Thank you for joining us for THRiVE 2017 In Jesus’ Name!What a privilege it was to worship and fellowship with such a beautiful group of amazing women like you! My soul has rejoiced with you as I have read your messages and emails sharing ways God spoke and moved among you. Prayers for you have not stopped and I anxiously await the time we can join together again.
We were blessed by those who shared the powerful, unchanging, unwavering word of the Lord. Here are few words we heard:
What a beautiful name it is- the name of Jesus. What a powerful name it is- What a wonderful name it is- nothing compares to this- the name of Jesus
If you are going to do this, you do it “In Jesus’ Name.
Our Father who is in heaven… We have the privilege of calling him Abba Father.
He is a good, good father in the storms of life, in the victories of life… He is Abba and his love for us is without condition.
I call him Prince of Peace, I call him ABBA Father, I call him Friend, I call him Promise Keeper
I AM who I AM has sent you. Everything we need from God is wrapped up in “I AM”. The gap between our calling and our obedience is where we trust that He is all we need.
God is “The Place”. Where can I go from his presence? There’s no home like Place.
There’s not a place you go he has not already been.
What does he ask you to do “By faith in the name of Jesus?” Whatever it is… do it in “The Name of the LORD.”
Thank you, again, for joining us.
The secret to THRiVing is this: Christ in you, the hope of glory! Colossians 1:27
Looking forward to seeing you at THRiVE 2018 In The Light of the World
The Thrive Gathering at West Chester didn’t have to try hard to live up to its title. As Kalyn Vogelmann shared: “to thrive is to grow or develop vigorously; to flourish” from Colossians 1:27 “the secret (to thriving) is this, Christ in you, the hope of glory” – and these ladies weren’t going to let a simple oncoming January blizzard stop them.
Each person who filled the room that weekend achieved growth in their thriving relationship with Christ and with each other. The simple acts of listening to the speakers, praying for each other, and fellowshipping together over wonderful food always goes further than expected.
While Katie Beehn shared her testimony there was no doubt that the Holy Spirit dwells in her heart. You never know what God will do when you totally surrender to his Lordship. Her sold-out love for the Lord was so evident for all to see and hear. Katie’s story was inspiring and a few gals are already planning their own trips to Haiti to experience for themselves what happens when we “Rise up and let Christ shine on you!” Ephesians 5:14
The panel of guests words hit many of us right at home- Dovie Hudson’s words of wisdom- Don’t try to “sit on the back row and look dumb”. God could be leading you into the reciprocal blessing of mentoring dozens of young women looking for Him at critical times in their faith journey.
Lisa Van Nest and the Food2GO ministry – “God has shown me that He is always faithful. I was afraid…afraid of failure…afraid of inadequacy…afraid of disappointment. Despite those fears, God reminded me that He will provide what I need and all I need to do is trust Him for it. Those fears still creep in from time to time, but when I see the blessings that come from this ministry and hear of the impact it is having in the community, those fears are replaced with joy, satisfaction and excitement.”
“Anybody here who’s found him faithful? Anybody here who knows he’s able? Say Amen” Finding Favour
Straight away the tables’ gorgeous centerpieces, which absolutely embodied the theme of thrive, also tied in with Saturday’s first speaker, Tami Conrad, and her lesson on the Parable of the Soils. She exuberantly shared the same story we’ve heard since children’s church but revived it such in a relatable way. Tami shared stories of the tendencies we all share of being a seed thrown onto beaten, rocky, and thorny soil when all we desire is to be the good plant in good soil. Whether we are guarding, or being led by emotion, or letting our to-do list strangle us, we must instead strive not just to hear the word of God, but to understand it.
Beautiful Things- Sand Art by one of our Thrive participants
Dara Laforest also spoke that morning, filling in for an out-of-state speaker who was unfortunately snowed in. She was originally going to speak for a few minutes and sing a song, but Dara not only filled in – she thrived. She went above and beyond, sharing her story, her sorrows, her struggles, and her continuing joys. She shared her proven knowledge of how the world may abandon you, but God won’t. God can be the love of your life, if you let him.
The amazing words of these speakers weren’t the only beautiful voices heard, as a talented band of three led worship – though they weren’t the only ones unafraid to sing. The entire gathering didn’t let a word go unsung, even overpowering the microphone at times with their music. These acts which spill joyfully over the line of expectancy is what made this gathering memorable, life-changing, and gives the best examples of thriving.
Remember…. Who’s your King? That’s my King!
Co- Written by Janae Kammer and Kalyn Vogelmann
Thank you, Janae!
Thank you for joining us for THRIVE 2016. You were a beautiful sight!
If you would like to stay connected with THRIVE, sign up for our email notifications. Stay tuned for THRIVE: Gathering 2017 …in Jesus’ Name
Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Psalm 34:8
Imagine you’ve come home after a long day: your feet are tired from being constricted in shoes and your posture is already collapsing before you even see the beloved couch. But don’t worry, it’s the weekend. You have no outside responsibilities for the next few days, so you might as well just lock yourself inside and relax until Monday cometh. Your stomach now grumbles to remind you of the timely distance between now and your last lunch break (if your workplace’s generous donut splurge counts as lunch). Still dreaming of the legendary Krispy Kreme, you stumble into the kitchen to find –
Nothing.
You check the fridge.
Freezer?
Long forgotten corners of the pantry?
Empty.
I’m not even talking about the “Uuugh, Moooooom, there’s nothing to eeeeeeat” type of empty. You feel hungry enough to where you’d gladly eat any can of straight spaghetti sauce if only you could find it. But you can’t just go to the store to buy some food – you locked yourself in for the weekend, remember? Not that you’d really have the money to buy food anyway. I guess you’ll have to buckle down and wait for those donuts at work on Monday.
In a sense, this is what is happening to kids all over Centerville during the weekend. Many kids who go to Centerville City Schools end up going home for the weekend without any food. They often live in tough situations that result in little-to-no money for food – sometimes the only real meal they get is the free lunch at school. This is where the Food2Go program comes in.
Lisa Van Nest, the current coordinator for Food2Go, shares the concept of this program and how she became a part of it:
What is Food2Go?
Food2Go is a backpack program for the Centerville City Schools that began through a couple of individuals from Living Hope Church who saw a need to feed children who are at risk of not having enough food to eat on the weekends. Since its beginning in 2007-2008, the program has gone from feeding 40+ children each week to over 160 children this school year. There were nearly 200 children served by the end of last school year. There are 28-30 volunteers involved in the program who purchase the specified food items, inventory, pack and deliver the food to the schools each week. We also partner with Elk Enterprize which is the work/study program for special needs students at the High School who inventory and pack the individual food bags, thereby receiving valuable career and life training in the process.
How did I become involved?
Just before the holidays last year (2014), I had heard that the Food2Go ministry was struggling financially and there was some concern that Living Hope would no longer be able to support the program. That struck a chord with me–I thought that this was too important a ministry for it to not be able to continue. At the time, I had no involvement with the program and didn’t really know much about how it operated, so I didn’t really give it any more consideration, especially with the onset of the holidays and all the busyness that comes with the season.
UNTIL, the first of the year came around and I received a call from my pastor, Jon Gibson, who wanted to talk to me about Food2Go. I was reluctant–no, afraid of what that meant, so I did not return his call. The following weekend was the District Women’s Gathering, which I attended by myself. As I sat through the sessions listening to each woman on the discussion panel share their testimony of how God called them to start their ministry, I felt God poking at my heart. Then, I heard one of the women say, “God is speaking to one of you out there and if he’s asking you to do something, then you better do it!” It was as if God had said it directly to me and it could not have been more clear. It was confirmation for me, that God was calling me to get involved with Food2Go. So, I returned Jon’s call and as it turned out, the director of Food2Go was stepping down, and a new coordinator was needed. After meeting with Jon and the director to learn more about the role, I knew this was what God was calling me to and I couldn’t say no.
I am now in my first year of directing Food2Go and it has been a learning process. The ministry is still having a few struggles financially, but it is improving and people have stepped up to either volunteer or support it financially. We have another church, Normandy UMC, who partners with us by providing some of the food which is about 1/3 of the total cost. We have also received grants from a couple of local organizations.
What has God shown you?
God has shown me that He is always faithful. I was afraid…afraid of failure…afraid of inadequacy…afraid of disappointment. Despite those fears, God reminded me that He will provide what I need and all I need to do is trust Him for it. Those fears still creep in from time to time, but when I see the blessings that come from this ministry and hear of the impact it is having in the community, those fears are replaced with joy, satisfaction and excitement. The relationships I have formed with not only the volunteers, but school counselors and teachers, have been a blessing I didn’t even foresee. It is a pleasure to work with such a wonderful team, who all share the passion for helping children in need.
I am grateful that God spoke to me the way that He did. Through the obedience of those women He called to ministry and through the opportunity of hearing those women share their stories, I now have the opportunity to share my story. That is my heart’s desire: to be a part of God’s story!
If God is poking your own heart about helping with Food2Go, you can go to their Facebook page for more information and contacts: Food-2-Go
Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’ Matthew 1:23
Immanuel…God with us. This four syllable biblical word describing the baby Jesus is a staple for Christmas carols, sermons, and cards. I have probably heard the word Immanuel numerous times every Christmas season of my life, yet until recently I have probably not understood it’s depth of meaning.
Somehow grasping for hope causes us to search for meaning…the meaning of life, the meaning of death. In the midst of Stage IV metastatic carcinoma, what does “God with me” mean? As a Christ-follower, faith assures me that He is WITH me, in the good times and the bad times, in sickness and in health, in celebration and in defeat. But exactly what does WITH mean? Perhaps the WITH of God explains the peace I have felt in the midst of cancer treatment. Or does the WITH of God answer the unexplainable joy, or the unwavering hope that God is in control of my life? His WITH for me means His very nature permeates my thoughts and reactions when I am scared of hearing scan results, or when the pain of the tumor in my leg reminds me that I am living with cancer. The “with” of God enables me to not only survive this time of my life, but even to thrive during this time.
God often reminds me that He is Immanuel to me. He is with me and is in control of everything. Ten years ago, I received a Christmas cactus as a gift. I parked it in our master bathroom where I would remember to water it (even cacti need some water!). The cactus sits all year looking rather nondescript. In fact, it’s rather ugly. But every year in late November or early December, beautiful amazing red flowers appear.
.
I remember four years ago when I was going through my first breast cancer. I glanced at the beautiful cactus one day and made the comment to Bob, “How does that plant know it is December!” Immediately the Lord reminded me that He is Sovereign over everything. He tells the Christmas cactus that it’s time to bloom! So why would I have to worry about ANYTHING. Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?…But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:25-34
I can thrive in the cancer battle because He is Sovereign Immanuel. The “with” of God knows and orchestrates every day of my life.
I also thrive because of encouragement of family, friends, and even those people I hardly know. Encouragement is powerful and fuels strength to fight. It comes in many forms…through cards, promises of prayers being offered, surprise gifts of blouses that will fit my arm plagued with lymphedema, or even through my grandchildren. Every now and then God surprises me with unexpected encouragement. I smile as I think of a recent gift:
My morning began as usual. On Tuesday mornings Tucker arrives around 8:30 and then we head out to Ladies Bible Study around 9:15. This morning was like any other…nothing out of the ordinary. Until I changed his diaper. As I leaned over him to complete the task, Tucker looked up at me, and in his innocent, charming toddler voice, said, “Grammy, you look like a princess!”
You can imagine how shocked I was to hear those words. In these cancer-laden, chemo-driven days, I often don’t feel like a princess. I limp. I have one arm almost twice the size of the other. I have gained weight due to steroid infusions and increased appetite. My “princess” days seem to be over. One of my fears in my reoccurrence of cancer has been that my grandchildren may not remember their Grammy as vibrant and full of life, but chemo-destroyed, old, sickly. I try as hard as possible to seem as normal as possible in the abnormal.
Tucker made my day that day. I realize that the comment was probably spurred on by the “princess-type” sleeves of my new blouse, but I can always fantasize that he really saw his grandmother with the blind eyes of love and not the clouded eyes of the world.
“…but let us encourage one another…” 1 Thessalonians 4:18
That we would all live this way.
Encouragement feeds thriving.
To more than survive in life’s most difficult challenges, I believe we must experience the “with of God,” being thankful for any encouragement He sends our way. People encourage me, but the Word of God, His Son Who made His dwelling among us, and the Holy Spirit encourage me even more. I could not live in peace, joy, and hope without this assurance. I love the theme for our upcoming women’s renewal event. I hope I am living testimony to the truth of God’s Word:
God has made known to us the secret to THRIVING… “That secret truth, which is for all people, is that Christ lives in you, the hope of glory.”Colossians 1:27
I want to thrive in the midst of cancer…not just survive…that He may be glorified!
Elaine Mahaffey
A previous and most excellent post by Elaine about her diagnosis of bone cancer: When What’s New is Hard
Click here to find out more about THRIVE:Gathering 2016 where Elaine has been a featured speaker.
Look! I am about to do a new thing! Now it sprouts! Do you not perceive it?
Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.
Isaiah 43:19 (LEB)
What do you do when the new in life is the hard. It’s not an exciting new adventure or giddy butterflies in your stomach moment. It’s gut wrenching, head spinning and faith clinging, clinging, clinging. How do you respond to this “new thing” in your life situation that feels like it is stealing from your life?
Where is the new creation? Where are the new compassions? Why this new thing?
Meet my friend, Elaine Mahaffey, and hear her story. Allow her perspective to open your eyes to new ways God loves, heals and creates the new in the midst of the hard. Many of you have heard Elaine speak at our Out of our Mind women’s events the past 2 January’s. What none of us knew this past January was that a little over 24 hours before Elaine spoke to us about being devoted to the apostles’ teaching, she heard from the doctors that her cancer had returned; this time in her bones.
When What’s New Is Hard
“The “new” is flooded with His presence, infused with His instruction, and enveloped by His grace.”
But I’ve been here before! I know what it’s like to hear the “C” word from my doctor. MRIs, CT scans, surgery, radiation…been there, done that. I remember the infusion center, the shock of post-surgery realization, the pain of severe burns from radiation, the celebration of treatment completed. Yes, I know what cancer is like. And now I know what it’s like to have cancer return.
As I have cried and prayed my way through this recent diagnosis of metastasis, I have asked God what I am to learn from this. With my first cancer experience, I blogged on a Caring Bridge site, but I have struggled to begin a second blog attempt. God’s Word has not changed. Everything I wrote in my first blog is still true today, so what “new” thing am I to learn? What is God teaching me now? I must confess, this new is definitely hard.
Patience. Perhaps God wants me to slow down, yet I am happiest when I am busy. My “type A” personality has always driven me to thrive on tasks accomplished. Even in the midst of this diagnosis, my mind runs with goals to achieve, closets to clean, books to write. Yet now I wait hours in doctor’s offices and infusion centers for appointments. My time is now subject to the schedules of others…no more “master” of my days. Perhaps I do need to slow down, but God please give me patience!
Humility. Countless friends and acquaintances have sent cards, visited, provided meals, prayed over me and with me, and have been very supportive. I am not used to this. It is perhaps one of the hardest parts of this whole process. Everyone means well and for the most part these interactions are good, but sometimes things are said that I must process with filters. Recently, a good friend asked me, “Elaine, how are you doing? I can’t imagine. What does it feel like to know you are dying?” I know she meant well…I would just rather focus right now on the living. God is God. He knew my date of birth and my date of death before I was even conceived. My life is in His hands, and I rest in that. Peace is knowing that I don’t have to concern myself with my coming and going. He does all things well.
Trusting God does not mean you cannot cry. Believe me, I have cried with this recent news. I am very human and my emotions are very real. My husband has always been the one who cries more than me, yet together we have “cried a river” (probably an Amazon!) these past few months. I have cried as I shared this news with my associates at work, with dear friends, with people at our church, and even at times with total strangers! I will go along my day thinking I am handling everything well, and then for some odd reason, something will open the floodgates again. I love life, my husband, our children and their spouses, our nine grandchildren, blue sky days, mountains and beaches, and so much more. Yesterday I was reminding myself, “Better to have loved much than to have never loved at all.” I love these people God has placed in my path! And I cry when I am reminded that I am diseased. But – I trust God with everything…my life, my husband, our children and their spouses, our nine grandchildren, the blue sky days, and even the mountains and beaches. He is Sovereign. He is our Provider, our Sustainer, our Rock in times of trial. He is everything to me and I trust Him even in the tears.
Deny yourself…take up your cross…follow me. Our church has focused this Lenten season on this verse Matthew penned years ago through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit:
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves, and take up their cross, and follow me.” Matthew 16:24
As we have worked through this Scripture corporately, I have worked through this privately. What does it mean to deny myself? I must understand that as a Christ follower, every part of me belongs to Christ. My time…my pride…the good days and the difficult ones…the cancer-free days and the cancer-laden days…my life.
And what does “take up your cross” mean for me? Is my cross cancer? I don’t believe it is. In his book, Experiencing the Cross, Henry Blackaby writes that “Taking up your cross means giving up your rights.” Interesting. I think I understand Blackaby’s perspective a little better in the midst of a cancer diagnosis. Taking up my cross means that I surrender my “right” to orchestrate my life as I desire, but God has every right to take me on the mountaintop or lead me through the valleys. I must surrender to His plan for me, and I choose to do so with the tenacity of embracing the truth of His Word with honesty, transparent with questions, successes and failures. The “new” is flooded with His presence, infused with His instruction, and enveloped by His grace.
The result: I will follow Him. Even when the new is hard.
You make beautiful things~ You make beautiful out of dust~You make beautiful out of us
You are making me new
Beautiful Things Gungor
LOGOS and LEGOS That’s how we started the new year in my house. We opened The Word (logos) and each child shared a verse. How beautiful is the sound of scripture from the mouths of preschooler through teen. Then, we played- with Legos.
Look! I am about to do a new thing! Now it sprouts! Do you not perceive it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.Isaiah 43:19 (LEB)
Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23
“Behold, I make all things new!” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Revelation 21:5
Therefore, if anyone is in Chirst he is a new creation; the old has gone the new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17
Logos- After they each read the verses we asked each child to share the “new” in their verse. They replied with: creation, all things, compassion. As we discussed what these new things mean for us in our lives, we asked them to share something they wanted God to do in and through each of them this year. It’s a beautiful thing…. The thoughts toward God from the young- innocent, pure and unscathed by the world. Full of hope and expectation. Mom and dad shared, too, and we ended with each of us praying for the person on our right and their request for the “new” 2015. We prayed as a family that we would be open to whatever new he had planned for us.
Now for the Legos- To put more of God’s word to work in our lives we pulled out the Legos. The big container held the lost, mixed up and separated blocks which once were held in their own neatly contained box with clear creating directions, put together and then nicely displayed on their shelves. Right away everyone began digging into the now deconstructed and broken builds box and excitingly decided on what we wanted to create; something new that had not existed previously in our history of Lego creations. We worked as a team, each building a part of a bigger plan. The house, the playground, the furniture, the vehicles, the people. When we were finished, we sat back and looked at our designs. Each one joyfully explaining the uniqueness of their creation. This gave me a chance to ask this question- “Is it more fun to build the Lego set that comes with the step by step directions or is it more fun to take them apart, start from scratch, and use those pieces to create something different; something new?” There was pause. Then after a moments thought, that night’s unanimous answer was: it’s more fun to start from scratch and create something new- a new design, a new creation.
That’s like us and the way God works in our lives. Sometimes he lays out and let’s us know the plan for us to follow- his word gives us much direction. Other times he says come take up your cross and follow me; I’ll make you into a creation you won’t believe. I’ll create something you may not have thought of on your own. And there are times that requires the tearing apart of the old- old has gone so that the new can come. He breaks us down or allows the things of the world to break us down and take us apart so he can do the brand new. The breaking down is rarely fun, but the process of rebuilding and recreating can be exhilarating. Piece by piece, this new creation is being formed as God directs, and, bit by bit, the anticipation of the new builds inside you until finally- construction complete. Sit back- bask in what God has done! Yes, he could have showed you the end result picture before it all started and given you exact piece by piece instructions, but where would the thrill and anticipation have been in that?
Ok, so maybe you like the guide book directions with each step numbered… but try some new thinking… Think about opening yourself to let what’s old go if needed and be available to whatever the new he has for you even if it’s painful at first. Let him surprise you piece by piece until completion and then sit back and see the beautiful new he’s done in you.
Worship: Beautiful Things Gungor
Could all that is lost ever be found Could a garden come up from this ground at all
You make beautiful things You make beautiful things out of the dust You make beautiful things You make beautiful things out of us
You make me new, You are making me new You make me new, You are making me new
new creation
new compassions
new plans
Being confident of this, that he who began a good (new) work in you will be faithful to complete it. Phillipians 1:6
Blessings,
Kalyn
Coming soon-Watch for-Part 3 “When the New is Hard” written by Elaine Mahaffey
Look! I am about to do a new thing! Now it sprouts! Do you not perceive it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.Isaiah 43:19 (LEB)
New things!
new opportunity, new job, new friend, new town, new faith, new peace, new love, new adventure, new mission
The Israelites needed a new thing in their current situation, alright! When Isaiah speaks these words of hope they are in a desperate season in their history. They are captives, who had lost all they thought they would keep forever and were longing for the blessings God had promised. And God was offering them a fresh start. Promising them a new thing. How about you? Are you open to a new journey with God? A fresh start?
new
1. not existing before; made, introduced, or discovered recently or now for the first time.
2. already existing but seen, experienced, or acquired recently or now for the first time.
New mercies every morning
Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Lamentations 3:22-23
Whew…. Can you perceive those new mercies waiting for you to unwrap each day?
New creation
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has gone the new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17
Are you or do you want to be a “new creation”? Do you want to be far different from what you were before? Would you like some qualities in your life that were previously non-existent?
God’s word tell us 3 gems about the “new” in these verse:
1. Your God does new things
2. God gives us new compassion for each day
3. God makes us into a new creation when we invite him into our lives.
Good bye old- hello new!!!
He who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Revelation 21:5
Listen to the words from the one who sits on the throne. Saying… I bring all things into a new and better condition. Even when the new is unknown and difficult. Sometimes we get so stuck in our current condition that we fail to realize that it’s not the “better condition” that God has planned for us. Sometimes we are so content with our life that we can’t imagine being in a new and better place. But, look around… each day the King of all Kings invites us to feast upon his new compassions. Not yesterday’s leftovers. The invitation is there…. “because of his great love for us” that NEVER ends. (Lamentations 3:22)
These beautiful verses from the Holy Bible show us new things God will do in this new year. It is the beginning of March and the newness spring brings is just around the corner. Soon, we will look out our windows and see fresh life budding all around us. If God’s word is true, which it is, then we can be sure that new things are in store for us this year. Can you see them? Do you perceive it? (Isaiah 43:19)
Feel like you are wondering in the wilderness? Or are you excited about a new adventure? God tells us that he makes a way. He’s the God of new things. Your God makes things exist that did not exist before. Your God creates things that have not yet been discovered. Your God takes a human and makes a completely new creation. Something has to die so that you can acquire a beauty you had never know before. Pride dies for humility, hate dies for love, cruelty dies for mercy, agitation dies for patience, fighting dies for peace, sorrow dies for joy, fear dies for courage and on and on his power goes.
The old has gone…
New has come…
Humility Love Mercy Patience Peace Joy Courage Hope Freedom
Open your eyes- see, notice Him
See the new he wants to do in and through you this year.
He who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Revelation 21:5
His words are “trustworthy and true”. So, get into his word and discover all the new he has for you.
Seeking and finding,
Kalyn
The new- Part 2 coming soon.
Reflect:
Try the S.O.A.P. method with the scripture listed in the reading.
S for Scripture
Take time reading and allow God to speak to you. Highlight, underline or place a mark in the margin of your bible next to the scriptures that stand out. When you are done, reread the verses you marked, look for one that particularly spoke to you that day, and write it in your journal.
O for Observation
What do you think God is saying to you in this scripture? Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and reveal Jesus to you. Paraphrase and write this scripture down in your own words in your journal.
A for Application
Personalize what you have read by asking yourself how it applies to your life right now. Perhaps it is instruction, encouragement, revelation of a new promise or corrections for a particular area of your life. Write how this scripture can apply to you today.
P for Prayer
This can be as simple as asking God to help you use this scripture, or it may be a greater insight on what He may be revealing to you. Remember, prayer is a two-way conversation, so be sure to listen to what God has to say! Then, write it down.
Women’s ministry fellowship idea:
Invite the ladies in your fellowship to a New Things party.
Ideas:
Ask them to bring something new to them that they treasure and be ready to share with the group about the item.
Ask them to wear something new (within the last year) earrings, shirt, socks, shoes, lipgloss. See if the group can guess what’s new on you.
Make a new recipe to share with the group and bring copies of the recipe for others to keep.
Learn a new word and its definition the week before the gathering, then share it with the group.
Learn a new bible verse and write it on index cards to let those who the verse ministered to take the card home.
Share the scriptures listed above and ask the ladies to tell what they heard to be new in each verse.
new
n(y)o͞o/
adjective
1. not existing before; made, introduced, or discovered recently or now for the first time.
2. already existing but seen, experienced, or acquired recently or now for the first time.
Our Father who is in heaven… We have the privilege of calling him Abba Father.
