“Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.” James 1:17 NLT

“I’ve learned so many times that when I feel prompted to surrender something, it’s usually for my own good,” said Ellie. “It’s a positive way for me to lay down all my hopes and dreams of how my wish could be answered. It moves my wish into a realm where God can answer it in the ‘above and beyond all I can ask or imagine’ territory. It helps me get rid of all the things I think I need that stand in the way of what God has been dreaming for me all along.” _excerpt from Ocean Star by Christina Dimari

This Christmas, think about exchanging gifts with God.
THIS CHRISTMAS, THINK ABOUT EXCHANGING GIFTS WITH GOD

Let me give you some examples of things I have done in my own life. When I asked God, “What do you want from me?” One time I felt this whisper in my heart, “I want your will.” I was going through a time in my life when I was holding onto control and God was wooing me to let go and let him be in control. I thought about it for awhile and I knew what I could put in my box. I went downstairs to where my boys had a box full of play horses. I cut off the reigns of one of the white horses and that was what I put inside my box. I was like…here God…I let go…I surrender…you can have the reigns of my life.

A couple days later I received a note in the mail from a friend. The whole front of the card was a picture of a white horse with the rider holding on to the reigns, running playfully through crystal blue water. I was stunned. It was God’s way of telling me…I got it. Not only that, the rider was in the most beautiful water I had ever seen and he was full of excitement for this adventure he seemed to be embarking on. He had my reigns now and I had better hold on!

Then I was reading in my Bible and came across this verse: “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True.” Rev. 19:11 NIV

God was beginning to teach me that he could be trusted with my heart and life because he is Faithful and True. I spend several months studying what it meant to be faithful and true. A simple act of surrender opened up a whole new way for me to get to know the heart of my God I was still learning how to trust.

So when it comes to your creative page, try to come up with a symbol to represent what you are offering to God. When you go home today or throughout the next few weeks, when you know what it is, include the note you wrote to God sharing your heart with what you are surrendering and why. Go ahead and put it inside and wrapped it up with your pink ribbon (or whatever color you want.)

THIS LESSON IS TAKEN FROM THE CHAPTER, EXCHANGING GIFTS WITH GOD IN
YOU’RE DESIGNED TO SHINE

www.oceanstargifts.com/html/encouragement.html

Our lovely Discovery Women- December 5, 2008

"The Gift of Christmas"

Wow, what an amazing night we had last Friday at our Discovery Women Christmas event, "The Gifts of Christmas." We pray all who came were blessed....we'd love to know your comments. Hope to post some pictures in the next day or so.

Some Thoughts on Jesus the One and Only - Week 2

Last week we studied Joseph and Mary, and how they walked through the difficult and miraculous time of Jesus' conception and birth. Winn gave me a short devotion by Max Lucado, which we thought would be a blessing to share with you.

LIMB-CLIMBER OR BRANCH-SITTER
Joseph was perched firmly on his branch in the tree. It was thick, reliable, and perfect for sitting. It was so strong that he didn't tremble when the storms came, nor did he shake when the winds blew. No, this branch was predictable and solid and Joseph had no intention of leaving it.
That is, until he was told to go out on a limb.
As he sat securely on his branch, he looked up at the limb God wanted him to climb. He'd never seen one so thin! "That's no place for a man to go!" he said to himself. "There's no place to sit. There's no protection from the weather. And how could you sleep dangling from that quivering twig?" He inched back a bit, leaned against the trunk, and pondered the situation.
Common sense told him not to go out on the limb. "Conceived by the Holy Spirit? Come on!"
Self-defense told him not to do it. "Who will believe me? What will our families think?"
Convenience told him not to do it. "Just when I was hoping to settle down and raise a family."
Pride told him not to do it. "If she expects me to buy a tale like that . . . "
But God had told him to do it. And that's what bothered him.
It bothered him because he was happy where he was. Life next to the trunk was good. His branch was big enough to allow him to sit in comfort. He was near scores of other branch-sitters and had made some valid contributions to the tree community. After all, didn't he make regular visits to the sick at the North Branch Medical Center? And wasn't he the best tenor in the Treedom Singers Chorale? And what about the class he taught on religious heritage, appropriately entitled "Our Family Tree"? Surely God wouldn't want him to leave. He had . . . well, you could say that he had roots here.
Besides, he knew the kind of fellow who goes out on a limb. Radical. Extremist. Liberal. Always going overboard. Always stirring the leaves. Guys with their heads full of strange ideas in search of foreign fruit. Why, the stable ones are the ones who know how to stay close to home and leave well enough alone.
I have a feeling some of you can relate to Joseph. You know how he feels, don't you? You've been there. You're smiling because you, too, have been called to go out on a limb a time or two. You know the imbalance that comes from having one foot in your will and one foot in his. You have sunk your fingernails into the bark to get a better grip. You know too well the butterflies that swarm in the pit of your stomach when you realize changes are in the air.
Perhaps changes are in the air right now. Maybe you're in the midst of a decision. It's disrupting, isn't it? You like your branch. You've grown accustomed to it and it to you. And, like Joseph, you've been a pretty good branch-sitter. And then you hear the call. "I need you to go out on the limb and . . .
. . . take a stand. Some of the local churches are organizing an anti-pornography campaign. They need some volunteers."
. . . move. Take your family and move overseas. I have a special work for you."
. . . forgive. It doesn't matter who hurt you first. What matters is that you go and build the bridge."
. . . evangelize. That new family down the block? They don't know anyone in town. Go meet them."
. . . sacrifice. The orphanage has a mortgage payment due this month. They can't meet it. Remember the bonus you received last week?"
Regardless of the nature of the call, the consequences are the same: civil war. Though your heart may say yes, your feet say no. Excuses blow as numerously as golden leaves in an autum wind. "That's not my talent." "It's time for someone else to take charge." "Not now, I'll get to it tomorrow."
But eventually you're left staring at a bare tree and a hard choice: His will or yours?
Joseph chose His. After all, it was really the only option. Joseph knew that the only thing worse than a venture into the unknown was the thought of denying his Master. So, resolute, he grasped the smaller limb. With tight lips and a determined glint in his eye, he placed one hand in front of the other until he dangled in the air with only his faith in God as a safety net.
As things turned out, Joseph's fears were justified. Life wasn't as comfortable as it had been. The limb he grasped was, indeed, a slender one: The Messiah was to be born to Mary and to be raised in his home. He took cold showers for nine months so the baby could be born of a virgin. He had to push away the sheep and clear out the cow patties so his wife would have a place to give birth. He became a fugitive of the law. He spent two years trying to understand Egyptian.
At times that limb must have bounced furiously in the wind. But Joseph just shut his eyes and held on.
But you can be sure of one thing. He never regretted it. Sweet was the reward for his courage. One look in the face of that heavenly toddler and he knew he would do it again in a heartbeat.
Have you been called to go out on a limb for God? You can bet it won't be easy. Limb-climbing has never been easy. Ask Joseph. Or, better yet, ask Jesus.
He knows better than anyone the cost of hanging on a tree.

Reflections on a Weekend at Hume

Precious Sisters,
I just experienced of the most impacting weekends of my Christian life at Hume Lake. I have been slowly unpacking it as the days progress. I wanted to share just one of the lessons the speaker, Lori Salierno, shared with us.

I don't know if it is as difficult for you as it is for me to accept the TRUTH that the God who created the heavens and the earth is CRAZY in LOVE with ME! There must be others who struggle as I do, because Lori spent an entire evening on it. Her title was, "How You View Yourself Will Determine How You Serve God and Relate To Others." Here in a nutshell is what she shared with us. I hope it will give you a jolt of understanding, and some tools to combat the lies of the enemy, who does not want you to believe this truth.

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 139:13-16

Point A: God loves you so much He can't take His eyes off you! You need to view yourself like God does, and find your identity in Christ. Usually we have a title connected to the roles we play, like wife or mother or teacher.... we need to have a title reflecting our role as daughter of the King... like "Loved by God".
Point B: God will never leave your presence. Surround yourself with positive people, messages and books, do not compare yourself with others.
Point C: God has known you longer than anyone alive. Affirm what you know to be true about yourself - you are TOTALLY accepted, UNCONDITIONALLY loved, FULLY forgiven and FULLY pleasing. (She used the acronym "TUFF".)
Point D: God thinks about you ALL the time. Renew your mind with healthy habits of thought and recognize the dangers of a poor self-image.
Point E: God wants the best for you. Refuse to accept lies concerning yourself and surrender to the Lordship of Christ.

Again, I don't know about you, but for me, at the place where I am in my life, this was truly an affirmation that I needed. It made me realize that for as long as I have been a Christ Follower, I have believed this in my mind, but not in my heart... and God gave me a picture... of my heart, with a wall around it... like the city of Jericho... and He, in his compassion and faithfulness, and incredible love for me, has patiently been marching around that wall, waiting for the ground to be soft and tender... You have loved me with an everlasting love, I am the apple of Your eye, You knew me before the world came to be, Your compassion for me will never fail.... Blow that trumpet, Lord, blow....

Pondering Week One - Jesus the One and Only

In this introductory section, Beth sets the stage for the birth of the Christ child. She describes the 400 year period in between the Old Testament and the New Testament as being a time where God was silent in His communication with the Jews. The hearts of the people were "hard as flint" and they would not listen. They commanded the prophets not to prophesy, they did not want to hear God's voice instructing them how to live.

How many times I have done just that... I did not want to hear God's voice because I knew He would convict me to stop some behavior that I did not want to stop. So I picked and chose what I wanted to listen to, or just stopped listening all together. How I must grieve (notice I am using present tense...) the heart of God.

Anyway, since they stopped listening, God stopped talking. For 400 years. And the silence was deafening for these people who defined themselves by their ability to hear the voice of God. The silence created an incredible insecurity in them, which gave birth to legalism... they needed some boundaries within which to conduct themselves, since the Lord, who had always guided them, was silent. I thought this perspective was very interesting, thinking of the hundreds of laws the Pharisees set forth to direct the Jews on how to live... contrast that with the 10 Commandments that God gave...

But though it appeared that God was silent and inactive, He continued to work for the fruition of His merciful plans for us...

The silence produced in the Jews a thirst, a hunger for the Word of God. God, in His wisdom, withheld that which was essential to their abundant life, to make them aware of how much they needed it, craved it...

This whole idea of creating a thirst in their hearts for the Truth, for the Word of God, reminds me of something I learned when I was in Israel a couple years ago.

Part of our tour was a trip to a biblical botanical garden, where they had all the plants mentioned in scripture. At one of our stops through the garden, our tour guide described the citron tree - which is like a large lemon - and requires lots of water. It is one of the symbols of the Feast of the Tabernacles, a festival which is centered around praying for rain. She reminded us that when God gave the Israelites the Promised Land, He told them, "The land you are entering to take over is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you planted your seed and irrigated it by foot as in a vegetable garden. But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven... So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today - to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul - then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and oil." (Deut. 11:10-11, 13-14) What the Lord is telling them is that when they were in Egypt, the fertile soil pretty much irrigated itself, yet in the Promised Land, they would be completely dependent upon Him for sending rain in its season. The Festival of the Tabernacles, or Succoth, takes place in October. It is a time where they celebrate the harvest. And it is a time where they pray for the autumn rains. Think about this - they have had no rain since the springtime. The water they are living on at this point has been sitting in the cisterns for several months. It is stale and still water. They need the autumn rains to fill up their cisterns with fresh water. Add this next bit to the equation: when Jesus first spoke about his living water, it was the last day of the Feast of the Tabernacles. Scripture says (John 7:37-38), "On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, 'If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of LIVING WATER will flow from within him." This was certainly symbolism that the Jewish people, who were thirsty after months of summer, for fresh, clean water, would understand in a flash. Jesus was offering them fresh, pure, living water, of which, if they chose to believe, to drink, they would never be thirsty again (John 4:14).

Did that hit you like it hit me? It made me cry, it was symbolism that I felt in my gut. I really understood what Jesus was saying for the first time!

Don't you love getting the cultural perspective on the scripture? Doesn't it breathe freshness into your understanding of the Word? Doesn't it help you to understand a little better how much the Lord God, the Creator of the Universe, loves YOU?

So tying this back into our lessons this week... :-), God's silence, like the dearth of rain over the summer, created in the Israelites a hunger, a thirst for Him, for His Living Water, for His One and Only Son... Jesus.

Well, I guess this week's lessons certainly sent me down a few rabbit trails! But they all lead back to our Awesome, Amazing, Loving, Ever-faithful Savior! Amen!

Please let us know where the lesson or where this blog post led you... we would love to hear what you are thinking, where the Lord is leading you!

Praying that you are discovering that Jesus truly is the One and Only...

My King by S.M. Lockeridge

The Bible says my King is a seven-way King:
He’s the King of the Jews – that’s a racial King.
He’s the King of Israel – that’s a national King.
He’s the King of Righteousness.
He’s the King of the Ages.
He’s the King of Heaven.
He’s the King of Glory.
He’s the King of Kings and He’s the Lord of Lords.
That’s my King.
….Well, I wonder, do you know Him?
David said, “The heavens declare the glory
of God and the firmament showeth His handiwork”
My King is a sovereign King – no means of measure can define His limitless love.
No farseeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of his shoreless supplies.
No barrier can hinder Him from pouring out His blessings.
He’s enduringly strong.
He’s entirely sincere.
He’s eternally steadfast.
He’s immortally graceful.
He’s imperially powerful.
He’s impartially merciful.
….Do you know Him?
He’s the greatest phenomenon that has
ever crossed the horizon of this world.
He’s God’s son.
He’s the sinner’s Saviour.
He’s the centrepiece of civilisation.
He stands in the solitude of Himself.
He’s august and He’s unique.
He’s unparalleled, He’s unprecedented.
He’s the loftiest idea in literature.
He’s the highest personality in philosophy.
He is the supreme problem in higher criticism.
He’s the fundamental doctrine of true theology.
He’s the core and necessity for spiritual religion.
He’s the miracle of the age, yes, He is.
He’s the superlative of everything good that you choose to call Him.
He’s the only one qualified to be an all sufficient Saviour.
….I wonder if you know Him today?
He supplies strength for the weak.
He’s available for the tempted and the tried.
He sympathises and He saves.
He strengthens and sustains.
He guards and He guides.
He heals the sick.
He cleanses the lepers.
He forgives sinners.
He discharges debtors.
He delivers the captives.
He defends the feeble.
He blesses the young.
He serves the unfortunate.
He regards the aged.
He rewards the diligent and
He beautifies the meek.
….I wonder if you know Him?
Well, this is my King.
He is the King!
He is the key to knowledge.
He’s the wellspring of wisdom.
He’s the doorway of deliverance.
He’s the pathway of peace.
He’s the roadway of righteousness.
He’s the highway of holiness.
He’s the gateway of glory.
….Do you know Him
Well, His office is manifold.
His promise is sure.
His life is matchless.
His goodness is limitless.
His mercy is everlasting.
His love never changes.
His Word is enough.
His grace is sufficient.
His reign is righteous and
His yoke is easy and
His burden is light.
I wish I could describe Him to you.
But He’s indescribable – Yea! Yea! Yea!
He’s indescribable – Yes He is! He’s God.
He’s indescribable.
He’s incomprehensible.
He’s invincible,
He’s irresistible.
Well, you can’t get Him out of your mind.
You can’t get Him off your hand.
You can’t outlive Him and
You can’t live without Him.
Well, the Pharisees couldn’t stand Him,
but they found out they couldn’t stop Him.
Pilate couldn’t find any fault in Him.
The witnesses couldn’t get their testimonies to agree.
Herod couldn’t kill Him.
Death couldn’t handle Him.
The grave couldn’t hold Him. Yea!
That’s my King!
That’s my King! Yea!
And Thine is the Kingdom and the power
and the glory forever and ever and ever and ever.
How long is that?
And ever and ever.
And when you get through all the forevers, then Amen!
GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY! AMEN! AMEN!

And God Showed Up...

What an incredible Discovery Women event we had this morning. We've been praying over all the details of this event for months, praying that God would bring the ladies, praying for each one who would come, praying for our speaker, Kay Moll, and inviting the Holy Spirit to join us. Well, not only did the Lord show up, but He brought a record number of women with Him!

Kay Moll is an amazing and powerful speaker. And she is more beautiful every time I see her, the epitome of 2 Cor. 3:18 and we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. She shines so brightly for Him.

Some key notes/quotes:
*Our contentment should not be based on what we have but on who HE is!
*Kay shared a story where a woman told a speaker all about her troubles, thinking that she would get sympathy and a "poor thing" attitude. After listening to her, the speaker instead told her, "and then there's Jesus.... "
*"Lord, cover me, extend the mantle of your garment over me, cover me with your grace, Lord, because you are my nearest kinsman".

Kay also shared a powerful picture of "My King", based on the sermon by S.M. Lockeridge. I will print the words for you in the next post.


Many thank yous to everyone who helped to make this day happen!

You Need to Know ...

That you can subscribe to this blog, so you will know every time there is a new post! If you look up at the address line where you typed the address of the blog, there is a little orange square with rounded lines in it. If you click on that, it will subscribe you! Simple as pie, and you will not have to worry about missing any of the exciting happenings in Women's Ministry at Discovery Church!

Something New!

Ladies, I don't know if you are aware of this, but we have a team of women who, prior to each event, pray for the event, and for each woman who will attend the event. It has always been our desire to cover each of these special times and each woman in prayer, that hearts would be soft and ears prepared to hear the message God has designed through our time together.

We recently decided, though, to involve each of you in the preparation process! For this upcoming event on September 13th, please take a few moments before Saturday to read/pray/meditate through the following scriptures:
Philippians 4:10-11
2 Corinthians 1:2-11
2 Corinthians 12:7-10

After the event, we will be following up periodically with questions posted here or sent to your email or home, questions that are hopefully thought-provoking and help you to continue to apply the truths shared by Kay Moll and to grow your EveryDay Faith.

Can't wait to see you at Discovery Church on Saturday the 13th!

Looking Forward!

Dear Friends,
Your Discovery Women Team/Pod met this week to pray and plan the upcoming months. We are excited about what is ahead and hope the excitement will be contagious!

We are thrilled that Kay Moll agreed to return to speak at our Saturday morning event on September 13. Kay is an amazing scholar of the Word, has such a personal relationship with the Lord and has such a sweet, down-to-earth presence. You will be more than blessed as she shares that "Jesus is Enough". All are welcome at this event, please join us from 8:30 to 12:30 on the 13th.

Beginning the week after the event, we are beginning a new Bible Study series called Jesus the One and Only. It is a 10-week video curriculum by Beth Moore. We are offering it Monday nights (beginning 9/15) from 7:00pm to 9:00pm and Thursday mornings (beginning 9/18) from 9:30 to 11:30. The Thursday morning study offers childcare. If you have never experienced a Beth Moore study, fasten your seat belt. She is a very gifted, intuitive teacher who will open scripture for you in a way you would not have thought possible. If you are interested in joining us, please email us at discoverywomen@gmail.com and let us know your name, a contact number and which study (Monday or Thursday) you would like to attend.

In December, we will offer our Holiday event the evening of the 5th, from 6:30 to 9:00. Rene' Clark will be sharing a couple devotions, and Erica Dean will be leading our time of worship. We are hoping that it will be a special time of reflection and joy, to prepare our hearts as we enter into the holiday season.

We are already hard at work planning our March 2009 Retreat! We are excited that Carole Wolaver, the Pottery Lady, has agreed to join us March 27-29. She has an incredible story of her own which she interweaves with biblical insights, all the while working with clay on her potter's wheel. It is quite a visual demonstration of scripture. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. Isaiah 64:8. Stay tuned for more details about this event.

It is also our desire that this blog would be a forum to keep you more informed about what is happening within the women's ministry at Discovery Church, and a place where you can let us know what you are thinking and what is on your heart. We will make every effort to keep it up to date. And as we get more proficient on it (smile), we will figure out how you can have it let you know when there is a new post, etc. Yay! Modern technology!

One more thing, any of you who shared your experience at our March retreat this year with someone who thought they would love also to hear Christina DiMari, she will be doing a retreat at the First Christian Church Huntington Beach September 19-20. Follow this link for more details: http://www.designedtoshine.com/html/next_event_in_ca_.html.

Blessings!

March 2008 Retreat Pictures

Photobucket Album
Click on this picture, then select "slideshow" in upper right corner to view!

Designed to Shine

March 2008 - Our first weekend retreat, held at El Capitan Canyon, just north of Santa Barbara, was a blessing that far exceeded our expectations. But isn't that just like our God? Our guest speaker was Christina DiMari, author of "Ocean Star". She had a message of hope that ministered to all our "girls", regardless of age.

We would love to have you share your pictures, your stories, your experience at the retreat.