Pathways

My husband and I met playing basketball sixteen years ago.  He was a good player but I was better and the rest is history. :) Even after all these years he and I can still connect running on trails, shooting hoops, or playing in a sloppy game of tennis.  Of course, there are many ways we enjoy each other's company, but being active (and maybe a little bit competitive) is definitely one of our easiest paths to connecting.  Relationships are personal, they're distinct and are blessed by time and intentionality.
Today we are taking a closer look at unique ways we connect with God and how we see him communicating with us.  How we relate to God and grow closer to Him is personal because we are His unique creations.  The Spiritual Pathways Assessment (was attached in an email sent to you last Friday) results are designed to point you to a clearer understanding of your relationship with God.  We pray you find your results enlightening and encouraging.  God loves you and desires for you to walk close to Him and hear His promises with faith-ready ears.  Read the 23rd Psalm and note all the specific ways God is present with us...

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.



Jena M.

Resolutions- Comparison or Imitation?

Photo by ColinBroug via stock.xchng

I find the whole idea of resolutions very interesting.  I’m not necessarily for or against them per se, but our reasons for them often have some sort of relational root.  For many years I’ve set resolutions for the new year (and I’ve done it at different times during the year), as 2013 came to a close and the hope of a new year began to form, I ran through the laundry list of areas in which I need to improve.  I need to be more consistent with my exercise, my nutrition, being more intentional with family time, spend more time with Jesus etc. I trust you know the list just as well as I do.  Honestly, the idea of forming a grandiose plan around even one on the list was less than enticing!

Naturally, my next human reaction included downplaying the importance of making resolutions in the first place by questioning why so many of us seem to have the desire to do so sewn into our identity.  It must be our evil comparison ridden society!  At least that’s where I tried to conclude my self examination…

I did, in fact, table the discussion with myself to go pick up my boys from school.  After all, we had a busy afternoon ahead!  Homework, piano practice, making and sitting down as a family to dinner, Scouts, and then the start of the bedtime routine, which for my teenager included more homework after scouts and very little, if any down time.

Now, I understand that we can find ourselves in all kinds of seasons, but the season I currently find myself to be in includes very little self care.  I’m not referring to showering and brushing my teeth.  I’m talking about nurturing my soul! Somehow I was getting enough water to maintain, and that’s what my boys were doing.  I found this unsettling to say the least!

Yes, seasons existed where I modelled these things better, but the Spirit convicted me that if I wanted my boys to practice a different rhythm in their lives, in every season, then I had to first model that for them.  

Just as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4

14 I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children. 15 Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 17 For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.

Imitate me, by imitating my son/daughter who has spent time watching me imitate Jesus Christ.  Who doesn’t want to send out their children and be able to say this?  Who doesn’t want a life worth imitating?  

Almost a month into the new year, I’m creating my plan.  A plan to renew my resolve, not to be a perfect example, but a living one.  An honest and transparent example, inviting those near and dear to imitate anything in me of Jesus and nothing that isn’t.  

John 3

30 He must become greater; I must become less.

In order for Him to increase in me, what must decrease?  That which is worthy of imitation must increase and that which isn’t must go.  

I don’t want to be a guide in Christianity, instructing and teaching on what was and what is supposed to be.  I want to be a Mother in Christ, with many spiritual children, helping to imprint the way of life in Christ on many.  

- Nanette H.

Snow Much Fun!

Image by vjeran2001 on stock.xchng

If you are like me and my kids, we love being outside, even if just for a short time.  This cold weather that we’ve been having definitely makes that challenging and sometimes impossible.  If your kids (and you!) have a little cabin fever, here are a few activities to add a bright spot to everyone’s day.  Since we’ve had some snow, and are likely to have more, the activities are “snow” themed to make the most of our natural resources…hopefully you can find something you and your kids would be interested in!

Snowman Estimating:  Cut out three white circles, small, medium, and large (construction paper, regular copy paper, or whatever you have will do).  Glue the circles together, one stacked on top of the other to make a snowman.  Have your child estimate how many marshmallows or cotton balls will fill up the snowman.  You could have them estimate the whole snowman or just each section.  As an added bonus, let your child actually glue their estimation materials down and decorate their snowman!

*Tip:  When cutting out your snowman, the smaller it is, the simpler and easier the estimation will be.  Consequently, the larger the snowman is, the more challenging the estimation will be.  This activity can also be done just by drawing a snowman on paper too instead of cutting one out.  

As a fun family activity, make torn paper snowmen.  Each family member can tear and create their own or work on one snowman as a family.  Don’t forget the accessories!

Indoor snow:  If you are feeling particularly adventurous, check out the website/blog Modern Parents Messy Kids (http://www.modernparentsmessykids.com/2013/01/making-snowmen-inside.html) for making indoor snow.  This activity SOUNDS super easy with just two ingredients but I’ve not made this yet.  I vow now to make it though so I can let you all know how it turns out!  I can guarantee though that our snowman will look nothing like the one she has pictured on her blog (see below).  And I’m okay with that.  ☺

If you aren’t digging making indoor snow, then bring the snow indoors!  Use a bucket, plastic storage container, or even your bath tub…and fill it up with some snow!  You could even give your child a spray bottle filled with colored water to “paint” the snow.  Imagine the fun and laughter when they (or you) “paint” their name, letters of the alphabet, numbers, the possibilities are endless!

Lastly, if you feel like your house is closing in on all of you and everyone has some serious cabin fever, meet up with some friends at Cedar Ridge coffee house or the Great Mall.  Bonus?  Your children can burn off some energy for free!

With some new activities to try, I bet you just can’t wait for it to snow again…right?!  ☺  I’ve got more snow themed activities up my sleeve so come back to check out my post next month too!  

Julie C.

Words of Encouragement

Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body. Proverbs 16:24

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.  Proverbs 25:11

Think back to the last time you've heard a gracious and kind word spoken to you. Would you agree that they are "sweet to the soul" and like "apples of gold"?  This week we are looking at the power of words and how God uses them to speak truth and life into our identities in Christ.  The Bible is full of wisdom, instruction, and truth about the power our words can have to speak life and death into a person's life (Prov 18:21).  Do Luke's inspired words ring true in your experiences like they do mine, "for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."? (ch6, v45)
Start thinking right now how you can choose to speak life into the people God has uniquely positioned in your life today.  Pray for those people daily and ask God to show you His heart for them.  You never know when an authentic word of encouragement spoken in love just may be the honey-sweet, apple of gold that person didn't even know they needed to hear.

This week:
Be alert this week to your consistent places you have contact with possible people of peace. How do you know a person of peace?  A person of peace...
a. Likes you. They are already asking for your time, asking for advice or prayer. 
b. Serves you. They ask to help you! 
c. Is hungry to grow in their faith. A learner, but not needy. 
d. Listens to you and desires to have a faith like yours. Willing to listen and apply what they are learning.

Who are the people of peace God has brought into this season of your life? Write their names down and commit to praying for them for 30 days.  May God make the abundance of your Christ-centered heart overflow into words of encouragement and life.

Jena

Uniquely Made and Uniquely Placed

We have spent the last two weeks hearing great wisdom from Shelley Winkler about how we are uniquely made in the image of God to influence those around us.  We are told in the very beginning of the Bible that we are created in His image: "God created human beings in his own image, in the image of God he created them." (Genesis 1:27 NLT)  From the first human to draw breath on this earth to you and I - God has created us all uniquely and placed us each in a space to influence those around us.

What is discipleship but living our lives in such a way that we reflect God, in whose image we were made, influencing those around us for the Kingdom?  Investing in someone - just loving them with the heart of Jesus - can be enough to inspire curiosity about the Lord in them.  By doing that we are his hands and feet, working to bring them closer to Jesus.

We have what it takes to be disciples; God ensured that we would have the tools by making us in His image.  He has imbued us with inner strength (whether we feel strong or not), emotional influence through our relationships, courage to overcome obstacles and stand fast in the face of adversity, the ability to nurture those around us and all of God's great creation, vision to see things as they could be, intuition to see beneath the surface of people and situations, a unique voice that stands out among the crowd, and the big picture view that allows us to help solve problems and recognize when things aren't as they should be.

All of these characteristics are pieces of the Father that he wanted uniquely reflected within each one of us in varying ways.  We each have our own, individual mix of these characteristics that together make up our identity.  That unique combination allows God to put us in the path of just the right people or situations to exert the needed influence to bring them closer to Him.  Does that mean that we are meant to disciple or influence everyone we encounter?  No.  Shelley also described who we are looking for - people of peace.

In Building a Discipling Culture it is described like this:
"The Person of Peace is someone God has prepared for that specific time.  It is no good trying to force open doors that God has not opened, and we must not be distracted so that we miss the doors he has opened... Our main job is to walk through life with our eyes open and our ears listening to the Spirit as he reveals to us the Person of Peace he has prepared." (Breen & Cockram Ch. 13)

We don't need to feel overwhelmed by the prospect of discipleship.  We don't have quotas, we aren't uniquely made or placed to walk alongside everyone this way.  God prepares us for the People of Peace that he puts in our path.  Are your eyes and ears open to the people God has uniquely prepared you to meet?

- Katrina K.

Made for Influence

Last week you were challenged to look for ways you saw your unique creation as a woman made in the image of God.  Are you encouraged by what you saw?  Are there areas you pray become strengthened?  We encourage you to keep searching;  look for them in your phone calls and texts, look for them in your interactions with strangers, look for them in your hopes, look for them in your fears, look for them in your parenting, in your relationships, in others, and give thanks.  You are fearfully and wonderfully made. 

•Voice - unique as a woman and specific to you. It is a beacon of influence

•Courage - believe and act in responsibility

•Strength - Solid determination to see something, someone through

•Intuition - keen sense of discernment. You just know is your “knower”

•Emotional influence - sensitive ability to influence the heart, mind, or spirit of another

•Nurturer - care, comfort, heal, hold, lift up, and help small things/people become big

•Visionary - insight and foresight into what could be

This Week At Home . . .

1. Continue to study the women of the Bible passages from last week. 
2. Be alert this week to your consistent places you have contact with possible people of peace. 

• They like you. They are already asking for your time, asking for advice or prayer. 
• They Serve you. They ask to help you! 
• Hungry to grow in their walk. A learner, but NOT needy. 
• Listens to you. Want what you have. Willing to listen and apply what they are learning.

3.       Make a list of people of peace and pray daily for them for 30 days.

  "For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."  Ephesians 2:10

In Him

 

You can see it in the glisten of a child’s innocent eye. The flicker of a candle flame.  Capture its beauty in the embrace of loved ones. In the tears of laughter. Observe its wonder in the miracle of a child being born. In the power of the sunrise and sunset. Marvel its existence in a dream. Experience its heartfelt longing for something more. Something different. Something new. 

HOPE.

And amidst its beauty and amazement hope seems so fleeting. Like grasping for that French fry that falls down the side of your seat in your car as you’re driving. Within the mundane of routines and monotony of laundry, phone calls, emails, paperwork, and even brushing your teeth, hope seems detached. Amongst the grind of fixing meals and boo boos, changing diapers, doing homework, sitting in the car line at school, and in attending lessons and sports practices hope seems aloof. And in the depths of anger, cancer, unforgiveness, crime, losing a job, addiction, rejection, and death hope seems illusory. Nonexistent. Absent. Lost. A deception of all that was desired. Dreamed about. Endeavored. Prayed for.  A rejection of all we should have. All that could be. 

HOPE.

The dictionary defines it as the “state which promotes the desire of positive outcomes related to events and circumstances in one’s life or in the world at large.” No wonder we feel deceived, rejected, bitter, heartbroken, despair, and lost. Hoping in the outcome of events and circumstances leaves the results up to us. Places the burden upon our performance, accomplishment, motivation, wisdom, preparedness, strength, endurance, ingenuity, resourcefulness…OURSELVES. Not much to hope for there considering we are imperfect and broken. I recall Paul’s statement to the Romans “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” Romans 7:15 And on a more personal note, I witness among people I dearly love the unresolved and unexpressed grief over the death of a child affecting generations beyond his years, the sin of addiction, the unforgiveness of love unattained, and the bitter bleeding hearts locked in pride and buried in shame unwilling to see and unwilling to change. Hope unimagined. A myth. Nonexistent.

That is if I hope in myself. My actions. My words. My behavior. My feelings. Or hope in their actions. Their words. Their behavior. Their feelings. If I rely on my desire, I see no hope. If I trust in my circumstance or situation I discover hope lost. A heart broken over what could be. A deep sadness over the perceived victory of evil. But if I am honest with myself I am really feeling frustrated, discouraged, rejected, irritated and abandoned by hope. Hope displaced.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

 HOPE given. 

“The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him.” Lamentations 3:25 

HOPE found. 

“In his name [Jesus] the nations will put their hope.” Matthew 12:22 

HOPE placed.

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people” Ephesians 1:18

HOPE revealed. 

“…we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.” 1 Timothy 4:10

HOPE explained.

“…in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time…” Titus 1:2

HOPE discovered. Beyond ourselves. Hands open to the living God, who is the Savior of ALL people, releasing hope in our circumstance and events to the One who is all powerful and has authority over all of heaven and earth. To the One who came crashing into this world, leaving His throne in heaven to become a vulnerable baby to lead us back to our true Father. To a life lived fully. To the One who loved us so much He could not forget us nor forsake us and never will. To the One who laid down His life on His own accord to save us. To the One who promises eternal life with Him through Jesus Christ.  To the praise and glory of our God and Father.

HOPE attained. 

You can see HIM in the glisten of a child’s innocent eye. The flicker of a candle flame.  Capture HIS beauty in the embrace of loved ones. In the tears of laughter. Observe HIS wonder in the miracle of a child being born. In the power of the sunrise and sunset. Marvel HIS existence in a dream. Experience HIS heartfelt longing for something more. Something different. Something new. 

By Tami Ingalls

Holy Bible, New International Version

Prayer: Let’s keep each other warm!

Let’s look at some realities for all of us ladies that attend “Mother’s Together.”  There is snow, ice, and freezing cold wind outside!  That’s pretty much ALL we have in common.  Within every walk of life, there are ups and downs, peaks and valleys, and then there are the moments where everything seems to just be mundane, going through the motions. 

Writing about prayer is an honor, and every time I sit down to begin, I have to really wonder what you need to hear.  What you need to hear today, in this moment, in your moment.  Speaking to people who are suffering loss, tragedy, and illness, or celebrating new life, promotions at jobs, and a new house.  Those who have lived in their “new” house for years now, wait for their husbands to come home from their next shift, whether it is in flight for days, weeks, months, years, or hours.  I met a woman a few months ago, who has four children all under the age of four.  Her husband is away at war, fighting for our freedom.  He’s been away for years…and each time she visits, they have a new bundle of joy to welcome into the world.  ☺  How bittersweet that must be for her.  To finally be embraced by the love of her life, then to fly home with doctor visits by herself…to the birth and then the care taking of all four children who long for their daddy.  I pray for her a lot.  I have to be honest when I say that I cannot remember her name, but God does.  There are people all around us who need our prayers.  We can relate, because we need them as well.  How can we pray, unless we know what to pray?  The bible says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”  Hosea 4:6  

My blog this week holds more questions than answers.  Where are you in your life?  What do you need?  Who can you ask for prayer, and share joys and sorrows with?  Jesus knows what to pray, yes.  It says in Romans 8:34 “…Christ Jesus is at the right hand of God and is also praying for us…” I think that it’s awesome to know that he is praying.  I also think it’s awesome to know that we need each other.  Matthew 18:20, “ Where two or three people meet together in my name, I am there with them.”

When you search the word “Pray” at biblegateway.com, it comes up with 424 results.  I believe that means it’s important, don’t you?  Our prayers are important, but let us take a moment to listen to this scripture that hits home for us in Psalm 35:13, “But when they were sick, I put on black clothes. I made myself low by going without food. My prayers for them weren’t always answered.”

Our prayers aren’t always answered.  But that doesn’t mean we just quit.  Take a moment to sit still and think of moments in your life where there was definitely an answer to prayer.  Write it down, and share it with your table.  Let’s do this together…we need encouragement right now.  It’s cold outside!  

- Jennifer G.

Identity: Made for Influence

Scripture this Week: Genesis 1:27

God created human beings in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female He created them. - NLT

We have a unique identity as women. We were created differently than men. We were created differently for divine purpose. Both men and women represent who God in character and nature. We are going to take notice this week how, as women, we are uniquely designed in the likeness of our Creator and Father God. Just like when a daughter looks and acts just like her mother or father. We see, feel, think, and respond like God our Father. Through the unique design of being a woman we have specific and special ways of influencing those around us. Whether you are aware or not. Whether you want to be or not, you are influential. It is critical that we are aware of the unique design and therefore the source of our influence on those around us. Our influence, when connected in a relationship with Jesus, who was the exact representation of God in human form, becomes a life orienting, life giving and life changing force in the world.  Our understanding and ownership of our unique likeness to God is essential.

This is a week of observing and reflecting on how you were created as a woman in God’s own image, meaning His character and nature.

•Voice - unique as a woman and specific to you. It is a beacon of influence

•Courage - believe and act in responsibility

•Strength - Solid determination to see something, someone through

•Intuition - keen sense of discernment. You just know is your “knower”

•Emotional influence - sensitive ability to influence the heart, mind, or spirit of another

•Nurturer - care, comfort, heal, hold, lift up, and help small things/people become big

•Visionary - insight and foresight into what could be

Pray for God to open your heart and mind to notice when you are acting out the above traits of God. Keep a list this week of examples of situations or conversations.

Prayerfully thank God for your unique design.