Find refreshment for your heart, home and life
I love a good Reuben Sandwich at a restaurant, but I’ve seldom ever made one at home. First, the Corned Beef is expensive at the grocery store. Second, the calories are even higher! But when a generous man at our church shared his homemade sauerkraut with us (again!) I kept thinking about how good a Reuben Sandwich would taste using that freshly made kraut!
We’ve all done it – slammed our finger in a drawer or caused ourselves some sort of pain by a careless act. This morning it happened to me – I was getting ready for the day and I dropped my phone onto the top of my foot. All those little bones in there began screaming for attention and I gave it! I lifted my leg and while hopping on the other foot, Continue reading “Family Friday – Apply the Loving Touch”
Ever since we moved into our home I have loved having a room designated for my sewing and crafting. This room also houses as day bed, so it has also served as a guest room on occasions.
But the room just didn’t feel right to me and I have been looking for a chance to rearrange the furniture and see if I could make it function better and feel a bit more Continue reading “Redecorating the Craft Room”
Last weekend I had the blessing of attending The Ladies’ Prayer Advance in Roanoke, Virginia. This event is like a “ladies’ retreat” in that it is a weekend away. However, it’s called an Advance because the whole purpose is to encourage women to move forward in their walk with God.
Sometimes we need a couple of days to rest, move slowly as we talk to God and spend time alone with Him, but then there are other times when we need someone to put their hand in the middle of our back, so to speak, and help us move closer to God through:
It is absolutely wonderful. It’s the best kind of tired you can feel! To have heard God’s Word taught or preached seven times in those two and half days is powerful. To spend time alone in prayer is convicting. To pray with your prayer group several times is better than I can even describe. The closeness that it brings is a special blessing that only the Spirit of God could do.
The break-out sessions allow each woman to choose topics that speak to her heart. Abuse, contentment, depression, marriage, unanswered prayer, and overwhelming situations were some of the subjects addressed.
This is an exhausting weekend. There are no shopping adventures. No hours of rest between sessions. No extra activities are planned. Does it sound boring? It’s anything but that! Does this mean we don’t have fun? Hardly. When you get right with God, you also are the happiest and you are also a blessing to those around you! Our group had wonderful, sweet fellowship, laughter, tears and unity. It was precious!
Every year we make it a point to go to a fun place called Elderberry’s for lunch. They have a TON of different wraps and a MILLION different smoothies to choose from.
This year we ended our time at the Ladies’ Prayer Advance by sharing lunch together here before we had one last time of prayer and headed home…completely physically exhausted, but absolutely, wonderfully refreshed spiritually!!
Attending conferences like this is a huge sacrifice of each ladies’ time, but we all need it if we truly desire to advance in our relationship with the Lord. Do you make sure to find a time or two each year to spend away at conferences like this so you can be challenged and renewed spiritually? It’s really helpful if you are longing to advance!
Next year’s Ladies’ Prayer Advance is being held March 21-23 in Roanoke, VA. Perhaps you would consider joining the more than 500 that were there this year? You can find information here.
I will also be attending a Ladies’ Retreat this month in North Carolina at The Wilds. I’m excited about this special weekend as well. You can find information here and can also register on-line. You can’t go to The Wilds and not receive a blessing!!
Take time out to refresh and advance! You’ll be so glad you did!
During a recent text message with my daughter Whitney, she shared with me about the blessing her small group leaders are to her and her husband. She said to me,
“They invited us over for dinner Friday night and we had a really great time!
I replied by saying,
I like these people!
That this dear couple would invest in the lives of my family means so much! Because they extended that kindness to Paul and Whitney, it was like they had done it for me! If you’re a parent, you understand that when someone reaches out in kindness to your child in a special way, it’s as though they were doing it directly to you, because it touches your heart.
Let’s put that thought on a spiritual plane – when you and I serve our Savior by living out the Christian life in practical ways, God says it’s as though we have done it to Him.
Matthew 25
For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
That could include:
These deeds don’t save us, but they show the world that we belong to God. When we do any of these kinds of things in the name of Christ, God says it’s as though we are doing it directly for Him!
So, who will you reach out to today or this week? Ask God to show you who and how and then do it in Jesus’ name. His Father’s heart will be touched by your actions.
What action has someone extended to your child that meant much to you?
What action could you do that will touch the heart of God?
RefreshHer 