She Speaks!

Hello Bloggy Friends!

I know it seems that I have been silent of late, but it is not by choice! Real life sometimes has to take precedence over the written world (at least the blog!), and such has been my case!

I actually wrote quite a long post about a week ago, but had not saved it when my computer decided it didn't like working for me, and therefore shut down. Without the opportunity to save.

I was so frustrated I didn't even try to recreate what I had written. I tend to purge write. Once it is written, I am done. It seems I need to have a place for all of my thoughts, emotions and observations, and once they have been released I can't recreate them.

There is just something about writing that draws me. Not that I think I have it all figured out and want to impart my amazing wisdom, or that I want others to admire my shiny clean halo (which actually is quite dingy and hangs crooked half the time!:) of obedience,  but God does such amazing things in my life that I just have to share what he has done for me, an ordinary woman who has been made extraordinary in Christ! 

If you are like me and are drawn to share Christ with other women, through writing, speaking, or leading in your church's womens ministry, She Speaks is for you! 

To get more detailed info, follow this link to Lysa TerKeurst's blog.  

This conference is the ultimate tool to help you find focus and practical help to get your dreams off the ground and flying! I would love to win one of the scholarships offered because if God is calling me to communicate through writing, and I truly believe He is, then I want to do it in such a way as to truly glorify Him. This is the way to do it!

Once you have visited the links to She Speaks and Lysa Terkeurst, please consider entering the contest yourself! 

I did it!

I did it!

For those of you that don't know, I was asked to give a short devotion at tonight's Ladies Game Night for the women in my church.

For my thoughts on that read here.

This has been the biggest step outside of my comfort zone that I can imagine.

Over the last month I have struggled with self doubt, fear, and insecurites and I just have to tell you that GOD WAS THERE!

Every step, every thought, every doubt. God met me right where I was and waited with me until I was ready to take that next step.

I have grown in my relationship with God so much because of this. The month leading up to, and the five minutes of giving, Oh my heart sings! I hope and pray that something I said tonight will have touched someone, or made them see something in a different light, or just made them realize that they can trust God to take them where they don't have the strength to go alone.

I also have to say that there is nothing in the world like knowing that your girlfriends are lifting you up to God. I have been so encouraged and strengthened by my friends who have supported me, encouraged me, prodded me and lifted me up in prayer, and then made sure they were there to celebrate with me.

Who knows where God will call any of us? I do know that there is a plan and a purpose to everything He does, and I am excited to see what He calls me to next. I know it probably won't be easy, or comfortable, but I think I would rather it be that way, if this is the blessing that comes from it!

Perfect Picture/Perfect Plan

This was pretty much my devotion that I did for Ladies game night...Of course it changed since I ditched the complete notes and gave God room to work. I had to let go of my "perfect" devotion to allow God room to forward His plan.


We all dream of being perfect at something. A wife, a mother, a friend.

We strive for it and expect it and then when we fall short of the perfect mark, we feel disappointed in ourselves. When we set our goal as "perfect" and then miss the mark, first once, then again and again, we start to feel disappointed in our selves. That disappointment can lead to disilluionment, even bitterness.

What we need to remember is that by striving for "perfect" we miss God's perfect plan. He doesn't expect us to be perfect in any role in our life, but he does have a perfect plan. His plan may call for us to suceed, but it may be that us coming up short of the "perfect" mark is what is needed for us to be able to glorify Him.

It's scary letting go of that "perfect picture" and trusting God enough to follow wherever He leads. But I can promise that even falling short of the perfect mark, you take a huge step forward in trusting God.

We just need to remember to trust in God when he says that in our weakness His strength is made perfect.

2 Corinthians 9:8 says:

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."

God doesn't promise to give us our vision of a perfect picture, but He does promise to give us all we need, in abundance, and when we trust in THAT, we can trust in his perfect plan.

Abound

I have been asked to prepare and give a short devotion at our next ladies event.

Do-who?

Hello, I am the big mouth BEHIND the scenes...not the one in the spotlight. I am really not comfortable up there. It is so...up there. You know, IN FRONT of the scenes. NOT behind the scenes. Not anywhere CLOSE to behind the scenes.

So, I am following up this game where we all start a picture and then pass it around and everyone adds to it and then you get your picture back, but it is not really your picture. It is what you THOUGHT your picture would be, until you let go of it and let others contribute to it.

Kinda like me wanting to serve in Ladies ministry BEHIND the scenes and then they got ahold of my picture and now it is NOT behind the scenes, it is way way way up in front of the scenes.

I am pretty sure I have my topic and half my devotion right here. Yep. I sure didn't see THIS picture of me serving in Ladies ministry coming. Nope. Not what I had tried to draw at all.

Maybe it will end up better.

Maybe it will end up with me passed out up in front of them all because I tend to forget to breathe when I am IN FRONT of the scenes. Yep. I surly do. But you know what...

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work"

~ 2 Corinthians 9:8

Right there, God will give me all the grace I need so that I can abound in my good work.

I had to look up abound so I could really get the meaning of this verse. I think, after reading the definition of abound, that this could very well be my new favorite verse to show just how much God loves me and wants to help me.

Abound:

Verb:
1.
to occur or exist in great quantities or numbers
2.
to be rich or well supplied
3.
to be filled; teem

God's grace will occur or exist in great quantities in me... I will be rich or well supplied... I will be filled to teeming.

Can I do this? Oh yes Ma'am I can.