Thursday, April 28, 2011
Morning Glory
Morning GloryWaiting for the dawn’s new day
She patiently awaits the sun’s first ray
Gently displaying her lovely face
She represents kindness, mercy and grace.
Royal hues of purple and magenta
The Bumble bee bows to get all she has sent him
The amazing beginning of each new day
Cause me to reflect and pray.
About Creation and the old, old story
As I soak in God’s garden with my Morning Glory!
~G. Harlin~
Sept 11, 2008
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Embodied Authority
I was reading an article called Taming the Image in Leadership Journal when a line struck me as one I should go back over again.
"In a discarnate age, the only option Christians have for presenting a credible, authoritative, and transformative gospel is to embody Christ. We need to be wary of trying to transmit a message of embodiment through a medium of disembodiment."
Stephen Downey writes, "A video-streamed sermon on the Incarnation would be ironic at best and offensive at worst."
Do we stop using video, power point, music, and media in our churches? What are your thoughts?
"In a discarnate age, the only option Christians have for presenting a credible, authoritative, and transformative gospel is to embody Christ. We need to be wary of trying to transmit a message of embodiment through a medium of disembodiment."
Stephen Downey writes, "A video-streamed sermon on the Incarnation would be ironic at best and offensive at worst."
Do we stop using video, power point, music, and media in our churches? What are your thoughts?
Friday, April 22, 2011
It Is Finished
I want to thank the Women's Ministry for last night's fellowship. It was just a great time sharing with other women.
This is from a book entitled Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado. It's about the three words...IT IS FINISHED. I thought how grand this would be on Good Friday!
"Stop and listen a moment. Let the words wind through your heart. Imagine the cry from the cross. The sky is dark. The other two victims are moaning. Jeering mouths of the crowd are silent. Perhaps there is thunder. Perhaps there is weeping. Perhaps there is silence.
Then Jesus draws in adeep breath, pushes his feet down on that Roman nail, and cries, "It is finished!" What was finished? The history-long plan of redeeming man was finished. The message of God to man was finished. The works done by Jesus as a man on earth were finished. The sting of death had been removed. It was over."
Max Lucado... No Wonder They Call Him The Savior
When Jesus tasted the vinegar, He said, "It is finisheed." Then He bowed His head and died. John 19:30
This is from a book entitled Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado. It's about the three words...IT IS FINISHED. I thought how grand this would be on Good Friday!
"Stop and listen a moment. Let the words wind through your heart. Imagine the cry from the cross. The sky is dark. The other two victims are moaning. Jeering mouths of the crowd are silent. Perhaps there is thunder. Perhaps there is weeping. Perhaps there is silence.
Then Jesus draws in adeep breath, pushes his feet down on that Roman nail, and cries, "It is finished!" What was finished? The history-long plan of redeeming man was finished. The message of God to man was finished. The works done by Jesus as a man on earth were finished. The sting of death had been removed. It was over."
Max Lucado... No Wonder They Call Him The Savior
When Jesus tasted the vinegar, He said, "It is finisheed." Then He bowed His head and died. John 19:30
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
He Lives
Some friends and I were playing the game of name a person who had influenced us, but one of the rules is that the person had to be a "dead person."
Apparently the person's connection to you did not have to be readily obvious--for example one friend used Cleopatra. Another used Henry Ford because she just got a new car. But then one of my friends said Jesus influenced her most. My immediate response was "Jesus isn't dead."
That comment led to an interesting dinner-time conversation during which I was reminded that as Christians we are indeed people of the resurrection. We believe in a risen Christ. He is alive.
My hope and prayer for you as you observe this holiest of weeks on our Christian calendar is that you willl encounter the living Christ!
Blessings on you.
Apparently the person's connection to you did not have to be readily obvious--for example one friend used Cleopatra. Another used Henry Ford because she just got a new car. But then one of my friends said Jesus influenced her most. My immediate response was "Jesus isn't dead."
That comment led to an interesting dinner-time conversation during which I was reminded that as Christians we are indeed people of the resurrection. We believe in a risen Christ. He is alive.
My hope and prayer for you as you observe this holiest of weeks on our Christian calendar is that you willl encounter the living Christ!
Blessings on you.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Leading Means Following
I know it's only April, but we are already starting to make plans for the Women's Ministry into 2012! As we begin to turn our thoughts to where the Lord would have us serve I want us to consider what it means to lead others:
How do you get people to follow when you see change that needs to happen?
The key to people following spiritual leadership is vision. When God’s people understand clearly what God is doing, they will always respond positively to whatever change is asked of them. The problem is that many times God’s people are shown our plans and not convinced of God’s activity. If we are faithful and patient as spiritual leaders for God to clearly make His activity obvious in the life of our fellowship, His people will always respond to His activity.
How do you promote unity among those who follow you?
Unity is found in moving people onto God’s agenda. As long as we are pursuing our plans there will be division, but where there is clear evidence of God’s activity, God’s people unite. We see it over and over in the book of Acts when the Bible says they were all together with “one mind”. That can literally be translated “one passion”. Meaning they had wrapped their hearts around the heart of the Father. We must be passionate about seeking the heart of the Father and leading people to join His activity. When this happens, there is unity.
What are key principals to follow that make you an effective leader?
1.God’s primary call on your life is not ministry, it’s intimacy. Every area God uses you as a leader are the overflow of intimate fellowship with Him.
2.Wisdom always seeks counsel.
3.God’s activity is always bigger than one person.
4.What God is doing locally is always connected to His activity globally
After reading this post if you feel you are being called to help lead the women at Hillcrest please let us know. We believe the Lord will raise up new leadership as He has need and we want to encourage you to serve where He has called.
How do you get people to follow when you see change that needs to happen?
The key to people following spiritual leadership is vision. When God’s people understand clearly what God is doing, they will always respond positively to whatever change is asked of them. The problem is that many times God’s people are shown our plans and not convinced of God’s activity. If we are faithful and patient as spiritual leaders for God to clearly make His activity obvious in the life of our fellowship, His people will always respond to His activity.
How do you promote unity among those who follow you?
Unity is found in moving people onto God’s agenda. As long as we are pursuing our plans there will be division, but where there is clear evidence of God’s activity, God’s people unite. We see it over and over in the book of Acts when the Bible says they were all together with “one mind”. That can literally be translated “one passion”. Meaning they had wrapped their hearts around the heart of the Father. We must be passionate about seeking the heart of the Father and leading people to join His activity. When this happens, there is unity.
What are key principals to follow that make you an effective leader?
1.God’s primary call on your life is not ministry, it’s intimacy. Every area God uses you as a leader are the overflow of intimate fellowship with Him.
2.Wisdom always seeks counsel.
3.God’s activity is always bigger than one person.
4.What God is doing locally is always connected to His activity globally
After reading this post if you feel you are being called to help lead the women at Hillcrest please let us know. We believe the Lord will raise up new leadership as He has need and we want to encourage you to serve where He has called.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Craving Connection
The following devotional is from Proverbs 31 Ministries and it touched my heart this morning as I read it. We have so many people around us looking for a connection - a friend, perhaps it is even us. We have so many opportunities to get together as a ministry yet women sometimes hesitate to come for fear of rejection, fear of the unknown, or a feeling of past disappointments.
Take time to reach out to these women. Invite someone to the next women's event - or for a cup of coffee and conversation. If you ever find yourself, like the women in this devotional, where you are looking for a friend please give me a call. I am always up for some girl talk and would enjoy getting to know each of you better. Here is the devotional on connecting ...
“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25 (NIV)
Do you ever catch yourself checking email repeatedly? One morning I checked my email as soon as I woke up. Then I made breakfast and checked it again. Had my devotional time and checked it again. Ran some errands and when I got home, checked it once more. Now, I admit I have a thing about keeping white space in my inbox, but this was about more than managing emails.
I was going back for a reason. I sensed the Holy Spirit nudging me to pause and ask myself, “Why do you keep checking your email?” I sat there and let my heart respond honestly. I wasn’t sure if it was God or me answering, but my thoughts intertwined with His Spirit whispered: You keep coming back because your heart longs for connection with a friend. Yet no matter how many times I checked email, it was never enough to satisfy my craving.
Somewhere in the busyness of life I had let many of my friendships reduce to quick connections via email. Over the past year my schedule had gotten so full with kids, school projects, family needs, investing time in my marriage, and new responsibilities at work that something had to give. I didn’t want it to be my family, so I asked God to help me find balance. I had sensed Him leading me to cut back on the amount of time I spent talking on the phone, socializing with neighbors and hanging out with friends.
Although I hadn’t completely cut out my friendships, my face-to-face connection time with friends had been reduced to a minimum. That morning as I sat at my computer, I realized I had not found balance. The pendulum had swung too far. Here I was checking email repeatedly, trying to fill a God-created need for relationships with a white screen and black alphabet keys. My heart was craving more.
God had revealed the source of my incessant email checking and shown me that I needed to fill the lonely place in my spirit with friends I could talk to and share life with — in person. That day I called one of my closest friends. She happened to be available so I turned off my computer and took a break from work to spontaneously meet her at a coffee shop. It was just what I needed: face-to-face, heart-to-heart, eye-to-eye connection and conversation. I know friendships are not easy to build. They take time. And time is limited with lives that keep us so busy. But in this age of technology, it’s important to evaluate things in our lives that create a false sense of connection like email, television, text messaging and overboard activities. Although these things are okay in moderation, they can’t substitute real-life relationships.
So what about long-distance and internet friendships? Aren’t they important, too? Yes, they are. But God created us for relationships where we can see each other, hug each other and talk to each other face-to-face. We need to pull away from our computers and televisions to intentionally carve out time for friends that are in close proximity. Times where we can meet face-to-face to share what’s going on in our lives.
Today’s key verse instructs us not to give up meeting together to worship and encourage one another. As we see here and throughout the Bible “meeting together” is important to God. Jesus needed face-to-face connections, too. So He surrounded Himself with intimate friends — first His Father, then His close friends John, Peter and James and then the other nine disciples. He also had friends like Mary, Martha and Lazarus. People He spent time with sharing meals and having conversations about spiritual truths that applied to their everyday lives.
Through His example we see how important it is to satisfy our craving for connections by spending face-to-face time with friends. So, who will you connect with face-to-face this week?
Take time to reach out to these women. Invite someone to the next women's event - or for a cup of coffee and conversation. If you ever find yourself, like the women in this devotional, where you are looking for a friend please give me a call. I am always up for some girl talk and would enjoy getting to know each of you better. Here is the devotional on connecting ...
“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25 (NIV)
Do you ever catch yourself checking email repeatedly? One morning I checked my email as soon as I woke up. Then I made breakfast and checked it again. Had my devotional time and checked it again. Ran some errands and when I got home, checked it once more. Now, I admit I have a thing about keeping white space in my inbox, but this was about more than managing emails.
I was going back for a reason. I sensed the Holy Spirit nudging me to pause and ask myself, “Why do you keep checking your email?” I sat there and let my heart respond honestly. I wasn’t sure if it was God or me answering, but my thoughts intertwined with His Spirit whispered: You keep coming back because your heart longs for connection with a friend. Yet no matter how many times I checked email, it was never enough to satisfy my craving.
Somewhere in the busyness of life I had let many of my friendships reduce to quick connections via email. Over the past year my schedule had gotten so full with kids, school projects, family needs, investing time in my marriage, and new responsibilities at work that something had to give. I didn’t want it to be my family, so I asked God to help me find balance. I had sensed Him leading me to cut back on the amount of time I spent talking on the phone, socializing with neighbors and hanging out with friends.
Although I hadn’t completely cut out my friendships, my face-to-face connection time with friends had been reduced to a minimum. That morning as I sat at my computer, I realized I had not found balance. The pendulum had swung too far. Here I was checking email repeatedly, trying to fill a God-created need for relationships with a white screen and black alphabet keys. My heart was craving more.
God had revealed the source of my incessant email checking and shown me that I needed to fill the lonely place in my spirit with friends I could talk to and share life with — in person. That day I called one of my closest friends. She happened to be available so I turned off my computer and took a break from work to spontaneously meet her at a coffee shop. It was just what I needed: face-to-face, heart-to-heart, eye-to-eye connection and conversation. I know friendships are not easy to build. They take time. And time is limited with lives that keep us so busy. But in this age of technology, it’s important to evaluate things in our lives that create a false sense of connection like email, television, text messaging and overboard activities. Although these things are okay in moderation, they can’t substitute real-life relationships.
So what about long-distance and internet friendships? Aren’t they important, too? Yes, they are. But God created us for relationships where we can see each other, hug each other and talk to each other face-to-face. We need to pull away from our computers and televisions to intentionally carve out time for friends that are in close proximity. Times where we can meet face-to-face to share what’s going on in our lives.
Today’s key verse instructs us not to give up meeting together to worship and encourage one another. As we see here and throughout the Bible “meeting together” is important to God. Jesus needed face-to-face connections, too. So He surrounded Himself with intimate friends — first His Father, then His close friends John, Peter and James and then the other nine disciples. He also had friends like Mary, Martha and Lazarus. People He spent time with sharing meals and having conversations about spiritual truths that applied to their everyday lives.
Through His example we see how important it is to satisfy our craving for connections by spending face-to-face time with friends. So, who will you connect with face-to-face this week?
Monday, April 11, 2011
Proverbs 31 Ministries
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” Philippians 2:3 (NIV)
He sat across the aisle from me, talking to himself. I had boarded a plane very early one morning in TX, after a weekend women’s conference where I was serving with Lysa. I casually glanced over at him and thought, “Oh boy, this will be interesting.” And I closed my eyes to settle in. After several minutes, he realized he was in the wrong seat. He jumped up, grabbed his belongings and crossed the aisle to join me. And once again, I thought, “Oh boy, here we go.”
I was a bit nervous to be honest. We exchanged pleasantries and I closed my eyes again, waiting for the plane to take off. He continued to mumble to himself as he looked out his window. Several more minutes passed. I tried to fall asleep. And then finally, deep in my heart I felt compelled to talk to my seat mate, even though there was still a part of me that begged for my eyes to remain closed; shut off in my comfort zone. “Tell me about yourself,” I reluctantly smiled. He told me his name was Henry. Then he started asking me just as many questions as I was asking him. With every answer I gave, he would kindly respond, “Well that sounds good.”
I looked around somewhat apologetically as Henry continued to dialogue with me in a very loud tone. It was then that I profoundly felt three words rush into my mind, “This is Me.” I stopped. I pondered. I swallowed. And I blinked. “You, Lord?” I hesitantly questioned. “This is Me,” I gently but clearly sensed again. And then, “Look at Me.” I reflected for a moment and remembered, “‘…I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’” Matthew 25:40.
My perspective abruptly softened. I looked at Henry with inquisitive eyes as he chatted away. I examined every detail on his face. I noticed his scruffy beard and bushy eyebrows and I looked deep into his eyes, which he told me did not work very well. Henry was traveling to attend his grandmother’s funeral several states away. He was about to see his father, whom he hadn’t had contact with in 25 years. As our conversation unfolded, I learned that Henry had been born with a birth defect called Poland Syndrome. He had a small left hand with fingers that didn’t move and permanent paralysis in the upper left side of his body. He dropped out of high school several years earlier because students were not nice to him. I listened with interest as we talked about his love of computers. I was captivated by his knowledge, and continued with a long list of questions. We happily shared my granola snack over an animated conversation as he talked and I listened. All of my previous inhibitions had completely vanished.
The last words Henry spoke to me were, “People never talk to me like you have.” I blinked back tears as I helped him read his connecting boarding pass. I gently smiled goodbye. But my heart was sad as we got off the plane. You see, I knew how close I was to being like everyone else. So very close. And how many times in the past I was like everyone else. I had ministered to women the entire weekend, but I was resistant to talk to the fragile soul right beside me, begging for attention. Meeting Henry changed me that day. Meeting Henry taught me to pray daily for eyes to see deeper, ears to listen more intently and a heart to humbly embrace new perspectives. Open the eyes of my heart Lord. I want to see others the way You do. Because when I do, I learn. And the more I learn, the more I am drawn closer to the One who created it all. Who might be your Henry today?
Reflections: How did this devotion challenge you personally? How will it challenge you to consider your reactions to those around you?
© 2011 by Holly Good. All rights reserved.
devotions@proverbs31.org
He sat across the aisle from me, talking to himself. I had boarded a plane very early one morning in TX, after a weekend women’s conference where I was serving with Lysa. I casually glanced over at him and thought, “Oh boy, this will be interesting.” And I closed my eyes to settle in. After several minutes, he realized he was in the wrong seat. He jumped up, grabbed his belongings and crossed the aisle to join me. And once again, I thought, “Oh boy, here we go.”
I was a bit nervous to be honest. We exchanged pleasantries and I closed my eyes again, waiting for the plane to take off. He continued to mumble to himself as he looked out his window. Several more minutes passed. I tried to fall asleep. And then finally, deep in my heart I felt compelled to talk to my seat mate, even though there was still a part of me that begged for my eyes to remain closed; shut off in my comfort zone. “Tell me about yourself,” I reluctantly smiled. He told me his name was Henry. Then he started asking me just as many questions as I was asking him. With every answer I gave, he would kindly respond, “Well that sounds good.”
I looked around somewhat apologetically as Henry continued to dialogue with me in a very loud tone. It was then that I profoundly felt three words rush into my mind, “This is Me.” I stopped. I pondered. I swallowed. And I blinked. “You, Lord?” I hesitantly questioned. “This is Me,” I gently but clearly sensed again. And then, “Look at Me.” I reflected for a moment and remembered, “‘…I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’” Matthew 25:40.
My perspective abruptly softened. I looked at Henry with inquisitive eyes as he chatted away. I examined every detail on his face. I noticed his scruffy beard and bushy eyebrows and I looked deep into his eyes, which he told me did not work very well. Henry was traveling to attend his grandmother’s funeral several states away. He was about to see his father, whom he hadn’t had contact with in 25 years. As our conversation unfolded, I learned that Henry had been born with a birth defect called Poland Syndrome. He had a small left hand with fingers that didn’t move and permanent paralysis in the upper left side of his body. He dropped out of high school several years earlier because students were not nice to him. I listened with interest as we talked about his love of computers. I was captivated by his knowledge, and continued with a long list of questions. We happily shared my granola snack over an animated conversation as he talked and I listened. All of my previous inhibitions had completely vanished.
The last words Henry spoke to me were, “People never talk to me like you have.” I blinked back tears as I helped him read his connecting boarding pass. I gently smiled goodbye. But my heart was sad as we got off the plane. You see, I knew how close I was to being like everyone else. So very close. And how many times in the past I was like everyone else. I had ministered to women the entire weekend, but I was resistant to talk to the fragile soul right beside me, begging for attention. Meeting Henry changed me that day. Meeting Henry taught me to pray daily for eyes to see deeper, ears to listen more intently and a heart to humbly embrace new perspectives. Open the eyes of my heart Lord. I want to see others the way You do. Because when I do, I learn. And the more I learn, the more I am drawn closer to the One who created it all. Who might be your Henry today?
Reflections: How did this devotion challenge you personally? How will it challenge you to consider your reactions to those around you?
© 2011 by Holly Good. All rights reserved.
devotions@proverbs31.org
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Reflections
I went to the dentist on Thursday morning and I was having two cavities filled. As my dentist drilled out the decay, I was thinking about sin and how sin represents the decay of a tooth. How Jesus took out all of our "decay", our sins. It would not help to just remove the decay, like the sins of our lives. He has to fix the decayed tooth by placing a "seal of LOVE" for us, like sealant a dentist uses. I was ever reminded that God uses Jesus Christ as our sealant for our lives. He is the bond between us and God. What would we do without "sealant"?
"Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day." 2 Corinthians 4:16
"Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." Ephesians 4:30
"Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day." 2 Corinthians 4:16
"Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." Ephesians 4:30
Friday, April 8, 2011
Spring Has Sprung
Roses and Reveries: Spring Has Sprung: "Happy Spring! I can't decide which is my favorite season: spring or fall. When the scraggly tree branches start to show little sprouted leav..."
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Cafe Connection
Quotes
"To know the will of God is the greatest knowledge, to find the will of God is the greatest discovery, and to do the will of God is the greatest achievement." Author Unknown
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