In Psalm 23:5 it says God prepares a table for us in the presence of our enemies. When I think of a prepared table I think of it as a place to sit, eat, and have fellowship. While the battle rages, God…our victorious Defender…invites us to sit with Him, feed on His truth, and fellowship with pure love. How can you pass up that offer?

But it seems like the enemy likes to lurk around the table. He’s looking to distract us. He wants us to get up and move away from God and what God has prepared for us. Has anyone gotten up from the table lately?

It never ceases to amaze me that my God who has seen my backside many times as I’ve gotten up and walked away wants me to come back to the table and fellowship with Him again and feed on His spiritual food. Aren’t you so glad that you can go back?!

Next week many people will gather around tables to celebrate Thanksgiving. Let it serve as a reminder that the God of the universe has prepared a table… for us. And not just here in the presence of our enemies but also in heaven. I look forward to seeing familiar faces at the table.

Shagufta

About 15 years ago, I had a friend who was trying desperately to help me break away from the guilt and self-doubt that I suffered from in about every area of my life.

I was a single mom and had fallen away from any real belief that God had a man for me and my baby who would be able to love all my baggage, and me and embrace my fatherless child as his own.

I know she spent hours on my behalf desperately praying that I would believe that God had more for me. That I wouldn’t passively accept mediocrity any more in my life and embrace the fullness God had for my life.

Somewhere my iciness started to melt and a glimmer of hope started to stir in my heart.

Even though I was a Christian, I had erected a self-induced barrier between myself and other believers.

They seemed to have it all together and less messy lives then I did.

I struggled to commit to a church for fear of being judged.

My friend would often drag me along like a petulant child, to church events of many different backgrounds and beliefs.

Sometimes a fire started to slowly burn in my belly and even though I didn’t realise what was happening, I started really speaking to Jesus again.

Asking Him to be a part of my life.

Letting myself start to open up places in my heart I had foolishly given away to people who hadn’t deserved it.

I suffered from self-condemnation and didn’t think I was worth a whole lot. Strangely though, I had such a deep-rooted understanding of the gift that my child was, and spent a lot of time wondering why in the world our heavenly father would have entrusted such a joy to me?

At Christmas this friend gave me a framed picture of the verse that I want to be the focus of today.

Proverbs 3: 5-6

“ Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

It struck my heart so deeply, I still feel like weeping!

How do I apply this to my life I wondered?

I knew that God had patiently taken up residency in my heart and was waiting for me to accept this yolk He was presenting me with. I hung that picture up in my living room and stared at it.

Did I trust God?

Could I trust God?

Did God really want me not to compromise my hearts desires?

I believe in those moments that the Holy spirit started to break through and reveal all those things that I had never before known were important, or had hidden away for a long time.

My hearts desires.

The reminder of the Grace that had entered my life with the conception and birth of my child.

For the first time in my life shortly after this awaking was starting to happen, I fasted, inviting God to break the mediocrity and compromise I had allowed into my life, I knew He had more for me and was finally ready to give Him the keys to my heart and life….

Are YOU ready to give God the keys to your heart and life?

Thanks for letting me share my heart!

Rebecca

I sat on the sofa surrounded by 12 pairs of eyes, all fixed on me. I was on my element. Having the chance to meet and talk with a group of like-minded believers seemed heavenly. I secretly giggled. You sure have come a long way, girl!

We had gathered at my friend Alma’s house for our very first Small Group meeting. Things were quiet and a bit awkward initially. After all, most of us didn’t know each other. But the ice began to melt as each of us introduced herself.

I could hardly contain my excitement. For weeks, Alma and I had been preparing for this meeting, and we had had such a wonderful turnout! When my turn to share came, I expressed my excitement at the chance of making new friends.

“As we get to know and pray for one another, friendships will develop,” I said with a huge smile. Yet a look around the room made me realize this statement didn’t necessarily elicit an equal response from everyone there.

I could only imagine what some of the gals might’ve been thinking. “I’m not sure I want you to know me better.” “What if you don’t like me?” “What’s gonna happen once you find out what I’m really like?”

In her song, Love Me, artist JJ Heller pleads, “Dear God, could you send someone who will love me for me?” It is the cry of every heart, “Would you love me for me?” “Would you still love me, once you knew the real me?”

It is the same question I silently asked for years – one that kept me from enjoying the blessing of friendship. Thinking that if I “limited the exposure,” people would only see me at my best – then they would never dislike or reject me. But if they got close enough, soon they would see me mess up.

Would they still like me then? Would they still want to be my friends?

A few months after moving to Phoenix, I began to attend the Women’s Bible Study at my new church. Relationships began to form with an ease I hadn’t experienced for a long time. My fears faded away; the walls I had built came tumbling down. I gave friendship a second chance. And guess what? I still messed up plenty of times. But my new friends did not judge or reject me; instead, they lovingly encouraged me to grow in Jesus.

And now – 13 years later – I wonder, what would I do without my friends?

At the end of our meeting, I stood by Alma’s front door and said good-bye to each of the ladies. As I did this, my heart was praying for each one of them, asking God to give them the courage to press on and to continue attending our group. For if they do, they will see miracles: answered prayers, hearts made whole, and – none the least – the miracle of friendship.

Give friendship a try. Join a small group! For a list of available groups, click on the following link: http://vineyardnorthphoenix.com/smallgroups

Ana
http://anastinescorner.blogspot.com/

The other day, I drove by a Starbucks on my way back from church. I saw a group of women sitting at one of the outdoor tables. They were sipping their coffee drinks and seemed to be enjoying the pleasant weather and conversation.

Though my vehicle lingered briefly at that intersection, something caught my eye. One of these women was listening intently at her friends. The look on her face told me that she “got” whatever the others were saying.

I think that we all long for that kind of relationship, for someone who “get” us – whether it is a parent, a friend, a boyfriend or a spouse. We need to know that there is someone we can talk to, someone who will understand – even if they don’t necessarily agree with us.

Every week, our church offers us an opportunity to make that kind of connection through a small group. A small group is a great place to find people who understand where we’re at or what we’re going through. And if they don’t, they are willing to offer a listening ear, their friendship and their prayers.

The beauty of small groups is that they are made of people with similar interests and goals. There are groups for us girls; some are just for men; some are for parents; some are for singles, and some for married couples. Some groups focus on a topic, like prayer; some study a book of the Bible, and for some the main focus is building relationships.

This weekend, VC will hold its biannual “Small Group Fair.” Tables will line out throughout the courtyard, advertising the different groups available – some existing, some new.

If you have not yet joined a small group, I encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to find the group that’s right for you. During service, ask God to direct your search. And after service, walk around the different tables, and stop at the ones that interest you. Grab flyers and talk to the leaders standing there to get a better feel for what their group is all about.

If several groups appeal to you, feel free to visit them during the following weeks. Eventually, you will find the one in which you feel “at home.”

When you first visit, you might feel a little bit like a stranger. But I guarantee that as you get to know the people in your group and as you worship the Lord together and pray for one another, a very special bond will develop.

And one day, you will see you group nodding intently as they hear what you have to say, and you’ll realize you’ve found a group of friends that really, really “get” you.

Ana

I have a secret. 

It is something I’ve struggled with for a long time and something I was ashamed of and afraid to tell anyone else.  Who would understand?

One day I felt so desperate I decided to share my secret with Susan, a woman in my small group.  The words and ensuing tears gushed out like a torrent I could no longer control.  I told her that ever since my teen years I had battled extreme fatigue; that when my kids were little there were days I felt so tired I didn’t think I would make it; that I felt like a failure because I couldn’t keep up with my house chores, and that there were mornings my muscles ached so bad I didn’t want to get out of bed.

I told her about my feelings of guilt and frustration; that I felt like a horrible mother because I had no energy to play with my kids or to treat them with patience; that I felt like a bad Christian who had a wonderful message to share but no strength left to do it.

When the words and the tears finally stopped, I lifted my head very slow, scared to look Susan in the eye.  Certainly she would think I was just lazy and a coward.  But when our eyes met, all I saw was compassion.

“Oh, Ana!” she said, “I know exactly how you feel.  I, too, have struggled with fatigue for many years.”

Susan hugged me tenderly and prayed for me, then she encouraged me to talk with my doctor about my symptoms.  After several years and many different tests, my doctor finally figured out what was wrong with me.  My chronic fatigue and achiness were caused by the Epstein Barr virus.  I would’ve probably never gotten the help that I needed if it weren’t for Susan.

I’ve learned to control my symptoms with diet and exercise, but I still have bad days – days in which I am tempted to give in to depression and hopelessness as I wonder, Will I ever feel ok again? 

But because of friends like Susan I know now that I will be ok.

The Apostle Paul encouraged the early believers to “carry each other’s burdens” and in that way fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2).  Through my struggles, my friends from church have shown me what it means to be carried.  I still battle pain, fatigue and depression, but I no longer have to face this alone.

My secret is out in the open.  And I am no longer ashamed.

Ana

http://anastinescorner.blogspot.com/

If you are looking for a safe place to meet the kind of friends that will be there for you in good and bad times, join a small group!  Our church has dozens of different groups that meet throughout the Metro area.  For a list of small groups and more information, click here: 
http://vineyardnorthphoenix.com/section/small_groups