The Reason for the Season....

Christmas is just around the corner and though we have wrapped up our groups for the year, many of us continue with our hectic schedules.  Baking, planning, shopping, errands, wrapping, eating and celebrating.  Though the stress of Christmas is associated with fond memories and the making of new traditions, we often forget one very important ingredient: Christ.  As Christmas nears, our hearts ought to focus on our gratitude towards our Savior.  We ought to remember who we are "in Christ" and realize the grace and guidance that His presence here on earth has given us.  There is no time like now to "be still and know that He is God".  So this December, as we wind down and close in on the reason for the season, let's be sure to take time WITH Him, as opposed to just merely talking ABOUT Him.  There is no better gift we can give our Lord than that of our time and hearts.  No shopping or wrapping required.  Merry Christmas ladies!

Is Sin REALLY That Bad? Aren't We Just "Normal"?

Is having SIN in your life really that bad?  

Let's investigate verse by verse in

Hebrews 3:13-19.

13:  "See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.  But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness."  Sounds to me like this is a warning...that a sinful heart will eventually turn away from God.  It sounds to me that we NEED each other, to lean on, to be truthful with and to be encouraged so that we recognize when we are in sin and in need of change.  If sin is deceitful, we must be careful and realize that it will wrap itself up in a nice little package all the while whispering to us that it holds the truth but when our friends tell us to walk away, we ought to heed that warning.

 14:  "We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end."  Interesting..."IF" we hold our conviction.  Does this mean we naturally waiver?  Do we have a tendency to fall away from our original conviction?  With all the other warnings in the Bible about falling away and not to be like the world, I'm guessing this must be true.  We are at risk of letting our convictions go.  We get lazy.  We start to make excuses.  We justify.  And in the end, it's telling us we are not sharing in Christ, are we?  We lose out on fellowship....relationships....and THE most important relationship.

15: "As has just been said:

   “Today, if you hear his voice,
   do not harden your hearts
   as you did in the rebellion.”   Harden your hearts....what might this mean?  Harden your hearts...hearing from God....perhaps hearing and knowing better and choosing to do it anyways?  Burying you conviction underneath your justification?  Crossing the line you swore you'd never cross because you're tired of fighting the good fight of faith?  Yes, all of those things would be the first steps leading to hardening of the heart.  But what rebellion does he mention?  Are we who make choices such as these, rebelling?  Are we compared to those that have rebelled?  Even when it's one simple choice?  One action?  One thing?  Yes.

16: Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? 17: And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? 

Are we being compared to the Israelites?  The ones who wandered in the desert?  Who disobeyed?  Who complained?  Who lacked faith?  Who questioned?  Who....wait a minute.  We ARE like them, aren't we?  The Israelites didn't end up in the desert overnight.  It started with a mindset.  The mentality that "I am better off doing this on my own" and "I don't want to change."  And yet, somehow God didn't leave them.  He didn't kill them off.  He extended His mercy and grace.  The same way He does today.  He extends His hand.  His love.  His heart.  And His warnings.  He loves us so much that He imparts warnings and gives us friends that will speak the truth in love.  

18: "And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed?

19: So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief."  His rest?  Would that also mean His peace?  Aha.  So when we are walking in disobedience, we cannot at the same time be in His peace.  And unbelief?  What does that have to do with sin and obedience?  Perhaps we demonstrate our lack of faith and unbelief when we choose a way apart from Him....especially when deep down we know better.  

Listen to His voice.  Don't harden your heart.  Choose what you know is right.  Stop justifying it.  Quit complaining and questioning.  Start trusting.  Living.  And go and share with truth with those you care about.  Risk a relationship in order to restore one with Him.  Take the jokes and isolation that comes with living in a world that is not our home.  And stay the path.  Keep going.  He gives us the warnings out of love.  And He gives us the strength to endure out of love.  He guides you and cares for you....out of love.

Do YOU have other insights about these verses?  How have they spoken to YOU?  Please share with us!

The Infamous Love Walk.

I read this this morning: 

"Everything begins with love. Jesus makes the command to love one of his most defining statements. We can talk about love, preach sermons about love, read books about love, quote scriptures about love and long to love. However, the bottom line is: The only way to actually learn the ways of love is to extend it, try it, do it, risk it, live it - to enter into another person's life and let someone into ours." Kathy Escobar, Author of "Down We Go"

What an excellent summary on what we are called, as Christians, to do!  So often we get caught up in head knowledge and surrounding ourselves with scriptures and quotes and information that we forget to actually put it into practice.  Unfortunately, until we are willing to engage our hearts and put into practice what we are learning through the Word of God, we will miss His amazing power.  His Word holds the power to diminish strongholds....those areas of your life you can't seem to overcome; the ability to heal, renew, refresh; it becomes hope and strength in the darkness....but only if we are willing to walk it out.  

Have you been in a rut lately?  Wondering why your mind just isn't being renewed?  Getting tired of the same thing day after day after day?  Sitting in church and doing what you feel you "should" and not seeing change?  Perhaps you are forgetting to actually put into practice what you are learning.  ENGAGE your heart!  When it comes to love, meditate on the scriptures that talk about God's love for you and start receiving how much He cares for you.  Focus on the people around you and choose to see them the way He does.  Reach out to them, show them in creative ways how much you care.  Look into their eyes when you talk.  Reach out for a hug when they are down and needing encouragement.  Write a note.  Send a text.  Let your loved ones know they are loved with the love of Christ.  

I guarantee that as you begin to engage and put forth effort to apply the things you are reading and learning you will find that power you've been longing for to touch your life.  Change will happen.  Hurts will fall away.  Peace will be found.  It's not always easy and it often goes against the very thing our flesh WANTS to do.  But trust that His Word is the right way.  Walk in it and dare to see what happens.  <3

 

 

Are you ready?

You're here because you wanted to see what we're all about.  Get more information.  See what we have to offer.  Find out how to connect with a group.  Or perhaps deep in your heart you feel led to take this step and yet something is stopping you.  What is it?  Fear?  Insecurity?  Schedule?  Only you can plan your life and prioritize what matters.  You have noticed by now that when you put your time with God on the back burner other things fall apart.  You are more stressed...worried...anxious...little things become big deals.  We can only chug along on our own strength for so long.  Connecting with a small group is a way to encourage you in those desert times, help to fill you up with Godly principles and tips, revive your passion to seek Him and put Him first, and to form friendships with other women JUST LIKE YOU.  You aren't alone in the struggles you face!  We were never meant to go through life alone but to do life TOGETHER.  There is a reason that women were given more words than men!  To share with our girlfriends!  I encourage you to choose a group and make that step.  Find a way to make it work in your schedule knowing that you will find love, acceptance and understanding.  Knowing that it could be your first step to transformation, healing and revival in your life.  Realizing that women out there need YOUR perspective....want to hear YOUR story....will be inspired by YOU.  Our groups start this next week.  We hope to see you soon!

Our upcoming groups are announced!

Starting the week of September 25th and continuing for 8 weeks we will offer 7 different small groups throughout the valley from San Juan to Mission!  This is a great way to get connected with other women JUST LIKE YOU....women who are walking through valleys and facing obstacles JUST LIKE YOU...women who have fears and worries JUST LIKE YOU...women who want to understand more about the Bible and are sometimes afraid to ask JUST LIKE YOU...women who desperately want to know Him on a deeper and more meaningful level JUST LIKE YOU.  Don't wait any longer!  Take advantage of this unique way to grow in your spiritual journey and soar to new heights.  Perhaps you're teetering on the edge of your faith not sure which way is up or down anymore...maybe life has gotten the best of you and feel beat up and hopeless...perhaps you are ready to re-ignite your passion for the Lord and take the next steps that He has for you....it doesn't matter WHERE you are in your walk, Girlfriend's Connection is here to encourage, inspire, motivate and help you gain Biblical perspective on every part of your life.  Take a look at what we have to offer and get ready for something NEW that God has been stirring in your heart.  Do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or clarification.  We are here for YOU.

The Power of Thoughts. In Simple Form.

Where is your mind today? Has it been renewed and transformed? Or are you dwelling on "I" statements and negativity?  Do you wonder why life seems so rough and difficult lately?  Do you realize that you have the power to decide what you will think on? You don't have to dwell on every thought that enters your head. 

Today, I challenge you to think on "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy". (Phil 4:8)

Can you do it? Will you? Remember with Him, you CAN do all things.  :)

Ways to Extend Love, Mercy, and Compassion

Let's take a moment to think outside of ourselves and our own problems and issues.  Sometimes our world becomes so much smaller when we fail to see beyond our fall walls to the suffering, lonliness, and injustice going on around us.  Are we in a place to offer hope and love to a desperate world?  As a Christian what do you hope to be known for - someone who strictly adheres to the theology and belief system of Christianity always teaching or someone who lives out it's message at its core and practices and walk in love?  Here are some practical ideas on becoming more merciful, compassionate and how to extend love. 

Adapted from the book "Down We Go: Living into the wild ways of Jesus" by Kathy Escobar.

1.  Start telling your own story more freely, more honestly, in a safe circle of friends.  It's important to remember that we ALL have weaknesses and obstacles.  Let down the guard and be honest with your struggles so that others will feel comfortable coming to you with theirs. 

2. Remember that self-hatred, self-doubt, insecurity, depression, disconnectedness and loneliness are feelings that interfere with the ability to be compassionate towards ourselves, as well as others.  Are there one or more of these feelings that you are bumping up against?  Are you aware of the origin?  Make an effort to speak out about these things with a close friend this week, and try not to hold back. We can only give what we have received and we stunt our own spiritual growth if we continually bury the pain and difficulties that we face.

3.  Ask God to show you who around you is neglected, abandoned, forgotten or lonely.  Check in with them, go hang out for awhile, bring food or flowers, and just "be" with them without offering advice or trying too hard.  Are there single moms or dads who could use a day or night off, who  may be pleasantly surprised about the offer?  Can you think of someone in your life experiencing a divorce, death or loss of some kind?  Do something special for them this week, to remind them that they are not alone.

4.  Intentionally seek connection in your community or neighborhood with people not like you.  If that scare you or feels too overwhelming at first, find out what agencies or ministries serve people in need and how you might be able to be part.  If you are a part of TFC check out the Life Center! 

5.  Consider Mother Teresa's admonition: "If you can't feed 100 people, just feed one."  Find the one.  If you need some specific direction, look up your closest local food pantry location.  Connect with the staff, and ask what you might be able to do to support their efforts.  Think about Matthew 25:35: "When I was hungry, you gave me something to eat."  This goes deeper than just food.  It talks about basic needs and desires of people.  Ask God to guide you and direct your steps and remember that it's ok to feel unsure if you've never stepped out before!

What's up with GC???

For many of you wondering we will be ready to launch new groups starting in September.  Our goal is to provide a safe, intimate atmosphere where you feel comfortable relating to other women from all walks of life.  We all go through struggles and face obstacles in life and need eachother to lean on during those hard time.  Our GC groups are a place to vent, talk, discuss, ask questions and develop relationships....all while strengthening your faith.  Sometimes we wonder if we'll fit in...or be understood.  We worry that we will be criticized or judged.  We question whether we might be the only ones that won't understand what we read or be able to find certain books in the Bible.  We hope that by attending one our GC groups with our trained facilitators you will feel safe to open your heart and bring yourself one step closer to understanding the things of God on a whole new level.  Don't let your fears and worries stunt your growth!  We are passionate about seeing you restored, transformed and healed and will go the extra mile to relate with you and help you to see yourself as Jesus sees you.  Stay tuned and get ready to take a step out of your comfort zone and anticipate the incredible things you will experience as a result! 

You are His child.

“Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”” Matthew 19:14 NIV

Did you know in God's eyes we are ALL little children? We need guidance, protection, wisdom, nourishment and support. And our Father gives us that and more. The kingdom of heaven belongs to each one of us. ♥  

 

Sometimes many of us feel unworthy to be accepted to God.  We feel that we have let Him down and disappointed Him.  We worry that we have gone too far off his path of righteousness to ever be taken back.  We wonder if we can live up to His expectations.  But let's look at it from the eyes of a child.  You might not have grown up in a home filled with love, acceptance and encouragement but that is what it's like to grow up in God's house.  When you study His character He is full of grace, mercy, forgiveness and abounds in love.  He isn't harsh or demanding but waits for us to return just as the prodigal son.  He created us in love and will raise us in love, if we will allow Him to do so.  While it can be hard to understand a Father that is so different from many of our earthly fathers it's worth your time to study His character and learn who He really is.  You might be surprised.   Many of us feel betrayed by friends, loved ones and the world but no matter what we can rest assured that God is on our side, for us, not against us and always ready to scoop us up in his open arms to provide respite from our troubles.  Will you see Him as your Father?  Will you allow Him to lead your and guide you?  Will you learn to trust Him? 

The Friends of Motherhood

From Stacy T at www.keeperofthehome.org

Motherhood isn’t easy.  There are many ways to describe motherhood - joyful, challenging, unique, consuming, wonderful, exhausting, humbling, rewarding - but easy isn’t one of them.
As mothers, our greatest privileges and our greatest joys in life also happen to be some of our greatest challenges.

There are things we can do to help make the job of motherhood easier and more joyful.
Those things are like friends in that they lighten our burden and make our journey more joyful.  They are the friends of motherhood.  They can make our responsibilities easier, although not necessarily easy.  Just like our friends in real life, the friends of motherhood help us along, lift us up and encourage us to continue trying.

And on the contrary, there are also things we do that make our mothering more difficult and challenging; those things are our foes. (And we will address this in Part II another day.)

So what are the friends and foes of motherhood?

First, we'll talk about the friends.  The friends of motherhood are patience, forgiveness and confidence.

Patience

“Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself.”  - Saint Francis de Sales

No doubt about it, motherhood takes patience!  The patience to wait for your three year old to put his shoes on by himself.  The patience to clean up the floor underneath the highchair... for the fifth time that day.  That all takes patience and the more patient we can be, the easier our days will be. 

I often find that the same situation can be exhausting or amusing depending on my attitude.  Often, whatever has happened to try my patience will only be made worse by the display of impatience, and, most of the time, being patient will better the situation.  Patience really is key to the happiness and peace in our homes. 

And just as important is the the need to be patient with ourselves. It’s far too easy to beat ourselves up, criticizing and judging ourselves for our shortcomings, weaknesses and mistakes.  But if we can be patient with ourselves and continue trying, we’ll be far better in the long run, and so will our children.

Forgiveness

"Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude."  - Martin Luther King, Jr.

If you stop to think about it, a mother is constantly forgiving, forgiving her children for misbehaving or acting out.  It seems so common that we may not even recognize it as forgiveness.  But it is.  Forgiveness allows love to flow and to be felt by our children even during times of discipline.

Forgiveness builds a bond of trust between a mother and her children.  Over time, our children will learn that our love is constant and is not contingent upon their behavior.  This will help them to be honest with us and be more open to communication about potential problems or decisions they might be facing.  Forgiveness also frees us from the burden of anger and the distracting desire for a retaliative type of discipline.

Similar to patience, we also need to forgive ourselves.  Just like our children, we will often make mistakes, and we need to forgive ourselves and move forward with confidence.

Confidence

“Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong.” - Peter T. McIntyre

The friendlier you can get with confidence as a mother, the better off you’ll be.  Confidence in motherhood is difficult.  It’s easy to feel less-confident then we should.

We all need to trust, however, that God gave us the children he gave us for a reason, and be confident that through prayer and effort, we can raise them as they need to be raised and mother them in the way that they need to be mothered.

Confidence does not mean that you discount all others’ thoughts and suggestions, valuing only your own.  Confidence in motherhood is the understanding that you are capable of raising your children the way they should be raised, taking ideas from all valuable sources and putting them to your use in the best ways for your children.  Confidence is the ability to give consideration to any thought or suggestion, whether yours or another’s, and be confident in your ability to evaluate the idea.

Confidence should not be shaken by mistakes.  Learning does not take place without mistakes, and a confident mother knows that, with every little stumble she is increasingly capable.

Keeping Your Faith Simple....

An excerpt from the book, "Seven Things That Steal Your Joy" by Joyce Meyer.

"In the Old Testament, the Israelites often said, "The Lord our God is one Lord [the only Lord]" (Deuteronomy 6:4).  And I always wondered why they made such a big deal out of God being One.

Then I realized that the heathens were deceived into believing there was a god for everything.  Can you imagine how complicated that must have been?  To have a baby, they talked to the god of fertility.  To grow crops, they talked to the god of the harvest.  And all these different gods required different sacrifices for healing, peace, or whatever the people lacked.

They must have been busy just running around to false gods.  That's why it was such good news when the one true God revealed Himself and said, "I've got it all.  Anything you need, you can come to Me."

The Lord our God is One.

The word simple means "one": "umixed", "free of secondary complications."  The word pure also means "one": "unmixed with any other matter". 

Whatever I need, I can go to the one pure God.  If I need peace, if I need righteousness, if I need hope, if I need joy, if I need healing, if I need finances, if I need help - whatever I need, I simply to go the one true God.  That is simple.  That delivers me from complication.  The Lord our God, He is One.  

Jesus' message that He came so we might have and enjoy our lives so abundantly they would overflow was intended for us in the twenty-first century.  God did not mean for life to be as complicated as it is today.  As Paul said, "I'm concerned for you, that you are going to lose the simplicity of Christ."  We simply need to know who we are in Christ.  We need to know that God has in individual plan for each one of us." 

And THAT my friends, will lead to simple and joyful life.  

Independance Day.

Today is a day of celebration.  Deck out the red, white and blue.  Hang up the flag.  Clean the grill and prepare for the cookout and all the goodies.  Pack the blankets and snacks in the car for the fireworks later.  Spend time relaxing and enjoying with family and friends.  We create traditions and memories with our children today and sometimes we even take the time to delve a bit into history and the day's significance.  We call ourselves "blessed" that we live in the land of the free and the brave and are filled with good old American pride.  The 4th of July is a great day and we are, in fact, VERY blessed.  

Unfortunately, it's also a day filled with an ongoing spiritual battle:

For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.  Phillippians 3:18 

The pledge of allegiance is a sign of unity and honor for our country and yet many are "offended" by it.  Parades and festivities open up in prayer and yet again, many are "offended".  People argue and stand by their belief that our country was NOT in fact founded on a Christian heritage but instead that we've been indoctrinated to believe the lie that it was.  All around the United States, today, like every other day, people are fighting for their "right" to not to have to hear the name of God in public places.  They loathe their children being exposed to "false religion" and fight to take God out of schools, our courthouses and public events.  While we celebrate today our past victories for the "land of the free", our rights are slowly being pried away and many of us are not even aware.

Today let's go ahead and celebrate this great country that we live in:  our diversity, our heritage, our culture, our FREEDOM.  But let's also take the time to intercede and pray for our leaders....for God's divine wisdom in every choice that they make and every bill that they sign.  Let's remember not to take our "freedom" for granted and continue to be proud to stand up for what and WHO we believe in.  It was in unity that our freedom was won and it will be again in unity that our freedom will continue. 

Happy 4th of July.  May you be safe, enjoy the celebrations and remember that the fight is never truly over but yet we know in the end, the victory is ours.

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Cor 15:57 

With God you can run but you can't hide.

Psalm 139

7"Where can I go from your Spirit?
   Where can I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
   if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
   if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
   your right hand will hold me fast.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
   and the light become night around me,”
¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you;
   the night will shine like the day,
   for darkness is as light to you"

Did you know when it comes to God you can run but you can't hide?  There is nowhere to escape His presence.  Even when you feel as if no one cares, no one understands, there is no one to lean on or depend on - He is there.  When you feel that He has left your side expecting you to fight your battles on your own strength - He is there.  In those dark times that temptation overtakes you despite your conscious telling you otherwise, guess what?  He is there too.  So what does this mean to us?  This consolation can bring peace and give us assurance that we are loved and cared for...or if we are living apart from God it can instill a sense of fear in our hearts when we realize that unlike many of our friends, He knows our deepest, darkest secrets.  Either way, there is good news in this: no matter what - He loves us.  No matter what - He is there for us.  It doesn't matter if the world seems to be all wrong - He remains right.  He can bring hope in the dark times and He can bring a heart that has strayed back to Him.  How amazing that the One who knit you together and knows your ins and outs, your greatest passions and desires, has witnessed your greatest failures and most embarrassing thoughts - LOVES YOU.  Not for what you do or don't do but simply for WHO YOU ARE.  You are His creation and His promise is to guide you and be right with you through the trials of life.  Will you reach out and grab His hand and quit trying to do it on your own?  Will you stop looking to your own strength and unleash His?  Can you commit to placing your desires on hold as you seek His face first?  He's patient and full of grace and will be right where He's always been whenever you are ready - but the choice is yours and yours alone.  What will you decide today?

Are you HOPING in the Lord today?

“but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31 NIV

This is one of my favorite verses...and a well known one at that.  It gives a sense of power, victory and strength and reminds us of the life that is possible with God.  But is it really possible to achieve soaring on wings, running without growing weary and walking and not being faint?  Come on now, life is hard and things happen and we tend to fizzle out.  Sunday morning might leave us feeling as if we could conquer the world...and then Monday comes along.  What happens?  We trust that the "all scripture is God breathed" and that "God is not a man that He should lie" so where's the strength, the soaring, the never ending energy?  It's in the same place we left it with that small powerful four letter word: HOPE.  God's promises often require an action on our part and in this case we must HOPE.  Without HOPE Monday morning leaves us feeling weak, worn out and tired.  Without HOPE we go through the motions, always hoping we'll stumble upon joy.  Without HOPE we are merely taking up space and failing to fulfill one of our greatest callings in our life: that of trusting Him.  In fact the definition for HOPE equals that of TRUST:  "to expect with confidence: trust."

Hoping when all is wrong is hard.  Hoping when things don't make sense is difficult.  But it IS possible.  Set your mind today to HOPE in the Lord.  Trust that His plans for your life are good, that He will follow through on His promises, that He is wiser and stronger than you are, that He holds your heart safely in His hands.  It might take a little practice but if you press on and keep hoping against all odds you will soon find yourself resting in that very place the verse above describes.

Welcome to our first attempt at blogging.

We wanted to create a way to encourage you, promote awareness of what we have to offer and help to keep you on track spiritually.  Hence, this blog was born.  We've had a facebook page for some time but we realize there actually are some people out there that don't log into facebook daily.  It is our desire to help you get through your tough days, gain a heavenly perspective about your life and understand how to apply scripture to your life in a way that will cause transformation.  Here you can get an inside look at some of our facilitators and they will be given opportunities to share their hearts with you.  You will be able to view our schedule of groups easily to see what fits in your life.  Weekly devotionals will bring hope and a smile to your face.

Make sure to subscribe on the left so that you receive every update immediately or check back daily.  We look forward to hearing testimonies about how Girlfriend's Connection has impacted your life.  Feel free to leave comments, ask questions or send a private email.  We are here for YOU and are striving to see you reach the destiny that God has already planned for your life.  <3