The afternoon is my most stressful time of day. When the kids come home from school, it seems like all chaos breaks out. It’s worst on days I don’t time to spend with God.

Yes, I admit it. Sometimes I get up running so fast that I don’t realized I missed God until I crawl back into bed weary and frustrated by the events of my day.

The thing is while I’m home alone, I can be so holy. But when the kids come home and everybody suddenly needs me at once, horns pop out knocking my halo to the ground.

Do you ever feel like the whole world needs you at once? Perhaps you feel they are all knocking at your front door? Maybe it’s your office door while you’re trying to escape the demands of a busy day at work. Or, if you’re a mother, maybe it’s your bathroom door. You’re trying to get five minutes alone…but someone is knocking, and the phone is ringing and buzzer on the stove is going off. Apparently, you and I are the only one who know how to answer the phone. In the stress of the moment, my three kids feel like thirty-three. It’s only a matter of time before I BLOW!!!!!

How do you and I keep from losing it?

We do as Jesus did.

It may seem strange to you but Christ’s day wasn’t much different than ours. He got up every day and went to work teaching in the church. He faced distractions and divine appointments. He even knew what it felt like to have the people depending on him and pressing in on him. How did he do it? How did he go through the day without losing it?!

His secret is found in verse Mark 1:35. “Very early the next morning, Jesus got up while it was still dark and went to a scheduled place and prayed.”

Jesus’ time with God wasn’t something He tacked on to an overcrowded schedule. It was His highest priority, and where He discovered God’s priorities for His life. This is where He got renewed, resorted and ready for whatever the day brought. And this is precisely where you and I so often miss out.

Unlike Jesus, I often attempt to live life in my own energy. I think that I can keep giving out without being replenished. Then, wearied by the life, I often become impatient and annoyed with the very ones God puts my life. That is not how I want to live. It’s not how you want to live either. God offers us something better. Time alone with Him.

Just think about it. We have an open invite to throne room of grace every day. Think of what time spent with God does. It empowers us; guards against temptation, it smoothes away our fear, anxieties. Prayer refreshes and lifts our spirits and it allows us know God and his plan for our lives.

When you and take the time to get our orders each day, the distractions will fall away and the important things with take center stage. Not to mention we’ll go to bed minus the guilt and disappointment. Instead, we’ll know we’ve accomplished something great—like nurturing our children without fuss and fear. And that’s a nice close to the day.

Don’t you love it when God gives you fresh eyes to see new truths when reading a familiar bible story? It just proves there is no bottom to God’s wisdom and guidance for our lives.

Yesterday, I was reading about Naomi, Ruth’s mother-in-law, and a certain phrase seemed to leap from the page.

God has dealt bitterly with me.

A part of me sympathized with Naomi. There have been times in my life where I may not have said it aloud, but felt as though God was dealing bitterly with me. I think we all have at one time or another.

Naomi was a God-fearing woman who loved God and her family. Loyal to her husband, Naomi left her home for a new land. She did everything right, and yet, she lost both her husband and her sons. Her mind must have been full of question marks. The only thing clear to her was this…
God has dealt bitterly with me.

The odd thing about God is sometimes He explains His purpose and other times He doesn’t.

Sometimes he heals and sometimes He doesn’t.

Sometimes He restores and others times He does not.

Where does that leave us? It leaves us full of question marks.

When my life is nothing more than a big question mark, I tend to lean on Romans 8:28. “For God causes all things to work together for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.”

This familiar verse reminds me that while I may never know Gods reasoning for my sufferings, He will give purpose back to the years that had questions marks. He will restore those years of trouble with something good.

Favor once again fell upon Naomi when her daughter-in-law married Boaz. It was like God was saying, “See, I’ve made it up to you.”

God always sees the bigger picture. Because He does, I’m learning not to bitterly complain about my circumstances but to wait on God to restore goodness and peace to my life. For whatever God doses, He does well—even if at first it doesn’t appear so.

Happy Friday!!

I'm on my way to Mississippi to share the Word with a group of God's girls. I can't wait! I would appreciate your prayers for safe travel, easy on the home front while I'm away, and for God's Presence to show up and minister to every heart! He's the real communicator, you know.

Many of you have sent me an email asking for my list on: God’s description of love compared to the superficial love of the world taken from 1 Corinthians-chap 13. Because of the large interest (and I don't want to miss anyone) I'm posting it below. Enjoy!

God says love should be directed toward others.
The worlds says love should be directed toward ourselves.

God says love is patient and kind.
The world says love satisfies your immediate needs.

God says love is never jealous or envious.
The word says love means that you deserve the best.

God says love is never boastful or proud.
The world says love isn’t necessary to make people respect you.

God says love is never rude.
The world says love let you act as you please.

God says love does not demand its own way.
The world says love gets in the way of what is in it for me.

God says love is not irritable or touchy, and it holds no grudges.
The world says love takes a backseat when it comes to seeking revenge.

God says love rejoices in justice and truth.
The world says love understands-even ignores-evil.

God says love is loyal.
The worlds says love should be self-serving.

My prayer for you and me is that we would love God and others with a pure and genuine heart.

Sweet blessings!

Growing up in church, we use to sing this song. "Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace."

These are good words to live by. They will keep us from turning back to our old way of living, thinking and doing. Instead of falling prey to the worlds tactics, we'll remain confident and steady.

Colossians 2:2-4 says this. "My goal is that they will be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have full confidence because they have complete understanding of God's secret plan, which is Christ himself. In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I am telling you this so that no one will be able to deceive you with persuasive arguments."

As a child of God, we've been promised forgiveness of sin, eternal life, and the hope of heaven. When our focus is on these things, then the trappings of this world seem to lose their power.

Often, when I'm tempted or I become weighed down by worry, I remember to that fear is "self-focused." Therefore, I should turn my focus from myself toward God. Because a part from Him I can do nothing.

Some practical things we can do are...

• Keep your eyes on your final destination.
• Realize that worry shouldn't be a part of a Believer's vocabulary.
• Picture yourself as dead to sin and alive in Christ.
• Remember that your Redeemer will return for you.

If we allow these truths to occupy our thoughts, we'll find it much easier to obey God and say no to temptations that drag us down.

Thank you for stopping by my blog yesterday and participating in our P31 Carnival. I hope you had fun and found a few nuggets of truth, comfort, and encouragement along the journey. I know I did.

I was blown away by comments left on my blog. You gals (and gentlemen) have been through some real struggles. When you were gripped by the temptation to fear, you clutched your faith instead. That’s what faith is…believing that the unseen is real as if you already have it!

You shared so many for your favorite verses for replacing fear with faith that I’ve decided to share them. They encouraged me and I trust they will encourage you…no matter what you’re facing.

“For God had not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and discipline” (2 Tim 1:7)

“Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me” (John 14:1)

“What then shall we say to these things? (fill in you situation for ‘these things)If God is for us, who is against us? (Romans 8:31)

“Do not fear, for I am with you ; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10)

“In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Ps 56:11)

“The Lord is my light and my salvation: Who m shill I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dead?” (Ps 27:1)

“He will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You because he trust in God” (Isaiah 26:3)

If you’d like to add one for our encouragement, please do! In the mean time, keep BELIEVEING!

Now, for yesterday’s carnival winner….

Congratulations goes to Lindsey at llanghans@yahoo.com. I hope you enjoy my book and your new clutch!

May God keep each of you in His perfect peace today and always.

Micca Campbell-Helping Women Live Carefree in God's Care

The Proverbs 31 team is celebrating with a Carnival of Giveaways and we are inviting you to join us! What are we celebrating? YOU! We are so thankful for your partnership and friendship that we want to throw a party!! Since you can’t have a party without presents, we’ve decided to offer a free gift at every blog stop in our Carnival.

I’m giving away my book, An Untroubled Heart along with a clutch purse for those fun summer evenings! For your chance to win, leave a comment about how you have clutched faith in fearful times OR how fear still has a clutch on you. Check back tomorrow to see if you win!

Other stops and prizes at the Carnival included:

Wendy Blight http://www.wendyblight.com/ is giving away a copy of the One Year Chronological Bible and her book Hidden Joy in a Dark Corner: The Transforming Power of God's Story.

Shari Braendel http://www.sharibraendel.blogspot.com/ is givng away 3 beautiful jewelry pieces to begin a spring wardrobe with! One for a Glamour Girl, one for a Movie Star and one for a Rock Star!

Whitney Capps http://www.whitneycapps.blogspot.com/ is giving away a $30 Francesca's Gift card, redeemable at http://www.francescascollections.com/

Melanie Chitwood www.melaniechitwood.com/ is giving away One marriage conference call (see her blog for details) and her new book, What a Wife Needs from Her Husband.

Lynn Cowell http://www.lynncowell.com/ is giving away a prize for mom and a prize for a teen girl in her life – the 3 book series B.A.B.E. series by Andrea Stephens (Beautiful, Accepted, Blessed, Eternally Significant) for the teen and for Mom a $10 gift card to Starbucks along with Lynn’s CD “Building a Bridge to Your Child’s Heart”.

Karen Ehman http://www.karenehman.com/ is giving away a Winter White Basket centered on Psalm 51:7 "Wash me and I will be whiter than snow" that includes Skin Milk body wash, a white loofah, Winter White Citrus Bath & Body Works products, white lily linen and room sprays, white hot cocoa, a white mug and white-chocolate macadamia nut cookies. Along with it, a copy of her book on celebrations entitled Homespun Memories for the Heart: More Than 200 Ideas to Make Unforgettable Moments.

Suzie Eller http://www.suzieeller.com/ is giving away a webcam!

Zoe Elmore www.zoeelmore@blogspot.com is giving away a journal, a copy of My Heart's Cry by Anne Graham Lotz and a piece of jewelry Zoe style!

Charlene Kidd http://www.charlenekidd.blogspot.com/ Charlene is giving away a $20.00 Starbucks Gift Card and a copy of Karen Ehman’s book: A Life That Says Welcome, Simple Ways to Open Your Heart and Home to Others.

Tracie Miles http://www.traciemiles.com/ is giving away her CD "Overcoming Stress with Extraordinary Faith" and a Soulmates Slipper with Christian Notepad and Pen.

Rachel Olsen http://www.rachelolsen.com/ is giving away Bread for Life": a hardback copy of The Daily Message: Through the Bible in One Year by Eugene Peterson (which you can read this along with her this year) and the Williams-Sonoma Muffins cookbook.

Wendy Pope http://www.wendypope.org/ is giving away a copy of her book Out of the Mouths of Babes and her CD Yes, No, and Maybe of a Balanced Life Luann Prater http://www.luannprater.com/ & http://www.encouragementcafe.com/ Luann is giving away an Encouragement Cafe mug and t-shirt for both sites!

LeAnn Rice http://www.leannrice.com/ is giving away a copy of her cookbook Sharing Grace: Recipes- Family Traditions-Gift ideas and a Starbucks gift card.

Susanne Scheppmann http://www.susannescheppmann.blogspot.com/ is giving away her Birds in My Mustard Tree Bible Study with an I-tunes gift card.

Renee Swope http://www.reneeswope.com/ is giving away Lysa TerKeurst’s Becoming More Than a Good Bible Study Girl DVD Set and her CD message, Living Beyond the Shadow of Doubt on DVD.

Lysa TerKeurst http://www.lysaterkeurst.com/ is giving away is a Mom's Book Club gift pack including 4 copies of Lysa's book, Am I Messing Up My Kids? and a 30-minute Q&A conference call with Lysa.

Van Walton http://www.vanwalton.blogspot.com/ is giving away her DVD for children - From the Pound to the Palace

Glynnis Whitwer http://www.glynniswhitwer.com/ is giving away her book work@home: A Practical Guide for Woman Who Want to Work from Home and a French Country Wire Silverware Basket

She Reads http://www.shereads.org/ is giving away two novels, Watch Over Me by Christa Parrish and Screen Play, by Chris Coppernoll, and chocolate, courtesy of the authors. They will tell the story of how their writing brought them together - a love story, quite literally, fit for a novel!

RadRevolution http://www.radrevolution.org/ Our ministry to teen girls is giving away a copy of Do the Hard Thing along with a RadRev t-shirt!

Thanks for coming to our Carnival! I hope you win lots of prizes!!!!

The winner of "His Princess" book from yesterday is...Monique! Congrats!!!

Happy Monday,
Whether you’ve stopped by because of the carnival or because you joined me on Andrea Ingram on WordNet Talk radio in North Carolina at 1:00-2:00pm this afternoon, welcome!!

Nothing makes us want to live safe in God’s love and protection than when we are plagued by fear and anxiety. The million dollar question is..

How do we get to a safe place in God where we run free and leave our anxious cares with Him? We follow the advice of Peter in I Peter 5:7. He knew we would be concerned about the necessities of life. Even the most mature Christians today are apt to labor under the burden of anxious and excessive care such as personal concerns, family woes, cares for the present, cares for the future, cares for themselves, for others, and for the church. Peter saw this anxious care as a heavy burden and he gave us some wise counsel for dealing with it. Peter’s advice is to cast all our cares upon God. We are to throw the cares that distract us, wound our bodies and souls, and lay heavy on our hearts, upon the wise and gracious providence of God. You can do that because “he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7) Isn’t that amazing? You and I don’t have to carry the burden of our worries. God is willing to release us from our cares, and take our concerns upon Himself.

Let me be honest. It’s easy to cast my cares upon God. The hard part is not taking them back. When it appears to me that God is not paying attention to my needs, worry returns and I feel the need to do something about it.

For example… after I lost my husband, I suffered with colon attacks. It was how my body dealt with the stress. (If this is ‘TMI—too much information’ for you, skip to the next paragraph) I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced a colon attack or have known someone who has, but they are agonizing. If you don’t know any better, and I didn’t, you’d think you were dying with colon cancer. The excruciating cramping in your stomach last for hours until it gives way to—well, let’s just say more unbearable pain in the bathroom until sweet relief is achieved. Even though it’s a painful experience, the worst part is not knowing where you’ll be when the next attack occurs.

I assumed by casting my situation on God and asking him to carry the burden meant that my stomach troubles would go away. The burden of not going to counseling once a week and not having that extra bill to pay was expected when I gave it over to God. But none of that ceased. I kept having colon attacks which meant I still needed counseling for my grief. And while I hoped that the counselor would at least ease my debt, instead, she went up on her prices. What was the point of giving my burden to God in the first place if he wasn’t going to make it all go away? I wondered.

The point is this. When you and I cast our cares on God we are acknowledging and recognizing that it’s His responsibility to care for us—not ours. At first the weight is lifted until God doesn’t respond to our need like we think He should. Then, we are quick to retrieve the burden. We forget that God is painting on a large canvas. He sees the big picture. We only see what’s happening to us at the moment. God may allow events to come into our lives—good things and bad things; things that make sense and things that don’t. Every one of these incidents serves as part of his plan for our lives. What you and I may think is harmful and destructive God is using for our good—to bring us to completion in godly conduct and character. He will allow nothing to happen to us that isn’t first filtered through his screen of protection. In other words, what won’t destroy us God uses to better us. Ultimate harm would be if God left us in the state we are in.

You and I have this promise in hard times. “We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed” ( 2 Corinthians 4: 8,9, NIV).
God will not let our hardships destroy us. Though they may be tragic in and of themselves, He will use them for our good. You and I cast our worries on God because it’s His responsibility to give us what we need. As we trust him with the bigger picture of our lives, the weight is lifted and peace washes over our anxieties. (Excerpt taken from my book, An Untroubled Heart)

One of my favorite books to read that helps me stay in God’s love is “His Princess…Love Letter From Your King” by Sheri Rose Shepherd. Today, I’m giving away a copy!! To enter to win, leave your name and email address in the commit section. Good-luck!

Have you ever secretly compared your spouse to another man or woman? Perhaps you’ve wished they were more thoughtful, spiritual, or a better dresser like “so-in-so.”
If so, let me reassure you. The grass is not greener on the other side. Trust me. That man you’ve got your eye on doesn’t clip his toenails either. Nor does that woman rub her man’s feet while feeding him grapes after a long day of work.

Your spouse and mine are the people we fell in love with. No, they’re not perfect. Maybe all they need is a bit of tender loving care. Instead of comparing and complaining about our partner’s shortcomings, you and I should try nurturing our mates lovingly in the area they need most. We might be surprised by the results.

I heard an encouraging story about an attractive millionaire who married an ordinary woman. The marriage instantly became the talk of the town.

“Why would he marry her when he could have any woman he wanted?” The people whispered among themselves. “It won’t last. She’s just not good enough for him.”

The man took the ordinary woman away for six months on an exotic honeymoon. When he returned, there appeared to be another woman on his arm. She walked with confidence and poise. The countenance of her face glowed with beauty.

“Now that’s the kind of woman a handsome chap should be with,” announced the town’s biggest loud mouth.

As the happy couple causally strolled past the gossipmonger, she got a closer look. To her surprise, it wasn’t someone new holding the gentlemen’s arm at all. It was the average woman he had married months ago—completely transformed!

The wise millionaire had taken his common bride away and nurtured her inward beauty. He lovingly spoke positive and encouraging words to her day and night until she believed she was beautiful. The once ordinary woman now carries herself with confidence and exudes the exquisiteness that her husband saw in her all along.

His secret, you ask? He took time to care for and fertilize her confidence until she grew into the grandeur display she was always meant to be.

You and I shouldn’t dream about taking off our shoes and walking around on the neighbors grass. Instead, we should try fertilizing our own yard. We might be surprised how it blossoms into a thing of beauty.

Wishing you a beautiful Valentine's Day!

Be sure and stop by Monday and Tuesday of this week for free giveaways!

Micca Campbell--Helping Women Live Carefree in God's Care

God’s love is true and reliable, but sometimes we don’t feel worthy to be loved by God. If you can relate, don't miss my devotional today, "When God Serenades You."
Sometimes because of things that happened in our past we think the Lord could never love us. At other times, we let our affection for God grow dim when we experience unexpected troubles or sorrows. These types of experiences can also make us feel as if God has turned His back on us and withheld His love. This is the way I felt after my husband’s death. With fear and trembling, I nervously wondered, “Has God taken His hands off the wheel of my life? Has He left me to spin helplessly out of control?”

Most days were a blur after I returned home from Porter’s funeral. I couldn’t focus on cleaning. I couldn’t even concentrate on my son. Sadness was my only garment. I couldn’t seem to toss if off or exchange it for something lighter and easier to wear. No, the heaviness of my pain and fear were more than I could bear at times. All I thought was, “God, where are you? Don’t you care?”

Perhaps, you’ve felt the same way. We tend to think that once we belong to God we are placed inside a spiritual bubble that protects us from all adversity, worry, and fear. We assume that experiencing peace and happiness show we have a caring Father. But when we experience trials, we question his love. Yet, the truth is this. Even the children of God are not promised a life free from troubles. Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:32).

No, God had not taken His hands off the wheel of my life or yours. He is aware of our circumstances and is in complete control. Still, when life suddenly turns stormy and unexpected events occur, we doubt God’s love. Trials and troubles in our lives don’t mean that God doesn’t care. During these times when we feel alone and betrayed, we must not give an ear to Satan’s lies. Instead, we must trust that God is acting in love on our behalf even in dire circumstances. Even though our fears and emotions my lead us to believe otherwise, God, and what He allows into our lives, is always motivated by one thing---love.

Have you ever wondered what’s on the heart of God? Is it world hunger, war, UFO’s, or simply the mind-draining task of running the universe? While these things may be on the mind of God, you and I are the precious treasures that are on His heart. Before we were born, God knew all about us. He knew what we would fear, the troubles we would face, and the mistakes we would make. Yet, He chose to love us anyway. “You did not choose me, but I chose you” (John 15:16a). Therefore, we can experience His love without shame or fear, knowing that troubles do not mean God doesn’t care. It means He does care. Every move God makes on our behalf is based on love. God allows the hard things in life to develop genuine faith in us so that we are able to stand when the next storm comes our way.

Understanding this truth about God helped me to see that God is not against me. He is for me. When anxious times enter my life, I strengthen my faith by reciting what I know to be true.

“Lord, I trust that you are with me. I know that you will never leave me nor forsake me. I am not alone. You care for me. You are my provider and you have a special, perfect plan for me. It’s a plan to bring me good not bad. I do not have to be afraid for you are faithful. What I’m experiencing now may not be what I want or what I had planned for my life, but I trust you, Lord.”
When we can say these things, we know that our faith is becoming stronger than our fears.

(This excerpt was taken from Micca’s Book, An Untroubled Heart.)

I Corinthians 13:1-13 is called the Love Chapter of the Bible. This passage describes how God loves us and how He wants us to love others. The thing is…we can’t do it alone. It takes supernatural power to love others as we have been loved by God. The world teaches us that love is selfish, but God says that loves considers others first.
For example, compare the verses about love in 1 Cor to the superficial love found in the world …

God says love should be directed toward others

The world says love should be directed toward ourselves.

God says love is patient and kind.
The world says love satisfies your immediate needs.

God says love is never jealous or envious.
The world says love means you deserve the best.

If you would like the complete list of “God’s Love vs The Worlds Love” leave your email address in my comment section and I’ll send it to you over the weekend.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I like to be original. Therefore, I want my man to be original in the ways he expresses his love to me as well. Don’t misunderstand. I like flowers, going out to dinner, candy and perfume, but I don’t want those things on Valentine’s day. What’s romantic about receiving the same gift every other woman in the world is receiving? Or, what’s romantic about sitting in a restaurant with a hundred or so other couples you don’t even know? In my opinion, nothing.

I want to be special, don’t you? Of course you do! But let’s be honest. It’s hard to come up with new ways to say “I love you” year after year. That’s why I want to share with you these 21 great and inexpensive ways to tell the love of your life just how much you care.

1. Make a homemade card with a picture of the two of you on the cover. Get ideas for a verse by spending a few minutes browsing through a card shop.

2. Write a poem. It doesn't have to rhyme.

3. Send a love letter listing the reasons "Why I love you so much."

4. Pledge your love for a lifetime. Write it on calligraphy or design it on a desktop computer and print it out on parchment paper and have it framed.

5. Plan a surprise lunch, complete with picnic basket, sparkling grape juice and goblets. I love this!

6. Bake a giant cookie and write "I love you" with heart shaped redhots or frosting. (Don't worry about the calories, it's not for eating! Wink-wink)

7. Make a coupon book and include coupons for a back rub, a compromise when about to lose an argument, a listening ear when needed, etc.

8. Kidnap the car for a thorough washing and detailing.

9. Design your personal crest combining symbols that are meaningful to both of you.

10. Compose a love song.

11. Arrange for someone to sing a favorite love song to you and your love when you're together.

12. Call a radio station and have them announce a love message from you and make sure your love is listening at the right time.

13. Make a big sign such as: "I Love You,_____. Love, (your name)" and put it in front of your house or her apartment complex for the world to see.

14. Buy favorite fruits that aren't in season, like a basket of strawberries or blueberries. Then, feed them to your spouse.

15. Hide little love notes in the car, a coat pocket, desk, purse or diaper bag.

16. Place a love message in the "personal" section of the classified ads in your local paper.

17. Florist flowers aren't the only way to say "I love you." Pluck a single flower and write a message about how its beauty reminds you of your love. For greater impact, have it delivered at work.

18. Prepare a surprise candle light gourmet low-calorie dinner for two.

19. Write the story of the growth of your relationship from your perspective, sharing your emotions and your joys. What a treasure!

20. Make a paperweight from a smooth stone, paint it, and write a special love message on it.

21. Promise to change a habit that your love has been wanting you to change.

Family Matters.

Micca Campbell-Helping Women Live Carefree in God's Care

Who doesn't love giveaways??? I'm excited to share with you about two of them today!!

First, my funny friend and teammate, Karen Ehman, is having a week long giveaway!
Each day next week will be a different Valentine giveaway—–marriage books, Bath and Body Works products, Valentines goodies and more. Mark your calendar and ‘click’ in on her blog to enter to win! http://www.karenehman.com/

Secondly, my other lovely friend and President of Proverbs 31 Ministries, Lysa TerKeurst, is giving away a FREE Bible Study, Becoming More Than A Good Bible Study Girl. Check out her blog to enter to win!! http://www.lysaterkeurst.blogspot.com/

Third, do you suffer from headaches? I used to and know what a "pain" they can be in distributing my life. Friend and teammate, Suzie Eller, is giving away a wonderful book called, Overcoming Headaches and Migraines, by another good friend of mine--Lisa Morrone, PT. Don't miss Suzie's interview with Lisa today. http://www.tsuzanneeller.com/ You'll gain valuable information and a chance to win Lisa's book!

Last but certainly not least, be sure to stop by She Seeks.

This week the She Seeks team have been talking about speaking up for those who cannot speak for themselves. In an effort to put what they've been talking about into practice they are issuing the She Seeks SPEAK UP Challenge. For the next week each comment on their vlog post will result in one dollar being given to Compassion International's Disaster Relief Fund for Haiti. To learn how you can participate click here: https://www.compassion.com/contribution/giving/disasterrelief.htm?referer=106103

Spread the love and share this post with your friends!

Love, and lots of it

We’ve reached February, the month of love. The older I get the more I realize that love has many meanings. Take this letter for example:

Dearest Jimmy,

No words could ever express the great unhappiness I've felt since breaking our engagement. Please say you'll take me back. No one could ever take your place in my heart, so please forgive me. I love you, I love you, I love you!

Yours forever, Marie.

P.S., And congratulations on willing the state lottery.

They say love is blind. I wonder what kind of eyesight Jimmy has.

C.S. Lewis gives us food for thought on loving God. He states,

“On the whole, God's love for us is a much safer subject to think about than our love for Him.”

I find the same is true for loving our neighbor as ourselves. It is much easier to love ourselves than our neighbor. And yet, God commands that we love Him and others. Honestly, this is one of the hardest commands to follow. What’s the source of our failure? Would God actually command us to do something and not provide a way of success?

Of course, not!

The problem is we haven’t learned to rely on His provision. It’s only natural to love those who love us, but it takes super-natural power to love the unlovely. We may not be able to love the sandpaper people in our lives—you know—those who rub us the wrong way. But Christ in us can! Our nature is unable, but Christ in is us is more than able. We just need to yield to His nature in us. However, some of us rather "act" or "pretend" to love others than to actually experience God's supernatural power at work in them. Why? For the life me I don't know.

This I do know. Our heart follows our action. If you and I will choose to love, eventually our heart will follow and we will actually love that person we once disliked. On the other hand, the same is true if you are hateful to someone you dislike, you’ll find your heart disliking them more.

“My cup overflows.” That’s the best way to describe my weekend! I left Thursday for Midland, TX. It was a good thing that I did. By Friday afternoon, snow began to fall in Nashville. When it stopped snowing, we had seven inches! That’s unusual for the south, y’all!

The weather delayed flights from one end of the country to the other. To top it off, I had somewhat of a virus on Thursday. I had all the symptoms--a terrible headache, an upset stomach, and dizziness. Flying with a stomach virus is like mixing oil and water. So, I chased down a bottle of pepto-bismol with a sprite and prayed that I wouldn’t vomit on the person sitting next to me on the plane. Then, again, I couldn’t help but think, “Why throw-up on myself instead of the person sitting next to me. It’s not like I’m ever going to see them again.” Still, it didn’t seem proper and southern girls must abide by what’s proper and what’s not.

Anyway, another source of survival I used was prayer. I texted my friend and teammate, Renee Swope, and asked her to alert the team to pray for me. It’s a speaker’s worst nightmare to show up at an event sick!

I’m happy to report it worked. Both the prayer and the pepto-bismol that is.

My flight was due to arrive in Midland at 9:30pm. My actual time of arrival was 11:00pm. Although I was tired, my symptoms had vanished. Jean, the co-chair for the retreat, and her husband picked me up at the airport and took me their home where I stayed the night in their beautiful cottage.

The next morning, God blessed us with a gorgeous day for travel. Jean, Mitzi, D’Ann and I drove to Warren Ranch for the retreat three hours from Midland. The Ranch was beautifully nestled out in the middle of nowhere. But God found us there.

Boy, did He! Everything about the weekend was out of this world! The food was great, the women were amazing, the worship was inspiring, and hearts were touched. Three things I think stood out from the weekend was…

the prayer room: This idea was taken from our very own She Speaks conference. Mitzi, Connie, and Lori had attended last year and loved our prayer room. If you’ve never had a prayer room at your event, consider it. It’s powerful! You take the Names of God and spread them out on a table. Then, you take the names of those attended your event and place several names on each Name of God. Keep the room dimly lit, play soft worship music, and have throw pillows lying around the floor. Invite the women to spend time in the prayer room. You’ll be amazed at the results!

the prayer wreath: Strips of different colored ribbons were available to tie onto the wreath. As you tied your ribbon, you said a prayer. You could tie as many ribbon’s as you wanted to on the wreath. By the end of the weekend, it was beautiful. They plan to hang it in the their church.

and the panel: We laughed and we cried as the panel, made up of women from age 20 to grand-ma age, answered questions about raising children, being a wife, what we’d do different if we got a do over, and what we wanted to pass on to our children. The retreat team prepared some of the questions and others came from the attendees--who were asked to write their questions down ahead of time.

Yes, God met each and every one of us in a special way. I was blessed to have been a part. The women of First Presbyterian of Midland are warm, loving, funny, friendly sister’s in Christ whom I had the pleasure of getting to know.

Since I’ve been home, I have an overwhelming urge to wear a cowgirl hat and boots.

Other Places I'll be and would love to see you there are:

Mississippi-Feb 19-20th

Cedar Rapids, IA
March 6th
Women Of Hope
Contact: Renee Smith rsmith@basketofhope





















And...

Elburn, IL
March 12-13
Contact Lynn at ldugan@sbcglobal.net