Take a step back in time and consider the dreams you had as a child.  Most children can quickly tell you what they want to be when they grow up.  Are those dreams simply childhood musings or seeds God plants in our hearts?  What happened to those dreams?   For many women, those dreams got lost in the reality of life.  We take a job we don’t want because we need the money.  We set aside our dreams for those of our children.  Or we pursue something we think we want, only to find it didn’t answer the longing in our hearts.

 When I was young I wanted to be a teacher.  My father was a high school biology teacher and I loved helping him at night grading multiple-choice tests, entering figures into his grade book and hearing him talk about his class projects over dinner.  As a young girl, I loved being in school.  In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I volunteered in my elementary school library to re-shelve books.  I admired and loved my teachers, and worked hard to earn their respect.

 Time passed and somewhere along the line I lost my dream to teach.  It’s possible that my Dad’s growing frustration with the school administration and difficult students subconsciously soured my opinion, or more likely, my own fascination with a businesswoman’s lifestyle took over.  When it was time to declare a major, I chose public relations.  I knew I loved to write and I could just see myself carrying a briefcase, heels clicking down the hall on my way to an important business lunch.  After graduation, I launched wholeheartedly into my career, never once asking God if that was His will for my life.  For years my career and my faith were on parallel planes.

 As the years wore on, that dream to teach got buried as life took different turns and twists.  But God never forgot it.  Although I didn’t pursue teaching as a career, God always brought teaching into my life with kids of all ages at church.  However, it wasn’t until I surrendered my plans for my career and started working from home that God revealed His plan to integrate my faith and career, and fulfill my dream to teach as an editor, speaker and writer.  My dream just didn’t look like I thought it would when I was a child. 

 As Christians, we understand that everything we do, whether cleaning our homes, driving a carpool or running a home-based business is offered as a service to God.   Paul encouraged the slaves of his day with these timeless words in Colossians 3:23 and 24, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the LORD, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”   

 What childhood dream have you lost?  Whatever it is, I guarantee you, God hasn’t forgotten it.  He may not fulfill it in the way you expect, but perhaps it will be even better as you surrender your plans, and offer them to God for His use. 

In His Love,

Glynnis

www.GlynnisWhitwer.com

 Enjoy the Change!  Have you ever heard that phrase?  Some people try to avoid change.  Now that I’m 48, I’m thinking we better get used to it.  The only constant in our world(besides Jesus) seems to be change.  Our world, our country, our leaders, our economy, our church, our families and ourselves—all of them keep changing.  Speaking of change, you should see the skin under my eyes…..well, maybe you shouldn’t. 

 Change is going to happen.  We simply can’t stop it.

Brian, my husband, has said to our children Zoe and Luke, on occasion, “I think we’re just going to stop you from growing any older and keep you at this age forever.”  The kids used to look at him like, “Is this possible?”

Now that they are the ripe old age of 6, they have figured out this is not possible and they just say, “naaaaaa.”

They know we cannot really keep them from growing older.   The truth is, they will keep changing.  (and we better enjoy it!)

 My prayer is that as we change, we are changing for the better. 

 May we draw closer to Christ and not further away from Him.  May we continue to be learners and not grow tired of the process.  May we face each new day with excitement of what God might do!

May we enjoy the changes in our families.  May we enjoy the things we can about growing older.  May we enjoy the wisdom we gain as we grow older.  May we learn to enjoy the seasons of life.  May we enjoy the things God teaches us…even when they are not easy.

 May we enjoy the change!

Blessings,

Thora

I know we have all heard of the five stages of grief, and unfortunately most of us have experienced them due to the loss of a loved one.  As I was reading about these steps (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance) I began to see just how often we walk these steps in other situations in life.

What about the death of a dream?  As young girls most of us probably had dreams of growing up and meeting Mr. Right.  In our dreams he was tall and handsome,  passionate and compassionate, loving, caring, a great father, and of course he was filthy rich, at least in my dream. 

For some of us, one day we woke up to see this dream shattered. We became aware that our husbands were unfaithful, dealing with an addiction that  whittled away our nest egg, or that they are finding solace on the computer late at night.  Our dream became a nightmare.  Do we have a right to grieve that dream?  ABSOLUTELY!!!

I implore you to examine these steps again but in doing so, recognize there is one more very important step in this process: forgiveness.  While the other steps of grief are predominately involuntary, forgiveness is a choice.  We can choose to let this dream die and die with it, or we can choose to walk in the Word of God and forgive.  It is in this forgiveness that we find our new normal.  Life as we know it changes and we begin to live a different (not necessarily worse) life. No matter where that choice takes us, forgiveness is non-negotiable if we desire to live a happy and contented life.

Jesus says we are to forgive 70 times seven, that if we do not forgive He will not forgive us, and that unforgiveness is like a cancer to the bones. He is very serious about this issue in the Word.

No matter how the dream changes or what the end result, Christ is first and foremost concerned about us.  He cares about our well-being and knows that it is only in forgiveness that we can walk complete and whole.  He is more concerned with our peace and growth than about how  OUR dreams are playing out.

Sometimes we must understand that the dream is not what makes us. It is what we learn from trusting God with that dream, that transforms us into what He desires us to be. 

Ladies, life can be painful and full of sorrow (1 John 16:33) but do not fear. Release your situation to the Lord and walk in forgiveness and the Lord will guide your steps and give you new dreams … His dreams.

God Bless,

Dina, a guest blogger.

Last Sunday, Pastor Brian shared a powerful message about the love of our Heavenly Father.  His words were like a soothing balm to my soul.  As the warmth of these truths sipped into my soul, I closed my eyes and was transported back in time…

Seventeen years ago, I heard a similar teaching for the first time during a conference I’d attended called “The Father’s Heart”.  The message came at one of the most difficult times in my life.  Two years before that, my husband and I had lost our firstborn to SIDS, and now we were expecting our second child.  Though elated about our baby’s arrival, brokenness and fear had robbed us of much of the joy a pregnancy can bring.

The speaker explained that our relationship with our earthly father shapes our image of our Heavenly Father.  I thought about my own dad.  Raised by an abusive stepfather, he had a hard time conveying his love to his kids.  Our home was well provided for and there was much discipline, but we lacked warmth and affection – something neither one of my parents had growing up.

I had always wrestled with a sense of unworthiness – after all, who could deserve a love as pure as God’s?  Not me.  That was for sure.  My son’s death sent me on a tailspin of guilt and confusion.  Though I never doubted the existence of God, I couldn’t help feeling like He had forgotten me.  If He still loved me, why had He let my little boy die?

At the conference the speaker explained that God loved us with an everlasting love, and that His love was unmerited – I had to do nothing to deserve such love, just open up my heart to receive and experience it.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  (Romans 5:8, NIV)

Met with a second chance at motherhood, I realized how desperately I needed to feel that kind of love.  At the altar call, I walked to the front to receive prayer.  I clutched my bulging belly with one hand and raised the other.  The love I had for the baby I carried within me made me understand God’s love for me: unconditional, undeserved, deeper than the ocean’s depth.

For the first time in my life I felt the Lord’s sweet embrace, loving me, comforting me.  I heard Him whisper that He would never leave me nor forsake me, and that He would never stop loving me, for I was His child.

My life has never been the same.

Pastor Brian’s words brought me back.  I desperately wanted to run to the pew and ask him to let me use the microphone so I could tell everyone at church, “Don’t be afraid to come to the altar.  Drop all preconceived notions about God and receive the Father’s love!”

Of course I knew I couldn’t do that, but I smiled realizing I’ve already been given a “microphone” through this blog, where I can share my thoughts and experiences with you.

So I am grabbing my microphone; I’m adjusting the volume real high, and I’m proclaiming to all who can hear my voice, “Open up your heart and receive the Father’s love!  Don’t let anything hinder you from the sweetness of His love!  Let the truth of His Word and the power of His Spirit heal your wounded heart and memories!  God loves you with an everlasting love!”

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!  (1 John 3:1b, NIV)

I hope you heed my plea, because I love you too. 

Always,

Ana

 http://anastinescorner.blogspot.com/

See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands …  Isaiah 49:16 (NIV)

As a sign of her undying love and faithfulness, a certain celebrity permanently tattooed the name of her beloved on her arm.   This act of affection was “permanent” until she and the love of her life broke up.  Then the tattoo was removed and another’s name tattooed in its place.  So much for everlasting love!

Unfaithfulness abounds, and the world is littered with broken hearts and shattered dreams left in the wake of deceit and rejection.  Selfishness defines our society, which counts relationships as an expendable part of life.

 When someone we love turns away from us, we’re left wondering how a love that seemed so true, turned into such a lie.  And how did we not see it coming? Rejection spawns a downward spiral into grief and despair, filled with more lies that we are worthless and unlovable.  It’s a dangerous cycle in which many find themselves.

 At the depth of our pain, in the darkest moment of the night, God speaks words of truth into our hearts:  “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5 NIV).

Though others may forget their promises to us, God will not.  To make sure we know He’s serious, God made two eternally permanent marks of His faithful love.  First, in Isaiah 49:16 God tells us, “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.”

 Get that!  We’re not written in a Sharpie marker, not a semi-permanent henna tattoo that washes off in a week, not even a “permanent” full color tattoo that can be removed.  But God has engraved us on His palm.  That’s a mark that can’t be erased.

 Then, God made His second mark of faithfulness with the blood of Jesus.  Ephesians 2:13, “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.”  The cross is our reminder of that love.

 Though many may fall around you, you are cherished and loved by the Almighty God.  Today He holds your sweet face in His hands, hands that are engraved with your name, and reminds you that He chose you and He will never turn away.

In His Love,

Glynnis

www.GlynnisWhitwer.com

 Has anybody tried to “transform” a Transformer toy? My son, Luke, loves Transformers even though he has never seen the movie.  He asked for Transformer toys for his 6^th birthday and got quite a few of them.  They are much more difficult than they look to “transform.” (This means transforming them from things like vehicles and planes into robots by doing a series of twists and turns and manipulations on a small plastic figure while looking at an instruction sheet with pictures too small to decipher and constantly wondering if you are going to break the toy in the process.)  The toy boxes say “5-years and older.”  I am 48 and I still can’t figure out how to transform most of them.  This has led to much frustration for both of us.

Luke even got underwear for a gift which has the Transformer logo and words to part of the song on them, “Transformers…More than Meets the Eye.”

He asked, “What does, ‘more than meets the eye’ mean?”

I tried explaining it in various ways.  “It is more than you bargained for; it is not what you first expected.  When you first saw it, it did not look as powerful as it really was.”

 After this, Luke said, “What does ‘more than meets the eye’ mean?”

So much for my explanation.

Well, I think all of us meet people and situations which turn out to be “more than meets the eye.”  It may be someone who “underwhelms us upon first meeting them and they turn out to be amazing.  Or it might be someone who after knowing them for a season, deceives us or disappoints us by their behavior.  The experience is truly more than we bargained for or expected.  It is “more than meets the eye.”

 In situations like these, we need God to intervene.  I pray when life gives you something that is “more than meets the eye,” you will find God’s grace, wisdom and intervention.  May God help us to constantly focus on Him for whatever is “more than meets the eye.”

 (And, since I’m asking, may He give me incredible ability to see in 3-D and correctly transform toys)

 Please share your story with us!

 Blessings,

Thora

Wow… that’s all I can say about the sermon this weekend.

I love the way Jack taught about Worship not being “Worship” until I am the sacrifice!

It’s so true that we all worship something. Sometimes we think it’s God that we are worshiping but who really sits on the throne of your heart? This was a question that lingered in my mind after service yesterday.

These past few months my mind has felt like a battle ground. I came across an area in my life that I had a hard time letting go of. This was a part of my life that I knew deep in my heart the Lord wanted me to place on the altar. Like Abraham I could not understand why God would ask me to give up something that meant so much to me. I also tried to reason with God and figure it out. But the more I tried the more I became confused!

So I went around the mountain over and over again until I finally threw my hands up and surrendered this thing to God. I realized it was an area of my life that God wanted me to release so He could give me more. He wanted to fill this void in my heart that I was allowing this IDOL to fill. Yes I say IDOL because that’s what it became. It was something that took my thoughts, feelings, and emotions away from the things of God!

I love the way Jack said that “Worship allows us to see ourselves clearly”. God wants all of our heart, He knows the desires of our heart and He promise that if we seek first His kingdom that He will give us the desires of our heart but this will be according to His perfect Will not ours!

We need stop trying to earn Gods grace and stop trying to live our lives the way we think we are suppose to live. We were created to worship Him and as long as we do just that He will do the rest! It’s when we Worship and draw near to God that we discover His plan and His purpose for our lives.

I want to leave you with these awesome words that Jack spoke into my heart on Sunday… “Stop focusing on rebuking the DARKNESS submit to God and the darkness will flee.” When we submit our full hearts to God holding nothing back our hearts and minds become more and more like the God we Worship!

Romans 12:1

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

Love

Eva

Is there a dream in your life, an unquenchable passion that burns within your heart to do something for God?   Or perhaps it’s something you merely deem “a good idea” but you haven’t done anything to make it happen?

What’s stopping you?

This morning, as I was getting ready for work, I listened to Dr. Randy Carlson talk on the radio about the importance of responding to the calling in our lives.  “God has given us different gifts,” he said, “but it’s up to us to use those gifts to bless others.”

The Apostle Paul explained it clearly, We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. (Romans 12:6-8, NIV)

Somebody once told me only I can do whatever God had called me to do.  Only I.  What a sobering thought!  As I understand things, no one is irreplaceable, yet nobody else can do what I can because:  1) God called me to play a specific role in His Kingdom, and 2) Someone else might be able to play the part, but they won’t do it the way I can, because only I can do it the way I do things.

Imagine anyone else playing Riggs in “Lethal Weapon” other than Mel Gibson.  Could you picture anyone but Julie Andrews play the part of “Mary Poppins”?  Anyone but Bogart and Bergman in “Casa Blanca”, John Travolta in “Saturday Night Fever”, or Tom Hanks in “Forrest Gump”?

Maybe someone else could’ve played those roles, but it just wouldn’t be the same.

Church is a great place to springboard your dreams into reality.  There are ministries already in place where you can play a vital role and develop your passion.  On the other hand, there are also many opportunities for great ideas to take shape and blossom.

Take my friends Monique and Lequetta, for example.  Years ago, they saw a need to offer an evening Bible study for women.  At that time our church only had a morning Bible study.  They felt that working women were missing out, so they talked to Thora, our Women’s Ministry Pastor, and with the help of a few volunteers they began what is now called “Girl Talk” our Women’s Evening Bible Study.

Patty Quaid – those who know her will chuckle – is always on the go, but she wanted to lead a prayer group.  So she started a small group that met at church, after work hours (she manages our church’s bookstore).  The group walked around the church campus.  As they walked they shared their needs with each other and at the end of their walk they prayed for one another.

Mike and Kathy Ritches wanted to do something for homeless people in Phoenix.  In their own words, “What started out as a small blanket giveaway in the inner city during the winter time has grown into a much larger blanket, personal hygiene, clothing, and food distribution accompanied by a free hot dog lunch.”

For years my dream was to teach God’s Word to women.  God in His faithfulness and mercy has opened up multiple doors for me to do so.  But I would’ve never had seen this passion fulfilled unless I’d acted upon it.  First, I started helping clean up after our Women’s Bible Study.  Then I served as a table leader.  Then I started leading a Small Group.  Then I was asked to share my testimony during one of our Women’s Ministries events.  Imagine my surprise one happy day when Thora asked me to teach one of the lessons at our Bible Study?  And she didn’t even know that had been a dream of mine for so many years!

What is your passion?  And what is stopping you from acting upon it?

As I said before, our church offers many opportunities to get involved and to serve.  But if you want to put your own particular dream in motion, we will equip you with the basics to get you started.  On our website:  http://vineyardnorthphoenix.com click on “Upcoming Events”, then scroll down and click on the link “VCFNP Leadership Track” to get information on how to become a leader at the Vineyard.

If you don’t have Internet access, you can get a copy of the brochure at church, at the display that hangs on the wall between Rooms A and B.

Whatever idea tugs at your heart, big or small, I encourage you:  Do not discard it!  Talk with other friends about it and pray for God’s direction.  Believe in your dreams!  For God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.  (Ephesians 3:20)

Have a little faith in yourself and go for it!!!