Weighing the Word: Reading Assignments Through May 28th

Week One Reading: John Chapter One.

Remember to read the entire chapter each day!

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If you would like to join us, click the picture icon (left), read the requirements and post a comment with your name and city or state to acknowledge you will be joining us on this weekly journey! Then dive on in.

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A few TIPS:

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1. Pray daily before your reading. Be sure to A) Confess any known sins, and B) ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and reveal to you anything He wants you to know, and C) Ask God to clarify anything that you had trouble understanding from the day before.

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2. When you read, look for the following:

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* Things that are repeated often.

* Make special note of anything you sense God is drawing to your attention. (Mark your Bible and/or Journal as you read)

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* Make note of any observations you have for the first time.

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* Anything that makes you laugh or strikes you as unusual. Things that makes you laugh, go HMM... or HUH?
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* Anything that helps you to identify and relate to Christ in a more meaningful way.

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* If a particular Scripture speaks specifically to something in your life. (THIS IS FREE: Write that Scripture on an index card and memorize it!)

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*Write down things that confuse or distract you. Write down Questions and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth.

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3. Keep a journal/paper and pen handy to keep track of your notes or to process what you read daily.

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4. Read from at least two or three translations of the chapter during the week. (If you don't have more than one copy, you can use http://www.biblegateway.com/ for your reading.) This will help to keep it fresh.

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5. Try to avoid making this a "religious exercise" and look at this as a "relationship exercise." Put away what you've been taught and already know and ask for fresh spiritual eyes to see the chapter anew. Do what works for you... speaks to you... This is about you relating to and getting to know God through His Word on a daily basis more than it is about keeping a set of standards or rules. Accountability is important, so if you get stuck or are struggling - join us for our weekly post and read through what others observed and share what you are struggling with so we can pray for you. Also, even if you are very familiar with a story - look for things you've never read, observed or noticed before.

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6. Check in and pray for those who are participating with us. And Most of ALL ENJOY IT!

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Read the entire Chapter
Daily for seven days:

April 1-7:
John Chapter One
(Post the 8th)

April 8-14:
John Chapter Two
(Post the 15th)

April 15-21:
John Chapter Three
(Post the 22nd)

April 22nd-28th:
John Chapter Four
(Post the 29th)

April 29-May 5:
John Chapter Five
(Post the 6th)

May 6-12:
John Chapter Six
(Post the 13th)

May 13-19:
John Chapter Seven
(Post the 20th)

May 20-27:
John Chapter Eight
(Post the 28th)

In Other Words: Wounded Souls, Broken Identities

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This week's "In Other Words" is being hosted by Esthermay at The Heart of a Pastor's Wife. Please stop by and see what others are saying "In Other Words."

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This Week's Quote:

“For most of this century we have wrongly defined soul wounds as psychological disorders and delegated their treatment to trained specialists.
Damaged psyches

aren’t the problem.

The problem is

disconnected souls. ”
by Larry Crabb

From ~ Connecting:

Healing Ourselves

and Our Relationships

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As a woman who lived out of a broken identity most of her life this quote resonated deep within my soul. My life was full of dysfunctional relationships, deep soul wounds and a broken identity. I barely ever looked in the mirror and liked the woman I found there. The tapes I rehearsed over and over again in my head were not only damaging - they were messages that were destined to self-destruct in 30 seconds or less each time I rehearsed them.
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My entire life was built and shaped around "just keepin' the monster down" as Beth Moore often puts it. Hiding who I believed I really was, the vile and awful creature who was capable of the worst, most heinous sins in every way. Oh, I tried to be better... I really did. The change just never took.
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."Used Up"

"problem child"

"harlot"

"unloveable"

"UGLY"

"unworthy"

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"she'll never change"

I was living out of a broken identity.

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What I have learned in the last couple of months is that our men live out of just as broken and just as damaged identities. God showed me how the men in my family, including my husband were driven by a root of pride. Not the puffed up, arrogant sort of pride that demands to be noticed. No... The sort of pride I saw in that ministry session was a pride born of self-protection. What I realized was that we, the women, were so rebellious that we stripped our men of their honor. The pride they held onto was a pride that said, "I must protect my position and my authority or I will not have any honor."

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Broken people, living out of broken identities in a fallen world. A recipe for disaster. Right?

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Add to this a performance and soul driven need to succeed, to be right rather than righteous and a society that says that if you make mistakes you can't be forgiven, you just need to be fixed. What does that leave us with? A MESSED UP LIFE. A MESSED UP PHILOSOPHY OF WHAT CHANGE LOOKS LIKE. A MESSED UP MIND.

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Then throw traditonal secular psychology into the mix and you begin to make excuses for bad behavior, force yourself to change on the outside when nothing really has ever changed on the inside... The cycle is perpetuated not broken. We don't know who we are, and instead are taught to hide who we really believe we are behind a mask of diagnoses, psuedo accomplishments, cute outfits, a good name, the right house, the right car, the right husband, the right church and a medicine cabinet full of escape. A Legacy of Delusion... We hand our broken and frail lives onto the next generation.

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My Question for Modern Phsychology has become: What's the point?
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Larry Crabb answers my question. He identifies the problem as an unattended wound in the human soul. For me it was a series of behaviors that manifested out of a belief system that said I was hopelessly bad and doomed to fail. Raised by an authoritative father and a jealous mother who were both living out of their own broken identities, my juevenile mind and heart received those messages about my cursed identity. It wasn't long before I began to live out self-fulfilling prophecies of brokeness, woundedness and failure.

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The truth is this: My bad behavior did not change until I realized Who my identity rests fully in. As I learned who Christ really is as well as what He really endured on my behalf something inside of me changed. I began to confess the truth of God's Word over my life for my life rather than the lies of the enemy. I take every thought captive to Christ. I allow that truth to transform me by renewing my mind - literally changing it - until I begin to feel differently about who I am and then act out of that new identity.

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In John 8 Christ tells his disciples to abide in His Word and if they abide in His Word, "You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free." (John 8:32)We were born to live free, not bound by chains and identities based on lies and a fallen existence. I don't know about you - but that, to me, feels like redemption.
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At my church home, Gateway Church, there is a ministry devoted to helping people discover who God has created them to be and to walk fully in that calling. This ministry is called "Freedom Ministry." Freedom Ministry is not about what you stop doing. It's not about what you get free or healed from. Instead, Freedom Ministry is about discovering who God created you to be and allowing Him to free us to live in that identity.

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The heart of Freedom Ministry is Jesus' own life verse:

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17The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him.

Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

18"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

because he has anointed me

to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

and recovery of sight for the blind,

to release the oppressed,

19to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." [Isaiah 61:1-2]
20Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him,
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Luke 4:17-20 (New International Version)
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Jesus ~ The King Who Sets Us Free!

That's My King!

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Please Visit Loni at Writing Canvas to find out more about this challenging and insight-filled Meme.

Calling All Followers

Are you a follower?
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Well, if you are - there may be a pit in your future... Unless you are following Jesus, of course! .

That is exactly what this post is about. I want to do something kind of fun, kind of cool and definitely a way to gain great insight and perspective from our Lord.

So my question now is are you game?
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Here are the guidelines for participation:
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1. Commit to 21 weeks of Bible Reading.
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2. Be willing to write a post each week about what you observe as you read.
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3. Be willing to post here and leave a link back to your post for others to read.
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4. A heart ready to discover new heights and depths of the reality and TRUTH that is our God!
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5. Advertise this opportunity on your blog by asking others join you in reading and sharing observations.
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6. OH! And I should add, you cannot use study aids such as Study Bible Notes, Bible Dictionaries or Lexicons, Commentaries, or other resources to help you gain understanding. The Holy Spirit will be our guide.
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7. Leave a comment on this post if you are able to join us for this fun and insightful opportunity.
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Leave you name and city or state in the comments of this post please... Our first reading assignment will come on Wednesday, April 1st. And that is not an April Fool's joke. Let's start this off right by choosing to do something exceptional and not be a fool, but grow in Wisdom and truth instead.

Here we go! Check it out.

And Then...

GOD! He showed up... Pink Impact was amazing! AMAZING!

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For the last few weeks, God has been revealing Himself to me as my Daddy, and me as His little girl. Oh my Daddy does love me. He does.

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Okay, so the first thing that I want to do is outline the amazing messages that were delivered Friday and Saturday:

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On Friday morning, Marilyn Hickey stepped on the platform and she shared the story of Ruth. Oh My Goodness! What an anointed word. She said that when faced with choices in life we can do one of two things:

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1. The Expected - the ordinary, the average... What the crowd would do. And then we get expected results. Even consequences.

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OR

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2. THE EXCEPTIONAL - A choice of faith, a choice that may involve risk and may cause people to question our judgment. But, this kind of decision requires us to believe God even when we don't know what He is up to... To move in His direction even when it means we don't know where we are going and to do what He requires even when it is hard, it hurts and it doesn't make any sense at all. The result of making exceptional decisions as Dr. Hickey shared is that GOD does EXTRAORDINARY things with our EXCEPTIONAL decisions. Oh Yes. Now that is where I want to live. Favor, Blessing, and Grace... I want to experience the exceptional response of God in my life and my circumstances. We must be EXCEPTIONAL PEOPLE because we serve an EXTRAORDINARY GOD.

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A few QUOTES from this session:

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* "One Word from the Lord can change your life forever."

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* "God thinks you can do anything."

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* "Ruth is the 8th book of the Bible. Eight is the number of new beginnings."

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* "Stay in faith." (God can work miracles out of our biggest mistakes.)

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* "God loves stupid people." (Okay, this may have been my favorite quote)

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* "Expected is what the world does. Exceptional is what faith does."

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* "Walking in faith brings favor. Walking in faith is something you do even when you don't feel it."

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* "How to get a husband: Ruth 3:3. Take a bath, get a new dress, anoint yourself (aka "put on some perfume"), and then go lay at his feet and pull his robe over you."

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* "You can't do the expected and expect God to do the EXTRAORDINARY."

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* "REPENT and CLEAN UP."

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* "Don't let the world tell you what you can't do let God tell you what you will do."

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OKAY... Did you get all that? Read the book of Ruth and look for how Naomi and Elimelech as well as their sons made expected decisions and what resulted. Then note how Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz made EXCEPTIONAL decisions and what happened that was extraordinary. You can also consider how Ruth and Boaz had Obed, who fathered Jesse who fathered David and from David the line of Jesus was brought forth. Boaz was also the son of RAHAB. Okay... Read Matthew 1:1 and consider that Boaz was the "Kinsman Redeemer." When he took Ruth as his wife, he had to buy the property that would have belonged to her husband and give the child he had with her the name of her deceased husband. But, in Matthew 1:1 we learn that God had other plans for Boaz. Oh Yes He did. God did the Extraordinary because Boaz chose to do the exceptional.

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IN the afternoon on Friday, Dr. Hickey shared about Abigail, Nabal and David (1 Samuel 26). She started out by reminding us that every person is in a season. She stated, "God has a purpose and power in this season for me." 1 Corinthians 4:20.

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Dr. Hickey pointed out that Nabal was just "big mouth ugly." But, his wife, Abigail, was a sensitive, honorable wife who covered for her husband.

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She recounted the way David sent word to Nabal requesting to be invited to the feast Nabal was throwing. Nabal's refusal incensed David and our "heart like His" hero vows to kill Nabal's entire household in retaliation. But, word reaches dear Abigail that David is planning to put an end to Nabal and his household. She prepares a huge feast and she takes it to David acknowledging that her husband's decision was inconsiderate and to make amends on behalf of Nabal.

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When Abigail returns home, Nabal is pretty well passed out drunk. She doesn't tell him what she has done until the next morning. Nabal's rage is so great he dies. WHAT?

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He pretty much gave himself a coronary. Abigail's decision was honorable, her husband's response was not. His continual abhorent behavior cost him his life. But, for Abigail, she gained favor in David's sight and was taken back as David's wife. Dr. Hickey noted that Abigail was beautiful to David. Her tender heart toward her overbearing husband and her obedient behavior toward God shown brightly to David and won his favor and his heart.

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A few of my favorite quotes from this message:

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* "There's no reason to look or act like a slop bucket at any age."

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* "The man (Nabal) with his decisions brought himself to the attention of the Lord for a short life span."

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* "God rewards us when we act in obedience in the season."

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* "We don't know the kind of harvest we will reap if we sow in obedience in this season."

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* "PURPOSE, POWER, REWARDS."

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* "The game is not over 'til you win."

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AND THEN... Dr. Hickey asked the A/V team to run a video and the power went out! No kidding - the whole building went dark.

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Our Women's Pastor, Debbie Morris, then took the stage and called us to pray, and Dr. Hickey asked us to hold hands. We did so. The words began to go up as we all prayed our hearts out. And then... someone across the room lifted their voice, "You are holy, holy are you Lord God almighty. Worthy is the Lamb, Worthy is the Lamb..."

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We sang that chorus for about ten minutes. When we began singing the chorus the second time the video and lighting equipment began to hum and the power lights began to flicker on. One of the spots had the word "HOT" written in the power reading window. The monitor facing the stage had a small blip dancing across the screen and little green and yellow lights were simply glowing all around the ceiling of the sanctuary.

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We closed out the session with presbytery and then recessed until evening. As I drove home I began to weigh something God had impressed upon my heart as we prayed, interceding for the conference in the last month. He showed me the Aurora Bourealis lights and this pressed me to study the cause of these lights.

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What I learned was that the magnetic quality of the North and South poles draw electronically charged particles up toward them and as the particles rise into the upper atmosphere they create the beautiful array of lights that are known as the Aurora Bourealis or the Northern Lights. These lights dance across the night sky in the northern most regions of Canada, Alaska and other parts of our world. As I was reading I also learned that scientist had known the source of the light but never quite knew what it was that caused these lights to dance in the sky. But, recently scientist have discovered a "magnetic tail" that whips out from the poles into the outer atmosphere of earth which causes the lights to dance in the sky.

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As I am reading this I hear, "Sit in the back and watch the atmosphere change and the Light(s) dance." I really felt God was going to do something very specific and it would bring a radical change to the atmosphere of the conference and involve light somehow.

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I am in awe as I return home and ready myself for the evening events. Of course, we were still praying for the power to come back up fully, but in all I had no anxiety or regret that things changed so dramatically. God was up to something, and I, for one, could not wait to see how it worked out.

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My youngest daughter and I returned that evening for the Friday night session. I met up with my fellow intercessors and received the instructions for the evening. We could all feel the "powering up" in the room. I even said at one point that I believed God had to shut the power off to the building so He could turn up the Holy Spirit power for the conference.

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There was only enough power to the building to light and power the sanctuary and they had the coffee bar up and running. But, the rest of the building was lit by candlelight - did you get that... CANDLELIGHT. We entered the sanctuary and got our seats. Then worship began.

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Kari Jobe took the stage and introduced "PINK Unplugged." An acoustic style session of worship where she and one other worship leader sang while the drummer played the hand drums. Half way through this incredible time of worship, I sensed the presence of God so strongly I began to tremble and my legs felt weak. I knelt down trembling on my hands and knees on the floor. I could only weep and sing before the Lord in awe of His presence.

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Suddenly, as I was singing a verse of Scripture God had given me to pray the day before came to my mind. Daniel 9:19. "O Lord hear! O Lord forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name." (NKJV) [I officially did not know the address. I had heard a pastor speaking about this verse from Daniel 9 and it resonated as something I needed to be praying for PINK.]

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I opened my Bible to Daniel 9, but I began to read in Chapter 10. I could not find the exact phrase I had heard on the radio that day, but I landed on verses 10-13 and heard God speak these verses to me: "Suddenly a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands. And he said to me, 'O [Michelle, woman] greatly beloved understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.' While he was speaking to me, I stood trembling. [AND] Then he said to me, 'Do not be afraid, [Michelle], for from the first day you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard and I have come in response to your words.'"

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So I stood up trembling in the revelation and presence of God. He was there - His presence thick and palpable. His love so sweet among us as our voices were lifted up to heaven. He was among us and we were basking in His glory.

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After worship, Pastor Robert Morris, our beloved pastor at Gateway, took the platform and delivered a message on John 9. He covered the entire chapter highlighting the ways that our response to God's activity in our lives can prevent us from having an "And Then..." moment.

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Here are Seven "Blockages" to "And Then" moments:

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1. Blame (John 9:1-5) The disciples' question Jesus about the cause of a man born blind. Because they were more focused on the "how" to the man being born blind rather than the "who" the man born blind was... They missed a great opportunity to have an "And Then..." Moment. They wanted to know who was wrong, not how God was going to take care of the man who was afflicted. BEST QUOTE: If you always need to assign blame to something or someone, you have an issue with pride. (Even if you are always blaming yourself.) If you are always looking to assign blame you will miss your "And then" moments with God.

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2. Disobedience (John 9:6) What if the man who was blind had not received Jesus' instructions when he placed the mud on his eyes? QUOTE QUESTION: What's the last thing God told you to do? Have you done it?

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3. Religion (John 9:13) Jesus healed on the Sabbath. The Pharisees were more concerned with the keeping of a religious law than the physical condition of the man who had been healed. One of the things I got here was this: "My ideas and traditions that I use to define any spiritual activity that engages God in relationship is religion." QUOTE: Religion refuses to see. (John 9:15)

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4. Unbelief (John 9:18) Unbelief always demands evidence. He stated that sometimes our need to know... to dot every "i" and cross every "t" and receive explanation and understanding will keep us from accepting the miracles God brings into our lives. He quoted Acts 26:8 "Why should it be though by you that it is incredible God raises the dead?" QUOTE; Why can't I accept a miracle?

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5. Fear (John 9:22) Fear wills top you from having your "And Then" moment. Fear is an expression that lacks faith. We are commended to step out when God speaks to us. QUOTE: Our great testimonies are often born out of our greatest tests.

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6. A Hard Heart (John 9:28) When we question God's miracles --- calling what God does evil, we are really refusing to believe and receive from God. He quoted "Hope Deferred Makes the Heart Sick." The Pharisees were so hardened by their own opinions and traditions that they couldn't see God when He was standing right in front of them. QUOTE: A hard heart can happen slowly or over time a little niggling away at your faith through testing and trials, or it can come suddenly through tragedy. (In tragedy if we find ourselves blaming God, we are walking into a trap of the enemy. "Satan always questions and blames God.")

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7. Pride (John 9:35) Jesus was telling the Pharisees here - if you would just recognize and admit that you need me, I'd remove your sin. But, since you do what you do without need of me, your sin remains on you. They had unteachable hearts. (John 9:38 was the And Then moment.)

ANYTHING CAN BE USED BY GOD TO PRODUCE AN "AND THEN" MOMENT! Look for them.

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Oh, and when we walked out into the hall after the service... The Atmosphere had totally changed. There were candles lighting the way to the fellowship area where desserts were being served and friends were gathering together. The mood had gone from festive to intimate in a matter of 24 hours. Before the conference began God told me to watch for a "Light Show" and for "the Atmosphere" to change. WOW!

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Are you worn out? I am... I will share the final part of this story a little later. Be Blessed sweet friends... Be Blessed!

P. S. On Second Thought...

I have elected to only state the obvious. Our Democratic led Legislative Branch of the government is a RUNAWAY JURY at this point. They slipped off the far edge of reason and are now selling us to the highest bidder... Look out world, Here We Come. Now. All of that said... Perhaps the Liberal minded will not be able to vote on pressing issues since their arms will be in casts from working so hard to pat themselves on the back for WHAT?

It's all I have to say... Kangaroo Court. Anyone see Captain Kangaroo lately?

Pink Impact... Let the Pinking Begin!

At Gateway Church we are redefining Pink! Women of Gateway are reclaiming their femininity and walking in our calling as the women God has called us to be. This year PINK IMPACT is all about our "AND THEN..." Moments.
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Tonight we heard a practical, necessary and quite humorous message from Holly Wagner. Holly and her husband co-pastor the Oasis Christian Center in Los Angeles, CA. She is amazingly funny and fabulously relational. I loved her instantly and laughed my fool head off. (Not really, still have head in tack, though my neck often feels like a toothpick... Maybe I should see the doctor. Or, someone could let all this hot air out of my head!)Here's you a little sample of Holly for yourself:

Holly called us as women to take our position as Adult Daughters of the King. She further defined this role in this way: As a young daughter of the King, we go to our Daddy and say I need, and He meets our need because He loves us. But as His adult daughters we go to Him and say, Father, What would You have me do for You today? (Resonating? ANYBODY? ANYBODY?)
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She went on to talk about how sometimes this role as an adult daughter of the King requires us to fight. She said some battles we choose, and others choose us. Either way the key to taking our place in our Father's plan and purpose for this time and season in History is to do two things:
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1. Make a decision to rise. She said God really first spoke this to her through Proverbs 31:15... She then said after she read it she stapled that chapter of her Bible shut. She said... UH-UH. I do my best sleeping at night. But later, God required her to go back and study it so she had to take the staples out. But, anyway. She said that when the struggles and the crises come that its okay for us to be devestated, emotional and even a little caught off guard, AND THEN... (are you listening for it...) Then we make a decision to rise... rise in your marriage and fight for your marriage - not against your spouse (How many of us would have a better marriage if we figured this out?)Rise in your parenting to overcome what is hard... Rise to overcome the tragedy you are facing - the death of a loved one, loss of job, divorce, poverty... What are you willing to fight for?
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She said you have to learn to fall down and get back up right away! Rise up even when you don't want to...
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2. Recognize you are a part of His team. You are not alone. Each one of us is gifted and talented in different ways, and when we value our differences rather than criticize or envy them... We find ourselves in the unique position of working side by side to fulfill the purposes of God. We should do our own job, not seek to do someone else's. We must learn to understand, value and encourage one another and our differences. She said, quite frankly... I DON'T NEED WHAT YOU HAVE! Use what God has given YOU! Do what He sent you here to DO! She also said, if you get off track... well consider this. God has given us a specific purpose and journey to walk out. And if we stay on track the goal is to get to heaven and hear Jesus say, Well Done. But, if we get off doing the path we think we want to run in our lives... What if when we get to heaven God says, "What are you doing here?" What are you doing here? Ever ask yourself that question? Learn to appreciate your specific servant assignment. You've got one.

We should also remember that we are not called to make people over into our image. God made each of us just how He wanted us to be. Just Do It. (I know that's a Nike slogan... but it is so this message.) The goal is a Kingdom Culture where every part of the body is dependent on the other parts of the body to accomplish the purpose God has called forth the church of this era to complete. Differences make us interesting and stronger. Let's learn to value our differences.
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Holly Wagner heads up a terrific ministry called GOD CHICKS. Check her out and get more info HERE. I'll be Blogging More Pink tomorrow. Can't wait. Dr. Marilyn Hickey is speaking two session tomorrow. WHOO HOOO!
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Speaking of Dr. Hickey... I need to google her and find out where she ministers globally... I got a Pink Survey to finish filling out so I can win an I-Pod Touch. Oh, I want one! Yes, I do.
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YOU CAN WATCH PINK IMPACT at www.gatewaypeople.tv... Tomorrow's session times are 10 AM, 1:30 PM with Marilyn Hickey and 7 PM with Robert Morris at the NRH Campus. That's where I will be. I believe Holly Wagner will be delivering her messages at the Southlake Campus tomorrow. You can watch either.... Check it out. Be Blessed. STOP.

I Respectfully Disagree...

I'm really in a huge battle these days... I either watch the news and find myself shaking my head, or I don't and remain uninformed.

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WHY?

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Because before the election God asked me if I would respect the office of President of the United States whether I agreed with the man who held the office or not. I could do nothing but comply.

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I'm going to admit something here. I do respect the time, the courage and the extreme pressure that rests upon this President to get it right in a very troubling time. As I recall, it was the same pressure on the previous administration in the wake of 9/11 and it AGED the 43rd President in his eight years as I never thought possible. However, I cannot and will not voice agreement with morally and socially as well as legally and fiscally irresponsible choices and policies.

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Today I ask this question:

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* Is this a President standing for change I CAN BELIEVE IN?

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.No. He is not. He is not a President resetting the moral standard and compass in this nation by his own example. He is on a popularity tour. Laughing at the expense, to the tune of Billions and Trillions of dollars, of tax payers across this country. Tax dollars that you and I are forced to give this government by law. I respectfully disagree with his position on people he has nominated to his administration - who by their own admission failed to pay tens of thousands of dollars in taxes and were treated without consequence, even rewarded for such behavior. These are the very people assigned the responsibility of managing the recovery of our nation's economy.

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NO. He is not. He is not a President who is placing the safety and security of this nation above his politics and the liberal national agenda. HE is not. The change he is initiating regarding protection of our borders and the war on "man-caused disasters" (The New Homeland Security Secretary's take on what 9/11 is... She told the German version of Time Magazine this very thing. I heard the sound bite on Richard Land's radio program.)

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NO. He is not. His role in denying thousands of individuals their constitutional right not to violate their moral and religious beliefs by abstaining from being required to perform abortions devalues both our First Amendment rights and the sanctity of human life in one fell swoop. This President says we have a MORAL obligation to reform health care and provide the same socialized, dysfunctional medical care that people from other nations flock to our country to escape, but does not feel we have a MORAL obligation to prevent the senseless genicide known as abortion. This is not change I can believe in.

NO. He is not. Is anyone going to complain about the time he is not spending in the White House? They didn't do it about Mr. William Jefferson Clinton, but did so about Mr. George W. Bush... Is the same double standard going to apply for our media junket President?

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I'm afraid that while I honor the fact that he has taken on by choice the most stressful as well as powerful position in this country at such a young age. I will not and cannot agree with the decisions he has made and the budget his administration is proposing that will ultimately bankrupt this nation and leave our children destined to be enslaved to others nations. I am disappointed, Mr. President. You have not changed one thing you promised. You have changed many things, but the standard is not better - it is far worse today than it was six months ago.

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And, that is just about the Executive Branch. Tomorrow I will write more about the RUNAWAY CONGRESS/SENATE that is holding "Kangaroo Court" in our nation's capital. Liberal America, you may be getting some of what you want but truthfully what you want will destroy this nation at the core of its being. We've been trending this way for years and the recent elections have put us on the downslide of a very slippery slope. Please pray for our nation, our President, our Congress and Senate and every person in this nation. PLEASE PRAY.

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Tuesday's In Other Words: His Comfort For Us

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“To ease another’s heartache is to forget one’s own. ”

~Abraham Lincoln~

What does this look like in your life?
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Has someone been there for you? Stepped up and stood up in your hour of need. I have been on the receiving and the giving end of this noble pursuit. Today, one occasion stands out more clearly for me than any other.

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It was during our church's annual "First" Conference. A series of messages offered over the first four days of the first week of the new year. In 2008, I attended the conference with great expectation. Gospel Bill was closing out the services on Wednesday night. Though I had never heard him speak before, my friend, Mary, said he is a precious man of God with a heart to reach children with the Gospel of Christ.

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The message was wonderful. A time of prayer and ministry for healing was offered. I received on many levels. As I walked out into the hall with the handful of friends I had been sitting with, the women began to talk about a two year old girl who had fallen into her family's pool that afternoon. The family was among the members of Gateway Church. The story just grabbed hold of my heart.

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Here, I must confess that I often do not watch the news and miss many stories just like this one because I become overwhelmed and consumed by it. Perhaps that is why I overheard this information that evening.

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Over the next couple of days reports of the accident as well as the precious last hours of this little girl's life began to filter out. The memorial service plans were announced. I decided to attend. I did not want to be noticed or necessarily even to speak a word to this couple. All I wanted was to find a place in the back of the room to sit and pray through the service. My friend in grief, Mary, went with me to the service and shared a Scripture at the end when they asked for words of encouragement and prayer.

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I, as Mary later said, was uncharacteristically silent. Praying.

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During the service this precious couple worshipped before their beautiful daughter's casket and praised the Lord with arms lifted high. They stood and spoke, and for the first time I understood what that day in my own life must have looked like to those who attended my son's funeral.

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The mother, who had been home at the time of the drowning and pulled her child's lifeless body from the pool shared these words: "We believe to whom much is given, much is required. So it is with this. With great suffering comes a greater responsibility to minister to others." They also acknowledged that the day of the service was not a Funeral or a Memorial. The service was being held on the child's second birthday. It was a celebratioin of her life. So beautifully expressed in the hearts of this family.

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Over the next few months I sent a few cards to this family. I prayed for them often. We attended the same service at church. When I would catch sight of them I would always pray. As spring rolled in I realized that God really wanted me to lead a group for grief recovery specifically for grieving moms. I prayed ardently for the group. Met with leaders and opened His Word beginning to prepare a curriculum that would bring final healing and recovery to my own aching heart before ministering to others who hurt in similar ways. But, more assuredly, I began to pray for God to bring women who were hurting and desiring healing to the class.

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All of this preparation could not have given me a clue what God would do in the lives of the women who attended or my own life that fateful year. But, here is what I know has happened. On August 23, 2008, I received Isaiah 60:20 and God sealed the healing of my grief in my heart on the third anniversary of my son's death.

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The first to commit her attendance to the class has seen improvement in her grief, recovery and hope have been given to her immeasurably in her journey both through my class and before we got there. She has also begun to pursue starting a similar class in her own church. Healing and Equipping.

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The woman who spoke at her own daughter's funeral a little more than a year ago also came. I spoke to her shortly after the first of the year and she shared that she received confirmation of her own grief recovery the week of the anniversary of her child's death. She gave birth to her sixth child in February, and that little baby is such redemption. HOPE for the future.

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The third woman who came to our class saw her relationship with her husband being restored and left equipped to walk through her grief journey toward healing. I spoke to her this past week by phone and she shared she has been manning the prayer lines at a local Christian television station where many times she has prayed with couples who report they have recently experienced the loss of a child. She said on our last occasion to meet for the class that her greatest desire was to help those who are hurting after the loss of a child. Restoration and comfort.
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It has been an amazing journey of mercy, grace, beauty and healing. It blesses me so...

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I look forward to more semesters and future opportunities to walk with those who are traveling the road that I've been on for a little better than three years now. To speak hope to their pain, to cry with them in their agony and to hold fast to God in prayer when I know the suffering is more than they can bear. God is so faithful and He brings forth such beauty from such tragedy.

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Yesterday, my family and I learned of yet another family who is missing their beloved child. This post is dedicated to the memory of Michael Wayne Hogan II of Newark, TX who died in an automobile accident earlier this month. My eldest daughter was great friends with his sister during her middle and early high school years. This family has been special to us and their burden is now great. I pray the Lord will give us opportunity to share the journey with them as we have done with many others since Justin went home. Today, he has another friend in heaven and they are cheering for us from their places there. Glory, fall on us today.

Our Lord makes all things new. If you are hurting in any way today, please know that right this minute you are being prayed for by someone whose heart aches in tune with sorrow specifically for you. I'm praying for you as well. May His mercy, His comfort and His peace fall on you today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. 6 Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. 7 And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation.
2 Corinthians 1:3-7 (NKJV)

Susan at Forever His is hosting IN OTHER WORDS this week. Stop on by and read more or what others are saying "IN OTHER WORDS" and be blessed. To learn more about this challenging and insightful writing meme click the picture link below and visit LONI and have a blessed week.

WOMEN! Part One

A few of the sweet ladies of CTBC that I worked with daily and decorated the

church with on an annual basis.

Our last Christmas party. Look at these beautiful women. I still

can hardly believe they trusted me with the privilege of leading them

to the Throne of Grace.

One night at Bible Study...
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These pictures are of the dear women I served with, learned from, led in ministry and still love after servign them for four years at Chisholm Trail Baptist Church. Truthfully, Chisholm was classic small town church in some ways --- and PHENOMENALLY different in others. These women are one of the ways it was different.

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At Chisholm, the church was made up of the standard 20-30% of people who always volunteered, always showed up and always gave of themselves, their time and their resources for the church and the furtherment of God's Kingdom. But, what marked this church as remarkably phenomenal was and is its heart to help people who have no relationship with God at all to find, believe in, grow in, serve in, love one another in, and become passionate about! The unchurched, the "fire insurance" brand of Christian, the lost and lonely prodigal and the chronic pit dweller are welcomed with open arms and loved unconditionally.

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We found this little church in September, 2000. We were drawn their by the awesome After School Program that was hosted by the church and directed by the Pastor's Wife, Claudia. I worked in the elementary school where the program was hosted, and my girls became regular weekly attenders there when I had after school acitivies for my job or the PTA.

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Before long, those little girls were dying to go to "Bibleville" after M.A.S.H. on the church van. But, being the sound, Biblical mother that I am. I replied, "Not until I visit that church and see what they're about. Just because it says church on the outside - doesn't mean there is church going on on the inside."

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OH MY GOODNESS. I was so "baby" in Christian terms, I really thought the only reason I should go was because my husband and my children had never met Jesus. BOY, did God have other plans for me.

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We walked through those doors that fall about 20 minutes early for the church service and about in the middle of the adult Sunday school. By the way, did I mention that the church met in two locations! Not bad for a small rural church. The children were shuttled up to a small old church building off the main drag through town for Sunday School while the adults met for the early services at the "High Tech Modular Building" on the new 5 acre church site that would soon house a "state of the art" worship facility.

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That church is there, and has a $1,000,000 Family Life Center sitting behind. A miracle I had the privilege of witnessing and praying through.

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At Chisholm, my family met Jesus through its people. We were welcomed with warm hugs, loving people and eventually we found out most of them were just like us. Broken, hurting and riddled with difficulties, struggles and needs. By January 2001, my husband and my two oldest children had accepted Christ as their personal Savior. We were early to church on both Wednesdays and Sundays. The Pastor was once heard to say that we beat him to the church every week. We began to grow and that is when our choices and the enemy's plans took us to the desert. I'm pretty sure the Holy Spirit was directing from the arm's length we held Him, but alas, the desert it was. We went to live with my parents for a year. During one of the most tragic and difficult times in this nation's history we were living with family and commuting back and forth to work every single day.

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My husband, new in his relationship with God, gave up taking us to church quickly. But, a year later we had a chance encounter with the sweet Pastor of Chisholm Trail Baptist Church who said these words to us: "Every day since you left we have been praying for you to come back."

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The next week my husband said, "We're going to church."

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That first day back the Pastor asked, "What do we have to do to get you back permanent?"

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"We need a house that we can all live in."

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Three months later we were back. Renting a early 1900s BRIGHT BLUE (Bear in the Big Blue House Blue) house that had belonged to one of the most beloved, deceased member's family. We had a home.

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This church loved us that first year back into the family and our hearts began to grow deeper and more in tune with God and His work amongst us. My husband and I began to volunteer in youth ministry and our children began to thrive. We were finally where we belonged.

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In the summer of 2003, I discovered Beth Moore's in-depth Bible studies. I thought my head and my heart might explode from all the goodness I found there. For some twelve weeks that summer, I sat in my "office" with my Pastor's wife and we became intimately acquainted with the life of the apostle John and the Jesus he grew to love so deeply and write about so passionately. I fell full on into the embrace of the love of God. "Beloved Disciple."

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At the end of that summer, I was invited to come to the church to co-facilitate Bible study with the women there. That first session of study, God gave us eight women. And if I recall correctly, one of them was not a member of our church. We walked through the pages of Scripture beside "Jesus, the One and Only." We learned about His family, His mother, His life and His ministry. I began for the first time in my life to personally identify with and relate to my Lord and Savior. My heart and head were so full. My heart was actually catching up with my head. That Christmas we spent a great time fellowshipping and sharing a meal over the Christmas story and a gift exchange. The handful of women who attended were a blessing and I was so anxious to see what God would do next among us.

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The following spring we did so many things I can barely recount them. We dove into the life of David in "A Heart Like His." To my delight we had twelve women on the roster. It was during this study that I learned that my calling was to women, not youth. I was terrified. At not even 35 years of age and with a couple of seasons of good solid Bible study under my belt, I was facing the potential to become the women's minister at my church. WHAT?

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I invited the women to accompany on a trip to San Antonio for the National Women of Faith Conference over Spring Break and you'll never believe... eight Women made the trip.

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We had a blast. Those eight ladies came back dog tired and fellowshipped and fed. We were officially heart sisters. Oh The Lord is so good. We left under a cloud of uncertainty about that $1,000,000 we had been praying for together. The money that built the Family Life Center.
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Upon our return we learned that Pastor was going to pick up a check from the generous benefactor who had offered to help build the Family Life Center. There was great rejoicing in our hearts. And we learned the power of prayer to be sure.

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We finished out the spring study with "When Godly People Do Ungodly Things." This study, as I have previously written was the start of something revolutionary in my life. My heart began to change in those days of digging around in God's Word about the assaults and schemes of the enemy against the godly and how to stand and fight in the attack. I saw myself and my role on the front lines of Spiritual Warfare pounding a rhythm in my cadence that God's heart beats to in my life still.

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I spoke that year at the Mother-Daughter Banquet when our speaker backed out at the last minute. My ability to teach and draw practical application from Scripture surfaced that day. God used that half hour to teach me and my friends something about Beauty Inside and Out.
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That summer was a fabulous time. We began planning and looking to host a women's conference at our church. It worked out to be a one day conference of "Life in the Spirit." The women of my little Bible study group rallied around the vision for this event and we hosted 40 women as the Lord came down and ministered through eight breakout sessions on the nine qualities of the fruit of the Spirit and one very gifted speaker who used her artistic abilities and the gift of teaching to illustrate the way spiritual growth releases the flow of the Holy Spirit in our lives. I was stunned and amazed and my heart to create first class experiences for the women of our church was born.

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We journeyed through the study, "Believing God" that fall and traveled back to San Antonio for the Lifeway Women's Conference. We heard Beth Moore and Jennifer Rothschild along with Mary Kaissian that weekend. And I learned to value the hearts, the growth and the differences that I shared with my sisters in Christ. A few week's later we had a fabulous Crock Pot Christmas Party.

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By the end of the Holiday season we were ready to step into "Living Beyond Yourself." And my family stepped into 2005 to face by far the most difficult and tragic time of our lives. I felt like I might have to step away from ministry as my son's problems not only surfaced but came to a rolling boil. His choices and dysfunction was threatening to undo me. I prayed hard and often. Eventually, I realized I had to trust God and move forward until God showed me different. Oh, and we did.

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I hosted a vision casting luncheon that spring. I also developed a much needed ministry plan for our ladies. Back door ministry opportunities require some time to catch up. I called myself the "Women's Ministry Administrator" because I felt surely inadequate calling myself a minister.

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I had an opportunity to interview some dynamic speakers as we began planning the fall conference again. I was excited about the speaker potential and the women God was raising up as leaders in our group. I invited the ladies to join me in the ministry. My heart longed to see them own it, and God had arranged for just that opportunity.

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They stepped up. By this time we had some twenty or so women attending on a weekly basis. It blessed my socks off to watch these women come into their own in Bible study. I could hardly believe what was happening. These women, a handful of them much senior to me in years, deferred to me and came to me for help, for counsel and for understanding. I barely knew what to do. I had to lean into God then and trust His Word to me. What did He say? Sometimes the maturity I'm looking for is Spiritual and not physical.

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A few week's before Justin's accident we began a study of "The Patriarchs." I remember those first couple of days after the accident that one of my friends and fellow Bible sojourners came in and said, "Get together all the stuff I'll need and I'll open the building and set things up for the meetings. Claudia and I will take care of things until you can come back."

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They did. Not only that, they showed up in droves with food every day at the hospital to pray with and for us and to just cry with me when I needed it. These women served faithfully at the funeral service and stopped by daily. They sent cards and flowers and they even gave me the much needed space that I was seeking in my grief. I returned to Bible study near November and don't quite remember what the Christmas party that year looked like. We worked our party into the Bible study sessions and used it as an opportunity to invite women who were not attending regularly and give them a taste of our Bible study along with a gift exchange and some fun, food and fellowship. The hallmark of our ministry. Facts, Food, and Fun.

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The last few studies we did were during the season when God changed my heart and began the process of moving us to Gateway. "Breaking Free" and "Daniel: Words of Prophecy, Lives of Integrity" covered three semesters of study. We finished up by studying the "Loving Well" retreat study over the last few weeks of spring 2007. We introduced worship to our weekly Bible study and took some time to unwind and just love each other well. That summer, God moved us to Gateway. I recently had the opportunity to visit their Bible study group, now under the leadership of the Pastor's wife. I was blessed to see nearly twenty women in attendance, and there were several absent. They were full on studying Esther and soaking up every word. The Glory of it all... God moved me into a knew arena of women and God moved them into a whole new arena of relationship and growth under new/old leadership.

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Women. I was scared to death to lead them, terrified to speak in front of them and blessed beyond measure when God introduced me to them and ramped up the qualities in me that I woudl need to learn how to serve them in His presence. He is so very good. I thank God for the women in my life.
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