PWOC International Blog

If You Can.....

Apr 262012

One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. ~ Psalm 145:4

Our family recently celebrated a Passover Seder with our neighbors. There’s a place in the meal where we recount God’s mighty deeds & awesome work through a song called Dayenu, in Hebrew means “it would have been enough.” It would have been enough if God delivered the Israelites out of Egypt, but He also parted the sea, drown their enemies, gave them manna to eat, gave them Sabbath rest, and gave His Word and so many more amazing miracles!

How important it is to recall God’s faithfulness and power to those around us & our descendants. Many Christians today struggle in areas of unbelief. We pray, but we don’t really believe God can do it. Just as the father in Mark 9 felt. He asks Jesus, “IF you can help my son” please do it! His son had demonic issues and it probably exhausted the family to no end! We can hear the desperation in the father’s plea. Jesus replies “If you can? Everything is possible for him who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” ~ Mark 9:23-24

We relate to this father because we say the same thing in our hearts to God. We just don’t know if God can do it, will do it, wants to do it, or is able to do it. If we spent time recalling and telling of God’s mighty acts… we would be reminded of His RESURRECTION POWER and realize that nothing is too hard for Him. No wonder Paul says in Philippians 3:10, “I want to know Christ and the POWER of His resurrection…”

By recounting His mighty acts and commending His works to one another, we actually build each other’s faith. I would even say the future of the church depends on it. The faith of the generations to follow will GROW from the seeds we are planting today. Seeds of recalling God’s amazing works in OUR lives. It will strengthen our faith and the faith of those to follow when we remind each other of God’s mighty acts and awesome wonders. Meditate on what He has done in your personal life, and scatter those seeds of faith today.

They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds. They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness… They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might, so that all men may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

~ Psalm 145:5-7, 11-12

Sara Pak

PDF

The Wedding Cake

Devotions

Apr 232012

Excitement and joy was contagious in our family because my husband’s older brother was finally getting married! Since I enjoy baking and decorating, I was thrilled that they accepted my offer to make the wedding cake. I carefully baked, frosted, and piped detailing on the layered rounds. I was having such fun, my husband suggested I start a business and I even had potential clients from his work. I envisioned capturing the masterpiece on camera with cascading roses perfectly placed on each tier. To my dismay, their plan did not match mine at all. In fact, I was replaced in the decorating role by her sister. The idea of not being able to complete the job I had started made me very sad. I became worried the cake may fall or be damaged while others played with it and I would somehow be responsible. I even began to regret that I had offered to give this special gift at all.

My cousin, a fellow cake decorator and artist, had known how excited I was and also knew my disappointment. She kindly wrote me a note and a poem to encourage, sympathize, and gently point out my wrong attitude.

A Wedding Cake Epitaph By: Elnora Lee White

Charity Lynn, Charity Lynn,

‘Tis no sin to make a cake–

to frost and bake, but not to decorate.

‘Tis a trial, no easy smile,

but you have done a service same,

had you frosted the cake with Jesus’ name.

‘Tis also no sin, Charity Lynn, Charity Lynn,

To grieve the cake it might have been.

It was a relief to be able to share with her that just prior to reading her words I had been in prayer with my parents and God had given me peace. Suddenly my eyes were opened with new insight. I felt so much grief in being unable to fully give the gift I desired to give. He showed me how much more we must grieve Him when we don’t fully receive His perfect and holy gift! When you or I choose to accept His free gift of salvation with excitement, He celebrates with us. What do we choose after that though? Do we ever say, “Yep, that is good, but I really don’t want anything more, so please leave me alone now and let me be. This is good, but I really don’t want you to do any more work in my life”? Yet here the God of the universe–our creator–has an amazing plan that is so beautifully designed for us. Are we choosing to simply miss out on all that is grand and glorious in His plan by only taking the cake (if you will)? When we open our hearts to His gift but then refuse all the added blessings and beauty He would like to make of us along our journey, what are we saying to Him? Whether it is a lack of faith, love, wisdom, or accountability, how we must grieve Him. He loves us so much and wants to give us more than we can imagine, yet when we want it our own way, we miss out on fully enjoying His grand plan.

“…he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6

(Stay tuned for part 2)

by Charity Stadler

PDF

Walking In His Ways

Prayer Points

Apr 202012

David was a man after God’s heart. When they appointed David King of Israel, he wanted to bring the ark back and place it in the city of Jerusalem. He wanted God to be placed first in their lives. Not just in their personal lives but in the market place where political decisions were made, financial decisions and yes, family decisions were made as well . When he went to get the ark, he tried to bring it back the way he thought would work, which was on a cart. He was going to drive the cart back to Jerusalem but it fell off the cart. David got mad and left, leaving the ark where it fell. Then he realized that he had tried to do it man’s way and not the Lord’s way. David then went back a 2nd time(1 Chron 15) and placed the ark on the shoulders of humanity and they carried it into Jerusalem for the people to be able to come and worship the Lord. That was because the Spirit of the Lord (the ark) sat between the Mercy Seat and the Cherubim. David did not want to be king without the presence of God in his life and he wanted everyone to have access to the Lord.

We need to realize that when we try to do things on our own, they will fall apart. Our ways can fall off the cart when the Lord is not in our plans. But when we come to worship our Lord and seek his face; then we can understand His thoughts and ways and we can climb higher with having the Mind of Christ to lead us in the paths of righteousness and our plans will succeed. Its imperative that we seek God’s face first so that when we do obey, it will be according to God’s will and not our will.

Scripture says in Mathew 6:33, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.” As we seek God and walk in His ways we will always have the victory in the ways the Lord has called us to walk things out in our lives. I challenge you to daily seek Him. He will never let you down. He is always there. God will never leave you nor forsake you.

Heavenly Father I thank you that we can come boldly to Your throne of Grace. Thank you Jesus that you are the door to enter in to the place of authority that we have a right to stand in. I thank you that as we seek you, we will find you and we will be directed in Your ways.

In Jesus’ Name, AMEN

PDF

Angel By Your Side

regional review

Apr 192012

My title is a song by Francesca Battistelli, one of my favorite Christian artists. Below are some of the words from this song:

I can’t say that everything’s okay – ‘Cause I can see the tears you’re crying – And I can’t promise to take the pain away – But you can know I won’t stop trying – I’ll be the angel by your side – I will get you through the night – I’ll be the strength you can’t provide on your own – ‘Cause when you’re down and out of time – And you think you’ve lost the fight – Let me be the angel – The angel by your side – I know it feels like you’re running out of faith – ‘Cause it’s so hard to keep believing – But if I can bring a smile back to your face – if for a moment, you’ll forget all about it – ‘Cause this won’t be the last time – You’ll need a little hope – But I want to be the first to let you know – I’ll be the angel by your side

As I listened to Francesca sing this song, it hit me how many times I felt so all alone. How I forgot to cry out to the one who is always by my side. How I thought I was strong enough to fight the battle one last time. How there was just no end to the pain and suffering in my life. How I just couldn’t believe anymore that there was someone somewhere who was going to rescue me. I listened over and over to the words to this song and wept for all the times I ignored the One who would have loved to wiped the tears from my eyes; The One who would have fought the battle with me; The One who did not want me to have pain or suffering; The One who would have rescued me and let me find comfort in the warmth of His Love.

What was I seriously thinking during those times of suffering and pain? I was probably thinking, “I can do this all by myself!” Am I that silly, I am that prideful, I am that stubborn? As I write these words to you, I want you to know that you do not have to be as stubborn or as prideful or even as silly as I was. Francesca’s song tells us – that He is the angel by our side. I smile because I know without a doubt that every day I wake up and place these old tired feet on the ground, my Lord and Savior – Jesus Christ – does not want me to face life’s challenges alone. He wants to be with me every step of the way.

His Word tells me: “…draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” James 4:8

Let God be – the angel by your side!

Jody Garcia

Pacific Region President

PDF

WILD - Online Training - April - Be Still And Know

Uncategorized

Apr 182012

“In our April training video, we will consider the value of taking time to “Be still” before God (Psalm 46:10).

Here, Becky Shirey teaches us how we can use a Psalm 46:10 moment to be encouraged and strengthened for the journey ahead.

Check it out!”

PDF

He Doesn’t Want to Share…..Me!

Praise and Worship

Apr 172012

A couple of weeks ago, my husband returned from a conference, had a few days at home and was off again to another one. Prior to this he’d been working till nearly midnight for 3 weeks straight. So, the night he came home from the first conference, it was late. My kids and I had been out that evening and got home minutes before he walked in the door. Thus bed time was delayed and there were other distractions with everything going on at once late at night. Finally the kids were in bed, we were heading there ourselves and then I got a phone call that I decided to answer (but knew could’ve waited till morning) and that took a bit longer than expected. I was distracted by other unimportant things before getting to bed at the same time as well. Eventually I found my way back to bed after the phone call and thought my husband was sleeping. A few minutes went by and I heard rustling and movement. (Indicators that something wasn’t right.) Finally he spoke up.

“I’ve been gone all week and I’m leaving again in a few days. I’ve missed my family and you are busy with other things, taking unnecessary phone calls and now it’s nearly midnight. All I wanted was to spend a little time with you. I don’t want to share you. I’m not going to share my wife.”

I could hear the hurt in his voice and in that moment I had two separate emotions that hit me at the same time. First, I felt the guilt of allowing things to come between us that evening, knowing that he had been away all week and had been waiting to come home to me. Secondly, I had this amazing feeling of how much he truly loves me and wanted me all to himself right then. My husband is not a man of many words and the compliments and endearments he gives are not over used. For him to say this made me feel like I was the only thing that mattered to him…..and….I had just let him down.

After we talked, I asked for his forgiveness for my neglect towards him and allowing other distractions to take precedence. That’s when the Holy Spirit gently nudged me and whispered, “That’s how I feel about you too.” (Cue heart stopping, revelation hitting hard while jaw drops to the ground.)

I was just reading in Deuteronomy that our God is a jealous God! He wants all of us. He doesn’t want to share us with anything outside of His will. Yet, we are distracted by so much and even though we have great intentions to be with Him, we continually allow the little things to come in and take priority over the time He wants with us. It’s time to put the things on hold that can wait a few minutes and come to Him. He is always waiting – patiently.

The song that has been coming to mind over the past couple of weeks is “How He Loves Us.” It has begun to take on a deeper meaning in my life because I experienced something so personal in the same way. He longs for our time and attention, even if it’s only a few minutes here and there. Think of all those text messages or 5 min. phone calls (or less) we try to sneak in with our husbands throughout the day just to check in or say “Love you! J” (Yes, smiley face!) I encourage you to stop long enough to acknowledge the Lover of your soul. Thank Him for being your Husband, Friend, Peace, etc., whatever He is to you in that moment. I had to learn my lesson with some difficulty, but I’m thankful to still be learning!

Kayla Atkins

PDF

Motivation of the Heart

Devotions

Apr 162012

“Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will; ¹⁶the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; ¹⁷the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment.” Philippians 1:15-17

Motivation—why I do what I do—is important. This passage shows a contrast between two kinds of preaching (service). The first is clearly an error to avoid. There were those who were preaching from a heart of envy and strife. When I serve the Lord I must pay careful attention that I am not trying to prove myself. I cannot be envious of success or opportunity that God gives others. Comparison stimulates envy with a voracious appetite. Comparison can tempt me to feel that God is not blessing me, that he is leaving me out, that I am not good enough, and all manner of defeated thinking. The motivation of strife—proving yourself right or better than someone else—is even more destructive to the body of Christ. Selfish ambition erodes pure motives. I see that it is important to guard my heart from both comparison and selfish ambition in all that I do.

On the other hand, Paul recognizes that there are others who preach out of love and are good with the role that God gave Paul—no spirit of competition. Acting from pure motives, this group demonstrates the example to follow. Although Paul is referring specifically to the service of preaching, the importance of pure motivation is vital in all that I do. From the most mundane task to the most powerful work in life, selfish ambition, envy, and strife destroy pure motives. Selfish ambition is concerned with what others see and think. It is focused on acquiring, achieving, and impressing for personal benefit or recognition.

Pure motivation is Christ-focused and Spirit-led and has these characteristics:

1. In the name of Jesus

2. Prompted by love

3. Thankful in attitude

4. Hearty effort and sincere heart

5. For the glory of God rather than to please men

6. In obedience to Christ—doing the will of God from the heart

7. Not looking for physical reward or recognition—understands that God recognizes all good that we do and brings fruit. God repays our service on His economy, not ours.

“Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” – Colossians 3:17

“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.” –Colossians 3:23-24

“Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ; ⁶not by way of eye service, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. ⁷With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men, ⁸knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.”—Ephesians 6:5-8

Ginger Harrington

PDF

Theme: You're Invited

Who are we

Apr 152012

Imagine it: The most breath taking wedding you have ever been to. The invitations with gold leaf lettering, mailed long ago; the most fragrant flowers, arranged with care; the bride, breathtaking in a dress made just for her, the groom dashing in his tux; vows recited full of love and hope for what is to come; the reception with sweet music chosen just for this occasion, the guests seated with care at tables elegantly adorned with the finest linen and delicate dinnerware. The food expertly prepared. Can you imagine it? In all our imagination we cannot do justice to the wedding feast of the Lamb the Lord has planned for us!

The Lord has given us an invitation to go on a journey with Him, the journey of a life time, the adventure of, well, an eternity! Before extending that invitation to us He made preparations for us. He created us. He prepared a way for us through His precious son Jesus! From the tree of life in the garden to eternity through the cross, He has made preparations for us. The work did not began or end with the invitation.
What do you do when you receive an invitation to a wedding? You RSVP! God has given us an invitation for relationship with Him, all we have to do is accept it. Once you send back that wedding RSVP you know there will be a place for you at that wedding. Once you accept the invitation God has given us through Christ, there is a room in heaven with your name on it.

With much anticipation you attend the big event. The day of the wedding is here. You do some preparations yourself. You dress yourself accordingly and you show up! Invitations are sent out with the expectation that people will come, and people come with the expectation that when they arrive there the bride and groom will be. God has not offered us an empty invitation. He is here! He is waiting expectantly for our arrival. He wants to be in relationship with us NOW.
Through theme God is preparing a year of events for us to attend that will help us grow closer to Him. We attend bible study to grow in His word, we worship and fellowship together to come together and give Him glory! Special events are offered in retreats, conferences and training that help us to go further and deeper in our daily lives and relationship with Him. The wedding is not the end of the journey, it’s the beginning.

How are you responding to the Lord’s invitation?

PDF

Y Theme

Who are we

Apr 132012

PDF

What will I be when I grow up?

regional review

Apr 122012

For our family, spring break means one thing: vacation. Beginning just after the Christmas holiday, we spend weeks imagining where in the world we want to transport ourselves to escape the dreariness of the winter season. Conversation is always lively as the kids offer up their very best ideas: DC, Disneyworld and Grand Canyon have all been strong contenders. But last year, these late winter conversations took a decidedly different direction. Our oldest daughter was a senior in high school and preoccupied with the age old question that plagues many of us today: “What am I going to do when I grow up?” As she rolled her eyes at our helpful suggestions (you can be a scientist, a doctor, a business woman…), I couldn’t help thinking to myself: “what did I want to be when I grew up?”

Although it’s been more than 20 years since I graduated from high school, I can still recall with certain clarity exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up. Being a young woman in southern California it seemed appropriate to begin planning for my future career by building the proper wardrobe: I bought a pair of crisp white Bermuda shorts, a cherry red scarf for my neck and a dark blue blazer. You see, for teen girls who loved TV, there was nothing hotter than ABC’s The Love Boat, and I wanted to be Julie McCoy, your cruise director.

Although I had never been on a cruise, there was something wildly exotic and attractive about working on a ship. There were three factors of Julie’s job that seemed like a good fit for me:

Julie was mighty perky and optimistic—there wasn’t a crazy situation she couldn’t help fix.
Julie was great at details…she would find that single shy older man and let him know that there was a shuffle board tournament going on and would he mind partnering with this nice, older woman, who just happened to be mourning the death of her beloved husband? And,
She was part of a dynamic team. Instead of working as a lone ranger on the ship, Julie and her cohorts relied on each other to do what they did best. Only by working together, could they accomplish what needed to be done before reaching the next destination.

It’s no secret that I didn’t end up pursing a career as a cruise director. I find it enchanting to consider that the same things that excited me as a young woman are still true today. I’m a natural optimist and love tackling strange situations and seeing how they can be repaired; and my love for details and working with others to see ministry unleashed gives me renewed energy. I imagine the same is true for every woman who ever had a childhood dream of what she would do with her life.

Our innate traits, personalities, gifts and talents can operate together to bring us pleasure and satisfaction in our daily work. When we discover where the world’s greatest needs are met through our unique skills we then experience true delight. Ministry leaders should embrace the question, “What did you want to be when you grew up?” and listen as women share their childhood dreams. Together we can each other discover what makes us particularly unique and find new ways within ministry to tap into those gifts.

Kristen Rietkerk

Europe Region President

PDF

Older Entries Newer Entries

PWOC International Blog

If You Can.....

The Wedding Cake

Walking In His Ways

Angel By Your Side

WILD - Online Training - April - Be Still And Know

He Doesn’t Want to Share…..Me!

Motivation of the Heart

Theme: You're Invited

Y Theme

What will I be when I grow up?

Connect

Archives

Links

Regions

Categories