Mother/Daughter Retreat at Christopher Lake

This was such a special time away with my girls, the beautiful gifts that God gave me to raise to love Him, serve Him and give back to Him and trust that He will bring them through life okay. It's harder and harder to let go farther and farther as they get older. What better choice do I have than to entrust them to my heavenly Father? hmmmmm...seems that's the best place to put them, into His hands.



Playing games in the basement of the lodge was fun - Cara and I got a friendly competitive game of ping pong going throughout the weekend. :-) If was fun! Then there was the hot tub outside, which was heated with wood. It smelled good and was so warm under the dark sky. Such a quiet setting with no sounds except the sound of natural sounds of God's creation...birds, the water coming onto shore, the wind through the trees....it was all so heavenly.





Going on long walks through the forest was always something I enjoyed doing at Camp Kadesh and the cooler weather wasn't going to stop me from going this time. A group of us walked all the way to another private lake that you could only get into by walking. Can't remember the name of it though. Sitting by the water's edge watching the sun come up behind our cabin was wonderful! I've always loved the sunrises and sunsets at Christopher Lake.





We did lots of crafts and games, drank hot chocolate and had snacks. It was a cooler weekend but it was still good. We had some sunny times too, but it was definitely a good weekend to stay indoors and drink warm stuff.




The girls had to swing that crazy, huge jungle swing too....and of course their mamma had to go out and take photos of them doin that crazy thing. :-)



On Saturday night we had a great dessert buffet put out before us. It was so yummy! Good thing we did some races and exercising earlier. Alysha & Cara were on the same team for the amazing race and each won a gift certificate for Camp Kadesh - Alysha knows how she's gonna use hers - to come to camp in the summer, what else? :-) She was quite happy about that.




We spent a wonderful evening doing our nails, scrubbing our feet, laughing and talking and goofin off, not to mention the ping pong table playoffs and the funny skits. It was a great weekend with just the girls!





Years ago, in the summers of '85 and '86, I stayed at The Swamp - that was the place to be. It was a summer I'll never forget - a place where I ground my roots spiritually. So, I had to get a picture of me with the Swamp sign ya know. We had great cabin mates for the weekend, Cara and Braelyn, we all bonded very quickly. It was wonderful to get to know them. The girls hit it off right away and so did Cara & I. Have good roomies is always a way to start things off right.

A Bra

A friend is like a good bra!

Hard to find
Supportive
Comfortable
Always lifts you up
Never lets you down
Or leaves you hanging
and is always close to your heart!

Have you got one of those? This is so true! Have you been a good "Bra" friend to someone near to you?

A few years ago, I told my sister that she needed a new bra and suggested one for her to buy. Well, she has one now and felt she needed to read this little poem to me. I thought it was great! We need to be good friends to one another - especially to family. Don't ya think? I know it's not always something that I've been and I definitely need to work on it. With God's help I know I can become a better friend, a better encourager.

Walk through Israel at Easter

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Being in Israel has just changed my perspective so much and has really made the Bible come to life. Walking where Jesus walked and walking down the road that He took that cross and seeing the hill where He died and going into a grave that said "He is not here, He is risen" - WOW! It's so hard to put into words what I experienced there. It's impossible to read the Bible in the same way now - I 'see' all these places in my mind as I'm reading God's Word. It has impacted my life in such a profound way.....I want to go back. Stepping off the plane was liking coming home...it literally felt like I was home. My heart has always yearned to go there and now I was there. It has been so special to me to be able to share these photos with you of where I walked. God bless you greatly this Easter season.

What Do I Value?

This morning, a friend sent me an email showing me this photo of a sunset at the North Pole with the moon at it's closest point. WOW! What an incredible photo! How incredible the handiwork of God in the skies - I just love it when He paints me such wonderful pictures! How I would love to capture a moment like that. But, it's most likely something that I'll never get to see in person...I'll only be able to enjoy it through a photo or story captured by someone else. I wasn't there when the photo was taken but I can choose to believe that it's real, and that the person who took this picture really witnessed this event. It's an amazing photo and not one that could be duplicated. At the end of the email, was a Chinese proverb:

"When someones shares with you something of value, you have an obligation to share it with others."






That statement made me think of something else that I value. I highly value the work that Jesus performed on the Cross on Calvary so many years ago just outside of Jerusalem, on the hill of the skull. I was not there so many years ago to capture the moment, but I believe with all my heart that it happened as the Bible records it did. I believe it, and I value it, and thus I am obligated to share it with others. As we're approaching Easter, and as the precious precious time that I spent in Israel is still so dear to my heart, this email made me think of that which I value and is what I value so precious to me that I am obligated to share it with someone else. Hmmmm. Yes, it most definitely is. Jesus died on that cross so many years ago. Why? To save me from my sins, to save me from eternal hell, to give me the gift of eternal life....if only I am to receive it. This is what I value! I was there, just a few short months ago, seeing the place firsthand of where it all happened, where that event took place. I believe! Feeling the presence of God so strongly as I stood there looking up at that hill where He was crucified, as many people stood around and mocked Him while his own mother wept silently for her Son. How could a mother go through what Mary went through on that dark day long ago? But was it a dark day?? Yes, God turned His back and allowed His Son to die....BUT what a divine purpose He had in mind....to defeat evil and death! Do give us the gift of Eternal Life!! Amazing! What a magnificent eternal plan!





The time in Israel was life changing. As I stood there with my own son, Brandon, I was overcome with emotion. What an incredible experience we shared together. I walked in the Garden, gazing upon a tomb that very well could have been the same tomb that my Savior was buried in, I was so struck by the fact that it is empty...EMPTY. Many years ago, the stone had been rolled away and an angel had sat on it

"He is not here, He is risen, just as He said He would"

I silently wept. My Lord, My God, who loves me so much, sent His Son, His One and only Son, to die a brutal death on a cross, and rose again and now lives in Heaven preparing a home for me - He did this for me, so that I could be saved and given the gift of eternal life...to spend eternity in Heaven with My Savior.

I walked through the Garden, in this quiet, serene place, listening to the many people who were praying and singing - in different languages, in tongues unknown to me - how beautiful! How incredibly beautiful the praises, songs and prayers that Our God hears from Heaven, that are offered up to Him. What a beautiful glimpse He gave me there in that Garden to hear the beauty of the tongues that lift praises to Him.



"How beautiful, how beautiful, what thou hast done for me Lord. My heart sings with thanksgiving and praise to You, My God, My Savior. How beautiful are the hands that were nailed to that cross, and the side that was pierced by my wounds. How wonderful You are My Lord and King, to have done such a deed for me. How incredible the amazing moment You defeated death and came out of that grave! "He is not here, He is risen!" YES LORD, You are risen indeed!! Amazing Love, how can it be, that thou My God shouldst die for me! Thank You Jesus!"

Personal Testimonies of Breaking Free

The following are the individual paragraphs and thoughts from women who have gone through the Bible Study called Breaking Free by Beth Moore. I share my own journey through this study in another post farther down.

"Thank you so much for inviting me to take this Bible study. I have broken a few chains along the way, it sure does feel great to have the bondage gone. Thanks to God and all the ladies at Bible study. One bondage I was able to break free from is feeling so stupid and afraid to speak out and answer questions. Love and God bless to each and every one of you." - Kathy Janswick

"I really enjoyed this study of Breaking Free. Although I could not identify with the betrayal of trust by those who are to be your protectors. I could identify with the schemes Satan uses to make you fall. I identified many situations of loss of loved ones but that God has compassion on us and doesn't leave us without a comforter. That above all God desires for us to have fellowship with Him and enjoy being in His presence. Th
at I can find satisfaction and peace in His presence. I can trust Him fully, I will not be put to shame. Like in our previous study, I can know God and believe in Him because He is who He says He is and with His help I can identify and break down the strongholds in my life. - Kathy Penner



"I found each week quite a challenge. I know I've learned a lot out of each week and I know God is with me and I feel really good about myself. Through each lesson I learned to stand strong and trust God and each benefit. To know God and believe HIM. Just letting go and letting God take my problems and stress was quite a challenge. Breaking free - tearing down old wallpaper and putting up new wallpaper - I know I can do that. Each lesson brought me closer to God. I felt good about how each lesson was presented before we watched Beth Moore. I know now I can trust God a lot more and writing the letter to Jesus works. I now write God a letter every night before I go to bed. I am a lot stronger. Healing begins when we recognize and seek Him wholeheartedly and to also pray out loud - I haven't done that for a long time. I feel comfortable in my group - I love them all. Thanks for making me a part of this group. " - Joyce

"I enjoyed the Breaking Free study. For me it was a reminder of my own journey to freedom which began over 24 years ago, lasting me 10 years until complete freedom was realized. There were no books on the market back then to help me, and in my area I was the very first client the brand new Christian counselor had. It was ground breaking territory when I began my journey to healing and freedom. Praise God things have changed now. It is so wonderful to have this journey in one concise study form. I will look forward to using this study in the future as an aid to helping others to freedom. Doing this study reminded me of how far I have come from where I once was. Hallelujah!!! I cry easy and any sharing I did during the group time was accompanied with tears of humble gratitude to my Lord and King and Bridegroom Lover of my soul. I will proclaim the freedom I have found in Jesus until the day of my glad reunion with Him. Forward March!!!" - Safely trusting my God, Linda



"I enjoyed all the lessons. Removing the Obstacles was one that I worked with the most. Satan will try to stir up what our faithful Refiner wants to skim off. Christ came to set the captive free. The better we know God the more we will trust Him. The more we trust Him, the more we will sense His peace when the wintry winds blow against us. This Bible study was for my heart - to loosen the chains withholding my heart from enjoying the abundant liberty in Christ's salvation. I enjoyed God." - Mary Hildebrandt

"My husband has been going through the book of Isaiah in his devotions so it's been neat to have been studying the same thing at the same time as him and share our discoveries with each other."

"I am so glad I took the study this winter. God has a timing for what and when we should do it. It was the hardest study for me so far, probably because I had to dig into my past and take things out I thought I long had forgotten about them. It was all worth it. God's grace can bring beauty out of ugly. I want to break free. I want the peace in my life that only comes from God, peace and joy. I also enjoyed to be with all the ladies who are so wonderful and I wish everyone of them the breaking free of the slavery of satan's lies." - Lydia Eymann

"This series was the motivation I needed to make a change in my life. Through the weekly studies and daily Scripture readings, I began to understand what Faith really was and what it meant to my life. God brought things into focus for me. He showed that yielding to Him would bring me more joy than anything this world could ever offer. I have been encouraged to take baptism classes where I hope to be baptized at the end of May 2009. I am so amazed by the way God is working in my life. I am forever changed, and I pray that all who take this study be awakened by the knowledge of God's unfailing love." - Sherry

"Ever since I attended Bible study, I have found great comfort and refuge among ladies that go through hardships and sorrow and happiness and peace. I have learned of my pregnancy as I started my first official Bible study thanks to my mother's invitation, and have been through a great deal of stress and anxiety spiritually and emotionally. Thanks to my awesome Bible study leader, I managed to get it off my chest and let everyone know of my situation. To my surprise, I was not the only one, nor will I ever be. To be among sisters in Christ and being able to share on such a deep level means so much to me.
When I was a kid, I told my mother that I would go and be a missionary on my own. I don't need to be with anyone else, I just need God and me. She told me that it was pretty much impossible. I now realize the importance of fellowship among others, and see the need for it. How else can we learn if we don't support each other and help each other just as Jesus' disciples did.
I did my homework weekly, or almost in my Living Beyond Yourself study, and found such peace at times. I knew that the devil was trying to pull me away from such a feeling and he almost succeeded at one point, but I decided not to give up. God is always more powerful. That study happened to be during my first trimester which was the hardest part, and one of the hardest times I was going through in my life. God was there the whole time. I thank the ladies and Lisa for being there for me.
Life went better after that study was over, but I never forgot it. However, the Breaking Free study started in January. I decided not to do my homework as much for fear of going through a terrible time again. I almost didn't show up to some Fridays, but felt the need to be there still. I am grateful that the Lord spoke to me through those times, and kept telling me to attend and learn. I still think of doing my homework now, it's never too late to start.
I am glad my mother introduced me to the Bible study, I have grown in my faith in Christ and will continue to do so and try and be a good example to people around me and my child. Thank you Lisa for being such an up-beat person and always bringing a smile to the class and sharing your thoughts and hard times with us. What an inspiration you are! And I thank you for the time you took to do this. This is a few paragraphs, but I felt the need to share. God bless!" - Sarah Huizing

"What did "Breaking Free" mean to me? First of all, I enjoyed the fellowship of the ladies in our group and thoroughly enjoy Beth Moore and the Video, she is such a good teacher. But, that was not the most important part to me, I want to manifest the 5 benefits of these lessons, To know and believe God, to Glorify Him, experience His peace, find satisfaction in Him, and enjoy His presence. I need to constantly release my thoughts to the Holy Spirit, replacing lies with truth, then allow the Holy Spirit complete control, that I might have freedom in Christ, not allow Satan to take me captive in anyway. My desire is to be FREE. Isa. 48:18 "If you [I] had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea" and Ps. 27:1 "The Lord is the stronghold of my life of whom shall I be afraid?" I want to continue to learn, His mercies are new every morning." - Love, Vi Teichroeb

"What did Breaking Free mean to me?

A number of years ago I ws simply reading through my family tree and something jumped out and hit me between the eyes. The picture was so very clearly displayed that abuse was a generational matter. It was recorded right there, generation after generation. For this reason, this particular study appealed to me. I was looking for some answers as to how the pattern could be broken and why it happened in the first place.

I felt that those matters were quite clearly addressed and answered with Biblical concepts, not just those of any person. I believe I was given the answer to how to break the cycle. I saw how things from one's past affect one and again, how the pattern could be broken with God's help. I am not sure the study was even finished yet when someone I love dearly was dealing with some of those very issues. What I had learned gave me some answers and I am still waiting to know how that individual is choosing to respond.

For me, the study was deep, personal, and very helpful. I have tried to go back over the material again but once the study ends, that opportunity seems to have passed over too. Even though I can't remember all the details I wish I could recall, the basic concepts have taken root and I hope I will never forget them.

I don't want to be addicted to Beth Moore but I honestly think that even if she was removed from the study, the Scripture would speak and that is what is so important. I will look forward to 6 more weeks of study in the fall." - Evonne Ginther

Living Beyond Yourself

Living Beyond Yourself is a Bible Study we took in the fall of 2008 - September - November 2008. We ended it the week before we left for Israel - what timing, cause going to Israel was truly a test to live beyond myself. What an incredible study teaching us to go beyond what we are thinking and feeling and truly live life through the Holy Spirit, not on our own power but with the might power of God within us. It taught me so many things that I don't even know where to start. It was amazing and exciting to see the changes that were taking place in the hearts of the women who were involved in the study. God is so good and when we truly seek Him, He does wonders to our hearts and minds.

Below is some journalling that I had done through the study:

Written Sept. 16/08 - "We've just started this study at the beginning of September/08. WOW! Has it ever moved my spirit already! It's amazing at how much God shows me in each study - and how I'll never stop learning. That's the wonderful thing about God's Word and studying through different studies - it's always new and refreshing. I encourage any of you to let us know what you thought about this study if you've gone through it. Also, if you are going through it, share with us what God is teaching you.
In the first session, the first time I watched the video, I had a really hard time keeping my emotions intact through the whole thing. I just felt God strongly moving through my spirit with everything Beth Moore was saying in the video. If you're diligent with the homework during the week, that deep moving in the spirit just goes deeper, if you let it. I'm learning so much and loving it!! Thank you God! I am forever a work in progress. :-)"

Written Sept. 17/08 - "I just found out that a dear women's group in Santa Cruz Bolivia is doing this same Beth Moore study out there that we are doing here. That is such a cool God thing!! The first time I heard of Beth Moore, was when I was in Bolivia in April 2006. I had attended a missionary ladies retreat there with many of these wonderful godly women. I had also attended the Bible study there one night and that was when they were taking the Believing God study. Fall of '07 was when I led numerous ladies here through the Believing God study and it rocked our hearts! Well, this Living Beyond Yourself deal is working hard at rocking our world too! What tremendous spiritual truths and jewels that are in this study so far and we are only on week 2! God is moving and it's exciting!! I was just chatting on facebook with a dear missionary friend in Bolivia and she mentioned to me that they'll be viewing their 2nd session this week. We'll be viewing the 3rd session this week so we are only 1 week ahead of them. But I find that just so much like God to be working through and intermingling us Christian sisters in Christ in this way. That is so cool!! :-)
Another neat thing is this: I'm leading 3 groups through this study right now, Thursday am, thursday pm and Friday am. In the Thursday am group, a woman came to me and was quite excited to tell me that a woman that she cleans house for, had the Living Beyond Yourself study book on her nightstand. My friend didn't know if this lady was a believer or not and took such encouragement to see this study book by her bed!! I asked what her name was and realized it was a woman from the Thursday pm group. That was so exciting to my friend. God is so good!! I love how He entertwines our lives continuously. And now to hear that my dear missionary friends are going through this same study too, it's just so wonderful!! Thank you God for all your wonderful surprises each day!"

Written Oct. 1/08 - "Today, I just completed day 5 of week 4. Beth's heart for her sisters in Christ really spoke to me today because that has been my heart for many years. I love each and every woman the Good Lord sends through my life. We learn so much from each other. The apostle Paul's heart for believers in the churches that he writes to in the New Testament is so real - and I often feel those same things. Especially when he writes in Phil. 4:1 how his brothers and sisters there were his joy and his reward for his work. They brought him joy.....and so do my fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord.
In this section of Day 5, week 4, Beth talked about how her sisters in Christ are such a joy to her!! How she is overwhelmed sometimes as she listens to her pastor give sermons and lives a life of faithfulness to God. Nothing gives her greater joy than to worship with her friends. She loves seeing the familiar faces of fellow church members every Sunday.... These are all just totally me!! I love the body of Christ! I love studying God's Word with other believers...I love spending time in these studies each day!! Oh, how I can't seem to get enough at times! :-) Ever feel that way?? My heart is so full right now....I thank God from the bottom of my heart how He has sent each one of you through my life through this site. And how He has sent others into my life through different means....God is so good!!

Hebrews 10:24-25 "Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near."
This verse is so applicable to us today - it has always been a favorite of
mine. Encourage one another my dear friends, show outbursts of love to each other and enjoy meeting together with other believers and never give up on it - never stop it. God is so good and we learn so much from each other. :-)
love u in Christ!! Lisa"

Written Oct. 9/08 - "And the peace of God transcends ALL understanding! It transcends, it exceeds, it goes beyond....far beyond anything I can fathom or comprehend. That really hit me this week. WOW! Peace! To be at peace during turmoil, during the storms of life, during everyday challenges, through any circumstances, through hurt and pain, through uncertainties, even though I walk through the valley of death....there is peace. But we can't have this peace unless we're allowing the peace of Christ to rule our lives. In Beth's video this week on peace, she said that we can't experience the peace of Christ unless he is in us. Extremely good video on peace. I'm just being so blessed and so spoken to in this study. Thank you God......You are so good!!"

As I look back on what I went through and wrote and learned those weeks of this study, I am continually amazed at how God had worked through those days and through that study in each individual woman. It's so exciting to see changes happen in the lives around me and also in my own heart. God change me!! Life isn't always about the people around us changing.....it's about changing our own hearts to reflect more of Christ! We can't change others around us...we can only change how we view them, how we react to them and how we love them through the love of Jesus. Christ in ME - the hope of all glory! Now that's living beyond yourself. I'm so thankful for this journey and all the ladies that walked along with me. What a joy to be able to walk along together!

You know ladies, we always have a choice....God will not make us do anything, we are not a puppet....each day is a choice. But we act out what we believe in our own physical bodies....what do you believe? God has given those who believe in Him, believe in His Son Jesus Christ, the incredible power of the Holy Spirit. Through Him, all things are possible. Through Him, we can live beyond what we are feeling or thinking...we can live throughout all aspects of the Fruits of the Spirit - Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control. We can live out all of those - they are already in us because the Holy Spirit is within us. I love how each of those has an action.

LOVE NEVER FAILS ** JOY COMETH ** PEACE RULES ** PATIENCE WAITS ** KINDNESS TENDERS ** GOODNESS DOES ** FAITH FIGHTS ** GENTLENESS BOWS ** SELF-CONTROL STOPS

God has taught us some wonderful things through this study. He wants to change our life and also our day! Victory happens one day at a time. I don't have to worry about tomorrow, a year from now, or 10 years from now. All I need to think about is what I am doing right now, how am I living for the Lord, in what ways am I reacting - through the fruits of the spirit or through the human flesh which cannot please God apart from Him. I need the glory of the Lord to fill my temple, my body - so that I reflect more of Him and less of me and my selfish desires and actions. When God fills me up, it pushes out my carnal nature, my fleshly humanness and makes room for His Spirit and His work in me and through me. Teach me how to do that more Lord. I need to choose each day whom I will serve - myself or God. I stumble and fall each day, I make mistakes....but God is constantly there with His unfailing love and never ending mercy and forgiveness. Through His faithfulness, He gives me a new chance each and every day, every morning.

I love this poem by Beth Moore: THE COMPANY I KEEP

Let me be known by the company I keep
By the One who determines each day that I greet
From the moment I wake til He rocks me to sleep
Let me be known by the company I keep!

Let me be known by the company I keep
When the valleys are low and the mountains are steep
By the One who holds fast when swift waters are deep
Let me be known by the company I keep!

Let me be known by the company I keep
By the One who implores me to sit at His feet
And quickens my soul to discern what is deep
Let me be known by the company I keep!

Let me be known by the company I keep
Eclipsed by your presence that I may decrease
Til all You have chosen this traveler to meet
Let me be know by the company I keep.

O Lord, my heart is overwhelmed of your goodness and your presence. O how I want/yearn to live beyond myself each day - to live in such utter and complete fullness!! Each and every day, start the day with you and end the day with you. Amen?!?


The following are some thoughts from some of the women who took the study:

"I wasn't sure I was going to take the Bible study, but Kathy told me it would be good for me to take it the second time. I found that this time was not as hard but some of it was quite challenging, some questions were hard to understand. But I knew God was always there to get me through it. I found the Today's Treasures were encouraging and I spent a lot of time on some of the questions, but the study has been a big help. With all the stress I am going through, sometimes I would get very depressed because things were moving too slow. So I would get out my Bible and workbook and that helped me a lot and it gave me a lot to think about. I am learning to have more patience. God has shown me to be kind, loving and trusting Him. Thank you Lisa for the study and taking the time out of your day to be there and for praying for us all. Thanks for the good group. Today's Treasure "We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Eph. 2:10 - Joyce

" I was not going to come but am very glad I did. This study showed me how much I have been trying to do so much by my own strength. It reminded me how much more I must rely daily on the Holy Spirit to help me respond to the situations that arise rather than to just react to them. To walk in the fruits of the Spirit requires that I fill myself with the Word regularly." - Vi Hartl

"Attending this Bible study was amazing - I learnt so much about myself and got more intimate with the Lord. It has also taught me more patience and self-control. Thank you so much Lisa and ladies for making me feel good about myself again. Hopefully I can do the same for someone else. God bless you all!!! - Kathy Janswick

"Living Beyond Yourself - Exploring the Fruit of the Spirit was a Bible study of challenge but also great blessing. Not only did I learn each 9 fruits of the spirit in sign language but learned the depth of each and how Christ has meant each to work in me. The filling of the Fruit of the Spirit should change each day leading to a changed life. This study has given me a greater desire to have a more steady and meaty reading of God's Word and to really seek Him as to where He wants me to change and to live out the fruits.
I have learned that LOVE can be grasping, friendly and caring and never failing. And JOY cometh, I just need a lot more of it. There are more reasons to be joyful than not, especially when everything around me is crashing. It's the absence of fear and turmoil, not the absence of pain and grief. PEACE rules. PATIENCE has taught me to be still and be filled, to have mercy and not to judge others and to still be patient when things are hard because it doesn't mean it's bad. KINDNESS tenders and GOODNESS God associates with doing good and most of the time I'm going to have to pour out before healing comes.
God is faithful so we can be characterized by FAITHFULNESS and it fights! GENTLENESS bows - Oh how I need more of this fruit to be submissive, humble, to have a teachable spirit and to stop fighting God; let him teach me. And lastly SELF CONTROL stops. I always have a choice with each decision I make. I do not need to conform to this world but to Christ and to learn to say "That's enough for now." I don't want to either have neglect or obsession - I want to only worship God - Christ my Savior." - Fran Larochelle

"The study itself was so rich. What I value so much is that although Beth Moore is an interesting and fun teacher, the material would still be valuable without her because it is the Word of God. Any study based on a person is not good but this is the precious Word that is most focused on. I learned so much and it was almost like total new again, even though I had done the study before. A very definite impression for me was the power, the need, the great importance of women ministering to women. Some need the input of the Word, some need the fellowship, some need advice, some just need someone to listen to them rant. The part of each woman in the group was different but each was equally important to everyone else. Women need women but especially in the context of the powerful Word. So, carry on!" - Evonne

"Even tho I had taken this study before, I thoroughly enjoyed it again, It seems I need to always be reminded that only by God's power through His Holy Spirit can I do anything worthwhile. Beth has such a fun way of bringing across her ideas, and always, but always she refers us back to GOD'S WORD. My prayer and hope is that I will allow the Holy Spirit to control my life, and that I might exhibit the fruit of His infilling daily." - In His Love, Vi Teichroeb

We all Need a TREE

Today, I read an email sent to me by a friend. It really spoke to me. I love trees and I love to take photos of trees. So this story of a tree reminded me of many a time when I've needed to give my troubles away because they were just to great for me to take with me throughout the day and pile them on someone else around me. Here's how my version of the story goes:



I asked an old friend who was a plumber to fix up an old farmhouse with me. He had a first rough day on the job: a flat tire which caused him to lose an hour of work, an old drill that quit on him and the old one-ton truck he drove refused to start for him at the end of the day. I offered to give him a lift home.



He sat really silent the whole drive back to his place, not saying a word. I didn't blame him - he'd had a few frustrations throughout the day that I was sure he was mulling over in his mind.

Once we got to his place, he invited me in to meet his family. Before we got to the house, I noticed him stop by a tree in the yard and hold out his hands towards the branches, pausing and touching the leaves. Then we continued on into the house.



As he was walking me back to my car, curiosity overtook me and I asked him why he stopped by the tree in the yard.

He smiled at me, "Oh that's my trouble tree. I know I'll always have troubles throughout the day - we can't get away from them. But I do know that my family doesn't need to be affected in a negative way by them and I sure don't need to take my frustrations out on them either. I'd rather not take them into the house with me, so I pause by the tree and hang the troubles out on it and ask God to take care of the troubles of that day for me. When I start a new day the next morning, I know they'll be there and I'll take them back with me..........But you know, when I come out each morning to pick them up, there aren't nearly as many troubles hanging on that tree that I remember leaving out here the night before."



I think we all need a tree, don't you? Does life ever go the way we want it? Why do we make such a big fuss over things that we can't control or get frustrated with the things that don't go our way? Oh, if only we could learn to take each day as it comes and do what we can and leave the rest of the troubles to God. Each day would be so much easier, would it not? There will always be thorns among the roses and bees among the flowers - but those critters have a very special job to do among those flowers. At times our days feel very uprooted, uptight and upside down, but what can we really do about it? Things will always happen that are out of our control...but God already knew that it would happen before the day even began. He sees the whole picture! He already knows how it's all going to turn out. Let's just give him each day as soon as we wake up each morning and ask Him to give us the strength to carry on, one day at a time. Wouldn't that be the best thing we could do for ourselves? I think so.



"Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we're here, we might as well dance." :-) And I know personally for myself, that I'd rather be dancing joyfully with my Heavenly Father and his Heavenly Host of Angels every day. Why allow the demons of bitterness, anger, unforgiveness, frustration, selfishness, hatred, bad attitudes and friction with others because of disunity destroy me and the rest of my days here on earth. Let's dance people! Let's look for the good in others and each situation around us, let's choose to overlook the faults and weaknesses of those around us, including ourselves, put a smile on our lips, lift up our faces, raise our hands and dance! Amen?? Don't you absolutely love going outside and seeing a beautiful, glistening, strong rainbow after the storm has passed - oh how I love those rainbows!



God takes pleasure in painting the skies around us for us to enjoy and see His beauty and glory. He does that for YOU and for me, each and every day. Listen to the birds, enjoy the sunrise and the sunsets, see the clouds passing over, pause by the stillness of the waters and look up at look at the trees all around. Such incredible beauty in His Creation that He's made for us to enjoy and savor. How HE LOVES YOU!!

God bless you!