Merry Christmas!!

Let me be one of the first to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas!!

I hope you have all you wish for during this holiday season. Quality time with family, time to celebrate with good friends, and a calm sense of peace that only comes from keeping this time of year in perspective. Remember while the gifts are nice to give and receive it will mean more to your loved ones for you to enjoy being with them.

Please take time this December to remember why we are celebrating and it doesn't really envolve anyone in a red suit who is in much need of a good shave. The real reason is remembering that God's love was shown to us with the birth of his one and only son. Given to us so that we could be restored to God through his sacrifice.

Merry Christmas!

~Debbie~

Living a Life of Purity

How do we live a life of purity? It begins with a choice. You have to choose to walk in purity after you surrender your life to Christ. Notice I said SURRENDER. Too many people today want to live for Christ but want to live like the world at the same time. You must make a choice to surrender your life, your desires, your dreams and live your life in Christ by following His desires for you and fulfilling His dreams for your life. That includes living a life of purity, which is a life free of sin or disobedience toward God.

Romans 8:7 says, “The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.” (NIV) This sounds like there is no way for us to succeed in living a life of purity. BUT - Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—THINK about such things.” (NIV) It takes an effort and a choice daily on our part to live this way. The reward is great. It is peace of mind, living without guilt and it IS attainable. God himself will even help us if we turn to Him and lean on His understanding. Galatians 5:16 says, “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” (NIV)

Let’s choose to live a life of purity.

~Debbie~

Forgotten Virtue ~ Purity

Purity ~ freedom from sin or guilt

I love so much the freedom we have been given by the work that our Savior did on the cross. No longer do we have to carry the weight and burden sin leaves behind. Guilt we lay down and freedom we pick up.

Due to the price He paid and the value of the gift He has given, we should be highly motivated to live a life of purity. We should fight for and cherish every ounce of purity we have received. When we surrender our lives, ask our Father to come in and take over, we are set apart. Our lives are now worth so much more than just the sum of ourselves. We become a part of Him and His cause…which was to save that which was lost. Now, if some kind of change did not happen on our part, if we didn’t turn from our sin and turn toward our God then what was His sacrifice for? We are to example the beauty of His work in our lives. When we don’t turn to the things of this world to bring fulfillment, when we have peace in the midst of a storm, when our lives are running on all cylinders…people take notice. There is a natural pull toward you and people wonder what’s different? Then you have the perfect opportunity to share the love, grace and mercy of our King.

See the importance of holding your purity captive…to place high importance on preserving every ounce? Fight, resist, flee from sin and run ever so fast toward our God.

~ Terica

Living a Life of Integrity

How many times is it easier in life to compromise instead of standing strong and keeping your integrity intact?

I think it is impossible to maintain your integrity without God’s help. According to Psalm 41:12, even King David knew that he needed God’s help to uphold his integrity. “In my integrity you uphold me and set me in your presence forever.”

God accompanied David throughout his life. David recognized that on his own he was not worthy but with God’s mercy he lived a life of victory over his enemies. In Psalm 25:11, David prays “May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you.” Realize today that on your own you will never be able to live that life of integrity and pray the same prayer that David prayed in Psalm 25. Rest assured that God will “uphold you and set you in His presence forever”(Psalm 41:12).

~Debbie~

INTEGRITY

In looking for examples of INTEGRITY we can go to the book of Job and read what God says about him in Job 2:3 “Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.”

Job is where we will read this week. Take a look at Job’s response to all the people in his life as they “try to help him”.

Proverb 11:3 says “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.”

Proverbs 13:6 says “Righteousness guards the man of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner.”

Integrity is when your behavior (the way you live) matches your beliefs (or what you say you believe). It is time we stand up and become women of INTEGRITY!!!

Loyalty In Relationships

It is amazing when you think about it how many relationships we go through in our lifetime. Acquaintances we make through school, work, our children’s activities, church become friends and for a while are important in our lives. While we have a common thread we are loyal to these relationships. But as you think about it, those people come and go in and out of our live. Why is that? I feel it is the common thread that holds us together for a season and then fades away. Years later we may run into them again and old feelings are stirred up within and we wonder why we lost touch. If you begin to break it down it is the common thread.

What are the common threads in your relationships today? Are they lasting or only fleeting? Do we keep them as long as we feel good about them? In today’s society everything screams for us to be happy and satisfied, so when our feelings waiver so do our relationships. I don’t think that this is good – nor can it continue and have a healthy society. God wants us to be happy but we are not to base that happiness on people or circumstances around us. We are to base that happiness and fulfillment on our relationship with God Himself. He is the common thread that our relationships can be built on. I love how the relationship between Jonathan and David was built on their pact before the Lord. Their love for each other was built on their love of the Lord. They could go for long stretches of time without seeing each other but when they came together it was to help each other, to encourage each other, to set aside circumstances and family to be loyal to each other.

Ruth is another example of loyalty in her relationship with Naomi, her Mother-in-law. All Naomi’s family was gone but two daughter-in-laws and one left to stay with her family, while Ruth remained loyal to Naomi and traveled away from her family and all that was familiar to her to support and take care of her Mother-in-law. Without knowing what the outcome would be, she remained true. Isn’t it amazing that through that loyalty to her Mother-in-law, God gave her a new wealthy husband and also sent His son, the Messiah, through her lineage.

Let us be so in tune with God that we allow relationships to be born through our Heavenly Father and not of our own selfishness. God will surround you with people that love him as much as you love Him if you build your relationship strong with God, Himself.

~Debbie~

A Closer Look At Loyalty

Meaningful relationships are something I think it’s safe to say we all desire; whether it is with our spouse, friends, co-workers and most importantly our God. As I read through the passages in Samuel, there were so many relational characteristics and qualities that jumped off the page; loyalty being the key ingredient and setting the foundation. Let’s take a closer look…

“For the Lord was with David” think about those words. They imply a relationship. As believers, we know how constant our God is. He proves this over and over. The deeper you allow your relationship to go with the Lord, the more His "being with us" is evident. But, what I love is that David was loyal in return. Out of that foundation he was bestowed favor. Look how many times Saul tried to have him killed…or better yet tried to do the deed himself. Yet, all to no avail.

Let’s look at Jonathan. Scripture tells us that when he and David met, “there was an immediate bond between them, for Jonathan loved David.” The relationship the two of them shared is perhaps one of the deepest and closest recorded in the Bible. Why is this?

1) They based their friendship on commitment to God, not just each other.
2) They let nothing come between them, not even career or family.
3) They drew closer to one another when their friendship was tested.
4) They remained friends to the end.

What is the underlying foundation…loyalty. Not just to one another but also to their God. We read in scripture over and over where they repeatedly renewed their solemn pact before the Lord. I believe this is key not only for relational survival but ultimate success. What they shared was Divine. How could it not be something so much more than a simple acquaintance when the foundation was God? Two hearts surrendered to The King in loyal fellowship with one another. Beautiful…absolutely beautiful.

Now, let’s take a minute to look at Saul. Yep, there's even something we can take away from Saul. You might wonder what in the world he could have been loyal to but that’s just it, he was loyal…just happened to be to himself. And out of that, there were several qualities and characteristics he portrayed. None desirable but they were there just the same. He was selfish, envious, insecure and that’s just to name a few. Because of the favor God bestowed upon David there were many times that rocked Saul. He wasted so much of his reign trying to destroy/remove that which he was so threatened by. The sad part of it all is he could have easily had that which he envied most. Instead he allowed it to enrage and the void would consume him. All it would require…a loyalty shift from self to God.

Father God, help us continue to build upon the rock that is You. May our hearts forever be loyal to our first Love. Help us Lord when we begin to waiver. When self begins to take over allow us to recognize and repent before damage is done. Father, we thank you for all those that you have placed in our lives that we can freely share this life with. Those who strengthen, encourage and stand by us no matter the personal cost. Lord help us continue to develop deep, meaningful and loyal relationships. Hearts joined together in spirit and truth, both of which are of You, are an unstoppable force. All for Your glory and to further Your kingdom. Amen.

~ Terica

Forgotten Virtue ~ Loyalty

Sunday, Brandon spoke on the Forgotten Virtue of Loyalty. Perhaps one of the greatest examples of this quality is found in the books of Samuel. The relationship that develops and unfolds between David and Jonathan is one that should inspire and awaken aspiration just the same. Take some time over the next couple of days to read about the strength and depth of loyalty shared by the two.


Read:

1 Samuel Chapters 18-23

2 Samuel Chapter 1


Join us back here on Wednesday as we continue our discussion.

Honor – A Lost Virtue

Who do you show honor? Why do you show them honor? How can you become a person of honor? Should we even strive to live a life of honor? Is honor even necessary today?

Honor –noun
1. honesty, fairness, or integrity in one's beliefs and actions: a man of honor.
2. a source of credit or distinction: to be an honor to one's family.
3. high respect, as for worth, merit, or rank: to be held in honor.
4. high public esteem; fame; glory: He has earned his position of honor.

–verb (used with object)
1. to hold in honor or high respect; revere: to honor one's parents.
2. to treat with honor.
3. to confer honor or distinction upon: The university honored him with its leadership award.
4. to show a courteous regard for: to honor an invitation

Today we have a mixed up idea of who deserves honor. We lift up sports figures because of their talents. Then are disappointed by the life that they lead out of the spotlight. We have become immune to the sin that is evident in their lives and wonder why there is no integrity in leadership anymore. We do not spend time honoring those around us that live a life of integrity. We use people to elevate ourself and take credit for what others have sacrificed for and expect others to honor us. Romans 12:9-10 (NIV) says “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.” 2 Timothy 2:19 – 21 (New King James Version) says ‘Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. (V21)Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.’ Verse 21 in The Message says Become the kind of container God can use to present any and every kind of gift to his guests for their blessing.

Take time to evaluate your life and then make a conscious effort to become that ‘vessel for honor’, the ‘kind of container God can use’. This can only happen when we choose to live a life of integrity and respect by always showing honor to others above youself.

~Debbie~

Sending Honor Down

Guest Blogger: Pastor Brandon
This past Sunday at NewLife we talked about the forgotten virtue of Honor. I love what Ben Arment had to say about this subject...

We tend to send honor up.

We turn Ps into VIPs, rooms into greenrooms, and Americans into idols.

But here's the paradigm shift with Jesus.

He sent honor down.

Those who were last became first, those who had least gave most, and those in the lowest seats got promoted.

Coach or Teammate?

I just have to take today to brag on (or "honor" for those of you who were in church yesterday) our amazing Pastor's wife, and Pastor herself, Terica. It doesn't matter how close or far away you have witnessed her life, you know that this blog could go on for a long time if I was going to list all of her amazing qualities. But for today I will just share one precious lesson that she has taught me without even knowing it herself.

I think a lot of women, myself included, tend to approach their spouses like they are their husband's personal life coach. Just like our high school sports coaches during game time, we think that our jobs consist of providing minute by minute directions from the sidelines of our spouse's life. Then after each game is over making sure that we go over all of their positives and negatives with them. We tend to think that we are the sole contributor to our husband's training and future improvement.

I have to admit that I tend to lean towards these methods in how I deal with Scott...not purposefully, but it is easy to see how the summation of my actions fall into this model. The problems that arise from this are obvious: we were never meant to Coach our husbands. We can't constantly critique their lives and expect them to want to share how their day went when they get home.

The only thing that has exposed these tendencies inside my own marriage, is that I got to see an amazing example of the grace that Terica displays inside her marriage. She, more than anyone else I have ever known, has shown me how to play a different role inside your marriage: teammate. Most people will spout that our role as women in the lives of our husbands is to be their biggest fan, and while I think we should root for the home team inside our marriage, I don't like the connotation that we don't have anything personally invested in the game. We can cheer, yell at the umpires, wear our favorite t-shirt, but at the end of the day when the game is over, go on with our lives. Being a soccer player, there was something special about the bond of a teammate; these were people you sweated with, put in extra hours of practice with, and puked in trash cans with after a 7am fitness training session. We got to see each other at our best and at our worst, we were all personally invested. How does this translate? We worked together to make our victories happen, picked each other up off the ground after losses, but most importantly for our current analogy: disagreed. We often disagreed with on-field decisions that were made by our teammates, but we also knew that for the team to stay at time that there was a time, a place, and a way to discuss those frustrations. For the sake of the team, we sometimes had to sacrifice our own opinions about the way things should be done in order for the team to be unified.

I'm not saying that Terica is the perfect wife, none of us are, but I will honor her by saying that she has acted out the example of what it means to be a teammate in her marriage. She has spent countless extra hours, sweat, and tears with Brandon in making his dreams come true (I'm not aware if she has ever puked in public trash cans for the cause.) She has seen him at his best and worst, high fiving him for during his best, and giving him grace and picking him up off the floor in his worst. And of course, sometimes disagreed and been frustrated with him, though it is hard to tell because she is amazing about dealing with these frustrations appropriately. And yes, she has had to make sacrifices in the name of unity.

Thank you, Terica, for teaching me that I am not responsible for my husband's improvement. My job is to continue to jump into the trenches and fight alongside him for his dreams. No one will ever be a better example of that than you!
~Laura

Psalm 18

Are you walking in defeat, everywhere you turn is more news you would rather not hear? Do you not want to get up in the morning for fear of what today might bring? I've got good news - but you have to hear it, I mean really hear it. Set down and start to read Psalm 18.

Psalm 18
1 I love you, Lord; you are my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.
3 I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies.
6 But in my distress I cried out to the Lord; yes, I prayed to my God for help.
He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry to him reached his ears.
16 He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters.
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me.
18 They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress, but the Lord supported me.
19 He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me.
28 You light a lamp for me. The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness.
29 In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall.
30 God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection
32 God arms me with strength, and he makes my way perfect.

David took time out in his battle to recognize that the Lord was his strength. Will you make a choice today to recognize that the Lord is your strength? Verse 30 says ... All the Lords's promises prove true. He is a shield for ALL who look to him for protection. Verse 32 says God arms me with strength. Just do as David did in verse 6, But in my distress I cried out to the Lord; yes, I prayed to my God for help. Cry out to God and recognize that your strength comes from the Lord and then, maybe most importantly of all realize that victory over your enemies is yours!!!

Start walking in that victory. Wake up in the morning knowing you are going to battle - put on your armor and choose to walk in victory. The battle's not mine but God's.

~Debbie~

Choosing To Sing

ALL of my life in EVERY season YOU are STILL GOD:
I HAVE a REASON to SING, I HAVE a REASON to WORSHIP

Father God, we don’t always understand the workings of your hand but regardless we choose to sing…we choose to worship. You are always and will always be God every season, every mountain and every valley of our lives.

~Terica

Love 'Em!

This series that we are in called "the Dip" brought some memories back from when I was a high school tennis player....

One of my tennis coaches had a peculiar way of getting me to deal with lobs well. A lob in tennis is when your opponent hits the ball high in the air when you are up at the net trying to hit the ball over your head. In order to hit these lobs back you have back up and position yourself to slam it back....the payback for not hitting the lob deep enough. The thing is, it is easy to psych yourself out because you know you're supposed to be able to slam it back but it is soooo easy to choke on these shots. Well my tennis coach made me do the most embarrassing thing I have ever had to do on a tennis court...He made me scream "Love 'Em!" while the ball was in the air before I hit it back 'declaring' that I loved to hit that shot. While at first this was really embarassing since he not only made me yell this during private lessons and group lessons, but also during actual matches, later on shouting "Love 'em!" became automatic and part of my tennis routine. It changed how I thought about that shot, no longer was it an opportunity to choke, but rather a chance to shine.

Why did this come back to me during this series? Brandon talked yesterday about what to do while you are in the Dip. He told us that we are to Remember what God has done for us in the past, to Accept our current circumstances, and to Trust that God has things in control. Then he went on to explain the whole reason that we go through these 'dip cycles': so that we may go on toward maturity in Christ. In fact we are to rejoice in our trials and sufferings because we know that we are moving on to a closer relationship with God.

My tennis coach changed my way of thinking about a difficult circumstance: he had me speak out that I was rejoicing even before it was true. That even though my heart may not yet believe and my eyes may not see how any of this is going to be a good thing later, my will can be set to rejoice until the rest of my emotions and circumstances catch up. We need to make it our default setting that we rejoice in our trials and circumstances so much so that it is an automatic part of daily routine. But my tennis coach knew the key to something becoming automatic: we can never let one opportunity to rejoice slip by no matter how big or small, no matter how insignificant, or how embarrassing. We have to rejoice in the paper cut, and the broken leg, the lost $5 bill, and the loss of our household income. If we never let one struggle or disappointment pass us by without praising God for who he is, then when we really need for our rejoicing to be almost automatic, it will be.

Remember in your trials, that they are not simply an opportunity for God to fail you, but an chance for God's goodness and glory to shine through you when He moves you out of your Dip!

~Laura

Standing in Battle

I thought this was fitting for today from His Pricess Warrior by Sheri Rose Shephard:

You are not called to follow others, my beloved warrior. I have appointed you to lead them to me.

Life will become a great adventure if you will step out to the front line and fight for those who are too weak to fight for themselves. Don't look back on what you have lost; look forward to the great victories that are in front of you. You don't have to hide behind your fears and insecurities any longer. I can and will turn your pain into passion to change the world around you. As you find your way to the front line, hide this truth in your heart: "This fight is not just for you, it is for all those you dearly love".

Love,
Your King who fights for you

Deuteronomy 20:3 NLT He will say to them, "Listen to me, all you men of Israel! Do not be afraid as you go out to fight your enemies today! Do not lose heart or panic or tremble before them."

Zechariah 10:5 NIV Together they will be like mighty warriors in battle trampling their enemy into the mud of the streets. They will fight because the Lord is with them, and they will put the enemy horsemen to shame.

I love how the author says that God "can and will turn your pain into passion to change the world around you." Sometimes I think we get caught up in thinking God is not asking us to do anything because our life revolves around our family, we work at home or in an "un"adventurous job but this clearly says you are called to change the world around you whatever that might be. "This fight is not just for you: it is for all those you dearly love." That puts a whole new light on everything we face.

Standing in battle,
~Debbie~

Bold As Love

Awareness

As a mom, I now have a new level of respect for the human ears. It is incredible how after only hearing your brand new baby cry for a few days your body can be so in tune to that particular frequency. No one else may be able to hear that your child is crying down the hall and 5 rooms away, but you can! I also remember back in high school, or college really how it was amazing how if anyone within a 1 mile radius mentioned the name of the boy that I was interested in at the time I was suddenly Superman and could hear every word! On the not so fun side, it is also amazing how when I am frustrated by something or someone, I supernaturally am able to catch any hint of someone else's frustration with the same thing, so that I can fuel my fire.

This ability to tune into certain things can often be a blessing, but I find it to be very revealing: I am tuned in to the things that are important to me, those things that are the closest to my heart. Sadly the Lord revealed this to me this morning, as I was praying for a deeper awareness of Him. He showed me that the fact that I am not as aware of Him, and his whisperings to me, shows that He is not as important to me as I wish He were. If He truly ranked at the top of my list, I would be constantly straining to hear His voice, just like I strain to hear whether or not my son has fallen off the slide in the back yard.

Lord, help me to tune my ear into You. I want You to be the closest thing to my heart, and the most important person in my life! Help me to be constantly aware of your voice, your movement, and your heart. I love you, with all of my broken peices that you are constantly mending inside me. I praise you for the joy that you are constantly returning to me as I lean my ear closer and closer to you. You are so good!

~Laura

Good News!!

The “GLOW” retreat was wonderful. Time spent renewing our passion for spending time with our heavenly Father. Reinforcing truths from God’s Word for us to arm ourselves as we face our daily battles and to not back down or live a life of defeat.

Friend, if you have landed here today wondering what in the world God wants to do with your life, I want you to know one thing. Not a single thing in your life will be wasted. God will use your past and your present to prepare you for your future. He has a beautiful plan ... a call on your life. He is waiting to reveal it to you.

Jeremiah 1:5 says, "I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as My prophet to the nation" (NLT).

Psalm 139:16 says, "You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed" (NLT).

God wants to remind you of a precious Truth. Hear it and never forget it...before time began, before God spoke the world into being...He had you in His heart. God chose you to be His child. God has a perfect plan for your life. No one else has your plan, your family, your gifts, your talents, your heart, your education, your past, and your present ... NO ONE, absolutely NO ONE.

He chose you. He wants to use you to do great things for His Kingdom ... things that only you can do. He is preparing you...yes, even now.

But we have to be willing to be used by God. To be used by God, you must TRUST Him with your past; BELIEVE Him for your future; BELIEVE He has a plan for you; SURRENDER your life to His Plan, and BELIEVE He will equip you to do what He has called you to do.

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)

Don’t let the work God wants you to do go undone. Begin TODAY!!!

~Debbie~

Ask, Seek, Knock...He will be found.

I am oh so thankful for all the love, thought, prayer, fasting (the list is endless)…that took place for Glow. We believed and anticipated a move from our God and girls…did He ever. I walked around in total awe and even now when I think of all God so beautifully orchestrated I’m overwhelmed. I truly believe the intent of His heart was to meet with each of us personally and that was achieved. By His hand, what at one time held us captive has been replaced by the truth that we are captivating. How sweet is that? Girls we have reclaimed our Glow, we now radiate and walk in the love and freedom He so graciously offers. I encourage us all to continue seeking after Him with all that we have. That was our focus over the events of the retreat but it doesn’t have to end there. Actually, it was just the beginning.

Jeremiah 29:13 says, “If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.” Enough said.

From the speakers to the behind-the-scenes workers to all those in attendance…my heart overflows. My Lord, my God and my Redeemer…I am so in love.

~ Terica

Psalm 139

This past weekend was GLOW. It was amazing, spectacular, awesome, fantastic and any other adjective you can think of. This week I am going to take a blogging break to download some of the life-changing words and material I received at GLOW. But I don't want to leave you without something to meditate on. Enjoy and have a terrific Tuesday!

1 O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.

3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.

4 Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.

5 You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?

8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, [a] you are there.

9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,

10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"

12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

17 How precious to [b] me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!

18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.

19 If only you would slay the wicked, O God!
Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!

20 They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.

21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD,
and abhor those who rise up against you?

22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting. ~ Psalm 139

Love you all dearly!
~Kazia~

To You Be All the Glory

I can't even begin to describe GLOW this past weekend. My heart is full of confidence that God moved. You can see it when you look into the eyes of any lady in attendance. You can hear it when you listen to the words that come out of their mouths, not even about what happened, just the way we speak has been changed. I know for me, that it is not cliche to say that I got my glow back, because I truly did. I radiate with the faith that my God can topple the fortresses inside of me and I know that He can do the same for anyone I come in contact with.

All I even know to say is that I am so honored to have been alongside these 21 ladies getting to receive what God was ready and willing to give us: Freedom!

I love you girls!
~Laura

My Hope Is In You

Today I am leaving for our B’Loved “GLOW” Retreat. I am so excited. I can’t wait to see all God has in store for me as I block out everyday life and focus upon my maker. The God of the universe. The great I AM. This morning the prayer on my heart is Psalm 25.

1 To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; 2 in you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. 3 No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse. 4 Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; 5 guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. . . . .

16 Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. 17 The troubles of my heart have multiplied; free me from my anguish. 18 Look upon my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins. 19 See how my enemies have increased and how fiercely they hate me! 20 Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. 21 May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you.

~Debbie~

The Eve of Glow

Tomorrow begins our long awaited and highly anticipated retreat…Glow. Our sole focus over the next couple of days will be to spend some one-on-one face time with the Father. We plan on exfoliating our souls and reclaiming our shine…thus, beaming with a Glow that is uncontainable and radiates for all to see.

Will you take a few moments and pray for all twenty-two of the precious women who have committed themselves to these events? Believe with me that life altering truths will be revealed and take root creating breakthroughs that will forever impact this world for Christ. Stand with me in agreement that every beautiful heart in attendance will once again fall madly, deeply, head-over-heels in love with their first Love.

~ Terica

Expect and Receive

This week is filled with great expectation and anticipation. Glow 2010 is upon us and there is a tremendous buzz in the air. I can't help but get excited about the life change that I know we will see take place in everyone who comes expecting to see life change. I want to encourage each and every one of you, whether you are attending or not, to speak the words below over these precious ladies as they embark on something truly unbelievable. Hold on to your hats ladies, we are in for something spectacular!

Phillippians 1:3~11

"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

"It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus."

"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God."

~Kazia~

Ready for Anything

As I was praying about what to write today I felt like God spoke this title into existence for me to figure out what the body of text was supposed to say about this topic. We'll see how it goes...

I started thinking about the word 'ready.' Could anything that I am possibly qualify to be described as that particular adjective? What could this phrase mean to God? I decided to do some research...

read·y
1. Prepared or available for service, action, or progress: (I am ready to work. The soup will be ready in a minute.)
2. Mentally disposed; willing: (He was ready to believe her.)
3. Likely or about to do something: (She is ready to retire.)
4. Prompt in apprehending or reacting: (a ready intelligence; a ready response.)
5. Available

Something in my spirit did a back-flip as I read this definition. So many things on this list that completely describe the ONLY thing that He is wanting from me. He wants me to be available to Him. Mentally disposed to hear Him speak. Willing for his service.

The great thing about being Ready for Anything God has for me is that it doesn't require anything from me except that I tilt my vision of my life through his eyes first.

My favorite definition on the list, that I know that God is speaking to me about, is #3. LIKELY OR ABOUT TO DO SOMETHING. I am likely to move on His behalf. I am about to do something for Him. I am about to make His name famous. I am about to be a part of taking this world on for the cause of Christ.

I am ready to be ready.

For God says, "At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you." Indeed, the "right time" is now. Today is the day of salvation. - 2 Corinthians 6:2

~Laura

Father, please forgive me of my disbelief. Thank you so much that you are so powerful and all-knowing that you could find a way to make my imperfections somehow be used for your glory. I ask that you create in us a bold heart that is truly ready for anything you have for us. Teach us to tilt our vision so that our entire worlds are seen through your perfect eyes rather than our imperfect fleshly desires. I thank you that all you desire of me is that I desire you. Father, I am ready. Help me to stay ready. I love you!

Faith or Fiction??

Do you ever wonder how someone becomes a “great person of faith”? Have you set back and wondered how come they have faith and I just seem to fumble my way along? It just doesn’t seem fair. It never seems that they have any problems or crisis to face. Well, have you ever taken a few moments and talked with them or got to know them and what goes on in their lives. Sometimes we will be surprised to find out that one reason they have faith is because they have trails that God is getting them through, one by one. The reason their faith seems great to you is because they have gone through great trails in their life. With each new conflict they go through their faith in God becomes stronger. Their courage increases. They have come to the full knowledge that only with faith in God can they face each day. Great faith in God doesn’t happen overnight, but it is a process, one trial at a time.

Each day we have a choice how we react to the trails we encounter. We can let them overwhelm us and send us into a tailspin or we can stand up and say, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13.

Great faith brings about great expectations. Think about it, do you expect great results through your prayers and faith in God? Hmmm – makes you think doesn’t it? Are we not receiving because we are really not expecting? How much time in prayer and fasting do you spend earnestly seeking great things from God? We all want to hear Jesus say about us what Matthew 15:28 (NIV) says: "Then Jesus answered, 'Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.'" But do we pray with persistence until God moves as the woman did that Jesus was speaking to???

Please, please, please let’s really start praying to God for answers to our prayers and fervently believe Him for the answers. It is time that we stopped saying a meaningless prayer and then getting up and taking the problem to our sisters in Christ, or worse yet an unbeliever and giving them a distorted picture of our loving heavenly Father. God is NOT the reason our prayers are not answered!!! Let’s stand up and take responsibility for unanswered prayers and begin to do something about it. Ask God to help you to prayer and most importantly believe Him for the answers.

~Debbie~

Overwhelmed?

Check out this definition provided by dictionary.com

o·ver·whelm
1. To be overcome completely in mind or feeling:
Has this ever happened to you?

2. To overpower or overcome, esp. with superior forces;
Have you ever been buried by insecurities, worry or doubt?

3. To cover or bury beneath a mass of something,
Ever been buried by your to-do list? How about a mountain of laundry?

4. To overthrow.
Ever been thrown off course?

Ready to overthrow whatever’s overwhelming you?

Matthew 11:28-30 28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Keep this scripture at the forefront of your mind. When you begin to operate once again as a pack mule, cramming as much as you can, where you can, when you can…stop! What good are you frustrated, frazzled and ready to snap at any given moment. Remind yourself that there is someone so much stronger and wiser just waiting to be acknowledged and ever so ready to help.

Love you all,
~Terica

Jesus Is the Reason For the Season

"For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven." ~ Ecclessiastes 3:1

The past few days this verse has replayed countless times over and over in my head. Partly because the seasons have finally changed (can I get an AMEN) and partly because it sums up this particular period of time in my life. There are things in my life right now that were once high priority that have become less important and things that I once dreaded that have become something I actually look forward to. The more I think on this the more I understand that sometimes God places certain things, people and events in our life at certain times and then for some reason or another He removes them. It may only be for a period of time or it may be forever. Sometimes I just have to stop and ask God why He does this. Well, God's Word clearly reassures us why as we read on in Ecclessiastes that there is purpose in the ever revolving door of life.

A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
A time to search and a time to quit searching.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace.

What do people really get for all their hard work? I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.

I will borrow a phrase that is generally reserved for the Christmas season, but totally fits any season of life to sum all of this up "Jesus Is the Reason for the Season!" Yes, it is cheesy, I know but it's oh so true. God has a reason for this paticular season of your life and in the end you will see that reason and glorify Him!

If you are experiencing a particularly dry season in your life than rest assured something truly beautiful is on the horizon and if you are wondering why God has placed you in this particular time and place then know that HE is on HIS way to taking you to new and exciting places that you have never been before. Celebrate this season because, it may be hard to see now,but God has something truly amazing awaiting you as the seasons change.

~Kazia~

He Knows & He is there...

Psalm 139
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

1 O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.

2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.

3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.

4 Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.

5 You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?

8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,

10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"

12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

17 How precious to [b] me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!

18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.

19 If only you would slay the wicked, O God!
Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!

20 They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.

21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD,
and abhor those who rise up against you?

22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.


~Laura

What More Do I Need?

Romans 5 NLT

1 Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory. 3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. 6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. 7 Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. 8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 9 And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God's condemnation. 10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. 11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

Here's what I see:
* I have peace through Jesus (v1)
* I have access to God's very presence (v2)
* I have joy in suffering and even become stronger, so it is not a waste (v3)
* I continue to live in God's generous love (v5)

What more do I want and more importantly what more do I NEED????

~Debbie~

A Few Words For Today

Isaiah 30:15
This is what the Sovereign Lord,
the Holy One of Israel, says,
"In repentance and rest is your salvation,
in quietness and trust is your strength,
but you would have none of it."

Ecclesiastes 5:2
Do not be quick with your mouth,
do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God.
God is in heaven and you are on earth,
so let your words be few.

That's all I have to say today.

~ Terica

As You Wait

Has anyone ever told you "God is never too early and He's never too late"? I've been told that so many times and have learned over the years that there is an enormous amount of truth to that statement.

I'd like to say I am a patient person, but in all reality I am not. I tell my kids to hurry up when they don't move fast enough, I get extremely irritable when I get stuck in rush hour traffic and if my computer is running just a little too slow, I lose all nerve. So when I pray about certain situations and I don't receive an answer right away I tend to feel a little like God isn't listening to anything I am saying.

Well the truth of the matter is that He is all ears and already has as answer. He just longs to hear my voice and have my full attention a little bit longer. I don't know about any of you but my relationship with God is high priority when I am waiting on something from Him. I am in constant conversation with Him, thanking Him for his answers and relying on His strength to see me through.

I have seen this play out in my own life over the past month or so. I've been praying about a few different things and waiting on God for some answers. Today as I thought about one situation in particular and the answer I received from God I got down right joyful. It would've have been so easy to take matters into my own hands, do what I thought I needed to do and spare all the waiting around. Instead I waited and received exactly what, not only I needed, but what I wanted. All the while strengthening my relationship with Him. This remindes me of something my brother-in-law told me, that his sister used to tell her kids when they got impatient - Patience means happy to wait :-) I love that statement. I am happy to wait on God for His perfect timing.

Are you waiting for something from God? Have you lost hope that you will ever receive an answer? If so, I want to encourage all of you not to lose heart. Continue to wait on Him. Wait on His timing and wait on His voice. And as you wait cling to this encouraging word.

"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

Happy to Wait!
~Kazia~

It's finally over...

Today my mom has gall bladder surgery....but more importantly they are removing her port. Now I know to most of you there is no understanding to what that means, I'll fill you in. 3 years ago my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer, unfortunately not just your average-run-of-the-mill cancer. This cancer was the most aggressive form of breast cancer and was eating away at her body at an alarming rate. She was quickly forced to make decisions concerning how much of her body to cut away and was rushed into surgery in a matter of weeks. She then endured an especially grueling form of chemotherapy followed by radiation. The process was long and painful physically, and even longer and more painful emotionally. Part of the initial surgery was to install a port on the upper side of her chest to provide quick access into her bloodstream for all of the following treatments. From the very beginning she was informed that with this particular form of cancer she would be extremely lucky to make it one year without it coming back. What a beating...to go through the most painful year of your life knowing that in another year you will probably have to do it again! Well my mom decided to stand against the word that the doctors spoke over her and to stand on the word of her heavenly Father. She believed that our God was fully able and willing to protect her body from relapsing. Her one year checkup had her doctor in tears as she was so happy to have one of her patients make it one year as the last several with the same form of cancer hadn't. Ever since then my mom has been asking for them to remove the port as it is very uncomfortable for everyday life but the answer has been the same: "We would hate to remove the port so soon in case we were to need it again soon." In other words, there's no point. You're probably going to relapse and you will need the port again.
But as I said earlier, today they will be removing her port. Almost 3 years after surgery the doctors have finally stated with their actions what my mom has been longing for confirmation on: "It's finally over."

Now we all may not have severe life-altering medical issues that we can relate to. But I know we all have struggles and frustrations that we are desperate to be able to say, "It's finally over" about. Things that long after we have heard our Father whisper that he is calling us out of and through we want someone else to look us in the eye and confirm it. Ladies, our God doesn't desire that we dwell in emotional turmoil. He wants us to be "more than conquerors!" (Romans 8:37) His word tells us that "You will surely forget your trouble, recalling it only as waters gone by." (Job 11:16) Ladies, soon this will pass, it will finally be OVER!

~Laura

P.S. - Those of you attending our GLOW retreat in 18 days, be thinking about what you want to be able to say "It's finally over" about. God loves it when you come into time with Him with an expectant heart! Can't wait to see you there!

Run In The Dark ~ This Saturday

If you think that as a women - Mother, Wife, ETC. that you can't do anything to help out the community. Think again. There are many ways to get out in the community and help other in need. One way is the Run in the dark hosted by The Community Storehouse this Saturday night, September 18th. Make a date with your husband and get involved together to help others. Meet us at 6:15 at the volunteer tent in front of Keller Town Hall.

Visit newlifewired.com for more details.

Do You Still Have No Faith?

Mark 4:40 (NIV) says, He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" Jesus was asking the disciples this question. These men had been spending day and night in the presence of Jesus. They were eye witnesses to His miracles. They were first hand hearers of His teaching. Their lives were entwined with all that Jesus was doing. Yet when a storm came upon them as they were crossing the lake, with Jesus in the boat with them, they lost it. They allowed fear to take over. They questioned Jesus, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"

I had to stop and think about all the times in my life when I've asked the same question - "Jesus, don't you care?" I've grown up in church, I've always believed in God. But I had to ask myself do I truly trust Him??? Hmmmm Trust means a firm reliance on the integrity, ability, or character of a person or thing. Is that how I truly view my Lord and Savior or do I daily walk in my own strength and ability and only cry out when the storm get so bad the fear overwhelms me? The Lord has been asking me this question for a while now and I think I finally slowed down long enough to hear Him and I am really having to face some unpleasant truths about myself. I am a person of action and I jump in and take care of things but God has been whispering to me to let Him take part, let Him lead. This last couple of weeks He has been yelling at me this same thing and finally I am hearing.

For those of you who know me well, don't be surprised to see me taking action a little slower than usual. I have surrendered to my Lord that aspect of my character and will be following His lead before making a move. Please if any of you see me start to regress, please step in and lovingly remind me of Mark 4:40 because I know that in ALL things I can have faith that my Lord and Savior can be trusted and relied upon to handle any storm in my life.

Living by faith,
~Debbie~

Can you see Him?

As you begin your day, I want you to be on the look out for something. Today, I want you to make a conscious effort to recognize God at work in your life. He moves in so many ways on our behalf. If only we were mindful of Him, we might be more apt to notice. But, all too often I think we become numb to His touch. Almost to the point of being desensitized to His presence. Let's decide to change that today.

You see, it is in Him that we live. Acts 17:28 says, "For in Him we live and move and have our being." So, let's not focus on the tasks at hand but instead focus on the hand of the Father who helps us achieve those tasks. Then I love what Job 12:10 has to say, "In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind." So, when you feel as though you are drowning, remember He is the source of our breath. So...breathe.

It is my prayer that today you see Him at work in your life. In the great and small things, God is at work. This day, I believe you will see Him. Lovingly and tenderly, you will see Him moving on your behalf. After all, you are His beloved.

~Terica

Today Is A New Day

Today I celebrate my 33rd birthday. Yes, that's two 3's!! My husband Brooks continues to remind me how old that sounds and that he is still 31 and that I am older than him. Which, to him I say you are only as old as you feel and today I feel, well, 33.

As we were sitting in his office talking about my birthday he said something really profound that I really had to stop and think about and share with you. He said that if you are a Christ-follower then everyday is like your birthday. Wow!!! A birthday everyday??? Yes, it's true. Each and everyday morning God pours out brand-new mercies. Yesterday's slate is wiped clean and today I am made new. It's like being reborn everyday. That is so incredible. God's faithfulness is so constant and His love is so pure that no matter what happened yesterday He has forgiven and provided us with a fresh start. And He has given us reassurance of this in His Word.

"The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” ~ Lamentations 3:22~24

Thank you Jesus for blessing me with another day and another year. Your unending love and glorious grace are truly amazing.

~Kazia~

Parenting in a Broken World

I have been thinking a lot about parenting lately. What the ideals of a God-fearing parent should be....In what ways should my parenting strategies look different than those of the world? How do I teach my son to follow the narrow path? Well, soon I will share some of the thoughts I have accumulated about Godly parenting but today I found this blog post from a women's speaker I have great admiration and respect for. Her specific topic she addresses is sexting, but don't let her advice fall on deaf ears just because your children don't own a cell phone yet...She offers up some serious food for thought for anyone who's children will grow up in this broken world, ie all of us.
I hope you enjoy this youth pastor's wife as much as I do,
~Laura


Sexting

I was emailed an article from one of our parents this week and thought I would share it here on my blog to get your thoughts and perspective. The article is about “Sexting.” If you are not familiar with the term, it is a prevalent trend with young people these days. Sexting involves sending pornographic pictures and text messages via camera phones and if your child is a JH or HS student I guarantee you that they have heard about it, been exposed to it, or are actively participating in it. So what should our response be? This article explains the horrific details of this “craze” and the huge consequences involved. Did you know that teenagers passing around pornographic pictures of themselves or their girlfriends/boyfriends can actually be prosecuted for distributing child pornography and serve prison time? Check out this article for more information.

http://scribbit.blogspot.com/2010/08/sexting-one-more-thing-for-parents-to.html

This situation demands our attention and our response. What a sad and depressing state our society has come to that so many unacceptable things are considered “part of the norm.” We have to raise our voice, but what should that look like?

I saw many comments on the above article stating how they would not be allowing their teenagers to have phones, or they would never allow their children camera phones…but I’m not sure that this is the answer. To me this seems like the legalistic approach of the 80′s and 90′s that, though well-intentioned, drove many young people away from church and searching for grace.

To think that taking away cell phones or not allowing your kids and teenagers to be a part of our technologically advanced world is to protect them, I believe is naïve. Legalism has never worked. It breeds rebellion.

Consider the fairy tale of “Sleeping Beauty.” You know the story. The well-intentioned parents tried to remove their daughter from society and raise her in the countryside. They destroyed every spinning wheel in the kingdom because that was the one thing that they considered a danger to their daughter. They had wonderful intentions to protect her so that she could become the beautiful young woman she was created to be but…as we all know, when she rejoined the kingdom, she stumbled upon a spinning wheel and pricked her finger.

Perhaps her parents could have taken a better approach in teaching her what a spinning wheel looks like and why it was a danger to her. Maybe, equipped with the wisdom on how to live in the kingdom she was born into, she could have made a wiser choice.

I think we have a responsiblity as parents and leaders to “train up our child in the way they should go.” I am not advocating we expose them to all the horrors of society but we cannot be naïve to think that they won’t be confronted with some of the evils of this world, such as “sexting.” I think if we began to have open, honest discussions with our young people to teach and equip them with wisdom for how to respond to the dangers that are out there, we might see a better response.

We live in a world that is devoid of morality and devoid of God. We must begin to “respond” with wisdom and not “react” with fear. We must begin to bring God back into the picture because He is the only hope for this generation. This starts personally and begins to trickle out to all of those in our sphere of influence. We are supposed to be “the salt of the earth and light of the world.” We need to provide real solution to a hurting, confused world and I believe that will come through the knowledge of Jesus Christ and not a list of rules and regulations enforced by our own strength from our own fears.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him and He will direct your path.” (Proverbs 3:5)

When we trust in the Lord He will equip us with wisdom and knowledge for how to handle any situation we face. He will give us the words to speak and the wisdom to teach.

We must respond…we must raise our voice for what is right and be advocates for truth and justice but we must do so by bringing the truth of God’s love to the world around us and teaching our children to do the same.

XOXO

Meghan Robinson
Life Link Church in AZ

You can find out more about Meghan at meghanrobinson.wordpress.com

God Gives Me Strength

Have you ever had the overwhelming feeling that you just can't keep going? Well, I have. Lately I have had so much to do and so little time to do it. I continued to spend time with God's word and I know that this has been the only way that I have accomplished the tasks before me. The other day I was in Philippians again and came to one of my all time favorite verses. Philippians 4:13 (NIV) "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." The Message says, "Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the ONE who makes me who I am." It goes on to say, "I don't mean that your help didn't mean a lot to me - it did. It was a beautiful thing that you came alongside me..." Many times lately I have had help to accomplish the tasks before me, and that meant so much to me and said so much about the people that I have surrounded myself with - BUT in all those times if I had just relied on my friends and family to help me, I could never had made it through everything. My joy would have turned into sorrow, my love would have turned into resentment, my peace would have disappeared if I had not embraced the fact that only through "the one who gives me strength" was I able to succeed.

My heart hurts for all the people around me that do not have that blessed assurance. They live their lives daily in a state of defeat. They have no joy, they have no true love, they definitely do not have any peace. They walk through their days with an empty hole inside that only the Son of God can fill. They try to find love in other people and are disappointed. They try to find joy in a bottle and wake up unhappy. They spend their days searching for a little peace and only uncover turmoil in all they do. What a waste of a perfectly good life when God has so many plans for them.

Please do not waste another minute of your life looking and searching, but reach out and accept the "one who gives you strength" and look to him when life gives you to much to handle.

~Debbie~

Feeling Prunish

Lately I've been feeling a little prunish. God has been carefully cutting away the old & dead in order to make way for the new. It has been a very painful and difficult process, but one I know will be magnificent in the end. I hold onto one of the greatest passages in all of God's Word as I continue on my journey. Meditate on it with me as I carry on.

Jesus, the True Vine “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. 3 You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. 9 “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. 10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! 12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. 13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. 16 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other." John 15:1~17

Love you all

~Kazia~

Memories

Well this Mama will be watching her youngest son get married this Sunday afternoon. Don't get me wrong I love his new wife to be but this is my baby. So many emotions have been going through my mind for the last couple of weeks. I wanted to put on the brakes and make time stand still and let me catch up with all that is happening. Impossible I know. I am looking forward to see all that will take place in their lives.

I spent time gathering pictures from his life for a slideshow and relived so many special moments that I plan to take time more often to sit down with Lee and just reminisce. While the kids were home with us, we were so busy with everyday life that we missed taking time to see all the blessings in our everyday lives. Time does go by so fast and if we are not careful we may miss opportunities to make special memories with the ones we love.

Take time to thank God for your children and all the blessings(not burdens) that they bring into your life. Busy times - yes, but it would be so boring without them.

~Debbie~

Praise the Lord, Oh my soul

I am completely awestruck at the continued greatness and faithfulness of our God. My heart is bursting at the seams and can hardly contain the love that runs so deep for Him…which is simply an overflow of the love He has for you and me. God is so real, true, giving, loving and oh so evident.

Read this passage of scripture. Let the words reach the inmost depths of your heart. Our God is amazing and so incredibly worthy of all praise.

~Terica

Psalm 103 (NIV)
Psalm 103
Of David.
1 Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

2 Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-

3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,

4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,

5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

6 The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.

7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:

8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.

9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;

10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;

12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;

14 for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.

15 As for man, his days are like grass,
he flourishes like a flower of the field;

16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.

17 But from everlasting to everlasting
the LORD's love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children's children-

18 with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.

19 The LORD has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.

20 Praise the LORD, you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
who obey his word.

21 Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts,
you his servants who do his will.

22 Praise the LORD, all his works
everywhere in his dominion.
Praise the LORD, O my soul

The Day Has Come

I have dreaded this day for a very long time. Pre-school is upon us. Which means my baby girl is in the care of someone other than family or very close friends. She will now have outside influence coming from places other than home or church. Someone other than Brooks or myself will be teaching her new and exciting things.

I know it's just pre-school and I know it's just twice a week, but in my mind and eyes it all begins here. Next year she will be going to kindergarten and then next thing I know she will be graduating high school and then college and then getting married.

My mind is overwhelmed with so many emotions today. Have we done a good enough job teaching her right and wrong and how to act and how to be respectful and obedient? What is she falls down on the playground and skins her knee? What if someone else is mean to her and hurts her feelings? Who will be there to comfort and protect her?

Well more than likely all of this will happen at some point in time and this is where my faith has to be so big. Her loving, heavenly Father will be with her every step of the way. He will carry her and hold her hand when I can't. He will comfort and guide her throughout her new journey. It's so hard to imagine, but He loves her even more than Brooks or I do. She is right in the palm of her hand where she should be and He will never let her go!

Pray for us as we embark on a new journey today!

"I Hap-PEE!"

One of my favorite things to hear from my toddler's ever-growing vocabulary is "I HAP-PEE!" He has taken to randomly blurting this delightful phrase out when he is cuddled up on mine or Scott's chest holding us close. It's almost as if he is obviously more keenly aware of his own happiness when he is close to us. It is almost as if he is thanking us for letting him have this special time with us! In addition to melting my heart every time he says it, it made me think... When was the last time I told my Heavenly Father that I was happy? Do I take the time to thank Him for His presence in my life...to simply choose, for this moment to say that I am happy? It made me realize that in the midst of uncertainty, the one thing that is always constant in my life is that God is holding me close to his heart, hoping that I will realize and proclaim the joy that He has awaiting my heart. If I will just take the time to jump into my Father's lap, I too will be more keenly aware of my own happiness...something I know we all could use. Let's all decide today to say, "I HAP-PEE!"

~Laura

God Given Opportunity

Is everyone ready for another school year?

Last Thursday night I was invited to go with Braden to his "Meet the Teacher Night" to see his classroom. Of course I went along with Brandon, Terica and Braden as they found their way to his classroom and met his teacher. Everything was new for all of us. New school, new classroom, new teacher, new faces everywhere. We had no idea where to go or even who his teacher was until we saw a list on the door and looked for his name in the kindergarten class. Finally we found the list with his name on it, then we found the door to the classroom his teacher was in and finally met his teacher.

We have been praying all summer that he would find favor at this new school and I don't know why we were pleasantly surprised to find out that he had the teacher we would have requested if we had know when and how to do this. Also we found that his little friend Easton from Pre-School was in his class. Everything was working out great. As we introduced ourselves to his teacher, I told her I was Mimi and would be picking up Braden from school and before I got finished, she was asking me if I could come and read to the kids from time to time. She said that she loved to have grandparents involved in her classroom. I was surprised and immediately said I would enjoy being involved.

My mind instantly started to try to fit this in my already busy schedule. Then a calming spirit came over me and I started thinking that my heavenly Father was not only answering our prays for Braden that night but was also answering unsaid prayers for me also. God knew that I would missing spending time with Braden each and every day so He already arranged for me to not only spend time with him during his school year but to also have the opportunity to spend time with all his classmates. As Brandon put it I could have more grandchildren instantly.

I am looking forward to all that this new opportunity will open up to be able to show God's love to the children in this classroom. Still so thankful that God was looking far enough ahead to see that I would need this opportunity to fill my days during the school year. So thankful to have a heavenly Father that cares about who we care about and the things that we care about.

~Debbie~

Rely

Rely: Depend on with full trust or confidence.

Let me just say…this is exactly the response our God wants from us. To whole-heartedly 100% full-on rely and trust. Life is then not just livable it’s full of joy and peace.

This was most recently proven, once again I might add, on Monday…my son’s first day of Kindergarten. I knew that I would have to 1. Rely on His strength to keep my emotions in check (at least until I made it to the car) and 2. To trust that He would watch over my son. As the day progressed and my dependence on Him continued my heart was overflowing with comfort. Comfort from the fact that the little boy who has such a grip on my heart was in the unyielding grip of my Heavenly Father’s hand.

Over the course of my life and journey with Christ, my confidence continues to grow. He is so faithful and true and when given the opportunity will prove just that. Monday was just one of countless examples of His reliability in my life.

Ladies, take a moment now to meditate on and thank God for His presence in your life. It won’t take long for you to zero in on a situation where He proved Himself true. As you do, love on Him as He continues to love on you.

~Terica

Truth in Love

"Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ..." - Ephesians 4:15

If there is one lesson that God has been trying to teach me over the last season it is this one: to speak the truth in love. Many of you don't know me well enough to know how much I struggle with my interactions with other people. I am normally one of those sweep everything under the rug kind of people. You could say something that I have some MAJOR opinions about and still walk away from the conversation with no idea that I even disagreed with you, because I wouldn't say anything. Now, many of you are thinking, "Girly not voicing her opinions, I don't believe that for a second!" But its true. When we are talking about abstract things and theology and stuff like that I have no problem telling someone I disagree with them and exactly why, but when we are talking about real people and real situations I really struggle with speaking up and saying something even when the situation directly affects me.

But I have learned something here recently. That is that God knew exactly what he was doing when he put those two words together: Truth and Love. I have found that my instincts are to do one or the other but not both together. I often go with the all love approach and stay silent. I don't intervene with correction, "why go there? This is such a minor thing! No point in unnecessary drama over this!" I think to myself. But I have learned, recently, that when I do that, not only am I hurting the other person by not sharing with them my true feelings, but I am hurting myself. I have realized that the source of so much of my frustration is walking away from these situations with my own unresolved frustration. I am now all fired up, "Can you believe she did that?" or "Why in the world would he think that was a good idea!?" When I choose to not deal with people in truth, I tend to walk away with major frustration.

On the other hand, after many interactions like above, I get myself so frustrated by a particular issue that when I do deal with it I go with the all truth no love method and completely blow up. That does nobody any good as well. The other person is frustrated and angry, of course they are, they didn't even know that every time they talked about ________ that they were feeding the frustrated animal inside me. And I am upset and emotional.

But all of this could have been avoided. If I had spoken up about the little things that are tough to say when I had the opportunity and approached them with words of truth in love, I could have A) been a good friend (wife, daughter, coworker,etc) with a real, not fake relationship, B) walked away from the interaction with peace rather than frustration, and C) avoided a build-up of frustration that causes a blow up later.

For those of you that don't work in abstract, I will give you an example of this: A couple of weeks ago I was in the car with my mom riding home from a tennis match. My mom was venting about some frustration with my dad (her husband) that he seemingly ignored her serious feelings about a sensitive issue. She was very upset with him and just couldn't understand why he didn't act on her recommendations about the situation. I had a choice to make: I could smile and nod and escape the tough conversation, or I could speak up and tell her what I really thought about the situation in LOVE! I gently spoke words to help my mom realize that sometimes she overreacts to situations, and though she wasn't overreacting this time, it would be difficult for Dad to know that. You have no idea how hard it was for me to even lightly touch on the subject of someone else's flaws, especially my moms. But to my surprise, she took it so well: she immediately stated that she could understand that and it helped her to have some clarity on the situation. And when I got in my car to drive home I could just feel the weight of frustration lift off my shoulders. This conversation, that my mom probably doesn't even remember, was a huge personal win for me. I walked away with peace rather than being frustrated and rolling around in my head my true feelings about the situation.

Now Ladies, I am not promising that every time you attempt to speak the truth in love it will go perfectly for you, but I will promise that if you are carrying around a burden of frustration over your relationships with other people that there is a way to release that burden. I also want to say that the truth I am referring to here is your true feelings, not that every word and opinion we have in this life is THE TRUTH. I think that its important to realize that sometimes we are wrong, and that's sometimes even better because when we speak up in love we get to find out that there was no reason to be frustrated in the first place. In these times I am even more thankful that I spoke in LOVE because then I don't have to be embarrassed, I can just be thankful that I didn't carry around nonexistent frustration.

Ladies, I urge you to do some serious examining of your words. Its not fun to make these speech patterns become your 'default setting,' but it is so worth it when you get the peace on the other side!

~Laura

God's Glorious Creation

The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; Psalm 24:1

Last week at this time I was sitting on my sister's back patio enjoying dinner in Denver Colorado surrounded by the mountain air and my most wonderful family. Yes, the weather was so amazing we actually got to eat outside without sweating pouring off of our forehead and into our food. It was perfect!!!!

We thoroughly enjoyed our vacation, but more than anything I was reminded how glorious God's creation truly is and how often I take it for granted. The majestic mountains, the deep canyons, the colorful foliage, the rocky terrain, the flowing rivers, the cool weather, the fresh, mountain air, the smell of pine trees and rain, the grazing animals and most importantly the beauty of family.

As I sat back and took all of it in I kept thinking about a very simple, yet profound Bible verse. One we all know and the very first verse in the Bible. Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." How anyone could ever argue that there is no God is beyond me. Take a look around you and you will see how amazing God really is. He formed and shaped the entire world and everything in it with his hands in only a matter of six days. That's just unfathomable.

I hope you all take in the beauty of the Lord's creation today. Stop and take a few deep breaths. Enjoy your loved ones and tell them you love them. Realize the beauty and majesty of God. Meditate on Him today and thank Him for the incredible world around you. He has created all of this to bring glory to His name and Oh how lovely it is!

Who are you in Christ?

Who are you? I'm Debbie, daughter to my parents, wife to Lee, Mom to Brandon & Terica Natalie & Clint and Brent & Stacy, Mimi to Colton Braden and soon Nolan. I am business assitant in a dental office, children's pastor, homemaker. But who am I in Christ?

In Judges God appears to Gideon and I see Gideon's responses look so familar to me. Starting in Verse 11, "Then the angel of the Lord came and sat beneath the great tree at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash of the clan of Abiezer. Gideon son of Joash was threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites. 12 The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!” 13 “Sir,” Gideon replied, “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn’t they say, ‘The Lord brought us up out of Egypt’? But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites.” 14 Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!”15 “But Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!”16 The Lord said to him, “I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man.”

Gideon was hiding as he did his work from his enemies when God came to him. As Gideon cowarded from his enemies, God called him a mighty warrior. When Gideon said he was weak, God said to go in the strength you have. When Gideon saw himself as the least in the weakest clan, God spoke of a victory over his enemies. Needless to say eventually Gideon began to see himself through God's eyes and he became the mighty warrior that God first saw him as.

What about you? Are you hiding from your enemies(sometimes we are our worst enemy)? It is time we stand up and hear God's voice calling us His mighty warrior and go in the strength we have and realize that we are not alone. God is sending us and He will be with us as we face our enemies. God is simply looking for people He can work through and be glorifed through. As we step out and realize on our own we can do nothing, but realizing that through Christ all things are possible. When God says "go, I am with you" just get up and go and let God bring the victory.

I'm so glad that my distorted view of myself is not what God sees. He sees His creation, His mighty warrior, His chosen treasure. Lord help me see a glimpse of what you see in me and let me rise up and follow your plans for my life.

~Debbie~

Aha!

Have you ever had one of those “Aha” moments and then immediately following felt the weight of your revelation? This very thing happened to me while I was getting my nails done. As I sat across from the nail tech, she begins to open up about some very complex issues in her life. I’m listening intently and my heart is breaking for this petite woman whose circumstances weigh more than she does. As she is sharing these very real details of her life, I find myself wishing she knew how precious she is in my God’s eyes. How much He loves and desires her. That He fashioned her together. That these struggles she has were never meant to be faced alone. As my thoughts continue on they are abruptly halted with these simple words in my spirit…that is why you are here.

Aha! Of course! I desire so strongly for women to be set free from the hardships of this life that it is only fitting I meet Ann today. As the weight of my response lingered I asked the Lord to help me. What was I supposed to do? To say? My OCD kicks in and my mind begins completely overhauling my reaction to this overwhelming responsibility I now feel. Then…peace. I was simply told to open my mouth. Novel concept there, eh?

Ladies, you may never know the impact a few words guided by the Spirit could have on someone’s day let alone their eternity. The fear I momentarily felt is far better than the regret I could have carried letting that opportunity pass by. We are surrounded by people every day with problems that could put our issues to shame. They desperately need to know about the everlasting hope we have because of our God. We are not a part of an exclusive club but an all inclusive truth. Will you be God’s hands and feet? His voice to a world that is more eager to hear than we are willing to share.

My time with Ann is not over. You can bet I’ll be requesting her when I schedule my appointments and her name will be spoken in my prayers.

Now…go find your Ann.

~Terica

Immediate Obedience!

This is a perfectly timed word for me, Ladies. Priscilla Shirer is an up and coming women's speaker and writer that is so relevant its sometimes scary. As church staff, we often get asked where to find relevant women's teaching and studies. Well here is someone I can vouch for! Pick up any of her stuff! You won't be sorry! Enjoy!

~Laura

There Ain't No Shame In My Game

"For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.: Philippians 1:20-21.

I ♥ social media! Facebook, Twitter, Blogger and everything in between. It is all very intriguing to me for some reason. I actually look forward to finding out what people are up to throughout the day, where they might be going and what they are going to be doing next. Silly, I know, but as a stay at home mom this is the only contact I have with the outside world somedays.

As I was surfing the net the other day I came upon an article about a movie that was due to hit the theatres that upcoming weekend. They were promoting the hound out of this movie and I was already a little disgruntled about the subject matter of it. Then on top of that what the article was declaring infuriated me even more. So much so that I wanted to take it to my social media circle and proclaim my dislike for what I see becoming acceptable standards in the world today. But you know what? I didn't. I didn't because I was afraid I would offend someone or step on someone's toes. I had the perfect opportunity to use the social media to stand up for what I believe in and I didn't seize the moment.

Looking back at that moment now I am so disappointed in my lack of boldness to stand firm in my beliefs and what the Word of God clearly tells us is right and wrong. In my disappointment I remembered a quote I read on Twitter awhile back from one of my most favorite preachers ever, Steven Furtick. This quote is still teaching me a very powerful lesson. "Apparently it's en vogue to "apologize" for being a Christian. It's also pathetic. Never be ashamed to bear His name." I guess I fell into that catergory that day. Pathetic!!!

Standing up for what is right and turning your back on what is wrong is not always the easiest thing to do but it might be the most important thing you will ever do. Who knows? You may be the only light someone may see.

So today I make will make my own declaration & say to the world, "I proclaim HIS name, there ain't no shame in my game!" Will you join me?

~Kazia~

NewLife News

New Series This Weekend

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The Bible is much more than a book of stories and rules from the past. It's rich with a relevant message God has for us today.

Join us as we discover how to engage with the Bible like never before and how to apply it to our lives each and every day.

August 15, 22, and 29.


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Life Impact Summer Lunch Distribution

Every year The Community Storehouse provides a paper-box stocked with basic, child-friendly food items to about 150-155 families per month. This may be an entire month's worth of groceries to some of these families.

NewLife Fellowship has been given the opportunity to partner with the Community Storehouse to help distribute food boxes to families in need. Please join us on August 26th at 5:30-8:30 pm as we share God's love by pouring into the lives of those in need within our community.

To help with this LifeImpact serving opportunity please register by clicking HERE.