CAST AWAY

We had a great time last night. We laughed, we cried (okay I cried), we heard some Word, we prayed and we ATE good! Don't have all the pics, but here are some early previews:

Our fantastic spread!

Our beautiful tables

And those who labor amongst us:

More pics to come. Thanks to all who helped us out - which was all of you! Remember our scripture:

Therefore do not cast away you confidence for you will have need of endurance!

We are not a people who shrink back! We keep going and we survive! Don't forget whose tribe you are in!

TONIGHT

Come sail with me, wild and free, something something something, on the sea, the sea of love.....

Okay we are not going to get to wild & free, but tonight is our Cast Away party and we are sailing on the sea of Christ's love! Look forward to seeing you there! 7pm.
And yes, it was a very cheesy post. But just so you know:

"It's not easy being cheesy!"

Chester Cheetah

HAVE A GREAT FRIDAY!

THIS WEEKEND

Update: If you have read your Grace Vine news today, then you know Ron Corzine won't be with us Sunday. Please cover our brother and his church in your prayers.

We have a fun filled weekend ahead of us. Here is the run-down:

Friday night - Women of Grace Cast Away party. 7pm in the Fellowship Hall. Email @ wog.gc09@gmail.com for details or leave a comment here.

Sunday Morning- Ron Corzine speaking.
After church - We will be having a food fellowship on Sunday, May 24, to celebrate Matt's 30th birthday. Please bring a covered dish enough for your family and two people.
Refreshments & dessert will be provided!

We had a great word from Vivian last night at mid-week services. Just a reminder that the 27th will be our last Wednesday night until the fall. If I understood correctly, it will be a praise & worship night. Y-E-A-H!!!!! Love us some all out praise & worship! So make a point to come & fellowship with the body of Christ.

Contact the church if you have any questions about the above events. Have a wonderful Thursday and hope to see you Friday night!
rhonda

WOG MTG

Good Tuesday morning. We are so excited for Friday's meeting. We are going to have a blast in Christ Jesus! If you want to be preparing yourself for the message, check out Hebrews 10:35-38. Read over it, meditate on it, ask God to reveal Himself to you through it. We know all of you are very busy, with your jobs, you families, school, and church. We sure hope you take time out on Friday night to come hang out with us girls. Not only will you be blessed but so will we. Hope to see you there!

Good morning gals! Hope you are all having a great weekend. Our Vivian is back and our Judy is coming home today. Judy went with Daughters of Zion this week to their retreat center, which is where Grace Creek women will be 3rd weekend in August! In Aggie terms - Whoop! Whoop! She is having a blast and a major time of refreshing. She was very excited when we talked yesterday. She should be in church tomorrow so ask her about it. Our next meeting is this Friday so be sure to sign up tomorrow at the WOG table! It is going to be a fun filled evening and you don't want to miss it.
Hope you have a blessed weekend & look forward to seeing you tomorrow.

LIVE!

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Galatians 2:20

NKJV

MAY MEETING

Okay girls - May 22 is fast approaching! That is our next meeting. 7pm at the church. Going with our cruise theme, you need to sign up at the WOG table and get your ticket. Can't go on a cruise with out your ticket. Also, if you need childcare, please sign up early. Can't just show up on a cruise with your kids- got to book them in:0) We are excited and have great things planned for you. More than that- we are praying Christ have His way and do what He wants to do! Amen? Amen!
Check out the table this weekend! You don't want to miss this!

ARRANGEMENTS

Arrangements have been made for the funeral of Vivian's father. If you would like the information, please email us at wog.gc09@gmail.com (email address on this page). We will not be posting it on the blog in order to maintain some privacy and, well, to keep random people from taking advantage of the situation. Be sure you tell us who you are when ask for the info so we can share with our church family.
Have a blessed Monday.
Remember you have the heart of a finisher! May mean just finishing this hour or this day - but you have the heart of a FINISHER!
Love you gals (& guys):)

MAMAS

Lots of ways to address Mother's Day.We could have theological discussions about the biblical and not so biblical examples in the Bible. We could talk about what a lofty calling it is and one of the, if not the, hardest jobs in the world. We could go on and on about how they influence our spiritual and emotional and physical well beings and how we, as mamas, should seek God on a daily basis as to how best do that. We could talk about lots. My challenge- go do. Call your mama. If you can't call her, call someone who has been like a mama to you, spiritual or physical. Can't do that - tell the next haggard or happy mama you see at Wal-Mart or the grocery store - Thank you for what you do.Tell a single mama at church or a working mama or a widowed mama or even a GRAND- mama. Find some body's mama tomorrow and tell them thanks. Let someone talk about their mama with you. Laugh with them at the funny stuff, and cry right along with them through the sad stuff. And if you are a mama - let them bless you tomorrow. No modest humility, no guilt for being pampered. Let them love you.

May we not only be hearers of the word but doers as well. Happy Mother's Day!

PROMOTED

Vivian's father was promoted to the kingdom of God this morning. The family was blessed to have a wonderful week with him. Please pray for them as they celebrate his life and close this chapter of theirs. Pray for safe travel and lots of laughter through the tears. You guys are a blessing and your prayers are cherished. Thank you is not enough, but all we have. Thank you:)

Prayers

*** 5-8-09: Vivian's dad had surgery today - a feeding tube in his abdomen. Please continue to pray for them.
** Update- -My goodness - you just never know:) They have removed all the tubes from Vivian's father, and he is breathing and talking on his own. He also prayed the sinner's prayer with his grandson yesterday. Praise God! Keep continuing to pray for them all as he and his family have committed his life to Christ Jesus.

Please keep Vivian & Bill Keith in your prayers this week, as she has gone to be with her family in what appears to be her father's last days. Thank you.

COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL

Today there will be a Compassion International table in the foyer. Compassion - well- I can't tell you all it does. However, there are some who can. A group of Compassion bloggers recently completed a trip to Calcutta, India. Beth Moore's daughter Melissa was among them. You can click here to see pictures and read her stories. Angie Smith at Bring the Rain was also one of the trip goers. Either site you go to- take along some Kleenex- you will need it. As always, you can check out the Compassion web site. $32 / month CAN save the life of not only a single child, but the generations before & after. Please prayfully consider adopting a Compassion child. It is a serious, although inexpensive, commitment. It is a life changing commitment, and it is not just the child's life that will be changed. Lord bless you all. See you at church:)

HODGE PODGE

Good Friday to you all! Hope you have had a blessed week. Today we switch memory verses. I hope the knowledge from Malachi that our God does not change encouraged and strengthened your soul! This month were are in Isaiah 35:1-2. I won't spoil the fun of discovering this one for your self - go look it up & commit it to memory. It will do your heart good!
This Sunday we will have our coffee bar open. This is a fundraiser for our WOG ministry so if you can hold out until you get to church for that 2nd cup of coffee (you hard core drinkers are going to HAVE TO HAVE the 1st cup - we understand) please help us out.
Friday, May 22nd, is our next big meeting. Child care will be provided ONLY IF YOU SIGN UP. So please check the WOG table for sign up sheets. Sign up for child care will end on Sunday, May 17th.
On a completely different note- so how you guys doing? What is God doing in your life? What testimonies do you want to give about Jesus today? Leave us a comment about how God is moving in & through your life. It will encourage us all.
Hope you all have an awesome day & looking forward to seeing you Sunday! Be blessed:)

COFFEE BAR

Good Monday to you all! Wanted to give you the heads up on a fundraiser we will be doing for the next few months. We will be offering a coffee bar in the morning before church. We have been graciously given a variety of flavors to add to your coffee and will be serving from the WOG table. Don't go to Starbucks- come support your Women of Grace! Every dollar you contribute will help us carry out our vision of being real women equipping real lives for real Christianity!

ARMOR UP

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places.

Ephesians 6:10 (NKJV)

Click here to read a great post on the war we are in and the armor we are to wear.

Have a great Saturday and we will see you tomorrow!

FROZEN CHOSEN

I overheard a man in LifeWay use that to describe Christians in Alaska. Our "frozen chosen" will be in church this Sunday. Josh & Janelle will be sharing about their life & ministry. So get there early Sunday to get a good seat!

* To follow their adventures, click on their name on the right side of the screen.

CONFERENCE CANCELLED

Due to a variety of schedule conflicts, the conference scheduled for this Saturday at our church by Joy for the Journey Ministries has been cancelled.
On a different note, please pray for Vivian . She is with her parents as her father is very ill. She would covet your prayers.

COME ON!

Okay all you Women of Grace- last chance!
The presenters of the conference this Saturday desire for you to come! Yours truly will be in attendance (as if that makes any difference to any one- but at least someone you know will be there!).
The cost is $20, HOWEVER- they have told me if money is an issue for you - it really is not. If you would like to attend, money or not, please contact Rhonda at bakerr@gilmerisd.org TODAY. The presenters are providing lunch & need a head count. You will be ministered to I have no doubt. What better way to spend a Saturday than checking out the Word of God with your sisters in Christ!
rhonda

CONFERENCE THIS SATURDAY

If anyone is interested in the conference this Saturday please contact Joy for the Journey Ministries by the end of the day tomorrow. Click here to read the info.

Also -NEW Newsletter is out on the WOG table so be sure to grab one. We are spotlighting Graceful Hands this time around & these ladies are awesome! Judy has written a piece for you and there are your scripture memory verses. Remember faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God!

Don't forget May 22, 7pm. Cast Away party. You won't want to miss it. I feel some surprises coming on!
Love you & praying for you!

Prayer Request

** Update - Katie & Whitney's daughter, Lily, went to be with the Lord last night. Please pray for this young couple as the walk through this valley of the shadow of death. Please pray for the Light of the world to shine very brightly in their darkness. Thank you.

Please pray for Katie & Whitney. Due to medical issues, Katie had to have a c-section at 29 weeks. The baby (with Whitney along side) had to be life flighted to central Arkansas to receive a blood transfusion. Katie remained in southern Arkansas, unable to make the journey. The baby now has bleeding on the brain that the doctors can not stop & is not expected to make it. She and Whitney are returning to southern Arkansas so Katie may be reunited with them and they can spend this precious time as family. Please cover them in prayer.

HE KNOWS YOUR NAME

This is an excellent post by Melanie, aka Big Mama. Please take the time to read it. It will do nothing but encourage you. Click on the link below. (Okay it might make you cry too).

He knows your name.

For Jacob My servant's sake;

And Israel My elect,

I have even called you by your name;

I have named you though you have not known Me.

Isaiah 45:4 NKJV

TOO CUTE

This was too cute:)

A mom was concerned about her kindergarten son walking to school. He didn't want his mother to walk with him. She wanted to give him the feeling that he had some independence but yet know that he was safe. So she had an idea of how to handle it. She asked a neighbor if she would please follow him to school in the mornings, staying at a distance, so he probably wouldn't notice her. She said that since she was up early with her toddler anyway, it would be a good way for them to get some exercise as well, so she agreed. The next school day, the neighbor and her little girl set out following behind Timmy as he walked to school with another neighbor girl he knew. She did this for the whole week. As the two walked and chatted, kicking stones and twigs, Timmy's little friend noticed the same lady was following them as she seemed to do every day all week. Finally she said to Timmy, 'Have you noticed that lady following us to school all week? Do you know her?' Timmy nonchalantly replied, 'Yeah, I know who she is.' The little girl said, 'Well, who is she?' 'That's just Shirley Goodnest,' Timmy replied, 'and her daughter Marcy.' Shirley Goodnest? Who the heck is she and why is she following us? ' 'Well,' Timmy explained, 'every night my Mom makes me say the 23rd Psalm with my prayers, 'cuz she worries about me so much. And in the Psalm, it says, 'Shirley Goodnest and Marcy shall follow me all the days of my life', so I guess I'll just have to get used to it!'

Have a great day! Enjoy the rain!

RAINY FRIDAY

On this rainy Friday, I thought this blog post would fit:

We had a little shower the other day. Man child 1 referred to is as a quiet rain. Versus the loud, thunderous ones we had been having lately. It is a nice thought - a quiet rain. So many times we have the storms, some good some bad. The good ones wash away the pollution in the air of our lives, the bad ones come like flash floods and wash away everything. But a quiet rain - a slow steady outpouring from the heavens- that nourishes us. It nourishes the ground and lets the seeds that have been planted start to grow. It's moisture soaks deep into the ground to the very roots.Like many of you, I have had some storms lately. And I hear the rumblings of some on the way. But what I pray for now is a quiet rain of the Lord God Almighty. I need Him to nourish the very roots of my faith and the let the seeds He has planted, the whispers the Holy Spirit has spoken into my heart, start to grow. I pray a quiet rain for you as well.

Praying for us all to enjoy some "quiet rain" this weekend. See ya Sunday!

Next WOG meeting

Okay ladies - mark your calendars for Friday, May 22. This is our next Women of Grace meeting. It will be from 7-9 in the fellowship hall. There will be more details to come. Yes the will be childcare, but you must sign them up and there is a $5 nonrefundable fee. Hey - we gotta pay people too.
All right - now go pencil it in on your calendar- go ahead - go on now. It will be a blast. Promise!
Stop reading and go mark your calendar!

YOU LIKE ME! YOU REALLY LIKE ME!

This is Rhonda. Today I officially apologize for doubting that you were reading. Because I have not checked this thing 51 times to see if you were, that means that you were logging on. Although it thrills me to no end that people actually look at this, it has also put the pressure on to give you something to read. So we will be praying for what to add to this so you enjoy your reading experience. I can not repeat it enough times (although I am sure I will try) that we take our scripture (Ephesians 4:12) to heart. We want to equip you for the work in the ministry Christ has designed you for. We desire to see you flourish and be the confident, compassionate, Christ-focused women He has called you to be. Not only called, He created you to be, and He will complete the work in you! We don't care if your married or single, young or old, mom to physical or mom to spiritual kids,we want to serve you. Please know that we are here to pray for you and encourage you. We are here to guide you and cry with you. We will laugh with you and if need be give you a good kick in the pants to get it in gear (and we all need those sometimes). We want to foster relationships with you and help you foster those within our group. Yeah- we are here for you.
We have said it before & will keep saying it - we are honored and humbled to serve you. Thanks for letting us do that:)
Have an awesome week and we will see you soon!
*The title is from Sally Field when she won an Oscar for something- I am too young to know what:)*

HI

Good Tuesday morning to you all. Just a couple of reminders. Don't forget Wednesday night prayer service this week. It is definitely worth your time! Also, check out the WOG table for the newsletter, featuring our one & only Graceful Hands, and a fabulous note from of your leadership team members. There are also forms where you can sign up to serve on one of the WOG teams. Joy for the Journey Conference on the 25th, retreat with Daughters of Zion in late July or August, and great stuff in between. Don't forget Tuesday bible study- right here at the church at noon. Lots of ways to get involved - don't miss an opportunity. Have a blessed week!Love you all.

HAPPY EASTER

"But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus...Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said,"Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here but is risen!..."

Luke 24: 2;5-6

Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed!

HAPPY EASTER!

APRIL VERSE

Malachi 3:6

I am the LORD, I do not change.

The rest of the verse goes on to say " Therefore you are not consumed O sons of Jacob." The Lord was telling the children of Israel - you have been disobedient. You have rebelled. Yet I have not changed my promises to your fathers. I am the LORD- I do not change.

When things are bad, He is still the same God who says nothing will snatch you from My hands. The same God who collects our tears in a bottle. The same God who has said I will never leave you or forsake you; I have your name engraved on my hands. The same Christ who makes constant intercession for us before the very throne of the Most High God. When things are awesome, He has not changed. He still requires obedience and faith. He is still a jealous God who will tolerate no other gods before Him. He is the same God who has plans and a purpose for your life. The same God who calls us to sevanthood and to store up our treasures in heaven and not here. Either case, He is the same God who sent His only begotten Son to die on the cross to save you and to save me. And He is the same God that called that only begotten Son out from the grave and is seated with Him in the heavenlies. He is the same God who has defeated death, who is waiting on His bride and who sent the Holy Spirit to comfort and guide us through all the seasons of our lives.

Whatever is going on with you this month, keep this verse close to your heart. He is the same yesterday, today and forever, and this is what He says about Himself-

I am the LORD, I do not change.

Happy Easter!

rhonda

ps - apparently you are reading:)

TIME WILL TELL

If you scroll to the bottom of the page you will see a new "gadget" - a counter. Pastor David suggested we get one to see if anybody reads this thing besides Joanne & I ( and Lord bless Joanne for commenting - my flesh needs it some days!)And contrary to my "plugging up my ears and saying stop talking, stop talking- I can't hear you" during the Leadership coffee when they began to ask me if I could do it, the Lord was gracious & I was successful.
SOOOOO - now time will tell. At last check there were 7 visits, 5 of which I think were mine. So all you who say you read it - we shall soon see! And to all you who do visit us - thank you. Keep it up. We are "counting" on you (hahahahahaha - could not resist!)

CONFERENCE INVITATION

Here is the information for the conference on the 25th of this month:

RSVP to 903-297-4476

Time is 10 am - 3 pm

Cost is $20

Bring a unique, inexpensive (new or used) dinner plate for a delightful activity at the end of the day

ALL PROCEEDS BENEFIT MISSIONS

Alrighty gals. Take your pick or sign up for both! If you have any questions just call the RSVP number. Be blessed!

Invitation will be on the WOG table if you are kinesthetic and need to actually touch it:)

RETREAT OPPORTUNITY

Good Tuesday gals! Hope you are all well. We have a fantastic opportunity to tell you about. For those of you who were at the Girly Get-A-Way, you will remember Charlotte Parkhurst as one of our speakers. Charlotte is part of a ministry called Daughters of Zion. They have a retreat center in Arkansas and use it to bring together women from different churches in the area. Guess what? We have been invited to attend! Yippee - Yeah Yeah!

The retreat will either be in July or August, we are still working out the final details. We do know the cost is $50 so you can start saving now. We thought we would let you know in case you needed to chose between the conference in April or the retreat in the late summer. Watch for details here and on the WOG table.

Newsletter out this week, scripture verses up and going. Warrior Princess it is time to use those sharpened swords. Let's reclaim the territory the enemy has tried to take!

Have a blessed week. Join us on Wednesday for prayer & communion. You won't be disappointed. As Judy says, Hugs!

CONFERENCE AT GRACE CREEK

Good Saturday to you ladies. We have a surprise for you - a conference right here at Grace Creek. The conference is put on by Joy for the Journey Ministries (click on the name to check them out) and is called "Gardening Your Heart: Sowing Seeds for the Son". The cost is $20 and includes lunch. The date is Saturday, April 25, from 10-3 (I think?). We will find out for sure and let you know. We will have a sign up sheet at the WOG table so if you are interested start saving those pennies! Joy for the Journey is sending us an invitation so as soon as we get it we will post all the info here!
Have a great weekend. Look forward to seeing you all tomorrow!
Crawfish throwdown - Heck yeah - We are there!
Love ya'll!

MIGHTY WOMEN OF VALOR

Judges 6:12

And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him (Gideon), and said to him, "The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!"

Proverbs 31:10

"Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies."

Want to know what they have in common? (Besides being in the Bible for all you smarty pants:) The same Hebrew word is used for valor & virtuous. Yes- the VERY SAME ONE.

Would you like to know some of its definitions according to Mr. Strong? Why sure you would:

able

might

power

strength

substance

strong

I don't know about you but I would really like for those to be adjectives used to describe my life. Now don't let the "wife" part through you off. So come on all you WARRIOR PRINCESS of VALOR. Let's be virtuous for our God and Savior Christ Jesus!

PRINCESS WARRIORS

From Beth Moore's Esther It's tough being a woman study:

"As painful as the process may be, that which shatters our superficiality also shatters the fetters of our fragility and frees us to walk with dignity and might to our destinies. WE ARE NOT THE FRAGILE FLOWERS WE HAVE CONSIDERED OURSELVES TO BE. We, like Esther, are the WARRIOR PRINCESSES of God."

Caps my emphasis. And can I get an AMEN!

FRIEND OF GOD

First, blogger is hating the video upload so it will have to be at a later date.

Now to the post. We often sing the song "I am a friend of God", as do many other churches across our nation. I have to tell you at times I have struggled with the song because it spoke of a familiarity with God that I was not confident in. That perhaps we were pals or buddies. He is one of my "peeps" or we are BFF's. I recently read a devotional by Beth Moore discussing love and in doing so she brought up this very scripture text. Abraham was called a friend of God in James 2:23. The word used for "friend" was philos. She says it better than I could.

" A very important aspect of philos is the adoption of like interests...It (James 2:23) teaches us that Abraham adopted God's interests as his own."

taken for the New Every Morning devotional

Now that is a definition I can better get my head around. However, it also puts part of the responsibility on me. That I would adopt God's interest as my own. That is how I become friends with people on this planet. That is how I become a friend of God. Please Lord may I show myself friendly to you today:)

rhonda

PRAYER REQUEST

** UPDATE: Jean Marie was negative for viral meningitis. She is on her way home. Praise the Lord!

Mark Parkhurst is doing well and expected to go home soon.
Please add a young lady by the name of Jean Marie to your list. She is 4 months pregnant and at the hospital with suspected viral meningitis. She and her husband have already suffered one miscarriage.

MINISTRY FAIR

We know the ministry fair was a few weeks back, but we are just now getting to the pictures. Even though we did not win the competition (props to Mike & Janice), our table was awesome! Here are the pictures.

Doesn't this just scream women? And grace? Thanks to Judy for the table arrangement!

Come by the table:)

That is right- we'd love to chat with you!

We have all kinds of information on the table. Feel free to stop by and grab a newsletter or a survey. We need you! Women of Grace - not Woman of Grace.

Special thanks to Tara & Charlsie for being our table gals. They did an awesome job:)

SURPRISE?

Got a treat for you on Sunday ( I hope!) Don't miss it:)

UPDATE

Here is an update on Mark Parkhurst from Judy. The question was "have you heard anything?":

Yes, Judith, Ray. Bill, I went over there last nast- he looked great...laughing and talking just like always. But, they will keep him again tonight to keep check on meds. PTL!

Keep praying for Charlotte & Mark:)

PRAYER REQUEST

Charlotte Parkhurst was one of our speakers at the retreat. Her husband, Mark, has had to return to the hospital for heart issues. Please be in prayer for Charlotte & Mark, as well as the doctor's & staff at the hospital. Thanks.

YOUR TURN

We have taken up enough post space - now it is your turn. Tell us how God met with you this past weekend. What did He speak into your life. We overcome the enemy 2 ways - the blood of the Lamb (Christ Jesus & its a done deal) and the word of our testimony (Revelation 12:11). So start TESTIFYING LADIES! TESTIFY!

TO YOU & YOU & YOU

Now to the two biggest thank yous:

To all you Women of Grace who trusted us with 18 hours of your life - we say a BIG THANK YOU! There would have been no retreat without you- just the three of us having a sleep over at the church. We are entertaining but not that much!

To Lord God, His One & Only Son Jesus Christ and to the Great Comforter Holy Spirit - we humbly thank You for manifesting Yourself among us. We thank You for organizing the retreat, setting things us as You saw fit, and working it all to Your glory. Without You it would have been all in vain. We love You!

THANK YOU

** See I told you I would have to add more- to Niki & Charlsie for taking all the pics. Check out FaceBook - we are everywhere & have our own group:)

With some sleep behind us, it is time for thank you's (in no particular order):

• To the prayer team for praying over us the week before the retreat- no doubt it paved the way.
• To the praise team for all their hard work. You prepared our hearts for the Word of God.
• To the greeters who made every lady feel welcomed, made fabulous name tags & signs. You shared the love of Christ and Grace Creek with every woman who walked in that door.
• To the food team - WOW! We ate like queens! Thank you for organizing last night & for cooking away this morning. Where else does one of the guest speakers show up at 6 to cook breakfast!
• To the clean up team - how much of a blessing were you two? You will never know what a joy it was to not have to clean up. Everything was spic & span. You brought honor to the house of the Lord. May you be blessed for it.
• To the decorating team -how cute were you? The decorations were great. Very girly! Thanks for the hard work!
• To all the guests speakers and musicians - thank you so much for putting yourself out there for us and for Jesus. We pray that you are blessed 100 fold for the blessing you were to us.
• To David, Matt, James, Bill, Jared, & Amanda - thank you so much for helping set up and opening the church to us. It was such a blessing!
• And BENJAMIN - what to say. Thank you is insufficient - your hard work was invaluable to us. You are a blessing to our WOG and Grace Creek. May the Lord bless you pressed down & overflowing; more than you could have ever imagined!

If I forgot anyone or group, I am sorry. But please know we are thankful beyond what words can say! And now I am going to take a liberty and say a special thank you to Judy & Vivian. Absolutely - hands down - no way - this would have happened without you. You heart for the Lord is not only a blessing but an encouragement to me and many others. Words can not do justice to the love I have for you both. We may butt heads - but our hearts are knitted together in Christ and that trumps all! Your willingness to lay down your desires and press hard after Jesus is humbling. It is an honor and a privilege to serve with you.

All right - that is it for tonight. I will see all you lovelies in the am. More pics to come! Bless you! Sleep well!

rhonda

SLEEP

The retreat has come and gone BUT our God is FOREVER! And the things He did in the lives of the women in attendance are eternal. Praise His holy name! There will be pics to come and more info - but for now there is -SLEEP!

Prepare the Way

Know what these gals are doing?

How about these?

And these?

Want to give this one a guess?


They are preparing for you! Tomorrow is the day. FINALLY! The team leaders have been working their rear ends off and are ready for you. The question is-->
Are you ready for us?

Girly Get-A-Way '09 in less than 24 hours:)

BABIES! BABIES! BABIES!

Here are some pics from baby shower #2. Remember to pray for this prescious mom-to-be and her hubby!

Ahh... little pink dresses... too cute too cute!

And look - I figured out how to make the pictures BIG - YEA ME!

MINISTRY FAIR

Be sure to check out our booth at the Ministry Fair this Sunday. Lots of info and couple of super sweet gals to answer questions for you. Have a great weekend! One more week until the retreat - YEAH!!!!

Floored

I said it tonight & I will say it again - we are humbled at the hand of God on this retreat. We are honored so many of you are joining us and we are excited to see what is ahead!

WOMEN OF GRACE

The retreat is fast approaching and is consuming a lot of the leadership talk, as well it should. However, we had a meeting today with some future leaders of WOG teams and we want to talk about that. Not about the meeting as much as about the ministry. God is doing something with the women. Christ is moving amongst us. We put it on lots of stuff because we mean it - real women equipping real lives for real Christianity. That is what we want to do. What is more beautiful or attractive than to see someone REALLY walking with Jesus. In all they do & say they are striving to bring glory to Him and to the kingdom. That, friends, is what draws people to Jesus. When they see what He has done for everyday "ordinary" people and they see it walked out before their eyes in the everyday details of their lives. When they see "ordinary" people doing extraordinary things and all pointing to Jesus Christ, it gets the lost everytime. Women of Grace is praying to be leaders on this front. In our church & our community. In our homes & in our workplaces. We have prayed time & again "Lord God let it start with us" - whatever changes need to be made, whatever steps need to be taken - show us and let it start with us. Not a selfish, prideful prayer- but a prayer or obedience and sacrifice. The ladies we met with today pray the same I'll bet, and I'll bet you do to. So Princess warriors- ready your swords! We are on the offensive - to reclaim what the enemy has tried to take. To plant our feet firmly on the Rock and proclaim the name of Jesus Christ. Be prayed up & get into the Word. Armor yourself from head to toe. We have the victory. Let me say it again -WE HAVE THE VICTORY!
See ya in the morning girls - remember - UNSTOPPABLE CHRUCH!

PRAYER REQUEST

Can I just say the retreat is going to be awesome! Want to know how I know? Because the enemy is trying to do quite a bit to distract us. Please pray for Judy, Vivian & Rhonda over the next few weeks. No need to elaborate- just pray for us please. Pray for the whole retreat. PRAY. Thanks.

Did I say to PRAY!

CHECKIN' IN

Hey girls- Just checking in! Hope you are all great! Knowing some of you probably just ok. But either way - Jesus Christ is on the throne and that is great! Just wanted to remind you that this Sunday is the last chance to sign up for the Girly Get-A-Way. We desire SO much to bless you with this and in order to do that we have to be able to plan for the specifics.
Whether you are coming to the Girly thang or not- we encourage you to call unto God this week (& every week) & He will show you the great & mighty & glorious & wonderful & exciting (& any other great adjective I can come up with) things you could never even have imagined. Why?

BECAUSE THAT IS HOW MUCH OUR GOD LOVES YOU & HOW BIG HE IS! AMEN!

SIGN UP QUICKLY

I can't tell you how excited we are for the Girly Get-A-Way! We already have 22 ladies signed up and we are looking forward to the rest of you who will. We continue to meet on Wednesdays to plan - so don't think for a second we are taking this lightly. We have fun & fellowship lined up and some fabulous Word in store - so you don't want to miss it. Sign up cut off will be Sunday, March 1, in order to allow us to prepare for the specifics. The cost is $10 and can be paid at the Women of Grace table after services or to one of the WOG leaders. Please see Judy, Rhonda or Vivian if you have any questions.
On a different note - if you aren't making Wednesday nights you are missing out on a real treat. It is a sweet time of "quietness" in the midst of our very busy weeks. We encourage you to attend. Dress is casual & there is child care - SO COME ON! You will be blessed & ministered to and who doesn't want that. Have a great week ladies and know we love you & consider it a honor to serve you.

GIRLY GET-A-WAY

JUST A REMINDER YOU CAN SIGN UP & PAY FOR THE GIRLY-GET-A-WAY AFTER CHURCH THIS SUNDAY! LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU!

Baby Shower

Monkey Theme

We love presents!


Proud grandparents, parents & aunt

Keep praying for these proud parents-to-be! We had a great time! Hope to see you at the next one.

PS - I am new at posting pics so be patient with me - rhonda:)

TGIF

Hey ladies! TGIF ( well close enough). Hope you are all doing great. Gearing up for a big weekend at church. We are still planning away on the Get-A-Way. Honestly, I did not think I was a very "girly" girl - but the more we get into it the more I think I am:) (B will be so proud). Be sure to get your flyer this Sunday about the Get-A-Way. Gives you all the info on location, costs & when you can pay. Keep praying for each other & our church. God is so awesome!

Women of Grace team

GONE

"My chains are gone, I've been set free"
Love Chris Tomlin. Wished I had been at Breakaway sooner to see him in his early days (must been a toddler then cause he only looks like a teen now). Focus - okay point here. As we sang this in church today the GONE part really struck me. My chains are gone. They are not broken in places. They are not just loosened so I can move around. They are GONE! I am free to run and dance and walk as a set free child of God. So why don't I? Apparently this is a common theme in my life right now. Been a season of "you know who you are in Christ - ACT LIKE IT!" Why do I get tossed to & fro by this world. Why do I let my emotions & my circumstances dictate how I feel? Will definitely be seeking after Christ on this issue. Praying you will do the same for whatever season Christ has you in. Feel free to share with us.

It's no fun if you don't talk back. Have a blessed week.
Rhonda

Girly Get-A-Way

Hey girls! Just wanted to check in & let you know we are still here! We are hard at work planning our Girly Get-A-Way in March. Be sure to watch the bulletin for details. We are so blessed to serve you. A big THANKS to all of you who completed your survey. We are sorting those and will be in touch very soon. You will be a vital part of the Girly Get-A-Way. Couldn't do this without you! Wouldn't even want to try! You ladies are awesome!

PS - Thanks to all of you who have been commenting. It encourages us like you will never know. Spread the word- tell your friends & family. Love you

Women of Grace team

What Does Real Christianity Mean to You?

I guess for me, it means trusting God with the little and big stuff of life moment by moment. It means everything from asking Him for help finding my contact on the bathroom floor to writing my opinion in this blog. Honestly, my first thoughts about writing in the blog were, I can't do that... what would I say... it will sound dumb. But my next thought was, Lord, what would you have me say? Real Christianity means being absolutely honest with myself and with God. It all begins and ends with my relationship with Him. He deals with my sin and changes my heart when needed. He prompts me do the works He has for me to do, then even gives ability where there was none. Beth Moore says, "I am grateful that God is both nearsighted and farsighted. He sees us as we really are, and sees how we will really be". What does He see in your future? What has He asked of you that causes you to feel inadequate? Share with us... Luv and Hugs, Judy

What does it look like?

So my sister reads the blog, well, because I make her, and after the post on Monday she posed a question.

"Okay, so what does that actually look like? What does walking out our "newness of life" actually look like?"

So I pose it to you. Leave us a comment. Share your best everyday, practical advice. Love ya girls!

"Newness of life"

Good morning to you all! I wanted to take a little time to offer some encouragement about Romans 6:4, our scripture verse for January. The preceding verses in Romans discuss how we should not live in sin any longer once we have accepted Christ. Our old man was buried with Him and we should walk in the newness of (the resurrected) life. That last phrase really got me - " walk in the newness of life". I have told myself over and over I am a new creation in Christ Jesus, but I have not always walked that out in my daily life. At times, I have allowed old thought patterns, excuses, and habits to dictate what I did & how I responded to things around me. I have sat plumb still in my newness of life. If you have had a similar battle, I want to encourage you today to join with me in a walk-a-thon. Let's take what the Bible says about us and walk it out in our lives. Let's walk with it into our places of employment, our homes, and our church. Let's walk with it into Wal-Mart, Brookshire's, Lowe's, the Mall, or wherever you may go. Now walking is not always easy. Sometimes it is uphill and sometimes on shaky ground. But you know what the great part about walking is? To do it all you need to do is put one foot in front of the other. So in this season of resolutions, let us be resolved to walk in the newness of our life in Christ everyday. One day we will even run! Be blessed. Know we love you & are praying for you. Rhonda

Here we go!

We can hardly contain ourselves! We are so excited about the coming year! Not just for our women but for our church and our lives! We hope this blog will be a useful tool to be used by you for the work God has called you to do, and we believe He has called us all. Maybe you are not sure what He is calling you specifically to do. Ask yourself this question - what is the burning desire in my heart? Do I enjoy teaching, in depth bible research, decorating, greeting people, praying for people, cleaning up? ALL of great importance in the kingdom of God. We want to help equip you for the work Christ has called you to whatever it may be. So be checking your bulletin, the newsletter and of course here for all our upcoming events. Please know we are praying for you and love you dearly!