"It's the most wonderful time of the year!"

We just finished having the most incredible Thanksgiving! It was the first time I have cooked dinner at home in years! I was grateful to have my brother and my brother-in-law, along with our son, Jordan here for the weekend.
And now...the Christmas preparations have begun! The scurry to find the perfect gifts began at 3:30 am the morning after Thanksgiving! So tiring but so much fun! This week we will decorate our home as well as the church.
I could not wait to get out the hymn book and start doing carols as part of our worship service. Joy to the World was the first song we sang in church this morning. I love the Christmas season! What I cherish the most is that I am reminded once again that Emmanuel, God with us, came to earth as a baby and humbled Himself to be our Redemption. He is our Savior, our strong tower, our refuge, our joy...and the list goes on! If I could give anyone the perfect gift, it would be Him!
As you prepare for December 25th, try not to get caught up in the hustle, the bustle and the stress that this season can bring. Instead, focus on the One who truly is the gift that goes on and on and on!
Our prayer is that you would be blessed with all the joy and the peace of Christ!
Merry Christmas!!!

How do you spell "relief"? FAITH

Anybody out there worry or fret? Any woman out there suffering with anxiety? Want to be freed today? According to Webster's dictionary, relief is a release from anxiety or tension, or the feeling of release, lightness and and cheerfulness that accompanies this. It's a factor that ends a painful or stressful experience such as pain, hunger or boredom. I'm rarely bored, but we all have pain in our lives at some point. How do we overcome the anxiety that grips us? I don't have all the answers but I know that lately I have been standing on the truth expressed in Hebrews 11:1.

Hebrews 11:1 "The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we cannot see."
The Message

Sometimes there are trials that come into our lives and they drag on forever. Or...as David expressed in the Psalms, "deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts". What that meant was that the trials in David's life were like the waves of the ocean. When you watch the waves, it seems like one calls unto the other as they roll in one after the other. The rough spots or trials in our lives can be like that. We seem to go through one thing after another. There have been times during the past 9 months, that I have not been living day to day, but actually moment to moment. That's what I had strength for. The one thing that I have held onto or gripped more than ever is the faith that I could trust in God. That whatever is brought into my life, God knows I can handle. He deems me worthy to endure it. It's this faith and trust that we can have in Him that makes life worth living for. When we cannot see the reward...when we cannot see the end to our current circumstances, faith is the handle! Get a firm grip, girls!

Did you know?

Did you know that it is only 6 1/2 weeks until the 2010 Women of Purpose Conference? Did you know that God is wanting to meet you there and transform you like never before?

Did you know Joanna Weaver cannot wait to meet all of you wonderful ladies of New York?! I spoke with Joanna on the phone last week and as we talked over details, I could sense the excitement in both of us! She is in the final stages of a brand new book and cannot wait to share the details with you!

Did you know that Sue Duffield has been all over the place this summer? I am friends with her on Facebook and she is constantly on the move. Sue Duffield has already met many of you as she spoke at some of the spring rallies in April and May. She cannot wait to reconnect with some of you and meet those of you who have not yet enjoyed her sense of humor!

I don't know about you...but I peresonally have had a lot going on in my life over the summer. When I think about it, I am more convinced than ever that God is going to meet us in an incredible way in September and the enemy would like to thwart us or discourage us in any way he can. My motto right now is "I will not be moved!" UNLESS it's by the Spirit!

Did you know I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE ALL OF YOU!!!!!

"No Regrets"

Last month, I wrote in my blog about a situation with my half-sister who was dying of terminal lung cancer. She had asked my brother not to tell me until she was dead. She passed away two days later so the bitterness on her part was never resolved. And...I could not attempt to find out what transpired that made her so resentful towards me. I have had a lot of time since then to re-evaluate our relationship. We had not had contact in years. She was one who never showed approval of me - nothing I ever did was good enough for her. Questions will always remain. Could I have done more to reconcile our relationship? Should I have picked up the phone and made an attempt to connect with her? Would it have helped? I have realized through this that it is hard to live with regrets and questions. Better to make an attempt to resolve a relationship than sit back and do nothing. If they don't accept it, you have done your part. I am trying not to live with the "regrets" and I am learning to trust God to bring me through a process of healing. A friend helped me realize lately that I am not grieving her death...I am grieving a relationship that truly never was and never will be. That says it so well. If God so speaks to your heart, reach out to someone in your life today that has been estranged and see what God can do. Don't be afraid, but step out in obedience and let God orchestrate the end result!

"Let bygones be bygones"

Forgiveness is a very important lesson to learn. Unforgiveness holds prisoners of all involved. I recently have been through a very disheartening situation. I come from a dysfunctional family and have siblings that share the same father but not the same mother. We have never been extremely close due to distance and age gaps. I received a phone call last night informing me of that one of my half-sisters is dying - she is in the last stages of lung cancer. She made my brother promise not to tell me of her illness until she had passed. Why? Four years ago, she sent me a photo album that I had made for my father when he was living. I received it the week before I was to act as director for the first time at the Women of Purpose Conference. It was a reminder to me of where God had brought me from and how faithful He is. I had put it away and after the conference, had forgotten about it. I had not sent a thank you card to show my appreciation....and she was hurt. In February, after losing my oldest brother to a stroke, I felt a strong urge to reconnect with the rest of my family that I had not been in touch with and I sent her a family newsletter informing her of my family's news along with a note thanking her for her thoughtfulness in sending me the photo album. It was apparently too little, too late. So, because of resentment on her part, she would go to the grave with unresolved unforgiveness. I don't know if it was her intent to punish me. How sad! All of it could have been resolved with as little as a phone call. I struggled all night with this information...cried...prayed. It was all I could think about because I cannot make it right. Today I realized that I have no control and that she was the one with the grudge. I have prayed continuously over the years for her salvation and I pray that she made her peace. My point is this...life is too short. Our former director, Eleanor Grossglass, had a saying that has always stuck with me..."let it go, Louie, let it go!" Many times those words have resounded in my ears. So much heartache and disillusionment would be dissolved if we would just let it go! If you have unresolved conflicts in your life, either settle them or let them go and retain your peace. "Let it go, Louie, let it go!"

Spring has sprung!

New life everywhere! I love to smell the fresh air and newly mowed grass as I walk! Spring is all about transformation - the dead brown grass is now a luscious green, trees are budding with new growth and beautiful blooms, baby bunnies are burrowed in little freshly dug holes in my flower bed (eek!) and as I wake up each morning, there's wonderful music from birds perched outside my window.
In my spiritual life, I yearn for transformation also! Is there such a thing as spring in a Christian's life? "God will do a new thing in this land: a transformed woman will embrace the transforming God." Jeremiah 31:22 The Message. He is ready, willing and able to take us as clay in the hands of a potter and create a beautiful work of artistry!
If you desire to allow the Lord to transform your life, plan to attend the NY District Women of Purpose conference September 23-25 in Binghamton. Be praying with us that lives will be transformed! And...be ready to have God do a new thing in this land!

Time out!

I remember when my son, Jordan, was small and would misbehave and be placed in a "time out". He would wiggle and squirm and couldn't wait to get out of that situation. It was meant to be a time of reflection for him, but alas, it was anything but that! He did not want to sit still!

I recently had the opportunity to hear Judi Braddy, author of It All Comes Out In The Wash, speak at a retreat. One of the things that she shared that really hit home with me is that we think "busyness" and stress are normal. What we really need is a "time out" - a time of turning our heart to God and reflecting on Him - a sabbatical! We are just like children placed in a time out - we don't want to sit still. We want to get up and go! And...we think it's admirable! A sabbatical does not need to be a huge amount of time. It's just some time out of our day, our week, even our year, when we just take time not to think about everything on our plates so to speak and begin to think on Him! If Jesus did it, so should we! He took time to rest and to pray.

I tried it this week and it worked! It was amazing how everything else fell into place. So...let me challenge you! Place yourself in a "time out" this week and see what happens!

Blessings to each of you as you sit and listen quietly! In His presence is fullness of joy!

Spa for the Soul

For my recent birthday, I received a "spa in a bag". It included many items to help give myself a night of relaxation - bath fizz ball, lotion, nail polish, etc. I thought it was so thoughtful of the family who gave it to me. I had a stressful month and I looked forward to using all the delightful products inside! In this day and age, many women around me talk about how they take time to go to spas and get facials, pedicures, etc. They feel that is important to their overall appearance and their self-confidence.

March 12th and 13th, we will gather at the Comfort Inn in Syracuse for our "SPA" but it will be "FOR THE SOUL". (see website for details) As women of God, we need to take time out to "pamper" ourselves with the Word, with fellowship and with His presence. If we would do that, we would feel so refreshed! And our self-confidence would skyrocket!

Even if you will not be attending our event, treat yourself to a spa day. Get away somewhere quiet, read the Word and just "bask" in His presence! You most definitely will feel relaxed, less stressed and the peace that is reflected on your face from time spent with Him will beat any moisturizer made!