealed at first.

One of the many things that I took away from this awesome study is that I am the Esther in MY own sphere of influence and, guess what ---- you are the Esther in YOUR sphere of influence.  Even though you and I may never enter a place of great public power, we have each been positioned here on this earth "for such a time as this". 

Each of us are called to pass down what we have learned to our descendants. I am to pass down the seeds of the Word that have been sown in me --to entrust them to the next generation and they will entrust them to the next generation....and on and on and on.  We are called to keep passing them down.

"The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law."

Deuteronomy 29:29 NIV

My sweet friends, just like the hidden fruit filling inside the "Haman's Ears", we carry the sweet treasure of Jesus inside of us. I wonder......

How are we doing at passing it down to our sons and daughters? 

Are we keeping it hidden or are we letting others have a "taste" of this sweet treasure on a daily basis?  

God has placed each of us here "for such a time as this".

The Whole Megillah

I can hardly believe that tonight is my last Esther class. We have finished “The Whole Megillah”! It has been a big commitment for me and I am thankful to the Lord for helping me to stay faithful for 10 weeks of classes, a 36 mile round trip to class each time and some 45 nights of homework. Thank you to my friends and family for praying for me during this time that I would remain faithful and that I would “hear” what the Lord had to say to me. Your prayers were definitely heard!

It has been an unbelievable journey and one that I would highly recommend EVERY lady take, if you have the opportunity. One of the things that we talked about throughout the book of Esther was all the ironies in the book. How about THIS for irony ---- our final class is meeting tonight ON Purim. How neat is that!

The name “Purim” comes from the Hebrew word “lots” and is the festival that commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people of the Persian Empire from Haman’s plot to annihilate them, as recorded in the book of Esther. Haman cast lots to determine which day that the Jews would be exterminated.

Our final class tonight is bittersweet for me. I am sorry to say “goodbye” to some wonderful sisters in Christ that I have met and grown to love over these past weeks and to say “goodbye” (for now) to Esther, who I have grown to love dearly! I will never look at the book of Esther the same again. As Beth Moore reminded us in the beginning of the study, even though the book of Esther lacks any mention of God, His Spirit is ALL over it!

We are having a celebration tonight in honor of Purim (and our last time to meet together) and our leader is making “Haman’s Ears”. This is a special fruit-filled triangular cookie that is served during Purim. (They are called "Haman’s Ears” because they resemble the shape of an ear.) I am so excited to try them! Who knows...maybe you'll be seeing them on Mimi's Making Meals soon!

To all of my "Esther-gen" sisters that are still in the midst of your study, I will be praying for you as you continue on this incredible journey! I know that the Lord has placed each and every one of you in this study "For Such A Time As This."

After all....."It's Tough Being A Woman"!!

2009 - Hiding God's Word Verse # 5

I am so glad that I decided to join in the LPM Scripture Memory Challenge at the beginning of this year. I cannot tell you how many times over the past two months that God has used my memory verses to encourage me or challenge me.

February seemed like it was such a short month but, believe it or not, it is already time for the FIFTH memory verse of the year.

The verse that I have chosen for the first half of this month is:

"Show me YOUR ways, O Lord, teach me YOUR paths; 

guide me in YOUR truth and teach me, for YOU are God my Savior, and my hope is in YOU all day long." Psalm 25:4-5 (NIV)

It's still not too late for you to jump in and join in memorizing scriptures for 2009. Just click over and read this post and join with us. I know that you'll be glad that you did!

Have a blessed week!

2009 - Hiding God's Word Verse # 4

After reading this post prior to the beginning of the year, I committed, along with many of you, to memorize 2 verses (or passages) of Scripture each month for the entire year of 2009.

My verse for February 15th marks the fourth verse for this year!

The verse that God has impressed upon me to memorize and meditate on during this last half of February is:

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31 (King James Version)

Like most of ya'll, I have heard this verse most of my life, but God brought this verse to life for me this week in my Esther Bible study. Instead of just hearing the verse, I heard His voice!

WHEN does this verse say that our strength will be renewed? 

When we "wait upon the Lord"! 

How many times have I been waiting on a "thing", or on a person, or an event -- rather than waiting on the LORD! As Beth Moore so clearly brought out in this week's lesson, our strength will be depleted when we are waiting on ANYTHING other than the Lord! 

My strength will be depleted when I am waiting on the person, the event or some "thing" to happen.

My strength will ONLY be renewed if I am waiting on HIM!! 

Father, we live in a world that is constantly telling us that we don't have to WAIT - that we can have everything "instantly". We have self-checkout lines so we don't have to wait. We have fast food restaurants, some of which have 2 drive-thru lines so we don't have to WAIT. We have DSL and if that's not fast enough then we have even faster high-speed DSL.  We have remote starts on our cars, so we don't have to WAIT on the car to warm up when we get in it.  I confess to you, Lord, that waiting is very difficult and sometimes exhausting.

Help me to trust you, Lord, that while I am WAITING, it does not mean that you are inactive! You are working behind the scenes to bring about something very exciting - when the time is right! Teach me to wait upon you, Lord, and during this process, You promise that my strength will be renewed.

The Queen of "What If"

Let me just begin this post by saying that if you have an Esther study beginning anywhere near you, you need to RUN to sign up for it, because this study is the most awesome study for women that I have ever been a part of. Every week's lesson has spoken directly to me and this past week was no exception. I'm not sure if it was even necessary for all the other ladies in my class to even be there this week, because I am convinced this lesson was meant solely for me!

God so clearly showed me this week that I have been living my life in the "tight fist of fear" for TOO LONG! Whatever that thing is that is my greatest fear, the enemy knows exactly what that is, and he continues to threaten me over and over and over again with it.

Let me just confess to you that I am the "Queen of What If". 

"What if" someone that I love very dearly is taken from me unexpectedly?

 "What if" we suffer a complete financial reversal in this economy and lose our home and everything we own?

"What if" my husband falls in love with a younger woman and leaves me to grow old alone?  

"What if" I receive a diagnosis of terminal cancer and I have to leave my family?

God has shown me through this week's lesson that:  "What If" = "I fear". Don't think for a minute that the enemy is not aware of the very things that I am most fearful of. He knows EXACTLY what they are and takes great delight in tormenting me with them. The lesson this week pointed out that we can be in such a stronghold of fear (and in particular the fear of death) that we never really live!

God wants to do a work in my life! I know that He is calling me to a life of courage. He is calling me to be brave! I can never know the abundant life as long as I stay in the grip of fear of death. Listen to this verse that Beth Moore shared with us this week:

"By embracing death, taking it into himself, he destroyed the Devil's hold on death and freed all who cower through life, 

scared to death of death."  

Hebrews 2:14-15  The Message

Christ destroyed the Devil's hold on death and He freed us so that we no longer have to cower down --scared to death of death!  We can be freed to live because we already WERE dead!  

"When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ." 

Colossians 2:13

Death is NOT our final destination. As Beth reminded us this week, the only thing that we have to do in death is just trade this body in for a new one! (And I don't know about you, but I am pretty excited about that!)

So God is telling us to TAKE COURAGE! Whatever this life throws at us, no matter how fearful it may be, God will ALWAYS offer us His courage!  We only have to reach out and "take it" from Him!

What about you, my sweet friend?  

What is it that you are most fearful of? 

What is your "What If"? 

Lay it at the feet of Jesus today and let's be mighty women of valor! Courageous women! Brave women!  Because whatever happens to us, we have to rest in the fact that "my God will take care of me"!

Fear not!