Word of Hope

One-Another ministry, a fresh vision

2012-03-11T17:31:00.000-07:00

This short video with Garrett Higbee so closely articulates the passion/vision for one another ministry that is taught in "Life On Life, Applying the One-Anothers of Scripture." It IS an exciting time to be involved with Biblical Counseling as it has evolved and improved in the 7 or so years I have been blessed to minister as a Biblical Counselor. What a privilege to be involved in the lives of one another!

Click HERE to view the video.

Our Passion for the Local Church

2012-03-06T09:11:00.000-08:00

Here is an excerpt from "Life On Life, Applying the One-Anothers of Scripture". This one is about doing One-Another ministry in the context of the local church:

"A church with a culture of soulcare will bear much fruit. Whatever form the church’s One- Another ministry takes, it must be rooted in God’s Word, exalt Jesus Christ, be empowered by the Holy Spirit, and be loving. Soulcare ministry aims to produce salvation, sanctification, and Spiritual fruit. This is achieved through admonishment, teaching, exhortation, encouragement, comfort, and forbearance.

All believers need soulcare, not just those who are struggling. We all need One-Another ministry in various forms. We do have a tendency in our churches today to neglect the hurting believer. Hurting individuals should be taken care of primarily by the local church, but are often referred out to secular sources of help that will not provide true soulcare. Those sources can have some benefit for learning some behavior management that brings some relief, but they will not provide what we see in our definition of soulcare — “speaking the Truth in love anchored in the Word of God, depending on the Holy Spirit.”

For a believer to have lasting change and hope, she must be helped with some form of soulcare, preferably within her local church. The next best choice would be help from a local Biblically-based counseling ministry. Biblical Counselors are glad to provide counseling to those who come to them from other churches, but all of them would agree that the best scenario would be that local churches become well equipped to counsel, disciple, mentor, teach, and befriend their own church family."

An Excerpt about The Heart, from "Life On Life, Applying the One-Anothers of Scripture", a Mentor Training Course from Word Of Hope Ministries

2012-03-02T19:04:00.000-08:00

So, you can see above that all change must begin in the core of the heart. Everything else pours out of our thoughts, beliefs, and desires. If our thoughts, beliefs, and desires are not Gospel-centered, our attitudes, motives, emotions, and behaviors will not be godly.

God’s Word says that we cannot trust our own hearts. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” This is why we cannot help someone by simply offering a new behavior modification idea, or telling them how they should or shouldn’t be feeling, or what their motives should be or that they need to change their attitude. Those things can be changed in our own strength for a short period of time, but there will be no lasting change until we get to the core — our thoughts, beliefs, and desires.

Our thoughts are how we spend our thought life. Are our thoughts centered on this “checklist” of sorts found in Philippians 4:8?
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8)
Or are we thinking thoughts that deny God’s sovereignty, or deny the Truths of the Gospel and are full of the fleshly worries, fears, and anxieties?

Our beliefs are what we believe about God and His Word. Our theology and doctrine matter. If we are in error, our beliefs will eventually pour in to our attitudes or behaviors, emotions and motives. Again, we must be rooted in the Gospel and we must think Biblically.

Our desires are simply what we want. Do we want God’s will or our own? Do we want self-centered things in life, or do we want to be others-centered? Is there idolatry in our lives, or are we applying Ephesians 4:22-24?
“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

To learn more about this Mentoring Course, please go to our website here.

another excerpt about One-Another ministry

2012-02-11T09:57:00.001-08:00

Please visit www.biblicalmentor.com to learn more about the full content of the Biblical Mentor training course we offer.
Here is another brief excerpt:

As you do Life On Life with someone applying the One-Anothers of Scripture with her, you will find that there will be many opportunities to share hope. Women and girls struggle in all kinds of areas. You are likely to bump into some of these struggles if you have any kind of ministry, family life, or social life. Once you are fairly certain that someone has grasped the Gospel for salvation, the help you give her from there is to help her to see the need for and ability to APPLY the Gospel to her life. You want to always be sure that you are not giving her the idea that she needs to change her behavior or mindset in order to earn approval, acceptance, or even worse, salvation. Always emphasize her eternal security; struggling people often struggle to believe this Truth. Remind her of her identity in Christ and how He views her. It is not because she earned it, but because of the Gospel — His finished work on her behalf.
Future lessons will help you to know how to share hope with others; you will want to recall the phrase “APPLY THE GOSPEL.” It will direct you in your help towards others, assuring you are always Christ-focused and sticking to Biblical principles.
Don’t worry if this concept is not clear or foreign to you. As you study more week by week about doing Life On Life, sharing hope with others, and applying the One-Anothers, it will become your most common “tool” in your conversations.

Excerpt from Life On Life, Applying the One-Anothers of Scripture

2012-02-10T19:09:00.000-08:00

The following is a brief excerpt from a lesson regarding One-Another ministry in the context of the local church. To learn more about this course, please visit www.biblicalmentor.com.

The care that believers had for one another in Acts 2 has continued in various forms through the years. It can be defined as “believers speaking the Truth in love anchored in the Word of God, depending on the Holy Spirit.” In our culture, it is called by many names such as:

*Discipling
*Mentoring
*Teaching
*Biblical Counseling
*Pastoral Counseling
*Spiritual Guidance
*Spiritual Formation
*Friendship
*Spiritual Friendship

A church with a culture of soulcare will bear much fruit. Whatever form the church’s One- Another ministry takes, it must be rooted in God’s Word, exalt Jesus Christ, be empowered by the Holy Spirit, and be loving. Soulcare ministry aims to produce salvation, sanctification, and Spiritual fruit. This is achieved through admonishment, teaching, exhortation, encouragement, comfort, and forbearance.
All believers need soulcare, not just those who are struggling. We all need One-Another ministry in various forms. We do have a tendency in our churches today to neglect the hurting believer. Hurting individuals should be taken care of primarily by the local church, but are often referred out to secular sources of help that will not provide true soulcare. Those sources can have some benefit for learning some behavior management that brings some relief, but they will not provide what we see in our definition of soulcare — “speaking the Truth in love anchored in the Word of God, depending on the Holy Spirit.”

Excerpt from Life On Life, Applying the One-Anothers of Scripture

2012-02-07T21:03:00.001-08:00

The following is a brief excerpt from a lesson on anger and forgiveness. For the entire lesson and to participate in this Biblical Mentor training course, please visit www.biblicalmentor.com

You may wonder why we have both anger and forgiveness in the same lesson. More often than not, they go hand in hand. A woman who is unforgiving is an angry woman. An angry woman is unforgiving. The only antidote for anger is forgiveness. The world offers many so- called “solutions” to anger problems. There are anger management courses, medications to calm anger, psychological methods for unleashing your anger, and any number of self-help remedies.
Anger does not always look “angry.” It can be expressed outwardly, which is what we most commonly think of when we think about anger. It can also be turned inward, which eventually causes feelings of depression. A depressed woman may not look angry to you, but often when you dig deeper with her and take a look at her heart (her thoughts, beliefs, and desires), you will find an angry woman who has allowed her anger to go unresolved. There is very likely unforgiveness in her heart.
When you are sharing hope with someone with an angry and unforgiving heart, it is critical to review the Gospel with her. Be as certain as you can that she understands it clearly and that she believes it. Then begin to teach her to apply it to her anger and unforgiveness. If after a time you are not seeing any evidence that she is growing in her ability to forgive, you need to consider encouraging her to seek help from a Biblical Counselor.
It is helpful to understand anger and forgiveness accurately before you can offer hope to others.

"Life On Life, Applying the One-Anothers of Scripture" Excerpt

2012-02-04T17:33:00.000-08:00

The following is an excerpt from a chapter about anxiety, worry, fear, and stress. For more information about this excerpt from my Mentor Training Course, Level One, please click here.

Anxiety takes on various forms, and people’s responses to it take on various forms. Anxiety is the prolonged sensation of fear in response to a perceived threat against oneself. Fear, by definition, is a self-protective tool to help a person sense and respond to a perceived danger. We see this in Psalm 55:3-6.

3 My enemies shout at me,
making loud and wicked threats.
They bring trouble on me and angrily hunt me down.
4 My heart pounds in my chest. The terror of death assaults me.
5 Fear and trembling overwhelm me, and I can’t stop shaking.
6 Oh, that I had wings like a dove;
then I would fly away and rest! Psalm 55:3-6 NLT

From the Psalmist’s viewpoint, he is anxious due to threats from the enemy. He is terrified of death and danger, and he perceives escape to be the best solution. This passage is a vivid example of what some might call an “anxiety attack” or “panic attack.”
While it is a common human experience to be anxious, it can be debilitating. We must think Biblically about anxiety so that it will not interfere in our relationships, damage our ability to engage in daily activities, or consume our thought life. It is natural to feel worried or troubled about things in life that are indeed worrisome or troubling! It is not God’s will or plan for you, however, to be so consumed with it that it overtakes your trust in the Lord.

Excerpt from "Life On Life, Applying the One-Anothers of Scripture"

2012-01-18T22:33:00.001-08:00

Life On Life, Rooted in God's Word, an excerpt:

God’s Word and our hearts are entirely connected. The Bible is very realistic about human suffering of all kinds. It is also descriptive about what motivates us and drives us in our relationships. Woven through stories, we find God’s promises to redeem our suffering and transform our hearts. We are exposed as victims and victimizers, sufferers and sinners. With a Biblical view of God, self, and suffering, we are empowered by His Spirit to own up to our faults, forgive those who sin against us, and trust God while we move forward with renewed thoughts, beliefs, and desires.
Without this core belief about Scripture as our basis for relationships, we cannot possibly engage in a healthy, fruitful One-Another lifestyles. Apart from God’s Word, we have no basis for helping others, caring for others, or relating to others. All that would be left is our flesh; whenever flesh rules in a relationship, there is struggle.
We live in a day and age where even believers have not trusted in the sufficiency of God’s Word to have the answers they need to life’s dilemmas, struggles, problems, and worries. We are too often prone to refer someone to a secular source of help than we are to point them to what God’s Word has to offer.

To find out more about this course written by Ellen, please go to www.biblicalmentor.com

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T17:31:00.000-08:00

The Heart

2011-12-17T14:27:00.000-08:00

The following is an excerpt from "Life On Life, Applying the One-Anothers of Scripture", which can be found by clicking here.

"All Biblical help, regardless what you call it, must begin with the Gospel and how it applies to the heart. Defining the heart is critical.

All change must begin in the core of the heart. Everything else pours out of our thoughts, beliefs, and desires. If our thoughts, beliefs, and desires are not Gospel-centered, our attitudes, motives, emotions, and behaviors will not be godly.

God’s Word says that we cannot trust our own hearts. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”
This is why we cannot help someone by simply offering a new behavior modification idea, or telling them how they should or shouldn’t be feeling, or what their motives should be or that they need to change their attitude. Those things can be changed in our own strength for a short period of time, but there will be no lasting change until we get to the core — our thoughts, beliefs, and desires.

Our thoughts are how we spend our thought life. Are our thoughts centered on this “checklist” of sorts found in Philippians 4:8?

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

Or are we thinking thoughts that deny God’s sovereignty, or deny the Truths of the Gospel and are full of the fleshly worries, fears, and anxieties?

Our beliefs are what we believe about God and His Word. Our theology and doctrine matter. If we are in error, our beliefs will eventually pour in to our attitudes or behaviors, emotions and motives. Again, we must be rooted in the Gospel and we must think Biblically.

Our desires are simply what we want. Do we want God’s will or our own? Do we want self-centered things in life, or do we want to be others-centered? Is there idolatry in our lives, or are we applying Ephesians 4:22-24?

“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

As you engage in Life On Life relationships, keep in mind to always encourage others that it is God Who does a work in their hearts, and it is not just about changing their external lifestyles. God is a relational God, and Jesus is our perfect example of how to care for others. His work in your life was and is a work at the heart level. He never says to “clean up your act” and then come to Him. Instead, He gave and continues to give you grace, patiently working in your heart as you grow in love, knowledge, and application of His Word in your life. You must now do the same as you relate to others — focus on the heart need, helping them to apply the Gospel and to think Biblically, and don’t focus primarily on the externals. Be patient, and practice the One-Anothers of Scripture in your relationships. Remember that it is God Who will work in their hearts."

Excerpt from Life On Life, Applying the One-Anothers of Scripture

2011-12-10T08:49:00.001-08:00

The following is an excerpt from the introduction to “Life On Life, Applying the One-Anothers of Scripture,” a Biblical Mentor Training Course written by me, Ellen Castillo. If you are interested in learning more about becoming a Biblical Mentor, click on the links on this blog to my websites and contact me!

The Gospel has to be our starting point for all One-Another ministry. The implication in the One-Anothers is that we are to do life with other believers, Life On Life. Of course, we also do life with nonbelievers, but the One-Anothers emphasize the role we play in each other’s lives, believer to believer.

If you are in a relationship with a woman or girl that God has placed in your life and she has understood a clear Gospel and is a Christian, you have a very good starting point for One-Another life together. If you are not sure she understands a clear Gospel, you have an opportunity to share it! How often have you asked a new friend (or old one for that matter) what they think the Gospel is and how it applies to their life? We can’t miss this! It’s not only our starting point for Life On Life, but it is the ending point and everything in the middle, too.

The Gospel is for salvation. It is also to be applied to our lives from that point on. It is not to be applied in the sense that your salvation depends on performing a certain way or upholding a certain standard of perfection. It is to be applied in the sense that you know it, understand it, can explain it, and BELIEVE it. In the process of living life, the Gospel applied has the potential to either gradually or immediately change how you behave, how you relate to people, how you make decisions, how you view people, how you view yourself, and everything else about how you live.

There is an account in the Bible about a woman that you are probably familiar with and how Jesus shared the Gospel message with her. The story of the woman at the well is found in John 4:7-26. Please read it in your Bible, then come back here to see what we can glean from this account.

Jesus did not use a “formula” to share the Gospel with the woman. In this passage, we can take note of some ways to share a clear Gospel and to be sure it is understood:
* Jesus met the woman when she was alone. Often, people will be more honest if nobody else is listening.
* Jesus began with her immediate need — not spiritual, but tangible (v. 7). Because she was not a believer, she could not discern spiritual things (1 Cor. 2:14). Therefore, He spoke about something she could relate to — water. We can approach people in the same manner of developing conversation. If we are not certain they are a believer, we can make them more comfortable by starting with tangible conversations.
* Jesus, after establishing tangible conversation, turned to the spiritual (v. 10). He simply talked of the things of God. The questions we ask could help us to see if the person understands what being a Christian means. We could ask “Are you involved in church?” or even “Do you love God?” We could then move on to asking about her salvation testimony and asking what her walk with The Lord is currently like. For us, this can take courage.
* If this conversation reveals that the person does not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, then you can follow Jesus’ example from this passage before you go any further in relating with her. Verses 16-18 show how Jesus brought conviction, using the Law and gently pointing out her transgression. Gently speak with her and let The Holy Spirit do the convicting; let Him direct you as to what to say. Once she comes to an admission of her guilt, she is ready for hope.
* Jesus then revealed Himself to the woman at the well (v. 26). She was ready for grace. If the person you are talking to is ready for grace, be sure to present the work of the cross — that God sent His Son to suffer and die in our place. Tell her of the love of God in Christ, Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, and the defeat of death. You can say something like “It’s as simple as this. We broke God’s Law, and Jesus paid our fine. If you repent and trust in the Savior, God forgives your sins and dismisses your case.” Be sure to include the essentials we talked about at the beginning of this lesson. If a person is truly broken over her sins and grateful to God, then her confession will flow without prompting, either silently or verbally to you. Be sure to pray with her. Make sure she has a Bible. Encourage her to go to a Bible-believing church. Start a One-Another relationship with her, Life On Life!

Any kind of mentoring, discipling, friendship, and all One-Another ministry should continue to be rooted in the Gospel. One of the best tools for One-Another relationships is this phrase: APPLY THE GOSPEL.

....more excerpts coming soon, please check back in often OR subscribe

What's On Your Kindle?

2011-09-05T18:39:00.000-07:00

I need to stop ‘promising’ I am going to blog more! I tend to not keep that promise very well. My heart’s in it, but a computer crash messed up my momentum, and then I just set it on the back burner again. But, here I am now, giving it a ‘go’ .....

What’s on your Kindle lately?? (or bookshelf, or smartphone, or nook, or ipad, or whatever!). In other words, what are your reading that is God-honoring, edifying, thought-provoking, encouraging, and life-changing??

I will be sharing, from time to time, the books I am currently enjoying on my Kindle. I love to read all kinds of books (but who has time to read alot these days?? I try to find time!). On my Kindle you will find categories - things like ‘encouragement’, or ‘counseling helps’, or ‘mentoring’, or ‘just for fun’. In the ‘encouragement’ category is a book I downloaded by Elyse Fitzpatrick called “Comforts From The Cross, Celebrating The Gospel One Day At A Time”. It is a devotional book, but really it is much deeper than that, and I found myself just reading through it instead of doing it one day at a time!

I appreciate Elyse’s work, not just because she is a renowned author and Biblical Counselor, but because she is so gospel-centered in her writing. It has challenged me to think biblically as a counselor for the past few years, and I can honestly say that her work has changed how I counsel.

Along with that, it has changed ME to focus my thinking on the gospel and how it applies to not just salvation, but all of life. It is my core belief as a Biblical Counselor, that the gospel is meant to be celebrated, appreciated, and APPLIED. In fact, in my new training program for “Biblical Mentors”, I am writing a Bible Study as Level One of the training, and in it we begin with Lesson One by looking at ‘how to apply the gospel’ to life’s struggles as we purpose to share a word of hope with others in our sphere of influence, in particular, other believers (the study is called “Life on Life, Applying the One Anothers of Scripture” (if you want to know more, check out my website by clicking on the link to the Word Of Hope Ministries website below these posts (you will see on that site a link to the mentoring program site).

Elyse has a way of writing that is relatable, and profound. She eloquently explains the gospel in detail throughout the daily readings, and applies it to areas of struggle that we all can relate to. She is not afraid of the tough questions or hard topics (today I read about how to apply the gospel when we are feeling angry with God, for example).

If you are a Christian woman (or man, really!), I’d encourage you to read this devotional book. As much as I like some of the other popular devotionals on the market today (such as Jesus Calling), this one far exceeds them all in depth of content, in my opinion.

Fill up your Kindle, and leave me a comment about what you are reading, too!!

Happy Reading!

Ellen

The Resurrection of this blog.....

2011-06-26T20:16:00.000-07:00

It's time for me to start blogging again! So bear with me as I type up a test-post, to see if all my networked blog settings are in order. No promises - but I do hope to start posting more often, things related to Biblical Counseling and Mentoring and ministry to women and girls in general. Stay tuned!

Preaching the gospel to yourself.....

2011-02-23T12:55:00.001-08:00

2011-02-03T18:24:00.001-08:00

You can now find me at the following websites.....
feel free to enjoy the archives here or on the prior "Reason For The Hope" blog....
Please come take a look at what's going on with Word of Hope Ministries here:
www.word-of-hope-ministries.com
and here:
http://wordofhopementor.weebly.com/

Peace On Earth

2010-12-24T11:31:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!! Word of Hope Ministries wishes you peace on earth, through God's Son Jesus Christ Who was born so that we may have life eternal.....

sneak peak

2010-11-24T18:13:00.000-08:00

I'm up to something new at Word Of Hope Ministries. This is a sneak peak. Please pray for me as I work on this new idea over the coming weeks and months. I hope to launch it in 2011, Lord willing!!
Click here:
Word Of Hope Mentor Website

Consider Adoption..........

2010-11-20T20:57:00.001-08:00

Orphan Sunday 2010 from Matthew Wilson on Vimeo.

Fear of Man, a very common counseling subject I deal with.....

2010-11-10T15:51:00.001-08:00

Thank you, Rick Thomas!

Important Song......

2010-10-29T18:18:00.000-07:00

My favorite Beth Moore story, ever.........

2010-09-15T07:12:00.001-07:00

Self Forgiveness, is it Biblical???

2010-09-02T16:53:00.000-07:00

Self Forgiveness – Is it Biblical??
In a word, NO. It is not a Biblical concept. In fact, it comes straight out of pop psychology and humanism. Think about it --- we are commanded to forgive others. We are forgiven by God if we are a true believer. But where is it written that we need to ‘forgive ourselves’?? I could list a myriad of scriptures about forgiveness – but you go look them up in your own Bibles and you will see that I’m telling you the truth here. If you find one that says ‘forgive yourself’, show me – but you won’t find it.
If you are a counselor, life coach, mentor, disciple, Sunday school teacher, pastor, etc….and you are telling people to ‘forgive themselves’, please reconsider your teaching on this.
This is a pet topic of mine, I suppose because this is part of my testimony. I was a believer for several years, all along saying “I receive God’s forgiveness, I forgive those who have hurt me, now all I need to do is forgive ME and I just can’t seem to DO IT”! I carried around guilt over some things in my past…..for years. All the while I was a Christian, serving others, working in ministries, even leading Bible studies. But I knew something was amiss – why did I always still feel so guilty, clinging to things in the past, that I thought I needed to ‘forgive myself’ for??? I was STUCK, and it showed in the stunted growth in my spiritual walk.
As a believer, I had a lot of victory in many other areas. But this one thing kept me STUCK, and I couldn’t get past it. Finally, in a Bible study I took some years back, there it was. The sentence that changed my walk with God forever, and broke loose chains that I didn’t even realize had been there. The sentence was “nowhere in Scripture are we told we need to forgive ourselves. It simply is not a Biblical concept”. WHAT???
I remember the moment – I felt like I had been hit by lightening and finally saw the Truth. I got it. If I say that Christ’s death on the cross was enough – then why wasn’t I living it? If it was enough, and I am forgiven completely, why would there be a need to forgive myself?? And furthermore, it is God’s job to forgive me, not my own, so I was actually trying to be God. Jr. in my own life. It was also the sin of unbelief – unbelief that the cross and resurrection really meant what we say they do.
Maybe it is a matter of semantics in some cases, but probably not in most cases. Perhaps what they really mean is ‘stop reminding yourself of your mistakes and beating yourself up again’. That’s different than saying ‘forgive yourself’. Semantics do matter – we need to be really clear on these matters with those we talk with, because it can mean the difference of proclaiming a clear gospel, or a self-centered false gospel.
We have bought in to the lie that the Bible really does not hold all the answers to life’s problems, so we look outside of it and in to psychological theories instead. It is in those theories that you will find self forgiveness, but you will not find it in Scripture. Let’s stick to Scripture!
This revelation changed my life. Floodgates opened. I started growing again. I was free of the burden of striving and trying to forgive myself, when all along I was already forgiven. Freedom! God called me to ministry soon after this, and there’s been no turning back.
So I am very sensitive to the terminology ‘forgive yourself’. I see it everywhere. I hear people say it in church. I see it on blogs, by counselors and coaches and Bible study teachers alike. I have spotted it in some popular Bible teacher’s books. This is humanism, and it has crept in to our churches. Every chance I get to dispute it and point out Truth about this, I do it. I hope you will too!

Here’s a good little resource for a very good teaching on this topic. If you are local, and want one, I may have some extras in my office. It’s worth the quick read – it’s very profound!
http://www.christianbook.com/forgiveness-i-just-cant-forgive-myself/robert-jones/9780875526782/pd/26780

What Does Love In Marriage Look Like?

2010-08-08T18:58:00.000-07:00

From Paul David Tripp’s What Did You Expect?: Redeeming the Realities of Marriage:

1.Love is being willing to have your life complicated by the needs and struggles of your husband or wife without impatience or anger.

2.Love is actively fighting the temptation to be critical and judgmental toward your spouse, while looking for ways to encourage and praise.

3.Love is the daily commitment to resist the needless moments of conflict that come from pointing out and responding to minor offenses.

4.Love is being lovingly honest and humbly approachable in times of misunderstanding, and being more committed to unity and love than you are to winning, accusing, or being right.

5.Love is a daily commitment to admit your sin, weakness, and failure and to resist the temptation to offer an excuse or shift the blame.

6.Love means being willing, when confronted by your spouse, to examine your heart rather than rising to your defense or shifting the focus.

7.Love is a daily commitment to grow in love so that the love you offer to your husband or wife is increasingly selfless, mature, and patient.

8.Love is being unwilling to do what is wrong when you have been wronged but to look for concrete and specific ways to overcome evil with good.

9.Love is being a good student of your spouse, looking for his physical, emotional, and spiritual needs so that in some way you can remove the burden, support him as he carries it, or encourage him along the way.

10.Love means being willing to invest the time necessary to discuss, examine, and understand the problems that you face as a couple, staying on task until the problem is removed or you have agreed upon a strategy of response.

11.Love is always being willing to ask for forgiveness and always being committed to grant forgiveness when it is requested.

12.Love is recognizing the high value of trust in a marriage and being faithful to your promises and true to your word.

13.Love is speaking kindly and gently, even in moments of disagreement, refusing to attack your spouse’s character or assault his or her intelligence.

14.Love is being unwilling to flatter, lie, manipulate, or deceive in any way in order to co-opt your spouse into giving you what you want or doing something your way.

15.Love is being unwilling to ask your spouse to be the source of your identity, meaning and purpose, or inner sense of well-being, while refusing to be the source of his or hers.

16.Love is the willingness to have less free time, less sleep, and a busier schedule in order to be faithful to what God has called you to be and to do as a husband or a wife.

17.Love is a commitment to say no to selfish instincts and to do everything that is within your ability to promote real unity, functional understanding, and active love in your marriage.

18.Love is staying faithful to your commitment to treat your spouse with appreciation, respect, and grace, even in moments when he or she doesn’t seem to deserve it or is unwilling to reciprocate.

19.Love is the willingness to make regular and costly sacrifices for the sake of your marriage without asking anything in return or using your sacrifices to place your spouse in your debt.

20.Love is being unwilling to make any personal decision or choice that would harm your marriage, hurt your husband or wife, or weaken the bond of trust between you.

21.Love is refusing to be self-focused or demanding but instead looking for specific ways to serve, support, and encourage, even when you are busy or tired.

22.Love is daily admitting to yourself, your spouse, and God that you are not able to love this way without God’s protecting, providing, forgiving, rescuing, and delivering grace.

23.Love is a specific commitment of the heart to a specific person that causes you to give yourself to a specific lifestyle of care that requires you to be willing to make sacrifices that have that person’s good in view.

How are you doing?

What Do I Know of Holy

2010-08-01T19:05:00.000-07:00

2010-07-21T21:59:00.000-07:00

"The ministry of our churches is woefully incomplete without women. Our churches need women who love gutsy theology, gritty service, and the rigors of gospel counseling. This is especially so because there are some situations, particularly in ministering to other women, in which women will generally be far more effective than men."
Keep reading by clicking this link:

http://www.9marks.org/ejournal/how-pastors-can-equip-women-ministry

One letter that changes everything.

2010-07-21T12:16:00.000-07:00

One letter that changes everything.

A great article for parents of teens....

2010-07-13T22:07:00.000-07:00

http://ccef.org/communicate-teens

for all the dads........

2010-06-20T14:20:00.001-07:00

truth about abortion

2010-06-02T11:02:00.000-07:00

I'm sharing this just to show the current shocking statistics about abortion. Often I see women in my counseling office who have had abortions in the past - and I have seen how much it devastates their lives, often for years to come. 1 in 3 Christian women (some teens) have had abortions. Many will never talk about it, but it has left wounds in their lives that only God can heal.

A Word Of Hope about.....THINKING BIBLICALLY

2010-05-29T17:50:00.001-07:00

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (New International Version)“4The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

As we approach life and its struggles, it is helpful to remember to approach everything by reminding ourselves to “THINK BIBLICALLY”. I think that is part of what is meant by ‘taking every thought captive’ in the above verse. We are to think a thought as Christ would think that thought. In order to do that, we need to think Biblically. In order to think Biblically, we need to be continually growing in love, knowledge, and application of God’s Word!

So often as I meet with women, I often notice areas of unbiblical thinking. The best counsel I can give when I notice this is to challenge them (and myself) to be sure that we are thinking Biblically. For example: A woman has confessed to cheating on her husband, and she says “I know Christ died for my sins, but I still feel guilty. I don’t feel forgiven”. Is this Biblical thinking? No, because Biblical thinking would say that no matter how I ‘feel’, the fact is true that as a believer, I AM forgiven. Another example: The same woman says “I know Christ has forgiven me. So now I just need to forgive myself, but I don’t seem to be able to do it”. Is that Biblical thinking? No, because Biblical thinking would acknowledge that self-forgiveness is nowhere in Scripture, and it is trying to be your own god, in a sense. Biblical thinking would say that I need to acknowledge that Christ’s death on the cross was sufficient for me, and there is nothing more I need ‘do’.
Romans 5: 6You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! 10For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Here’s another example: A woman is struggling with excessive alcohol use. She is frustrated at her lack of victory in this area, and she says “it’s just the way I am. I just have to accept that I cannot change. It isn’t that big of a deal anyway”. Is this Biblical thinking? No, because Biblical thinking would acknowledge that in Christ, there is freedom. Christ’s death would be in vain if there was no victory over sin! Biblical thinking says “God CAN change me”.
Romans 6: 6For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

What are some areas that you have caught yourself in unbiblical thinking?? I’d love to have you comment and add some more examples. You never know, someone might need to hear exactly what you have to say about your personal challenges with Biblical thinking vs. unbiblical thinking.

Let’s all remember to THINK BIBLICALLY!!

A Word Of Hope about.....HOPE

2010-05-17T19:40:00.000-07:00

1 Peter 3:15b “….. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”

This verse says to always be prepared to share the reason for our hope. This scripture is special to me, because it is the verse that someone once prayed over me the first time I realized God had a calling on my life to become a Biblical Counselor. I knew that this verse summarized what I would be doing as I walked alongside those I counsel, disciple, and mentor.
Thus, the name of the counseling ministry God has called me to: “Word Of Hope Ministries”.
I have a new goal for the ministry and use of this blog. I plan to post “A Word Of Hope” about a variety of topics pertaining to life’s struggles. I will post as I write them (bear with me as I develop a new routine of posting more often, Lord willing!). This first post is to kick it off, and I hope you will check back often for future posts on a variety of topics such as “A Word Of Hope about…..depression, anxiety, fear, worry, eating disorders, anger, forgiveness, marriage struggles, relationships, parenting, mental illness, spiritual growth, understanding God’s Word, and many many others!

To get this new series started, here are just a few ‘reasons for the hope that I have’!!!!..........

*He is MIGHTY TO SAVE. (Zeph. 3:17)
*He expressed His love for me in that while I was still a sinner, He died for me. He died for you, too. (Rom. 5:8)
*God will never change. I can fully trust Him because He will not act contrary to His character or Word. (Heb. 13:8)
*He always keeps His promises. ALL of them – some in principle and others specifically designed for us in our times. (Deut. 7:9)
*He is faithful to finish what He starts. Including in me. (Phil. 1:6)
*He will only allow what He knows I need and can handle with His help. (1 Cor. 10:13)
*My eternity is secure, so what have I to fear? (Deut. 31:8)
*He sets up kings and kingdoms, and also dethrones them as He sees fit. (Daniel)
*He is always sovereign. Always. SOVEREIGN. (the entire Bible!)
*He knows my heart is deceitful and desperately wicked, and yet He still loves me. (Jer. 17:9)
*His love for me never changes based on what I do or don’t do. (Ps. 107:31)
*He lifts me up – when I am weak, He is strong. (2 Cor. 12:10)
*I have the Holy Spirit in me. I can rely on Him, and not myself, because I am so unreliable on my own! (Luke 3:16)
*He can move mountains. (Matt. 17:20)
*No one can snatch me out of God’s hands. I am perfectly safe, always. (Heb. 13:5)
*It is for freedom that He set me free. My chains are gone! (Gal. 5:1)
*He is preparing a place for me. (John 14:3)
*All prophecy either has come true or will come true. (Rev. 22:7)
*God’s Word is alive in me. It pierces me just when I need it. (Heb. 4:12)
*God’s Word works. (the entire Bible!)
*With God on my side, who can be against me? (Rom. 8:31)
*Victory has already been won. (1 John 5:4)
*I can do all things through Christ Who gives me strength. (Phil 4:13)
*He gives and takes away, and either way, I can say ‘blessed be the name of the Lord’. (Job)

What would YOU add to this list???? It’s a great attitude adjuster to focus on our hope. Take a little time to consider the reason for YOUR hope today!

Feel free to leave comments – I’d love to read them!!

Happy Mother's Day, some encouragement for you!

2010-05-08T20:00:00.001-07:00

Happy Mother's Day from LPV on Vimeo.

an invitation to embrace and celebrate the cross.....

2010-04-01T12:57:00.001-07:00

2010-03-26T20:12:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the NEW Word of Hope Ministries blog! More to come soon.....

A Sermon Well Worth Watching

2010-03-16T23:05:00.000-07:00

I so enjoyed this sermon when it was streamed live recently. It will be worth your time! Enjoy.

Praise Him!

2010-03-15T16:12:00.000-07:00

watch this to the end, and then praise Him wherever you are!

An excellent view of the use of psychiatric medications and Biblical Counseling

2010-03-08T16:33:00.000-08:00

Why I Do What I Do

2010-02-27T19:58:00.000-08:00

please copy/paste this link to read a great article defending Biblical Counseling! (or click on the title of this post which will take you there!
http://www.rpmministries.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Affirmation_Powlison.pdf

Help Haiti Benefit Concert, watch live online tonight

2010-02-27T10:19:00.000-08:00

Help Haiti February 27th - HelpHaitiLive.com from Compassion International on Vimeo.

Will You Stand Alone???

2010-02-17T09:50:00.000-08:00

We, as believers, are called to proclaim and stand for truth in our generation, in our communities, and in our churches. 1 Tim 3:15 refers to the church as the ‘pillar and foundation of truth’: “….the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.” We are also to call others to join us in building their lives on the foundation of truth….everything is to be built upon the truth of God! Not on the wisdom of the world, but on Truth.
Matthew 7:24: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”
This requires upholding and proclaiming changeless truth that God has revealed to us in His Word.

We must be alert to the teachings out there (even and especially in Christian circles) that contradict truth. Humanistic teachings abound, and we must use discernment, filtering everything we hear through Scripture. Many teachings have the appearance of godliness, using tricky terminology or catch-phrases and common titles that gain our trust, before we dig deeper to find out where they are rooted. For example, a person can call themselves a “counselor”, and answer “yes” if asked “do you believe in the sufficiency of Scripture”….but if you dig a little deeper to see what their education and approach is, you might be shocked to discover they are not coming from a Biblical standpoint at all. Perhaps they engage in unbiblical practices such as guided imagery, hypnosis, contemplative prayer, and mysticism. These things are often a part of what a person might title ‘Christian counseling’,‘spiritual formation’, ‘spiritual direction’, ‘biblical counseling’ and other titles these days, but cannot be supported by Scripture. We have to check further to discover what kind of teaching an individual might be bringing in to our churches, because we are the pillar and foundation of truth! We can’t let ourselves be fooled by titles or catch-phrases that only cover up what is actually unbiblical.

In 1 Tim 6:20, Paul admonishes Timothy to ‘guard what has been entrusted’ to his care. Believers must guard the truth, the Word of God, and be very wary of any of man’s philosophies and theories that are not rooted in the Word. Our job is to promote and protect the truth. There is a positive and negative side to looking after the truth of God. The positive side is that we do whatever it takes to promote it because we know it has the power to change lives. The negative side is that we must do whatever it takes to protect it, even if it means standing alone. Are we willing to stand alone for truth’s sake?

We have to remember that teaching of truth comes with a cost. Paul also tells Timothy that God-breathed Scripture corrects error, and it is useful for rebuking as well as encouraging. Do you suppose that often it’s when a person feels compelled to stand against error that the truth actually shines brightest?? I believe so.

We should be prepared to suffer for the truth. 2 Tim 1:8-11: “So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher.”

When we take a stand for the truth we need to be prepared for and even expect to be misunderstood and rejected. We need to be ready to suffer for it and we should never be ashamed of it even when it costs us.

People WILL misunderstand us and even at times get annoyed if the truth is being promoted it all its fullness! However we must remain patient and loving towards those who oppose us. Yes, we should proclaim the truth with courage, confidence, clarity and certainty! But when doing that causes people to come back at us with hostile words or even actions, we should respond with patience, kindness and gentleness. We should respond lovingly! Here's how Paul advises young Timothy:
2 Timothy 2:23-26:” Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.”

So then it's God's desire that everyone hears the truth and he has chosen the church to be the pillar and foundation of the truth! Therefore we - as the church - should make sure the truth is not contradicted and we should be willing to suffer for the truth.

Jesus said; "You will know the truth and the truth will set you free." John 8:32

Grab on!!

2010-02-08T11:56:00.000-08:00

Touching the Hem of His Garment:

As I did my homework in a new Bible Study I am leading right now (Breaking Free, The Journey, The Stories, by Beth Moore…the updated version of the original Breaking Free)…..I was so struck by something she said in the week 2 video.

Beth was talking about the woman in Luke 8:40-48; Matthew 9:18-26; and Mark 5:21-43. She gave us a visual about Jesus walking through the crowd of people and how He would have been walking and weaving through the crowd. She teaches that in Luke, the word for ‘edge’ translates as ‘tassels’, the kind the Israelites wore on the 4 corners of their garments.

When I envisioned this verse in the past, I pictured the woman having to get down to the ground in the midst of a thick crowd to touch the hem, meaning the bottom of his tunic that would be at ground level. I don’t know why I conjured it up that way, other than artwork I have seen so many times that pictures this woman nearly laying on the ground and striving to reach forward from behind Him as he nearly got away from her grasp. This is an inaccurate picture!! This is huge for me, and here’s why:

In picturing it the way I just described, it seems to indicate a need to strive and work hard to reach out for help from Jesus. That He may be just brushing by, and I’d better try to grab on while I have the chance, before He passes me by. He said her faith had healed her…but picturing her working hard at grabbing his tassels would then also mean she was working hard at having faith to believe she could be healed just by touching His garment.
There’s a problem here – do you see it??

Picture it this way instead. This woman believed that Jesus had divine power to heal her. She was right there in that crowd, where He was completely accessible to her! She did not have to strive and crawl on the ground to touch Him ….. He was right there within her reach and all she had to do was reach forward and grab that tassel. No striving, no mustering up the faith to believe. He was right there, and she grabbed on!

Isn’t that the way it is for us, too?? We do not have to work hard to find Him. He is right here. He is completely accessible for our healing. Even in a crowd, we do not have to compete for His healing. He avails Himself to all of us. No amount of mustering it up will give us ‘more faith’. We choose to believe even if we don’t feel it. The woman was not healed because of something SHE did. She was healed because Jesus is our healer, and she had put her faith and trust in Him. That is where our healing is, too. Grab on!

David Powlison on Bob Newhart

2010-01-27T15:05:00.000-08:00

Way back at the beginning of this blog, I posted the Bob Newhart youtube sketch that pokes fun at counseling, and I titled it "How NOT to Counsel". I love the sketch, it is so funny!! But this is the first response to it by a Biblical Counselor that I have come across that is so well stated. Take a look at the sketch (and be prepared to chuckle!), then read this excellent blog post by David Powlison, a counselor I highly respect and appreciate.

David Powlison on Bob Newhart’s "Stop It!" Sketch

Posted using ShareThis

God is GOOD

2010-01-14T18:56:00.000-08:00

In response to the tragedy in Haiti:

My family, like yours, is unable to express or put in to words how we are reacting to the tragic earthquake in Haiti this week. But one thing we do know for certain: God is good. He always was, always is, and always will be GOOD.

God is our Healer, Comforter, Provider, and Protector. The Haitian people need to know this. Pray for them continually, for their spiritual wellbeing, physical wellbeing, and emotional wellbeing.

Do not despair. Instead, SERVE. Help the people of Haiti. Here are some reliable organizations to donate to:
Compassion International’s Disaster Relief Fund
Samaritan’s Purse Haiti Relief
American Red Cross

Sacrifice. Your money, your time, your abilities. We are so spoiled in America and we have so much. The people suffering in Haiti have so little. Let’s get a proper perspective and sacrifice for Christ’s sake and so that He may reveal Himself to the Haitian people.
You can donate, pray fervently and often, and get creative about helping in other ways. These needs will be present for a very long time to come. Let’s not forget Haiti.

Be grateful. Not in a selfish sense that says “Lord thank you that I was not there”, or “Lord thank you that I do not have to suffer a terrible tragedy like that”. No, instead be grateful that God is sovereign!! And be grateful that He keeps His promises to us. And that His love is pure, and that He purely loves the people of Haiti.

Yes, the suffering is too much to get our heads around. There are no words, really. But…….GOD IS GOOD. Lord, come swiftly.

Psalm 3:3 “But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.”

Happy New Year of Bible Reading! 2 Timothy 3:16!!!!!

2010-01-09T20:52:00.000-08:00

I've been collecting these notes from other blogs I read, and here and there. Thought I'd compile them and share with you --consider it a challenge to make 2010 a year of Bible reading for you!!!

Reasons for reading large portions of Scripture often:

1. If God made sure his words were recorded for us, why wouldn’t you want to read all of them numerous times?
2. Reading large portions of Scripture regularly slows you down so you can think about life from an eternal perspective.
3. In daily life, we are constantly bombarded with images, philosophies, thoughts, reasonings, and attractions from the world, our flesh, and the devil. We need large quantities of God’s thoughts, empowered by his Spirit, to resist them.
4. We trust our own thoughts too much.
5. Each time you read through the Bible, you are humbled as you realize how little you actually know and understand God’s Word.
6. Reading a lot of the Bible helps you more easily see how it all fits together.

Some facts about the Bible:

This is my Bible.
I am who it says I am. Matthew 5:16
I can do what it says I can do. Philippians 4:13
I am going where it says I will go. John 14:3
God’s Word is milk for my soul. 1 Peter 2:2
God’s Word is seed for my faith. Luke 8:11
God’s Word is light for my path. Psalm 119:105
God’s Word is power for my victory. Hebrews 4:12
God’s Word is freedom for my life. John 8:32
When I read God’s Word it brings me joy. Jeremiah 15:16
When I study God’s Word, it keeps me from shame. 2 Timothy 2:15
When I memorize God’s Word, it purifies my heart. Psalm 119:11
When I quote God’s Word, it defeats my enemies. Ephesians 6:10, 17
When I meditate on God’s Word, it brings me success. Joshua 1:8
When I abide in God’s Word, it gives me confidence. John 15:7

If you would like to read the Bible in chronological order, look at this website:
http://www.bibleinayear.org/chrono_Sched.asp

An idea for starting a journal:
Write down the things that you are anticipating that God might do in your life over the next year or so. Consider what your hearts desires are and what you think God is challenging you with, and come up with a list of expectations. Don’t write them down as a request but rather as an affirmation statement - as if there are already done.
Then write a prayer something like this “Please do these things Lord…..or do something better!”
When you reflect back on this journal in a year or later, you will see that God has done these things….or something better!!

God's Word is LIFE to us. Join me this year in reading it OFTEN!!!

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas, blogging friends!!!

2009-12-15T13:48:00.000-08:00

Shop Online and Support Word of Hope Ministries!

2009-11-27T21:53:00.000-08:00

Word of Hope Ministries is getting off the ground this month, and we covet your prayers and support as we provide Biblical Counseling and other services to women and their families.

One of the ways you can support the ministry is by accessing both Christian Book Distributors or Amazon online, via the Word of Hope Ministries website, and then making your purchases as usual. A small percentage will go to this ministry, as long as you have accessed it through our website without clicking out of the bookstore before purchasing.

Maybe you are planning to do some Christmas shopping online – if CBD or Amazon have what you are looking for, it would be much appreciated if you would go ahead and click on our website first, www.word-of-hope-ministries.com, then click the “resources” category, and follow instructions. In fact, please consider doing this year round, any time you shop CBD or Amazon online!!

Thank you in advance for your support as you shop online this holiday season!!

A book I'm enjoying right now.....check it out!

2009-11-09T17:19:00.000-08:00

Forgotten God Widget testgreat free widgetsWidgetboxMore info

Announcing: Word of Hope Ministries!!!

2009-10-30T11:07:00.000-07:00

WORD OF HOPE MINISTRIES
Biblical Counseling for women and their families
Ellen Castillo, Certified Biblical Counselor

Beginning November 1, I am opening a new counseling ministry, Word of Hope Ministries. Word of Hope Ministries will provide Biblical Counseling to The Harbor (my home church) and to the community. For those of you who are local, please know that the ministry is here to serve you. For those of you who are not local, I am sharing this with you to enlist your prayer support.

Word of Hope Ministries will continue to operate out of my current office at the Harbor, and I will be available as I always have been to my church family as well as those who come from the community seeking Biblical Counseling. The most noticeable difference is that the Harbor will no longer oversee the ministry as it becomes its own separate entity, owned and operated by myself and my husband.

I am very thankful to my church leadership for supporting this move and encouraging me as I move forward with a calling to vocational ministry. I have so appreciated the guidance and accountability I have with my pastor, and he has graciously agreed to continue to provide that guidance and accountability for me even as I operate the ministry aside from The Harbor. This is invaluable to me – I firmly believe in the spiritual oversight of my local church. I am very grateful to begin this new venture with his blessing.

For more details about the ministry, please visit the website (it is a work in progress still, but some of the basics are in place!).

Please feel free to refer people to the ministry or website. The site will be useful to people who don’t live in Santa Maria, too. You are welcome to pass along my contact information to anyone who would benefit from it.

Please check out the website at:
www.word-of-hope-ministries.com.
Items will be added continually, so please bookmark it!

Mark 12:30 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength."

A song to enjoy.....and principles to live by!

2009-10-21T19:27:00.000-07:00

perspective.....

2009-10-03T22:13:00.000-07:00

the cost of ministry....

2009-09-14T15:00:00.000-07:00

***The mission of the Harbor Women’s Ministry is to provide varying opportunities for women to grow in love, knowledge, and application of God’s Word so that they reflect Christ as they serve Him in their families, church, workplace, and community.
Colossians 1:9-10 “…we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God…”***

In the world of Women’s Ministry, Fall is a time of new beginnings. The ministry I oversee functions from Fall to Fall. So we are about to embark on some new things and I think it’s an exciting time!

We’re doing Beth Moore’s “Jesus the One and Only” study this Fall. Can’t wait! For Winter, I’m thinking we may do the revamped “Breaking Free”, a favorite of mine!

We’re having a Fall Kick-off event, with worship, teaching on Titus 2 by me, and fellowship while baking applie pies together. I am so blessed to have a great team that work so hard to make these events fun and meaningful! Can’t wait!

We’re heading towards a different type of Retreat for Spring. We are going to a professionally done one at a huge Christian camp in the mountains. We usually do ‘home grown’ retreats, so this will be a big treat and a chance for the usual ‘worker bees’ to rest and just participate like everyone else. Can’t wait!

And the other ministries are in full swing – our prayer ministries, meals ministry, and lots of other events to be announced. A great year ahead!

I am blessed to have such great ladies to partner with – we’re a team and I am so thankful for each of them.

If you are in Women’s Ministry, how about you?? What are you up to this year??

Now and then, someone will ask me what the biggest struggle is in Women’s Ministry. Honestly, it’s mostly blessings, but there are challenges in working with women. I can’t pick one, so I’ll pick two. ;)
1. Critical Spirits. Women are prone to complaining, and so often it is aimed at leadership. It sounds cliché, but it is so true, that “I can’t please everyone”. My own personal struggle is to guard against taking these darts aimed at me personally. God alone is the One Whose approval I seek, and I want to go where He leads me. And yet, I also want to remain teachable, always. There’s a fine line sometimes between helpful ‘feedback’ that comes from a proper motive, and criticism that comes from improper motives.
2. To keep my own walk with The Lord the main thing. If I ever catch myself out of balance, I need to refocus and refuel. Actually, I need to STAY fueled so that I don’t get to that point, but it can creep up on you before you notice sometimes. I don’t want to be so busy serving Jesus to women that I neglect Him in my own life.
What about you in your ministry, whatever your calling is? What is your biggest struggle (or two)??

Whatever the struggles, know this: You have to continually count the cost, and to be willing to sacrifice. Even if it means experiencing some lonliness, being misunderstood or judged harshly, losing some sleep and your free time, and sometimes even having to stand alone. When the cost feels like too much, remember this:

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death works in us, but life in you.” (2 Cor. 4:7-12)

AMEN!

May you be blessed in your ministry this coming year!

convicted:

2009-09-02T12:40:00.000-07:00

Why do people feel invisible?????

2009-08-16T20:47:00.000-07:00

I posted a video on this blog a long time ago from Nicole Johnson entitled “Feeling Invisible” (check the archives back near the start of this blog). Since that time, I have left the post there so that people will land on it when they come here, or when they do a google search with the words ‘feeling invisible’.
I have been watching my feedjit (bottom of blog) quite often to see what brings people here and where they come from (your names don’t show – just your location). If someone came from google, I click on ‘google search’ in their feedjit, and it will take me to the google search page that shows me the words they actually googled that brought up my blog.
BY FAR, the most common google search that brings people to this blog are the exact words “FEELING INVISIBLE”. I find that so interesting. Why do so many people ‘feel invisible’?? Are these men, women, or both? What are they looking for…..maybe HOPE?? What is happening in their lives to make them feel so invisible that they are looking for answers on the internet?? I am intrigued by this.
I do hope that once they come to the blog, that they are watching Nicole’s video. It is profound. I hope that if they are believers, they realize that the unseen things they do in life do matter to God. If they are not believers, I hope they see that there is hope and that God created them for a purpose. I hope they snoop around elsewhere on the blog and find other things to encourage them, too. (makes me realize it is time to start updating this thing more often, with content that will help people!!!! I’ll work on that!).

If you are one of those who came here because you are feeling invisible, I would love for you to email me (go to my profile to do so) or leave a comment here. Tell me about it. What do you mean by ‘feeling invisible’? What makes you feel invisible, and what were you hoping to find by doing a google search about that topic?? And most importantly, have you found the answers you were looking for either here or elsewhere?? I am just curious to know. And also, every time I see that in feedjit, I lift a prayer for that person. If you are one of them, I have been praying for you. I don’t know your name, but God does. Know this: He loves you and to Him you are NOT invisible.

John 3:16 says it all.

Praising God for Who He is, not what He does

2009-07-09T21:03:00.000-07:00

This is an important message, especically if you are wondering where God is in regards to answering your prayers....

It Happened to Me-6 from Harvest Bible Chapel on Vimeo.

Future Women's Ministry Leader.....

2009-07-08T12:34:00.000-07:00

Women's Ministry Leaders, move over....I think this young girl is after our jobs!! And rightfully so - she is clearly gifted and called at a very early age. This blessed my heart, and I pray it will bless yours as well. Take a look:

Living Proof Live, Stockton

2009-06-29T17:35:00.000-07:00

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:

Living Proof Live - Stockton from Rich Kalonick on Vimeo.

2009-06-21T13:23:00.000-07:00

Psalm 68:6a "God sets the lonely in families"

If Father's Day brings sadness or pain for you, remember that God delivers and comforts the fatherless....

Post Weary post.....

2009-06-17T19:41:00.000-07:00

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”.

Weary??? Me, too.

2009-06-06T20:08:00.000-07:00

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!!!

leadership philosophy

2009-05-17T15:54:00.000-07:00

I have thought about, over the past few years, what my preferred 'philosophy' of leadership is. It's been hard to put a finger on it and I've never heard it put as well as this video by James MacDonald puts it. THIS is the leadership philosophy that defines it for me so well:
It's called "High Deposit, High Withdrawal". Leaders, take a look:

God's Chisel

2009-05-15T20:36:00.000-07:00

Let's Pray.....

2009-05-07T18:07:00.000-07:00

He Calls Me Friend Retreat

2009-05-03T20:42:00.000-07:00

Below (scroll down) you will notice an audio player that you can use to listen to the audio from a Retreat I spoke at recently. There are four sessions, so scroll until you find the first one and listen in order......
1.Biblical Friendship
2.Servanthood
3.He Calls Me Friend
4.Forgiveness and Communion

These are 'raw' and unedited (until I learn how to edit them!!), but just fast forward through the parts that are dead spaces or just chit chat!

I was privileged to speak as a team with my very good friend, Nancy. We SO enjoyed ministering to the women together along with our fun and amazing worship team, Carolyn and Debbie. We wanted to make the audio available for anyone interested to listen to - so please feel free to listen and let God speak to YOU about FRIENDSHIP!!!

Jehovah Jireh scripture memory time

2009-04-01T21:28:00.000-07:00

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
2 Timothy 1:7 NIV

How's that for God's provision???!!!

why do we memorize scripture???

2009-04-01T21:13:00.000-07:00

The following is a quote off of Beth Moore's blog.....she is talking about memorizing scripture and why it is SO important.
I often teach women about controlling our thought life, and give them tools to deal with that. Beth has worded this 'tool' so well, that I wanted to post it here so that you might be convicted about the importance of focusing our minds on God's Word!
She says:

"Somebody may be thinking, “Good grief! I didn’t want to have to think about it that much!” But, you see, that’s the BEAUTY of it! We could be thinking how ticked we are at somebody. We could be thinking how tempted we are toward somebody. We could be thinking how dissatisfied we are with something. We could be thinking AGAIN about what so-and-so had the gall to say to us. I am never more prone to mental defeat than when I just allow my mind to wander anywhere and to anything. I’m by no means suggesting that we never allow our minds to rest. Of course we do. I’m saying that when, in that state of rest and idleness, our thoughts begin to go left toward something destructive, we need a pretty fail-safe way to switch gears. I know no better way than to immediately start letting some verses scroll through my head. That’s what it means to take thoughts captive to the knowledge of Christ and that’s how we tear down everything that exalts itself against Him.

I’m also prone to mental defeat when the enemy has pitched me a great opportunity to obsess about something or to give way to fear and stress. Each of these represents perfect moments to turn to my Scripture memory. There are tons of things we COULD think about today but we have the power in Jesus’ Name to choose the things that edify our spirits and renew our minds. Remember, every defeat and every victory takes place on the battlefield of the mind before it erupts in the exterior life. Listen, Darling Things, we don’t have to let every mental struggle turn into a stronghold. We can successfully cut things off at the pass. And this is one huge way we do it."

So, let's memorize some Scripture!!!!!!!!!!!

attitude adjustment thanks to THE King

2009-03-30T20:45:00.000-07:00

I had a very bad attitude all day today. Got overwhelmed, wanted to quit, got selfish, forgetting all about my KING Who deserves continual praise. Then I saw this:

Attitude: adjusted!!

Women's Conference via internet!

2009-03-29T22:19:00.000-07:00

This is a very unique way of doing a Christian Women's Conference. There are several speakers and topics that interest me....and although I won't have the time to sit and listen online in realtime, I plan on downloading the mp3's and listening when I am ready (after this busy season!).

Here's a link to the website for you (copy/paste it):
http://www.awomaninspiredconference.org/

weariness

2009-03-28T11:16:00.000-07:00

PLANNING A WEDDING + PREPARING TO SPEAK AT A LADIES RETREAT + A FULL COUNSELING LOAD + ROUTINE MINISTRY TASKS THAT CAN'T BE PUT OFF FOR LATER + NORMAL BUSY FAMILY LIFE + OUT OF TOWN GUESTS COMING THROUGHOUT THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS = no new blog posts for awhile!!

Isaiah 40:29 "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak."

For that, I'm SO grateful.

Jehovah Jireh continues...

2009-03-19T13:44:00.000-07:00

Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,
that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days
Psalm 90:14 NIV

This is the kind of provision I need today - unfailing love. It definitely does bring me joy and gladness!

Jehovah Jireh ongoing

2009-03-01T17:09:00.000-08:00

I have to confess I haven't fully memorized last week's yet....but just reading it over and over and over is a good start and a great way to replace LIES with TRUTH, by 'wallpapering our minds' with Scripture. I continue on the theme of 'provision', with this verse......

1 Tim. 6:17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

Hoping to blog more regularly soon!!! (waiting for God to provide me with about 10 more hours in a day to get to everything....no? Ok, maybe my next theme after His provision should be 'self-discipline' and time management!!)

I Will Not Be Shaken

2009-02-15T21:49:00.000-08:00

I Will Not Be Shaken

A few weeks ago, during my routine female-exam, some abnormalities were detected that could indicate uterine cancer, or at the very least that I might need surgery. I had tests done, and have had to wait the last two weeks for results. Those results came in just Friday, and I learned that I do not have cancer (but do have a situation that is pre-cancerous that will potentially require intervention at some time in the future) and that I do not need surgery right now. During the wait, God showed me several things about myself, and about Him. Not the least of which is that I needed to continually say “I will NOT be shaken” out loud, so that I would not give in to fear and worry.

I am in the newest Beth Moore Bible study about Esther. The subtitle is ‘It’s Tough Being a Woman”. Interesting that she shares that many women, when asked what is toughest about being a woman mentioned HORMONES. That very next week, I faced a test that clearly proved that hormones were making my life tough at that very time!

When you are facing a potential ‘crisis’, it brings you to your knees. At least it did that for me. It’s not that I am not on my knees otherwise, but when you feel desperate and scared, it is the best posture to assume and you tend to go there quickly!

I questioned God at first. What in the world is up with the timing of this? Who will drive my girls to school and other activities? Who will take care of my household responsibilities? I have a wedding to plan! I am speaking this Spring at Retreat! I have a very full load of counseling each week – I can’t just tell ladies to put their depression or marriage problems on hold while I go through cancer! And the regular, normal tasks involved in my ministry that have to be tended to – how do those kinds of things get delegated?! This timing is all wrong!

Then last week, our lesson focused on timing, and how Esther was put in the position she was in ‘for such a time as this’. I started to realize that I need not question the timing – that if God saw fit to allow this right now, then it IS the right timing and He will tend to all the details. I just needed to be willing to accept it, regardless of what seemed to me like bad timing! More than that, it could be the very thing that He would use in my family life and ministry in ways that I cannot even see. I needed to just trust Him with the timing. By the time I got the test results, I had resolved to bless God no matter what. I was ready to delegate what I could, and let things go if I needed to.

Beth taught us that Esther was a woman who could have easily had some major issues that she might feel would disqualify her to be of service to God. She was an orphan, chosen for her outward beauty, and did not get called by the king for 30 days, not to mention all the other challenges in her lifestyle. And yet, God chose HER to save her people. She was not rendered useless because of her past or her circumstances. He has shown me that through two weeks of waiting to hear if I had cancer, even though I was feeling very useless to others because I was just trying to keep a grip, and process my circumstances, that He would work through me anyway – reminding me that I am only the vessel. There have been some awesome moments in my family and ministry in the past couple of weeks that can only be attributed to God and His grace! He has taught me many times how to minister while wounded.

Something about looking your mortality in the face causes you to weigh your priorities.
Somehow, I have a renewed passion for my family and my ministry. Maybe it was the thought of having to give them up, in a sense, that made me appreciate them all the more. I started to wonder if God was just done using me here – but apparently not, at least not right now. I needed to be able to praise Him either way! And when I go back for another biopsy in June to see if the cells become cancerous, I need to be able to praise Him then, too.

The Esther study is teaching us that we have a ‘destiny’….I came to terms last week with the idea that my destiny could be cancer, or it might be in the future. Instead of ‘why me’….I had to say ‘why not me’. I was and am willing, because it is NOT about ME alone – God will use it as He sees fit. I surrender to His will! Otherwise, I could miss my destiny.

I am always aware that things that I have gone through and will go through are not just for me, ever. Mine is a ministry born out of adversity, and if God allowed or allows cancer, surgery, or whatever in my life, then to Him be the glory! Beth has taught us that we are not called to an easy life, we are called to a purposeful life. A diagnosis is part of a greater plan.

God has revealed Himself in some fresh ways to me through this. I am so grateful for that. I’ve adopted a new ‘life passage’ for such a time as this:

Romans 11:33-36, NIV:
33Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
34"Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?"
35"Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay him?"
36For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.

Hiding God's Word because of Jehovah Jireh

2009-02-01T15:56:00.000-08:00

Romans 11:33-36, NIV:
33Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
34"Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?"
35"Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay him?"
36For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.

This is my new Scripture Memory verse for the memory challenge I am participating in (Living Proof's blog, if you want to join us!). This one fits the theme of "Jehovah Jireh" for me, especially vs. 36! I am facing some uncertainties right now, and I need to KNOW that He is on the throne. I need to know that He gives, and He takes away, as He sees fit. Blessed be His name!

I need this Word. How about you??

The Sanctity of Life....(please watch to the end!)

2009-01-22T21:27:00.000-08:00

Jehovah Jireh

2009-01-15T12:20:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a scripture that I committed to memorizing (or at least meditating on often). It was:
Genesis 22:14 NIV: So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide (Jehovahjireh). And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

My 'theme' this year is God's Provision, and I am wanting to hide several scriptures in my heart that fit this theme. The one I picked next is Isaiah 33:6, because of its emphasis on God's provision as our SOURCE of peace and security. That fits for any kind of need - physical, financial, spiritual, emotional, everything.

Isaiah 33:6, NIV: He will be the sure foundation for your times,a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge;the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.

Here's a little commentary on this verse from The Bible Knowledge Commentary:
33:5-6. Speaking now to the remnant, Isaiah said that the exalted Lord (cf. 6:1) will eventually fill Zion with justice and righteousness (cf. 9:7; 11:4; 16:5; 32:16) when the kingdom is established. But in order to have these things, including salvation . . . wisdom, and knowledge they must fear . . . the Lord (cf. Prov. 1:7; 15:33). Fearing God does not mean being terrified of Him (except for those who are being or will be judged). It means to recognize and respect Him and His authority and righteous demands, which in turn results in godly living, worshiping, trusting, serving, and obeying Him. Those who fear Him find Him to be their sure Foundation, their Source of inner security and peace (cf. ”Rock, “ Isa. 26:4).

Lord, help us to be women who fear you and praise you for being our SOURCE!! Amen.

waking up

2009-01-12T20:05:00.000-08:00

Today brought a little wake up call for me. Well, not so little, really. I want to use it to remind any woman who reads this blog to go get regular checkups. If you are past due for your regular female-checkup, or if it has been awhile since you have had any thorough checkup, DO IT.
One of the pitfalls of my personality is that I far prefer to talk about YOUR problems than to deal with my own! I will answer your call for help at any time without giving it a second thought, and I will be there for you in a heartbeat, sincerely desiring to serve you. My ministry calls for that, and I am wired for it. I can't NOT do it.
However, it is evident to me today that I sometimes neglect ME. That sounds self-centered, but it isn't, so hear me out.
I have had weight issues my entire adult life. It is a stronghold, and I have worked on this issue for years. I have periods of victory, and periods of defeat. Lately, I have just ignored it and I know better. I knew some things with my health would definitely be impacted over time, and the time has come. I decided it was time to come out of denial (!) and take my own advice and get a checkup. I am in the midst of lots of tests and dr. visits right now. Today brought some mixed news, and it has served as a wake up call. I will spare the details on a public blog, but suffice it to say that I know the Lord will use whatever it takes to get our attention at times. He's got mine (some scary words said by the dr. today!), and He will get yours, too, if you don't take care of yourself.
It is a stronghold, an issue of stewardship of the body (God's temple!!), and turning to food for comfort instead of to God, the Source of ALL comfort. I know this, and yet I struggle. I counsel other women on this issue, and yet I struggle.
God has spoken clearly today (not literally, you know what I mean) through some bad test results that say that I cannot deny or ignore this any longer, unless I want to die young.
I remember Beth Moore saying once at a conference that God ordains all of our days....that He can't add another day, but that WE can shorten those days. Ouch. How ridiculous to think that I would knowingly shorten my days.
So the journey towards true FREEDOM in this area of my life has to kick in to high gear. I know that it is for freedom that Christ died. I say I believe it, but I have not lived as if I believe it. Forgive me, Lord for my unbelief. Help me, Lord with my unbelief!
Go get your checkup. And if there is a wakeup call there for you, pay attention and we will walk the path of freedom together!
Galatians 5:1!!!!!!!

A Day in the Life....

2009-01-11T20:45:00.000-08:00

So what's up in Women's Ministry and Counseling Ministry you may ask??? Well, maybe you aren't asking, but I am feeling the need to kick up my blogging a notch or two, and post more often from my own heart and not just other people's stuff. I've said that before, I know. ;) But I do want to blog more, so here goes!

I have been asked to describe what I do on a typical day, so here goes.....

A Day in the Life of Ministry to Women and Family:

6:00 a.m....down the stairs to have a quiet time and dedicate my day to The Lord. If I fail to do that, I am destined for a selfish day!
then it's the whirlwind of getting my girls up and ready for school. Off we go at 8:20.

8:40....to my office at the church. Most days the first task is to turn on the heater!! Brr, it is a cold building! Then I settle in to my desk for the tasks ahead of me. First task: go through my list of women at my church and Bible study, and pray for them as God leads. If I fail to do that, I am again destined to a selfish day!
Second task: complete my own Bible Study homework!

The rest of my office time consists of: counseling or mentoring sessions (anywhere from 2-4 daily); study time to prepare for upcoming counseling sessions; computer time to write notes from counseling sessions; various Women's Ministry tasks that need to be done - depending what is on the calendar currently (ie, retreat, fellowship events, showers, etc); fielding many emails and phone calls daily from women with various needs, questions, asking for help, wanting input, etc! And then there are meetings to go to; resources to research and preview; visits with women who stop by the office; plans to work on for upcoming events and studies; Bible study sessions to prepare for; coffee and lunch dates with women I try to squeeze in frequently; oversight of the various women's ministries to stay on top of things we are currently doing; meetings with the team leaders; speaking and writing to study and prepare for; visits to those in need - ill, housebound, etc; networking with local counselors or women's leaders; research current counseling and ministry trends; raise up other leaders for various ministries by assessing women's gifts; follow-up with prior counselees; and MORE that I can't think of at the moment. OH, and office tasks like ordering resources, computer maintenance, making copies, and basically being my own secretary!! Tired just from reading all that?? Me, too. But it is in my weakness that He is strong, thankfully! To say that I keep busy is an understatement, and perhaps you can see why I say that I am in FULL TIME ministry. I never have enough hours in a day to get it all done, but my priority is ALWAYS people, so those needs come first. The rest gets done as I am able, and the Lord always plans my schedule in such a way that I honestly do not feel overwhelmed. Busy, but not overwhelmed. His burden is light, and I am so thankful for that.

at 2:30, off I go to pick up my girls and spend the rest of my day as wife and mom and all that entails. Some evenings, if we have 'down' time, out comes some ministry work - I just can't help it!! - usually on my computer or some reading or studying....typically after the girls are in bed or while they are doing homework. The rest of the time I purpose to give the family undivided attention! They are, after all, my first and priority ministry!

I have also been asked what are the positives, and negatives of being in this ministry. Here goes:
Negative:
**some lonliness at times. I am often now seen as a 'position', not just a woman in a church family. I have been left out of invitations, some friendships have changed, and sometimes I am criticized and complained about. Not often, but when it happens - ouch.
**time is sacrificed. There is no doing this thing part-time. I've tried, but you can't dictate when a crisis comes, or when a woman can meet due to work schedules, or when the phone rings! I may be at the office regular hours, but ministry is a full-time lifestyle, 24/7.
**insecurities. I struggle with this from time to time, and it is where the enemy shoots his darts whenever I am fully engaged in fruitful ministry. It comes in many forms, never pretty.
Positive:
**ENDLESS positives! I can't even put them all here! They FAR outweigh the negatives, so much so that I rarely dwell on those negatives, praise God.
**to be a witness to the working of the Holy Spirit in the life of one of my sisters in Christ is hard to describe. To be in a counseling session and KNOW it is the Holy Spirit truly being the counselor, and to feel that I am just sitting back as a witness to it - WOW! I have been privileged to see many transformed lives, and it doesn't get any better than that.
**to have a venue for reaching women who also don't need counseling, but need ministering to through Women's Ministries activities is also a huge privilege to be a part of.
** to KNOW that I am called to this is a comfort. I could not do it otherwise - it's too hard! To know that I am not on my own, WHEW!! It is Christ IN me, not me. It is a fearsome thing to have this responsibility with the wellbeing of women, and if it weren't for the Lord, I'd never do it because I'd botch it up badly! Thank you, Lord, for making me your vessel and nothing more.

It's not your average life. I don't earn a paycheck, but instead I am paid in blessings.... and I don't get to share the specifics of the work of God in lives I am a part of (because it is confidential). Much of it is behind-the-scenes, and I wouldn't want it otherwise. All I want is to do the will of the Father, period. And for now, that means I draw strength from Him daily to minsiter to women and family!!!!

The best part of all of it is this: not a day goes by that I don't absolutely NEED to draw on wisdom and strength from God's Word, and to point others to do the same. It has given me a love for His Word that is indescribable.....so I will let it speak for itself: "For the word of God is living and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Hebrews 4:12. Amen.

I am editing this post lest I mislead you in to thinking it is ok to be too busy! God has not called me, or you, to that. I really am not 'too busy', just busy doing His work!, although reading the above could lead you to think I am out of balance! I pace myself, and always put my family first. I ask them to partner with me in ministry by allowing me out for an evening Bible Study or rare evening counseling appointment, and they bless me by supporting that from time to time. Typical days, after school hours, I am a homemaker first and formost and we have many laid-back hours together (I am not a high energy person and am content to snuggle on a couch many hours while we read, talk, watch movies, etc!).
God only gives us what we can carry - if we are overwhelmed, then likely something on our plate is NOT from Him. I have learned to discern what to say 'yes' to, and what to say 'no' to for the most part. I urge you to check your plate and see if it is full of things given to you by Him, or by you. Remind ME of that now and then, too, ok??!

New Year's Theme

2009-01-01T21:15:00.000-08:00

This year I am opting for a "New Year's Theme" instead of "New Year's Resolution". God has been speaking to me lately regarding His PROVISION. That is probably partly because of the needs I have in my family for provision - needs that seem impossible due to lack of resources. But I also think it has to do with the fact that I need to learn more about His provision in other parts of life, aside from just finances.
What about God's provision for us emotionally? His provision for us mentally? His provision for us physically? His provision for us spirtually? He provides everything we need, in every part of our lives.
I am participating in a scripture-memorization challenge/accountability this year on another blog. I decided to focus on verses that relate to God's provision. We are to memorize two verses per month. At the end of the year, I will have memorized 24 verses about God's provision! I think that will be life-changing, don't you?? I need to trust Him more and believe Him more - so, here's my first memory verse to kick start this year of focusing on Jehovahjireh (God will provide!).....

Genesis 22:14 NIV: So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide (Jehovahjireh). And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

Not only do I want to memorize these verses, but I want to understand them! This explanation by Warren Wiersbe, in his book "Be Obedient" explains this passage:

God did provide the sacrifice that was needed, and a ram took Isaac’s place on the altar (Gen. 22:13). Abraham discovered a new name for God—“Jehovah-jireh”—which can be translated “The Lord will see to it” or “The Lord will be seen.” The statement “In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen” helps us understand some truths about the provision of the Lord.
Where does the Lord provide our needs? In the place of His assignment. Abraham was at the right place, so God could meet his needs. We have no right to expect the provision of God if we are not in the will of God.
When does God meet our needs? Just when we have the need and not a minute before. When you bring your requests to the throne of grace, God answers with mercy and grace “in time of need” (Heb. 4:16). Sometimes it looks like God waits until the last minute to send help, but that is only from our human point of view. God is never late.
How does God provide for us? In ways that are usually quite natural. God did not send an angel with a sacrifice; He simply allowed a ram to get caught in a bush at a time when Abraham needed it and in a place where Abraham could get his hands on it. All Abraham needed was one animal, so God did not send a whole flock of sheep.
To whom does God give His provision? To those who trust Him and obey His instructions. When we are doing the will of God, we have the right to expect the provision of God. A deacon in the first church I pastored used to remind us, “When God’s work is done in God’s way, it will not lack God’s support.” God is not obligated to bless my ideas or projects, but He is obligated to support His work if it is done in His way.
Why does God provide our every need? For the great glory of His name! “Hallowed be Thy name” is the first petition in the Lord’s Prayer (Matt. 6:9–13), and it governs all the other requests. God was glorified on Mount Moriah because Abraham and Isaac did the will of the Lord and glorified Jesus Christ. We must pause to consider this important truth.

AMEN!!

I challenge you to also memorize scripture this year. It is vital to your walk with God!!

Celebrate Him this season.....

2008-12-18T21:26:00.000-08:00

After viewing this video, no other words are needed. Merry Christmas!

binding up the brokenhearted.....

2008-12-02T22:40:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 61:1:
1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners

This time of year is full of celebration, memory-making, parties, shopping, family events, special decorations and music, opportunities to give, and lots of blessings.
Let’s enjoy it – remembering ‘the reason for the season’ always, and keep a grateful heart at all times.

Let’s also remember those in our midst who are NOT celebrating, partying, making memories, shopping, enjoying family and the decorations and music. Let’s remember those who are HURTING, and who may even feel as if the holidays rub salt in their wounds.

Ask The Lord to reveal to you those who are lonely, grieving, hurting either physically or emotionally, struggling financially or with other circumstances, losing their jobs and homes and stability, caught in a marriage falling apart, in a pit of depression or a stronghold, suffering broken hearts, feeling unsure about their future and in the grips of worry and even fear.

And then – reach out to those who are hurting this season. Instead of getting caught up in the holiday hustle and bustle, spend some time focusing on meeting the needs of others. A gift of food or money, lending a helping hand, asking how you can specifically pray for someone, giving useful gifts, extend hospitality to those who have nowhere else to go during the holidays, send a note of encouragement, acknowledge someone as you pass by…….there are zillions of ways to bless those who are hurting through these holidays. The Lord came to bind up the brokenhearted....and He often wants to use US in that process!

Let’s not forget the hurting! They are all around us.

a Word for us today.....

2008-11-16T19:18:00.000-08:00

reasons for hope.......what are yours????

2008-11-12T22:34:00.000-08:00

Reasons for the hope….

Always be prepared to share, that verse says. If ever there was a time to be ready to share the hope, it’s now.
Today I have been thinking about some of the reasons for the hope I have:

*He is MIGHTY TO SAVE. (Zeph. 3:17)
*He expressed His love for me in that while I was still a sinner, He died for me. He died for you, too. (Rom. 5:8)
*God will never change. I can fully trust Him because He will not act contrary to His character or Word. (Heb. 13:8)
*He always keeps His promises. ALL of them – some in principle and others specifically designed for us in our times. (Deut. 7:9)
*He is faithful to finish what He starts. Including in me. (Phil. 1:6)
*He will only allow what He knows I need and can handle with His help. (1 Cor. 10:13)
*My eternity is secure, so what have I to fear? (Deut. 31:8)
*He sets up kings and kingdoms, and also dethrones them as He sees fit. (Daniel)
*He is always sovereign. Always. SOVEREIGN. (the entire Bible!)
*He knows my heart is deceitful and desperately wicked, and yet He still loves me. (Jer. 17:9)
*His love for me never changes based on what I do or don’t do. (Ps. 107:31)
*He lifts me up – when I am weak, He is strong. (2 Cor. 12:10)
*I have the Holy Spirit in me. I can rely on Him, and not myself, because I am so unreliable on my own! (Luke 3:16)
*He can move mountains. (Matt. 17:20)
*No one can snatch me out of God’s hands. I am perfectly safe, always. (Heb. 13:5)
*It is for freedom that He set me free. My chains are gone! (Gal. 5:1)
*He is preparing a place for me. (John 14:3)
*All prophecy either has come true or will come true. (Rev. 22:7)
*God’s Word is alive in me. It pierces me just when I need it. (Heb. 4:12)
*God’s Word works. (the entire Bible!)
*With God on my side, who can be against me? (Rom. 8:31)
*Victory has already been won. (1 John 5:4)
*I can do all things through Christ Who gives me strength. (Phil 4:13)
*He gives and takes away, and either way, I can say ‘blessed be the name of the Lord’. (Job)

See what I mean?? I could go on and on and on, but these came to my mind as I sat here and brainstormed why I have the HOPE that I have. It’s been a good exercise – try it for yourself!! And, remember to always be prepared to give an answer to share the reason for the HOPE that you have. Don’t miss the opportunity………

A Wake Up Call to Spread the Gospel

2008-11-04T22:45:00.000-08:00

This election night has brought several emails and facebook messages to my inboxes that show that many believers are having a very hard time with tonight's election results. I can't say it loud enough that "GOD IS SOVEREIGN". My only purpose in even bringing politics up on a ministry blog is because these circumstances need not bring about a spiritual crisis for anyone. In fact, quite the opposite. Instead, look at it as an OPPORTUNITY for spiritual revival - personally and in our nation. THAT is exciting stuff! WE NEED IT. If God allows it, then it is what we NEED.

We need not grieve, despair, be discouraged, or fear. These are exciting times to be in the body of Christ! We have been given a huge wake up call, and that is a good thing. This is still the day that the Lord has made, let us REJOICE and be glad in it!

God has not and will not and cannot leave His throne. His sovereignty is still intact. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Nothing happens that has not been sifted through His loving hands. It is true for us individually, and also true for us as a nation that we grow the most during times of adversity and trials. We are to count it ALL joy.

James 1:2-4 NLT: 2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan. Ephesians 1:11 NLT

God is faithful, and we are in HIS hands. A believer has eternity secured and need not fear.
Romans 8:28 NIV 28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Daniel 2:21 The Message
"Blessed be the name of God,
forever and ever.
He knows all, does all:
He changes the seasons and guides history,
He raises up kings and also brings them down,
he provides both intelligence and discernment

Let’s agree in prayer to ask God to help us to endure what is to come with grace while proclaiming Truth always. God has seen fit to allow these circumstances, and we can trust Him to use it to unite us and refine us. We need that! This is the stuff that sparks revival. Lord, revive us!! Ask Him to help us to stand firm and to proclaim the gospel boldly in our spheres of influence.

God is saying “IT IS TIME”. We need to say “YES, LORD”. We have had a wake up call, fellow believers, so let’s wake up! I do not believe God means for us to wake up to try to prove our particular political point of view – He means for us to wake up and spread the gospel! How can we expect the lost to understand God’s principles regarding the issues of things like abortion and the definition of marriage when they do not know Him personally? They don’t need us to change their mind about the issues – they need us to give them the Message of Good News. That is where we start…..this is the wake up call we have been given. Amen!

Fear and Despair Over Politics and the Election??

2008-10-31T21:01:00.000-07:00

I have had so many discussions with women this past week or two about their discouragement about politics right now. Some are not only discouraged, but they are fearful and even distraught. In times like this, we are prone to forget that God is SOVEREIGN! We need not despair, and we need not fear. I wanted to write something encouraging about the election. I just haven't been able to put a finger on what I am thinking and feeling, so I haven't written the post. Now I don't have to - John Piper said it for me!! He posted this on his blog, and it sums up my thoughts on this election perfectly. Please go read it at:

http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/TasteAndSee/ByDate/2008/3347_Let_Christians_Vote_As_Though_They_Were_Not_Voting/

You can just copy/paste that in to your browser to access it (sorry, I couldn't get the 'insert link' thing to work here!).

After you read the article, you may be interested in this video of John Piper expanding on his thoughts. Please be aware that this may be a bit different than what you are hearing or saying in your Christian circles, but I feel that his points are excellent to provoke deep thought and develop perspective on what is going on politically right now -whether you and I agree or disagree with his take on some things. This is worth viewing, in my opinion, if you are in need of a different kind of look at politics right now.

Revisiting the 'mom guilt'.....

2008-10-30T14:02:00.000-07:00

Many have come here to listen to my testimony (link under 'teachings, by me'), only to find the link broken. It has now been repaired, so please click on the link to hear it, and may God use it to minister to you!
Jesus is ENOUGH, amen??!

Invite Jesus to YOUR Pity Party

2008-10-22T22:28:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine once said "next time you have a pity party, invite Jesus to it"!! Well, that definitely would put a quick end to a full blown pity party, wouldn't it??
I was recently in the middle of a good pity party, when Jesus showed up. I had not even invited Him, I'm ashamed to admit, but there He came anyway!!
Sometimes I think we kind of enjoy wallowing in that pity party. We want just a few more days of wallowing, and then maybe we will go ahead and invite Jesus. Can you relate??
My pity party was silly (they always are), but it came upon me without me even realizing it. I was in the midst of packing to move to a new home, and it was just not progressing like I needed it to. I was trying to juggle the normal routines of life, carry on some of my ministry tasks, and pack up an entire four bedroom home and all the other details that come with moving - all at the same time. It isn't that I don't like to accept help, but I couldn't figure out HOW anyone could be of help. So I started the pity party, saying things to myself like "we are not going to get enough help" and "this will be too much to do by ourselves" and the most shameful self-pitying one of all "I sacrifice my time every week, but will anyone sacrifice time when I am the one needing help?". OUCH, that one stings to even type here. The flesh is UGLY. And, I really didn't mean it the way it came out (yes, I even said it out loud to a good friend, who still loves me anyway!). The flesh is an essential ingredient for a very good pity party!
I went away for a weekend (a trip planned before I knew we'd be moving!), and when I came back, there He was. Jesus. He showed up. And that was the end of my pity party. I was immediately convicted, and repented of my lack of faith that God would provide for our needs.
How did Jesus show up? In the form of a group of several church friends with servants hearts, that's how. While I was gone, they SURPRISED me and had come to my new house and cleaned it top to bottom and everything shines! And they packed up many things in the old house and did some cleaning there, too. They moved the boxes that were ready to be moved, and placed them in the new garage. It saved us TONS of work this week and I do not know what we would have done if they had not stepped in and served my family like that. We felt so blessed, and very well loved!
I was quickly humbled, and am still overwhelmed with gratitude and a new outlook that totally wiped out my sinful pity party mindset.
I am so grateful that God's mercies are new every morning. And that He forgives me. And that Jesus shows up at pity parties, sometimes when invited and sometimes when not!
Mark 9:35b says ""If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all."
Lord, make me last, even if it means you need to crash my pity party!!!

My Friend Barb Wants to Minister to YOU

2008-10-12T14:10:00.000-07:00

I have a very special friend, Barb. Last night she and I partnered together in ministry at our Fall Women's Ministry Event which kicked off a new season of Women's Ministry. Barb gave her testimony last night, and God was glorified!
Barb's story can be found below, under 'Teachings by Me'. Just click on that and it will bring up the google document with the text of her testimony.
Because Barb is not able to speak (although she is working on that and can say some words now!), I read the testimony while standing at her side. I wrote the beginning and ending, but the entire testimony part was written by her, on her laptop, typing with one finger. It was a labor of love, and the women who heard it were touched and challenged. Praise God! He has done an amazing work through Barb.
In a nutshell, Barb had a brain stem stroke a year ago, which initially left her paralyzed and unable to speak, although mentally she was and is completely intact. She has made good progress in several areas, but is still very dependent upon others for even her most basic needs. She requires the care of a full-time caregiver, because she can't walk, speak much, or move her left side much at all.
Barb has had a profound impact on my ministry and life. Being able to minister to her and also to count her as a good friend have blessed me so much. I have learned so much from her, and I look forward to spending time with her every week. We have covered a lot of ground together, cried a ton together, laughed a ton together, and I am just so proud of her for handling such difficult circumstances in such a godly manner. If I had to name a 'human hero', Barb would be it. She has held up under suffering that most of us will never have to endure. She works hard, with determination, and most of all she desires to please the Lord always.
Barb - You are an awesome woman of God. I love you!!
Please read her testimony and be inspired and challenged! She wants to minister Christ's love to YOU.

Post Abortion Healing......

2008-10-06T15:42:00.000-07:00

This topic is always in the forefront of a Biblical Counseling Ministry, because it is so prevalent. Statistics say 1 in 3 women have had an abortion in their past. And those are the ones we know about because they have talked about it. I imagine the reality is even higher than that.
God is a God Who heals....and women who have gone through the pain of abortion need healing through God's Word. There are several good resources out there for women who are dealing with the guilt and trauma of having had an abortion, and if you need help in this area please check out Pat Layton's new Bible Study called "Surrender the Secret". It is available through Lifeway, but I'm hoping to win a copy at this blog: www.travelingtheroadhome.blogspot.com (check it out and enter!).

Insecure?? Me, too.

2008-09-19T21:32:00.000-07:00

My name is Ellen, and I am called to full-time ministry to women. And, I am INSECURE. I do NOT have it all together.
There – I said it. They say the first step in overcoming is to admit your problem. ;) So there you have it!

Some recent ministry experiences led me to take a hard look at why and how the enemy gets in to my thought processes. I no longer become paralyzed by insecurity, but it plagues me in more subtle ways these days. It’s a no-brainer that Satan wants to distract me. No, he wants to DERAIL me. I am aware of that and the need to keep my armor on in order to not give him any victory. Ephesians 6:13!

But still, the nasty thoughts pop in to my head that say “you are not doing a good job”, or “nobody cares if you do this or not – you could quit today and it wouldn’t matter”, or “who do you think you are to offer counsel to another when you have your own pile of issues”, or “what am I doing all this for anyway”, or “what if none of this even matters for eternity” (I know better than to believe that, and yet I hear that little voice sometimes anyway!). I have been around long enough to now that to let these thoughts take root in me is to head for a huge fall. The more I walk with Him, the more quickly I catch this process before it goes that far!

This happens especially when I have had an experience that involves an idea that obviously and clearly came from God. There have been many times in this ministry that I KNOW I have been given clear direction and vision. You know what I mean - when the concept is so clear that you know you could not have made it up because you are not that smart! But then later, as the insecurity creeps in, those nasty thoughts start popping up. “Nobody believes that idea really did come from God”, or “everyone will just think you are wanting all the credit”, or “they won’t like my idea – what am I thinking suggesting that!?”. On and on it goes.

What the Lord has shown me lately is that to be insecure means I lack confidence in myself, I second guess myself, and I even disqualify myself from my calling. Sometimes, I even get disgusted with myself for my perceived failures, weaknesses, and even for being insecure in the first place!!
Do you hear the word SELF a little too much in the above sentences?? That should tell me something. It occurs to me, too, that to be frustrated or even disgusted with myself means that I am depending on mySELF!! I am not relying on the power of the Holy Spirit Who lives in me! There it is: the bottom line.

Down on yourself? Then you are depending on yourself, not God.

So, what is the antidote to insecurity like this? Choose to put all my faith, trust, and hope in Christ and the promise that through Him (and ONLY through Him), I can do all things! Phil. 4:13!

It is true - on my own I can't succeed, I can't get clear direction and vision, I can't do anything but fail. But with the power of the Holy Spirit - now that is a whole different story! On my own, yes I am completely insecure.

But I am NOT ON MY OWN!! I belong to Christ, and HE is my security!

I am secure IN HIM. I can trust Him, believe Him, put my faith and hope in Him, and He will never fail me. If I am truly surrendered to the Lord, and have a clear understanding that it is the Holy Spirit in me that makes any difference at all anyway….and that my eternity is SECURE, then there is no place for insecurity.

Insecurity is just……….PRIDE. Ouch.

Proverbs 16:18: Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.

Going DEEPER STILL in Las Vegas

2008-09-08T18:43:00.000-07:00

This weekend I had the privilege of attending the Deeper Still Event in Las Vegas, Nevada. Wow, what a weekend! To sit under the teaching of Priscilla Shirer, Kay Arthur, and Beth Moore all in one event, and to participate in the worship led by Travis Cottrell and his team was, well, it was an experience that was profound and moving! Priscilla opened the event on Friday evening with an excellent teaching on
Exodus chapter 19. She impressed upon us that God has us in a 'wilderness' from time to time in order to bring us closer to Him, and that it will be worth it. We learned too much to mention here, but what spoke to me the most was that I need to 'pitch my tent' as they did in the wilderness so that I can experience the blessing that God has for me in that wilderness, instead of always being impatient and looking at what could be ahead (therefore missing the NOW blessing). I SO needed to hear that this weekend! I have been in a sort of wilderness myself lately, with some frustrations and questions about where ministry is headed. I am convicted to enjoy the NOW blessings in what I am doing, and let God lead me to the next step in His timing, not mine. An altar call for the opportunity to accept Christ as Savior followed, and many responded - what a moving thing to witness!
Kay Arthur spoke on Saturday, and WHOA was it convicting. That woman is just amazing and I want to be HER when I grow up!! She knows the Word of God inside out, and can bring the Word to us in a way like nobody else. She challenged Christians to make excellent use of the Word of God, especially in these times of uncertainty in our country. She gave us warning of what is happening and will happen if we do not obey the Word personally and as a nation.
Beth Moore BEGAN the afternoon with a unique altar call. She challenged us to 'mark today as the day' that you accept that you ARE forgiven, and have been delivered. Not just know it, but BELIEVE IT and live it. Lay that thang down, as she says. Hundreds went forward for prayer, and it was just a privilege to pray through that whole altar call as chains dropped off women in bondage of all sorts. It doesn't get any better than that, in my opinion! She then taught on John 1:1-18, verse by verse. We memorized it as a group (that was fun, doing it section by section with arm movements in usual Beth Moore style), and we were reminded that we have a Deliverer who 'became flesh and made His dwelling among us', and that He IS the One and Only (no man will do, only God can be Savior to us). Excellent teaching!
A fun time was had during the panel discussion. The 3 teachers took questions from the Deeper Still blog, and it was partly serious spiritual stuff, and partly hilarious, silly stuff. Kay convicted, admonished, and challenged us on the subject of sex - not many women are willing to be that bold, and I am so glad that we have a Titus 2 woman like her to talk about the hard topics with us!! It was serious, and silly, all at the same time! The 3 together make quite the comic team - it is impossible not to adore them completely by the time the event is over.
We live in amazing times as Christian women!!!! To have an event like this (5700 women this time) in a city like Las Vegas was so powerful, and you just knew God was up to something HUGE. The enemy worked hard to mess it up in more ways than we will ever know, but he did NOT get a victory this weekend in Las Vegas!! Praise the Lord and His Word!!
His Word IS LIFE TO US! Read it, meditate on it, memorize it, study it, LOVE IT!!!
Enjoy the following video recap of the event, with Travis' amazing vocals:

Where is YOUR hope??

2008-08-24T08:13:00.000-07:00

I don't know why, but I do some of my deepest thinking in the shower! I call them my 'shower moments' (hmm, maybe that will be the title of the book I've always wanted to write someday?) ;)
This morning the word HOPE came to my mind and I couldn't shake it. I pondered the question "where IS my hope, I mean really, really....where is it?". We are tempted to answer "my hope is in heaven - that I will be there eternally with Jesus". True, we do have that hope if we are true believers!
But what about NOW. We have a NOW hope in Jesus! Think about the sacrifice He made for us on the cross. I can't imagine anything more horrific, tragic, painful, and awful than what He went through. We so often ask "how can God take this or that situation and use it for good?".
He took the most AWFUL thing that ever happened, and used it for good! The death of Jesus on the cross is worse than anything you or I will ever have to go through. And yet, God took that sacrifice and used it for His glory by redeeming US through it! Because of the unfathomable sacrifice of Jesus, we have access to God NOW and eternally! Now if that isn't proof that God works all things for good, I don't know what is.
Any trial we are going through, no matter how horrendous it seems....is something that God promises to use for His purposes, for His good, and for His glory. We can know He will do this because of what He did on the cross. That is something we can trust and not doubt! That is such hope!
Our hope NOW is that God will fulfill His promise to use everything, and that means EVERYTHING, for His glory. That's an amazing HOPE from an amazing God full of amazing GRACE!

ROMANS 8:28: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

AMEN!!

Fulfilling A Calling

2008-08-22T21:10:00.000-07:00

I have mostly kept this blog to ministry-related posts in one form or another....but today I feel led to get a bit more personal and share a few things God has been showing me. Maybe the blog will be taking a bit of a turn that way, we'll see!
Why do we doubt God's provision??? This is something I have been growing in for the past few years, and even more so very recently.
I firmly believe that God has placed some callings on my life. First, I am His child and I am to reflect Him in all that I say, think and do, to His glory. Then I am a wife, who is blessed to have a husband who is a hard worker with high integrity and work ethics who is also very devoted to his family. I am also a mother --- a very 'high calling'! My primary ministry is always to my family...that is true for all wives and mothers. I am also called to minister to women as a counselor, discipler, mentor, and leader. Although I volunteer my time in ministry, it is equivalent in time and effort to a full time job. I am blessed with an office at my church to work in during school hours, and am able to work a bit at home if needed during my family's down time.
I am often asked why I don't get a 'real' job (meaning, one with a paycheck for the number of hours I spend on it I suppose!). I can only answer that I am doing what I do because it is God's call on my life in this season. At this point, it affords me flexibility and independence so that I can be the mom and wife that I need to be. I once read that you know something is a "calling" when you are willing to do it for free!! I also read that you know it is a calling when you can't NOT do it. That describes me best. It's a burning passion in me to serve Jesus to women!!
Could my family use a paycheck?? Of course - I could even honestly say that we 'need' it - we really do! But God knows that, and it is up to Him how He provides for me, so I leave that in His capable hands. I am often tempted to leave what I am doing for a paycheck. But never (so far) has there been any peace about me leaving the ministry lifestyle for a paycheck. That is a choice and a decision my husband and I have made in this season, sensing God's leading all the way. Because we know it is His will, we also know and can trust that He will provide for us in any way that He sees fit.
Most recently, He has provided the means for us to purchase a home that we never dreamed possible. It was through unexpected means, something only God could come up with! It doesn't even make any human sense that we could be blessed with this house...God has provided it and to Him be all the glory!! We always thought we would need me to make a paycheck in order to buy a home in this town. God had a different idea that we never thought possible! He didn't need a paycheck to make it happen. God's ways are not our ways!
All that to say this: fulfill the calling God has placed on your life! Don't make your decisions based upon human understanding and logic, but rather on trust and faith! Otherwise, you may miss the blessing that God has for you, and the lessons He wants you to learn. Be obedient to your calling, and He will bless you. It may not be formal ministry, but you DO have a ministry. We are called to be His ambassadors in every walk of life He sees fit to put us in.
2 Thess. 1:11-12 "With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ."
AMEN!!!

BAGGAGE

2008-08-06T14:17:00.000-07:00

I pray as you watch this video, you will lay YOUR burdens down...

100 Fold Harvest!!

2008-08-04T11:58:00.000-07:00

See the bottom of this post for a video re-cap of the Living Proof Simulcast from August 1-2,2008!!!
This weekend I was able to attend the Living Proof Live Simulcast (Beth Moore). It was excellent, with some rich teaching about the importance of being in the Word. It was great teaching for the newcomer to The Word of God, as well as great teaching for the more seasoned believer to go even deeper in The Word. I was convicted and challenged! There were 70,000 women hearing that same Word that weekend all over the country and in a few other countries, too. WOW!!
I say it again - God is up to something HUGE with women right now! Here are a few key points that Beth gave us. In order to know what they mean, feel free to go to the link below this post to read my notes in a google.doc format.
The passage we were taught from is Luke 8, the parable of the sower. The theme was the 100 Fold Harvest - which is God's Word having maximum impact in our lives. I want that, don't you???!!!
1.TREASURE THE WONDER
2.PROTECT YOUR HEART
3.EXPECT THE TEST
4.DIG THE ROOTS
5.STOP THE CHOKE
6.RETAIN THE WORD
7.PRESS FORTH TO YOUR 100-FOLD HARVEST
For notes on all of the above points, go here: (you will need to copy/paste to your browser):
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dhqvdbsm_4ftvg6zcx
Thank you Living Proof Ministries for always bringing a 'Fresh Word' to us and challenging us in life-changing ways!

Cardboard Testimonies, please watch this one!

2008-07-25T18:35:00.000-07:00

This is profound, so grab a kleenex. It speaks for itself.....

treasures found in the Word....how can you NOT find time to read it??!!

2008-07-01T15:19:00.000-07:00

HE IS, by Aaron Jeoffrey

In Genesis, He's the breath of life
In Exodus, He is the Passover Lamb
In Leviticus, He's our high priest
In Numbers, the fire by night
Deuteronomy, He's Israel’s Guide
Joshua, He’s salvation's choice
Judges, He’s Israel’s Guard
In Ruth, the kinsmen's redeemer
1st and 2nd Samuel, our trusted prophet
In Kings and Chronicles He is Sovereign
In Ezra, He’s the true and faithful scribe
In Nehemiah, the re-builder of broken walls and lives
In Esther, He’s Mordecai's courage
In Job, the timeless redeemer
In Psalms He is our morning song
In Proverbs, He is our wisdom
Ecclesiastes, He's the time and season
In Song of Solomon, He is the lover's dream
In Isaiah He is Prince of Peace
In Jeremiah, the weeping prophet
Lamentations, the cry for Israel
Ezekiel, the call from sin
Daniel, the stranger in the fire
Hosea, the forever faithful
Joel, the spirit’s power
Amos, the strong-arms that carry
Obadiah, the Lord our Savior
Jonah, the great missionary
Micah, the promise of peace
Nahum, our strength and shield
In Habakkuk and Zephaniah, He's brings revival
In Haggai He restores that which was lost
IN Zachariah, He’s our fountain
And in Malachi, He's the son of righteousness rising with healing in His wings
AND THAT’S JUST THE OLD TESTAMENT

In Matthew Mark Luke and John, He is God and Messiah
In the spirit filled book of Acts, He is the reigning fire from Heaven
In Romans, He is the grace of God
Corinthians, the power of love
Galatians, freedom from the curse of sin
Ephesians, our glorious treasure
Philippians, the servant's heart
Colossians, He’s God and the trinity Thessalonians, our calling King
In Timothy, Titus and Philemon, He's our mediator and our faithful pastor
In Hebrews, the everlasting courage
In James, the one who heals the sick
In 1st and 2nd Peter, our faithful shepherd
In John and Jude, He's the lover coming for His bride

AND in the Revelation, in the very end, when it’s all over, said and done, when time is NO MORE.
He is and will always be the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Prince of Peace, son of Man, Lamb of God, The Great I am, Alpha and Omega, God and Savior

He is Jesus Christ the Lord
HE IS EVERYTHING THAT YOU NEED!

more about being in the Word this summer:

2008-06-19T07:36:00.000-07:00

This was written by Lisa TerKeurst, but I could have written it myself. ;) She suggests the very same things I suggest in order to dedicate each day to The Lord by starting it with a Quiet Time. No more excuses. Just DO IT. Here's some great ideas (Comments in parenthesis next to each one are from me!!)
If you are struggling with having quiet time with the Lord each day, try these helpful ideas:

Be honest with God and admit your struggle. Ask God to give you the desire to set aside time to be with Him. (He will SO honor this!)

Start with just a small amount of time. Even if it is just 5 minutes at first, give this 5 minutes solely to the Lord without any other distractions. Over the next weeks and months, your desire for more time with Him will increase. (It DOES! It becomes habit, and then you crave more!)

Use a version of the Bible that lends itself to study. I use the NIV Life Application Study Bible and I love it. It helps me understand the context each book was written in and gives me commentaries to understand specific verses. (this is my favorite Bible to use, and I recommend it all the time!)

Ask God for understanding as you read the Bible. When I first started reading the Bible I had a hard time, so I started praying that God would open my spiritual eyes to see the truths in a life changing way for me. (God's Word is meant to be applied, for sure!).

Write some of the verses that seem most applicable to your life on 3x5 cards and use them in your prayers. For example, Matthew 6:19-20 says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth… But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” So, I could use this verse in my prayer time by praying, “God, help me to know how to store up treasures in Heaven. Help me to relinquish my tight hold on my earthly possessions so I can use them to build your kingdom now. Show me how to best use that which you have blessed me with. Give me your mindset for the money I have.”
(my favorite 'tool', Beth Moore teaches this method so well, too).

Get involved in a Bible Study with friends. This will help hold you accountable to getting your study time done and will open up great discussions to deepen everyone’s understanding of applying God’s truths to everyday life. (AMEN!!!!!!!!! See the post below this one, and consider getting a good Bible study workbook to go through either solo or with friends this summer!).

(So, ladies, let's get in to the Word and stay there!)

Summer Bible Study, YES!!!!!!

2008-06-16T17:10:00.000-07:00

OK, I thought I could go all summer without a structured Bible study. But I can't. I miss it, need it, crave it, and want it.
If you are looking for a very unique Bible Study opportunity for summer, this is IT! It is Kelly Minter's 'No Other Gods'. I wasn't planning on doing it until I watched this on the Living Proof Blog today (Beth Moore), and I decided I don't want to miss out. I will be one of those doing it solo, since I didn't get my act together sooner to try to get a few ladies to join me (any local ladies want to make a go of this-we can catch up!?). Anyway - I'm game, even solo. How about you??? Are you IN THE WORD this summer?
Go to www.lproof.org, click on 'blog', and read about it there. Here's Beth's video post from today to explain what this is all about (more info is on the blog in today's post plus a prior post you will have to search back a couple of weeks for). (by the way, "Siesta" is her nickname of the blogging 'sisters'...long story).

A Father's Day Tribute

2008-06-15T21:33:00.000-07:00

This is a 'Hollywood' type of tribute to dads. Not exactly spiritual, lol, but it is cute and the dads in your life might enjoy it!
Let's give thanks today to the Lord for our fathers and fathers of our kids!

from the mouths of babes, to ONE ANOTHER.......

2008-06-12T22:10:00.000-07:00

I was reading another blog today, that was discussing the fact that the most important 'job' we moms have is NOT to make sure our kids do all the right things (piano, Awana, etc)....but our job IS to introduce them to Jesus and spend time talking to them about Him. I stopped to think "have I done that enough? Have I done that this week?".
Then I remembered a conversation I had with my younger girls yesterday. My 13 year old (who has wisdom beyond her years) had been on the phone with a friend. I was listening to her side of the conversation, and heard things like this:
"NO, you can't do that, you need to respect yourself more than that". And, "our behavior is supposed to honor God, and that does not honor God when you do that". And, "You are being ridiculous and not listening to me. If you can't listen to my advice then don't ask for it".
I thought to myself "uh oh, I have rubbed off on her. She sounds like a mini-counselor (although that last statement could have been a bit less harsh, lol!)!". She hung up, and I asked her what was going on. She said her friend was having a bad week and threatening to join some peers in smoking pot. My daughter was adamantly against that idea (whew) and tried her hardest to convince her friend what a bad idea that is. Then my daughter got quiet for a minute, and finally said "Mom!! I am turning in to YOU!""I am treating my friend like I am her COUNSELOR!".
I got a kick out of that, because she is right. But then I realized that we should ALL be treating our friends like we are their counselor (and vice versa). It's Biblical! We are not to sit back and watch our fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord sin. We are to admonish, reprove, confront. We are called to LOVE ONE ANOTHER, and we can't be loving if we are watching our brother (or sister) disobey the Lord. Below is a great list of verses that are the 'one anothers' that we are called to follow towards one another! Use it as a checklist of sorts, and see if you are being a good 'counselor' to others!

1. Romans 12:10 - Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.
2. Romans 12:16 - Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
3. Romans 13:8 - Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.
4. Romans 14:13 -Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.
5. Romans 15:7 -Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
6. Romans 16:16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings.
7. 1 Corinthians 1:10 - I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.
8. 1 Corinthians 16:20 -All the brothers here send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
9. 2 Corinthians 13:12 - Greet one another with a holy kiss.
10. Galatians 5:13 - You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature ; rather, serve one another in love.
11. Ephesians 4:2 - Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
12. Ephesians 4:32 - Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
13. Ephesians 5:19 - Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord,
14. Ephesians 5:21 - Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
15. Colossians 3:13 - Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
16. Colossians 3:16 - Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
17. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 - Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
18. Titus 3:3 - At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.
19. Hebrews 3:13 - But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.
20. Hebrews 10:24 - And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
21. Hebrews 10:25 - Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
22. James 4:11 - Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.
23. 1 Peter 1:22 - Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.
24. 1 Peter 3:8 - Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.
25. 1 Peter 4:9 - Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.
26. 1 Peter 5:5 - Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."
27. 1 Peter 5:14 - Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.
28. 1 John 1:7 - But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
29. 1 John 3:11 - This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.
30. 1 John 3:23 - And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.
31. 1 John 4:7 - Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
32. 1 John 4:11 - Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
33. 1 John 4:12 - No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
34. 2 John 1:5 - And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another.

What is "Biblical Counseling"???

2008-06-01T19:44:00.000-07:00

We live in a time where there are all kinds of offers of solutions to life’s problems. Just look around you – you do not have to look far to see what the world wants to sell you to relieve your discomfort. We can walk in to almost any doctor’s office and throw out a few symptoms (anxiety, depression, fear, stressed out, temper, etc), and walk out of there with a pill to ease our symptom. We can turn on the television any time of day – Oprah, Dr. Phil, The Today Show, and others all claim to have the answers to our daily struggles with our stress, our relationships and our lack of peace. We stand in line at the grocery store and can read the headlines about quick-fixes and miracle cures and self-help techniques. Bookstore shelves (even at Christian bookstores) are full of books under the heading ‘Self Help’, where people have written their opinions in to a format that will sell because it sounds so ‘right’ and we just aren’t satisfied until we get those answers that feel good. Drive around town, and notice how many counseling centers there are, offering the psychological answers to your perceived needs, for a hefty price.

Sometimes we find ourselves asking questions like “Why do I feel so discouraged and lonely all the time? I can barely get out of bed in the morning, should I go on an antidepressant? I pray, read my Bible, and go to church, so why am I feeling so depressed? Do these panic attacks mean that I am a bad Christian? Who can I talk to at church about my failing marriage? My kids are rebelling, what kind of help is there for me? I have chronic pain and just feel so defeated all the time – what hope is there? I am so worried all the time, how can I trust God when things are so bad? Why can’t I sleep at night? I’m so stressed out, how can that change? How do I get these negative thoughts out of my head?”, and so many more.

Where do believers go, then, for answers? There is a philosophy of counseling that is contrary to what you will find in the secular realm, and contrary to what you will find in many professional counseling practices that offer Christian Counseling.
This type of counseling, Biblical Counseling, is done in the local church by trained lay-counselors in the spirit of bearing one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2 “Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”).

There are several benefits to counseling in the context of the church. The counselor is held accountable to the church leadership, to ensure this his/her own walk is growing in a godly direction and that ministry is solidly biblical. The counselor and counselee often have a relationship within the body aside from the counseling context alone. This enables the counselor to be involved in the counselee’s life more personally and deeply. The counselee, as a part of the church body, is ministered to by more than just the counselor as he/she participates in church life, and therefore is able to be held accountable. The counselee, as progress is made, can be encouraged in to areas of service according to their gifts. Also of importance is that biblical counseling is a ministry, and therefore there often is no charge, making it available to virtually everyone.

The goal of biblical counseling is change in a godly direction. The Bible contains both the truth which describes the answer to the problem (2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”), and the means to change (John 17:17 “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.”). God has given us the Scripture for the very purpose of instructing, rebuking, correcting and training us in righteousness (abandoning sinful thinking and behavior). By His Word, God molds us into the kind of people He intends us to be. In this way He equips us to function as He intended us to live.

Application of scripture is the primary emphasis of biblical counsel. Counseling is the work of the Holy Spirit. He comes alongside the counselor and the one being counseled to apply the Scriptures to the human heart. Counseling is carried on with the understanding that the Spirit is the one who effects regeneration and sanctification. He produces His fruit in the life of the counselee. We also supply practical tools, to enable putting the Word into practice in life (Ephesians 4:22-24 “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”). The focus of biblical counseling is on the biblical solutions to problems, and when the counseling ends, the counselee can have victory and be a ‘doer of the Word’ in that area of his/her life (James 1:25 “But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.”)

My counseling ministry is currently thriving and growing. The counseling team I serve on currently consists of one certified counselor (me) and my pastor. God has seen fit to use the ministry to address some deep needs in the lives of women and marriages. The ministry has been focused on my church family, but is not necessarily limited to that. Currently the ministry offers 1:1 Biblical Counseling and discipleship for women and girls, as well as Ladies Bible studies in groups or 1:1. We also have available team counseling for couples. Referrals can be made for men and boys.
It is our desire to point people to the Word of God for the answers they seek, and walk alongside them through the process of change. It is an honor and privilege to see God change hearts and lives as we serve him!

Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”