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!