Thursday, October 28, 2010
It's A Sure Thing
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life... " - Psalm 23:6 NKJV
Let's break this Scripture down: 'Surely goodness and mercy.' People may disappoint you, but God's goodness and mercy are sure things! 'With [God] there is never the slightest variation or shadow of inconsistency' (James 1:17 PHPS). Our devotion to God may falter, but His devotion to us never does: 'If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful... ' (2 Timothy 2:13 NLT). David didn't say, 'maybe, possibly, I hope so, I've a hunch'. No, he said, 'Surely' and that's a promise you can stand on. 'Shall follow me.' That sounds like another promise God made to His people: 'all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee... ' (Deuteronomy 28:2). Note the words: 'follow... come on... overtake'. You can't get away from them! God's goodness and mercy followed Jonah to the bottom of the sea, Daniel into the lions' den, and John into exile, opening heaven to him. Stop and look back. Think of the scrapes God's brought you through, the messes He's helped clean up, the doors He's opened, and what do you see? Blessings you don't deserve, can't escape, and are new every morning. With God, it's a sure thing! 'All the days of my life.' Think of the days ahead and what do you see? Days at home raising a family? Days in a dead-end job, struggling to get ahead? Days of loneliness and poor health? Days of caring for a sick loved one? Days of battling disappointment and depression? 'Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.' Goodness to provide, and mercy to pardon; you'll never have a day without them!
Let's break this Scripture down: 'Surely goodness and mercy.' People may disappoint you, but God's goodness and mercy are sure things! 'With [God] there is never the slightest variation or shadow of inconsistency' (James 1:17 PHPS). Our devotion to God may falter, but His devotion to us never does: 'If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful... ' (2 Timothy 2:13 NLT). David didn't say, 'maybe, possibly, I hope so, I've a hunch'. No, he said, 'Surely' and that's a promise you can stand on. 'Shall follow me.' That sounds like another promise God made to His people: 'all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee... ' (Deuteronomy 28:2). Note the words: 'follow... come on... overtake'. You can't get away from them! God's goodness and mercy followed Jonah to the bottom of the sea, Daniel into the lions' den, and John into exile, opening heaven to him. Stop and look back. Think of the scrapes God's brought you through, the messes He's helped clean up, the doors He's opened, and what do you see? Blessings you don't deserve, can't escape, and are new every morning. With God, it's a sure thing! 'All the days of my life.' Think of the days ahead and what do you see? Days at home raising a family? Days in a dead-end job, struggling to get ahead? Days of loneliness and poor health? Days of caring for a sick loved one? Days of battling disappointment and depression? 'Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.' Goodness to provide, and mercy to pardon; you'll never have a day without them!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Trust God! Trust God! Trust God!
Hard times energise some people, yet paralyse others. Look at David. Everything he touched turned to gold: Samuel anointed him to be king; he defeated Goliath; Saul chose him as a musician and warrior; the army loved him and wrote songs about him. Then his life fell apart. He lost his job and his marriage failed; Samuel his old mentor died; his best friend Jonathan couldn't help him, and Saul's soldiers hounded him until he had to hide in a cave. At some point we all do time in the cave! It's where you end up when all your earthy supports are gone. It's where you learn important things about yourself that you can't learn anywhere else. It's where God does some of His best work in moulding you into the likeness of Christ. It's where your worst inadequacies confirm that you're out of your depth, and where God sends His power to flow through your weakness. When David prayed, 'You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living,' he'd no way of knowing there was a crown in his future, or that he wasn't going to die in hiding. For all he knew, this cave he was in right now might be as good as it gets. When you're in a situation you can't fix, can't change and can't escape, trust God! Trust God! Trust God! As long as your sense of security is tied solely to your success, it'll always be fragile. But when you know that God is with you even at your lowest point, you can handle the cave and come out stronger!
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Balloons
Dr. James Dobson writes: "I attended a wedding in a beautiful garden setting in which 150 colourful helium balloons were released into the California sky. Within seconds they were scattered across the heavens - some rising hundreds of feet, others cruising toward the horizon. They all began from the same launching pad, were filled with the same helium, and ascended into the same conditions. Yet within minutes they were separated by a mile or more. A few balloons struggled to clear the upper branches of trees, while the show-offs became mere pinpoints of colour on their journey to the sky. How interesting, I thought - and how symbolic of children."
Parent, you help determine how high your child will rise. So: (a) Create the right climate in your home. The words you speak, the order you establish, the music and television programmes you allow, are moulding their character and their future. If you're too busy to notice these things - you're too busy! (b) Give them the right mentors. Ruth followed Naomi. Timothy followed Paul. Your children are going to follow someone. The question is, who? Your best defences against destructive influences are offensive teaching and a Christ-like example. Read God's Word to them each day. Pray over them - and with them. Do it! Don't be shy. The molester and drug dealer are not shy. Speak up! You can't improve on the words of Pharaoh's daughter, given to Moses' mother as she saved her son from the waters of the Nile that would have consumed him. "Take this child home and nurse him for me… I will pay you for your help."
Parent, you have no greater responsibility! And if you do it right, you'll have no greater reward
Parent, you help determine how high your child will rise. So: (a) Create the right climate in your home. The words you speak, the order you establish, the music and television programmes you allow, are moulding their character and their future. If you're too busy to notice these things - you're too busy! (b) Give them the right mentors. Ruth followed Naomi. Timothy followed Paul. Your children are going to follow someone. The question is, who? Your best defences against destructive influences are offensive teaching and a Christ-like example. Read God's Word to them each day. Pray over them - and with them. Do it! Don't be shy. The molester and drug dealer are not shy. Speak up! You can't improve on the words of Pharaoh's daughter, given to Moses' mother as she saved her son from the waters of the Nile that would have consumed him. "Take this child home and nurse him for me… I will pay you for your help."
Parent, you have no greater responsibility! And if you do it right, you'll have no greater reward
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Message from Rose
Welcome!!
As we enter into another year of M.O.M.S. we do so with great excitement and anticipation of what God is going to do in and through us. Our theme this year is living life with Purpose and Passion. As moms, we are called to one of the most important, yet difficult jobs on this side of heaven. God wants us not only to survive these years, but to enjoy the journey of motherhood. Merely going through the motions is not an option in His book. He wants to give us an abundant life. As we seek after Him with our whole heart, His joy becomes our joy and His strength our strength. His plan becomes our destiny.
Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God has a perfect plan for our lives. He knows everything about each one of us and cares more than anyone else for our well-being. In this great plan we can find hope for our future. That plan, however, will only come to pass if we cooperate with God and not stray from His will. He calls us to do our part. He will not impose His plan on our lives without our cooperation.
In order to reach our full potential as mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, and/or friends we should strive to cooperate with God every single day of our lives. We should be growing and learning with every new day the Lord brings to us. We must deepen our relationship with the Lord and with those people He puts in our path.
I don’t know about you, but I certainly do not want to miss out on a single good gift from above. I encourage you to seek God and the plan He has for your life. Join us this year at M.O.M.S. on a mission to discover the deepest degree of purpose and passion any women can have in her life.
Blessings to you all,
Rose
As we enter into another year of M.O.M.S. we do so with great excitement and anticipation of what God is going to do in and through us. Our theme this year is living life with Purpose and Passion. As moms, we are called to one of the most important, yet difficult jobs on this side of heaven. God wants us not only to survive these years, but to enjoy the journey of motherhood. Merely going through the motions is not an option in His book. He wants to give us an abundant life. As we seek after Him with our whole heart, His joy becomes our joy and His strength our strength. His plan becomes our destiny.
Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God has a perfect plan for our lives. He knows everything about each one of us and cares more than anyone else for our well-being. In this great plan we can find hope for our future. That plan, however, will only come to pass if we cooperate with God and not stray from His will. He calls us to do our part. He will not impose His plan on our lives without our cooperation.
In order to reach our full potential as mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, and/or friends we should strive to cooperate with God every single day of our lives. We should be growing and learning with every new day the Lord brings to us. We must deepen our relationship with the Lord and with those people He puts in our path.
I don’t know about you, but I certainly do not want to miss out on a single good gift from above. I encourage you to seek God and the plan He has for your life. Join us this year at M.O.M.S. on a mission to discover the deepest degree of purpose and passion any women can have in her life.
Blessings to you all,
Rose
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
UPCOMING EVENTS
September 23 -------- Meeting: Proverbs 31 woman - or Not?
October 1 ----------- Moms Night Out @ Pomegranate Cafe
October 7 ----------- Restoration Time @ Rose Block's House
October 14----------- Praying for your children and teaching them to pray
October 21----------- Play Date
October 22 ----------- Girlfriends Night Out @ the Church
October 25------------ Book Club, Panera on 95th Street
October 28------------ Meeting: Organizing your house and keeping it Clean
October 29------------ Date Night
October 1 ----------- Moms Night Out @ Pomegranate Cafe
October 7 ----------- Restoration Time @ Rose Block's House
October 14----------- Praying for your children and teaching them to pray
October 21----------- Play Date
October 22 ----------- Girlfriends Night Out @ the Church
October 25------------ Book Club, Panera on 95th Street
October 28------------ Meeting: Organizing your house and keeping it Clean
October 29------------ Date Night
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