I had the amazing privilege of sitting under Beth Moore's teaching on Revelation 19, and being led in worship by Travis Cottrell this past weekend. Here's the official re-cap video (and yes, my friend and I are in it, much to our surprise!!). Enjoy:
Romans 15:4 (New International Version, ©2011) "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope".
Monday, June 29, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Post Weary post.....
With a little rest, focus, better stewardship of the body, and a huge dose of prayer and The Word, weariness is passing, Praise The Lord!!
There is a built-in danger in serving others in ministry. That danger is that you can find yourself drained empty before you even realize it. Sometimes it can’t be helped – it creeps up on you as you go about doing what God has called you to during a very busy season, because there is no way not to. Other times, we take on too much, by choice. Either way, the tank has to get re-filled!
I plan to get refueled next week at a Lifeway Women’s Ministry Training event prior to a Living Proof Live event!!! I dislike it when people say ‘don’t get your hopes up’, because I TOTALLY have my hopes up for these events!! I can’t help but notice that the timing cannot be ‘coincidence’…that this would fall just as I am coming out of a busy season and am left ‘running on empty’. And I know from experience you can’t go wrong when Travis Cottrell is leading worship (at BOTH events!!), Lifeway provides excellent top notch speakers and workshop leaders, and then of course Beth Moore to top it off. I ALWAYS ‘get a Word’ when I hear her teach, so I go with huge expectations that God is going to refresh my soul personally, and refresh my vision for ministry.
Enough about ME – what about YOU??? Are you operating on an empty tank, too?? What are you doing about it? If you don’t address it, discouragement and defeat will set in because the enemy has direct access to you.
Here’s a prescription from this weary (but healing!) counselor for overcoming weariness:
*Remember that Jesus Himself rested when He got weary. He understands how it feels:
Hebrews 4:15 – “we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are.”
*God extends His grace towards you. His power is perfected in our lives when we recognize our weaknesses and rely upon his grace. Acknowledge it.
2 Corinthians 12:9 – “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”
*God understands that we need help and He uses other believers to assist us. Seek help if you need it.
Galatians 6:1-2 – “Brethren, even if a man is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. . . Bear one another’s burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ.”
*God is going to use us for good works in spite of our weaknesses. Continue to serve Him in spite of your circumstances.
Ephesians 2:10 – “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
*Remember that God’s Word works! Read it, meditate on it, memorize it, BELIEVE IT!
2 Timothy 3:16 – “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness”.
There is a built-in danger in serving others in ministry. That danger is that you can find yourself drained empty before you even realize it. Sometimes it can’t be helped – it creeps up on you as you go about doing what God has called you to during a very busy season, because there is no way not to. Other times, we take on too much, by choice. Either way, the tank has to get re-filled!
I plan to get refueled next week at a Lifeway Women’s Ministry Training event prior to a Living Proof Live event!!! I dislike it when people say ‘don’t get your hopes up’, because I TOTALLY have my hopes up for these events!! I can’t help but notice that the timing cannot be ‘coincidence’…that this would fall just as I am coming out of a busy season and am left ‘running on empty’. And I know from experience you can’t go wrong when Travis Cottrell is leading worship (at BOTH events!!), Lifeway provides excellent top notch speakers and workshop leaders, and then of course Beth Moore to top it off. I ALWAYS ‘get a Word’ when I hear her teach, so I go with huge expectations that God is going to refresh my soul personally, and refresh my vision for ministry.
Enough about ME – what about YOU??? Are you operating on an empty tank, too?? What are you doing about it? If you don’t address it, discouragement and defeat will set in because the enemy has direct access to you.
Here’s a prescription from this weary (but healing!) counselor for overcoming weariness:
*Remember that Jesus Himself rested when He got weary. He understands how it feels:
Hebrews 4:15 – “we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are.”
*God extends His grace towards you. His power is perfected in our lives when we recognize our weaknesses and rely upon his grace. Acknowledge it.
2 Corinthians 12:9 – “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”
*God understands that we need help and He uses other believers to assist us. Seek help if you need it.
Galatians 6:1-2 – “Brethren, even if a man is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. . . Bear one another’s burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ.”
*God is going to use us for good works in spite of our weaknesses. Continue to serve Him in spite of your circumstances.
Ephesians 2:10 – “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
*Remember that God’s Word works! Read it, meditate on it, memorize it, BELIEVE IT!
2 Timothy 3:16 – “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness”.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Weary??? Me, too.
Time to get back to blogging! The Retreat is done, the wedding is over, Women’s Ministry slows down during summer months, and now I will focus on counseling and (hopefully) receiving some fresh vision for the upcoming year of ministry, and also catch up on some other projects (like the blog, which I really long to use more intentionally for ministry!).
I have learned something very valuable through this insanely busy season I am just now coming out of. If you are in ministry (and even if not, you might glean), take note from some of the pitfalls of busyness I have encountered!.....
….stay balanced. In the aftermath of all the major events I have had recently, I felt really sick, tired, beyond fatigued really. Sore throat, coughing, but not necessarily actually ‘sick’, I think. I believe I did not take my own counsel regarding drinking plenty of water, eating well, and walking. Instead, I let being busy get in the way of good common sense. Lesson learned. I neglected some areas that cannot be neglected and still expect to feel well emotionally/mentally/spiritually/physically.
….being unbalanced is sin. Read James MacDonald’s post on ‘Weariness’ to see what I mean – here http://blog.harvestbiblefellowship.org/. I have repented. I am grateful for God’s grace! I will purpose to guard against being unbalanced and using busyness as an excuse. Sometimes life gets busy – I have to deal with it and not allow it to burn me out, so to speak.
….The enemy is never more fierce in his attacks than right after a speaking engagement. He started in during that weekend, and has not let up yet. I won’t go in to details, but he has messed with me in many ways. Have I kept my armor on through all this busyness? Not always. I know, no wonder he has kept at me. Be assured that my armor is back on now, in full force.
….it is hard to give your daughter away in marriage. It is not bad, it is not wrong….it is just HARD. I had no idea until we got there. There is a grieving to go through, and a mixed bag of emotions that I did not expect. I am so happy for her, I love her new husband and think he is definitely the man for her….and yet, I miss being responsible for her and I miss her needing me so much. Selfish, I know.
….having my husband gone all through each week during all of this has been difficult. But I purpose not to complain about God’s provision, when so many are struggling much more than we are. It has given me empathy for women whose husband always travel, or are deployed, or for those who have no husband at all. Gaining empathy is always a good thing for a counselor (and anyone!), so I take the lessons from this time. But, I will be glad when the travelling ends and he is working near home again. It is good to miss your husband after nearly 31 years of marriage, though, because it means the marriage is still very much alive!
….taking a break after the busy events ended was a good thing. I sat, reflected, prayed, read, listened, and sat some more. I can now hear that still, small voice again! And, I am no longer as weary (still a ways to go, admittedly!).
….Scripture memory has declined. I have missed it. When I am busy and allow it to distract me, I can’t even recall the verses I have committed to memory, and that scares me sometimes! So, I purpose to get back at it asap. You, too??
Here’s a good one to start with:
Matthew 11:28:
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
That's the kind of provision I am needing today, and my Jehovah Jireh is able!!!
I have learned something very valuable through this insanely busy season I am just now coming out of. If you are in ministry (and even if not, you might glean), take note from some of the pitfalls of busyness I have encountered!.....
….stay balanced. In the aftermath of all the major events I have had recently, I felt really sick, tired, beyond fatigued really. Sore throat, coughing, but not necessarily actually ‘sick’, I think. I believe I did not take my own counsel regarding drinking plenty of water, eating well, and walking. Instead, I let being busy get in the way of good common sense. Lesson learned. I neglected some areas that cannot be neglected and still expect to feel well emotionally/mentally/spiritually/physically.
….being unbalanced is sin. Read James MacDonald’s post on ‘Weariness’ to see what I mean – here http://blog.harvestbiblefellowship.org/. I have repented. I am grateful for God’s grace! I will purpose to guard against being unbalanced and using busyness as an excuse. Sometimes life gets busy – I have to deal with it and not allow it to burn me out, so to speak.
….The enemy is never more fierce in his attacks than right after a speaking engagement. He started in during that weekend, and has not let up yet. I won’t go in to details, but he has messed with me in many ways. Have I kept my armor on through all this busyness? Not always. I know, no wonder he has kept at me. Be assured that my armor is back on now, in full force.
….it is hard to give your daughter away in marriage. It is not bad, it is not wrong….it is just HARD. I had no idea until we got there. There is a grieving to go through, and a mixed bag of emotions that I did not expect. I am so happy for her, I love her new husband and think he is definitely the man for her….and yet, I miss being responsible for her and I miss her needing me so much. Selfish, I know.
….having my husband gone all through each week during all of this has been difficult. But I purpose not to complain about God’s provision, when so many are struggling much more than we are. It has given me empathy for women whose husband always travel, or are deployed, or for those who have no husband at all. Gaining empathy is always a good thing for a counselor (and anyone!), so I take the lessons from this time. But, I will be glad when the travelling ends and he is working near home again. It is good to miss your husband after nearly 31 years of marriage, though, because it means the marriage is still very much alive!
….taking a break after the busy events ended was a good thing. I sat, reflected, prayed, read, listened, and sat some more. I can now hear that still, small voice again! And, I am no longer as weary (still a ways to go, admittedly!).
….Scripture memory has declined. I have missed it. When I am busy and allow it to distract me, I can’t even recall the verses I have committed to memory, and that scares me sometimes! So, I purpose to get back at it asap. You, too??
Here’s a good one to start with:
Matthew 11:28:
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
That's the kind of provision I am needing today, and my Jehovah Jireh is able!!!
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