The weekend of August 22-23, Pastor Brian started a new series on leadership. If you missed that weekend service for some reason, I want to encourage you to either get the CD or listen online by clicking here.

Let me just say, that I couldn’t take notes fast enough.  Brian was speaking truth after truth about much more than leadership.  It was really about living a life of obedience.

One truth stood out above the rest:  Saying yes always involves a very big no.

How I have learned that in my own life, and STILL need to learn it in some areas.  For example, saying yes to reading God’s Word often involves saying no to novel.  Saying yes to healthy eating means saying no to that extra piece of pizza.  

 Not only is this truth good for spiritual discipline, but it’s a healthy truth for finding balance in my life. I would like to just say yes to every good thing.  But I only have so much time, so much energy and so much money.  

Every time I say yes to an opportunity, I have to say no to something else.  If I keep trying to do it all, I’ll drive myself (and those around me) crazy. 

I said yes to home schooling my daughter Cathrine.  And I’m having to say no to a number of things in order to fit it in to our schedule.  My no is Facebook.  I just don’t have the time to check it. 

In the coming month, many women will be stepping in to a position of leadership in a small group.  These women have said yes to serving God by serving other women.  My guess is that each one is having to say no to a lot.  No to the fear that no one will show up.  No to the insecurity that she doesn’t know enough.  No to the extra time she had on Saturday morning or Wednesday night.  That’s just one group of women who are saying yes and making sacrifices.  There are many more.

Even though saying yes means saying no to something, I have found that God blesses a “yes heart.”  It is my prayer that every woman who says yes to God at VCNP has her cup of blessings filled to overflowing. 

In His Love,

Glynnis Whitwer

www.GlynnisWhitwer.com

Hip, hip, hurray!
A day to pray……

You don’t know when?
Please come at 10:00. (a.m.)

If you have August 30th open, it’s not by chance.
Please come and put yourself in the circumstance,
To share with us in remembrance,

Of so much that God has done.

We’ll ask; we’ll thank; we’ll confess; we’ll bless.

We’ll enter into God’s presence (on behalf of Women’s ministry)
And thank Him for His magnificance.

Please come if you can,
And join our clan.
Enter into prayer whether here or there.
10:00 until 11:10

The meeting room is where we’ll be.
Please do come and join with me!

Blessings!
Thora

As I think about the sermon Pastor Brian gave this weekend I was reminded of a time in my Life when I had to CHOOSE to say No to the world.

It was back in 1993 I was 17 years old. I remember that day as if it were Yesterday. I was scared, alone, confused and pregnant! What was I going to do? How was I going to tell my Dad? I can’t be a single mother I’m to young! These were just a few thoughts that ran through my mind that day.

I searched for answers in all the wrong places. My Friends told me to have an abortion, my Teacher said I can always put the Baby up for adoption. My Boyfriend said we are to young and a baby would only get in the way! I knew what the Word of God said because I’ve known the Lord my whole life! His Word said “I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future…”  His Word also said “I will never leave you or forsake you.” But for whatever reason the words of the world seemed to be louder then the Word of God!

So 4 weeks later I found myself alone in a room waiting for the Doctor to come in. I tried to relax and say to myself…this will all be over soon and it will be just like a dream that never happened! While I was laying there, the Doctor begin to prepare the tools he needed to abort my child. Yes Abortion that was my CHOOSE…

The world convinced me that I was not ready to be a mother! I remember the Doctor saying to me ”are you ready?” Then the Lord said to me “NO”… I knew at that moment I had to choose my way or Gods way! I knew God wanted my child to live, I knew He promised He would be with me every step of the way. Was I going to obey God or was I going to Obey the world?

It was not because I was sure that everything was going to be ok. It was not even because I felt that I could do it! I CHOOSE to say NO to the Doctor because I had faith as small as a mustard seed! I believed Gods promise that He would take care of me and my child. I CHOOSE to obey God and keep my baby!

On August 26, 1994 I had a beautiful Baby boy. Not only did God bless me with a healthy baby but He was with me every step of the way just like He promised! He also blessed me with a wonderful husband who raised my child as his own. My son will be 15 years old this week. He has grown to be a man after God’s heart! He makes music for the Lord and his testimony has helped so many people who have lost hope.  Obedience was all it took and my life was changed forever!

Is there an area in your life that requires OBEDIENCE?

“And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  Matthew 28:20b

This is a good-news, bad-news, good-news type of blog post.

Good news is I just came back from a 10-day mission trip to Honduras.  A team from our church shared God’s love with young and old in four different cities.  We visited several churches and schools, an orphanage, a health clinic; we put on a play, invited people to church, prayed for people, cried with people, laughed with people, hugged strangers, danced, sang, and ate all sorts of delicious meals.  It was quite an amazing time!

However, the weeks that preceded the trip weren’t so hot.  I spent several months preparing for a certification exam (for work).  I dedicated plenty of time to this and little time to my relationship with God.  A few days before taking the exam, my beloved aunt passed away after a long battle with melanoma.

I didn’t do as well as I had hoped during the test.  Physically and mentally exhausted and emotionally drained, I forced myself to switch gears and prepare for the missions trip, which would take place exactly one week later.

During our visit, the team had a great opportunity to touch people’s lives and to fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Honduras, as well as getting to know one another.  I was reminded that Jesus’ love is truly enough and that His message has the power to heal and restore one’s heart.

But I came back home feeling completely spent and all dried up.

Sunday, at church, I could barely focus on the message or sing during worship.  I slept all afternoon that day and all of Monday morning.  At noon, I finally woke up, feeling sad and confused. 

How can someone crash so hard after such a high?

The words of an old friend came to mind.  “Your soul is like a sponge, Ana”, she had once told me.  “If you don’t water it with prayer and God’s Word, it dries up.”

I thought about this.  For weeks, I had neglected not only my soul, but also my body.  I had stopped going to the gym.  I wasn’t eating right.  My house was a mess (a great source of stress for me).  I had stopped doing the things I enjoy, like reading for pleasure or spending time with my friends or my family.

During the trip, I gave and gave and gave, but I seldom allowed myself time to relax and enjoy this incredible experience.  I took time to prepare my teachings, but hardly spend time feeding my spirit with God’s Word.  I prayed for others, but barely took the time to talk to God or to thank Him for all the beauty that surrounded me.

It is so easy to get caught in the moment or in the race, we forget about the beauty of the journey…

“But remember,” my friend had also said, “no matter how dry, a sponge will always come back to life if you soak it with water.”

So that’s exactly what I’ve been doing since.  I’ve given myself permission to bask in God’s grace.  I’ve talked to friends and enjoyed time with my husband and my children.  I went back to the gym.  I’ve taken long naps and read just for fun. 

And on my way to work, I’m listening to music that reminds me of God’s love for me.  How sweet it is!  Amazing grace that’s touched a wretched like me, once lost, but found – over and over again – once blind, but now I see.

Hi friends,

When something exciting in your life happens, don’t you want to share it with someone?  I do! 

 So it is with great joy that I announce the publication of my latest book,  “When Your Child is Hurting.” 

 I wrote this book from my experiences raising five kids, and dealing with the everyday hurts they face.  As a mom, I found myself hurting  for my kids, and wanting to do something to help them.  Often however, what I did wasn’t always helpful.  Early on in my parenting, I found myself being very overprotective.   Instead of preparing them to deal with problems on their own, I was protecting them from pain.

Unfortunately, we live in a world where problems are a promise.  Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world”  (John 16:33).

My own emotional pain was hindering my ability to do the right thing for my children.  Thanks to God’s wisdom and help from moms who walked this path before me, I was able to address many of my children’s issues in a healthier way. 

I’d like to give away one book to a Vineyard Women’s blog reader.  If you’d like to win, please leave a comment on this blog telling us one parenting lesson you’ve learned that has helped your child deal with pain.  I’ll pick a random winner on Wednesday and send that winner an email.  So please make sure you leave your email address in your comment.  Share this blog with your friends so they can enter to win, and get some wise advice from other moms.

At this point, the book is available through www.Amazon.com or www.Proverbs31.org.  I’ll be talking with Patty about offering it in the bookstore. 

May God bless each and every one of you.

In His Love,

Glynnis

www.GlynnisWhitwer.com

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

Wow!  When I recently read this I was awe struck by how awesome God is and how much He is on our side to have victory in our life!  I’d like to hear your thoughts on these verses.

Blessings,

Susan

I’m sorry. I admit it. I talk too much about my kids. This attribute in others, before I had kids, seemed annoying. I’m trying to do better.

What gives? Well, being a Mom changes you, your relationships and the way you look at things.

I recently read a book called, “Life on Planet Mom”. It is a down-to-earth guide to your changing relationships and how being a mom changes your marriage, your friendships, your relationship with God, and basically…how you interact with the world around you. (The best part of this is the fact that the book lets you know this is normal.)

Being a Mom has stretched me, pushed me, pulled me, and generally changed me. It has shown me things like selfishness in myself and also, I hope, given me a new perspective on how much God loves me. (I still look in at my kids after they are asleep each night and marvel at God’s goodness.)

We do have to adapt to different seasons in our lives, but we can enjoy the change.

I will be giving the book, Life on Planet Mom to the first woman who leaves a comment.

Blessings,
Thora

When this blog posts, I will be on a beautiful island in Lake Winnipesaukee (NH) with some of my family. But I’m writing it while on an airplane.

I think this is pretty amazing stuff.

Here I am, high above the Earth.  As I look down I see mountains, rivers, lakes, highways, towns and cities.  There are dark places where the clouds make shadows on the ground.

1890 miles to go.

Millions of people are going about their day with no idea, and mostly not caring, that I am looking down on them.

That is such a sad thought.  Wait!  I’m getting ahead of myself ’cause that’s not the sad thought.

I think it’s often that way with God.  People have no idea He’s there watching over them, and many don’t care.

If I want the people to know me, I have to bring myself to them, and typically, someone will introduce me.

God brings Himself to people, and sometimes we need to do an introduction.

Are we doing that?  Are we taking the time to help people initiate the most important meeting that any of us will have in our life?

“Person, this is God.  And have you met His Son?”

Of course it’s not that easy, but don’t get all bogged down in the words because, after all, if you don’t know what to say, God does.

1423 miles to go.

Peace!

Barb

When my children were small, I used to look at families with older children and think, “I’ll never get that busy.”  I now understand how hard it is to balance kids’ interests, responsibilities, available time and energy, and the importance of letting them just be kids. 

As my kids have gotten older, their interests are more intense and time consuming.  Between commitments to church, music, sports and school, their time is stretched – and so is mine.   Now we are looking at August, back to school and a busy fall.  I know my children will want to be actively involved in everything.  But it’s up to my husband and me to be the gatekeeper for their schedules, and help them set priorities. 

If we model our lives after Jesus, we learn that He incorporated a lot of interests into His day.  He socialized at parties, met new people, spent time with friends, went to church, taught, worked, honored the Sabbath, and He knew when to step out of the demands of the day to rest and pray.  That’s the key.  Jesus knew His priorities, and He knew when He needed to reconnect with His heavenly Father.

As my husband and I try to teach our kids good time stewardship, there are a few things we’ve learned from the life of Jesus and from personal experience that might help you:  

• Talk to your child about the importance of honoring God with our time.  Explain that we are managers (stewards) of the time God has given to us, and we need to use our time wisely, and according to God’s will for our lives.

• Make church attendance a priority.   Consider it a tithe of time.  Give God the first and best part of your week.  We are encouraged to not give up this time of worship and fellowship with believers.

• Set a time of rest during the year.  Pick a season where no extra activities are added on.  In our family it’s summer.  Instead of joining library book clubs, sport’s teams or swim clubs, our activities are based around the family.

• Consider the reasons for taking on a new activity or responsibility.  Is it really because your child wants to do it, or is there influence from a friend?  Talk about this issue.

• Encourage your child to pray about new commitments before making a decision.  Teach your children to ask God for direction, and then expect Him to answer.  Encourage children to take time during the day for personal prayer and Bible reading.

• Check your own motives.  Is it possible you are encouraging your child to pursue an activity that satisfies a personal dream?  Lay your personal lost dreams before the Lord and watch what He will do with them. 

We have a limited time with our children to teach important life skills.  One important skill we can pass on is good time stewardship.  The writer of Ecclesiastes understood the frailty of time, yet the importance of using it wisely.    Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” Help your children learn to seek God’s will for their time as they make decisions about every opportunity.