Thank you!

Thank you to all who participated in February's Essence Event. It was a wonderful night of worship, fellowship, and encouragement. We had a great turn out, about 60 women of all ages and backgrounds. Our next Essence event will be in early summer. Be sure to make plans to attend and bring your friends!

Thank you to Melissa Elliott for leading worship. Thank you to Carrie Johnson for her powerful testimony. Thank you to Kristi Clark for the beautiful decorations. Thank you to Christie Noone for the coffee and snacks. Thank you to Marci Blasi for taking care of our children. Thank you to the entire events team who put everything together so beautifully! What a wonderful night!!!

Essence event coming soon!

Essence is coming! Make plans to join us on Thursday evening, February 28th, at 7 PM in the Connection Cafe. This event will have something for everyone - worship, encouragement, an acoustic mini-concert, coffee, fellowship......and so much more. Our topic - "Finding Fulfillment in Christ." You won't want to miss it!

Worship

I was thinking about worship last night. I look forward to going to church every Sunday. I mean really…I do. My husband and I are in a great ABF class, taught by Joe Thomas. He is a phenomenal teacher, so I know I am going to get fed and I don’t just mean coffee and donuts. We are in the South Loge and we hear the praise team practicing while Joe is teaching. I love music. I love praise music. Sometimes I just want to start singing with them right in the middle of class. One problem…I am very inhibited, shy and I guess embarrassed. I love to sing, not that I am very good at it, but I like it. You would probably never know it by my face, that I love to sing and worship, because I probably look mad or unemotional. I don’t mean to…but I’ve been told, “Don’t look like you want to kill somebody, smile!” I do it without realizing it. So, I really want to change that about myself. I want to feel free to worship, raise my hands or close my eyes…but that fear is there…that I will look silly or be the only one standing while everyone is sitting or people are looking at me, judging me. I look over there at Mike Roberts and he’s just going at it. What freedom he has, I admire that. I see other people worshipping and I do not judge them…I admire them. So, what’s the deal? I remember, one Sunday, my mother-in-law was in church with us. She is Church of Christ, which is a much different kind of worship, and it is a small country church. I was really getting into the music and I lifted one of my hands up in praise and then realized what I did. I automatically opened one eye and realized she was there and pulled my hand down. So silly! I know. Why? Why was I so embarrassed? I do not know. I want to work on that this year though. Sometimes I go in church and I feel so dry. I just don’t feel it. My prayer is, “Lord, cleanse me and help me to feel free to worship you.” I feel like I only get one chance a week at corporate worship and I want it to really count. I asked Melissa Elliott to recommend some worship music to play during my quiet time. She gave me stacks of old CD’s the choir uses. I love them. I turn that music on in my home and clean, fold clothes or cook and I truly have a time of uninhibited, fearless, meaningful worship. There are devotionals on these CD’s by Dan Millheim. He definitely has a gift for this, because they are wonderful. I want more, more, more. I even listen to them in my car. I do not feel inhibited or embarrassed then. Surely people can see me…raising my hands, singing at the top of my lungs. Hmmm, that sounds like a funny site to see. Why can’t we just show up on Sunday and not worry about what people think about us? Just come in and be ready to worship. Well, I think it starts at home…before we ever walk out the door. We should start preparing ourselves for time with God, then, being careful what we listen to on the radio or watch on TV that morning. Make a pact with our spouse that we are going to have a smooth morning…that means getting everything ready the night before, so you are not spending 30 minutes looking for your daughter’s shoes the next morning. Everyone agrees that there will be no yelling or negative feelings expressed. I think this could work…I am going to try it…you should too. Next Sunday, I am going to make a special effort to be prayed up and serious about worshipping Him.

Written by: Beth Ashcraft
Wife and mother of two

You Can Understand!

Do you understand God's Word?

When you sit down to read your Bible, are you able to make sense of it all?

Are you able to grasp all that God is teaching you?

I'm going through Beth Moore's A Woman's Heart study. She shared with us a passage in Luke concerning understanding God's Word. It says "Then He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures." Let this be your prayer, "Lord, open my mind that I might understand your Word."
God wants you to understand. He desires to speak to you through His Word. He does not want His will, His plans, to remain a mystery. I'm so grateful that we have gifted teachers among us who can present God's truth to us with great power and conviction; however, one of the greatest things about God's Word is that it is for everyone. You don't need anyone to repackage His truth so that you can understand. God wants to speak to you directly. Should we still sit under the leadership of godly teachers? Yes, God uses people to express His heart. He uses His people to challenge and encourage us. He speaks through His people. But, He doesn't want you to depend on teachers. He wants you to seek Him for yourself. When you seek Him, you'll find Him. Let's continue seeking Him in His Word and asking Him for greater understanding.

International Missions

Please be in prayer this week (Jan. 15th - 18th) for Deb Russell. This beloved woman from our church is meeting with the International Mission Board with hopes of traveling abroad to spread the love and truth of Christ. Please pray for peace, clarity, and direction as decisions are made this week.

We love you Deb, and know that God has incredible plans for your life!

Calm My Anxious Heart

This Tuesday night will begin a new season of our women's quilting and prayer group. This group meets on Tuesday evenings at 6:30PM. This semester they are going through the book, Calm My Anxious Heart. This is one of the most life-changing books that I have ever read. This class is most certainly not restricted to experienced and skilled seamstresses. This is a class for every woman. Come and meet with a group of women who will support, encourage, and challenge you as you look into God's truth together. You might even learn to sew along the way!

Resolution

Here it is the middle of January, and I've yet to make a New Year's Resolution. I am a big believer in goal-setting, but not very good at keeping resolutions. Last year, I resolved to train for a half-marathon! (Ha!) With my current exercise and eating program, I am more likely to gain 13 pounds than to run 13 miles. But, it never hurts to dream!

This year, I've been reading through the book of Hebrews and found a passage that is becoming a resolution of sorts for me. It's Hebrews 12:1. It says "....let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entagles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

"Let us throw off everything that hinders..." Are there things in your life that hinder your walk with the Lord? That hinder your enjoyment of His Presence? That hinder your relationships with others? That hinder the joy, peace, and abundance that God intends for you? Scripture says to throw them off! Get rid of the things that are holding you back! There are certainly some things that I need to throw off.....stress, anxiety, insecurity, worldly perspectives, negativity...I would like to eat better and get a little exercise. I'm not a "sparkling conversationalist" so rather than letting that hinder me, maybe I could work on it a little (there's a book called Conversation Peace that I've been wanting to read.)

What about "the sin that so easily entangles"? That speaks to the habitual sins that we keep running back to, the little indulgences, the weaknesses in our character that need to be strengthened. Maybe it's complaining or nagging, negative critical thinking, or an unhealthy relationship that we haven't let go of. I think entangles it such a powerful word for our sin because it most certainly has a way of holding us captive, of keeping us from enjoying all that God has for us.

The passage closes with "run with perseverance the race marked out for you." I love that the Lord has chosen a race, a specific coarse for me to run. I want to finish well! I don't want anything to hold me back, to keep me from fulfilling the Lord's perfect plans for my life. That's a race I don't want to miss. And who knows, maybe I'll even ponder that half-marathon idea again!