My oldest daughter this last year played Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun. One of the first songs is called "It comes Naturally". Now for those who have never seen the show Annie is a unrefined lady who is a little rough around the edges. Now the song is about how the things she needs to know she knows because it comes naturally. Our reading today shows us something different though. All we need to know as Christians does not come naturally at all.
Ephesians 2:1-3 "Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God's anger, just like everyone else."
Human nature is not good on it's own. These verses tell us that before we lived a life of sin, we were just like the world and followed Satan and were subject to God's wrath. The beautiful part of these verses are that they are past tense. Yes we still sin but we don't live a life of sin. We no longer serve the spirit of the air but the God almighty! It says in the Bible we can not love 2 masters we either serve God by obeying His commands or we obey the evil desires of our sinful nature. So next time you feel like serving God doesn't just come naturally you are right, it is supernatural and only done because we have the Holy Spirit at work within us! Praise God that there is more to this story!
-Missy D
Monday, May 30, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
The Joy of the Lord
"God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself." Ephesians 1:22-23 (New Living Translation)
For the last 31 years, music has been a big part of my life. I. LOVE. TO. SING! I am one of those people who can hear someone make a simple statement and it brings song lyrics so vividly to my head that I cannot help but break into chorus. Often I feel like my life is a musical (and sometimes I wish it were)! My God, ladies, knows this about me. And in His beautiful mercy, He will often use this against me. :)
Last night, I did not feel "full." After a draining day with an even-more-exhausting ending, I was on the fence between breaking into tears or just emotionally shutting down as I helped my children brush their teeth. I had gone all day calling on the power of the Lord in my life - and He had given it! And then I allowed Satan one too many wins, and I was crashing hard. As I harshly grabbed at toothpaste and spoke impatience to my beloved young ones, I heard this from the front room:
"The joy of the Lord, will be my strength. I will not falter, I will not faint..." It was my husband singing to the baby as he fed him his bottle. Ashamedly, my first thought was sarcasm. Oh yeah - the guy who is leaving in 20 minutes to go play racquetball with his buddies - of course he's got the "JOY of the Lord."
But almost as quickly as the sarcasm came, so too, did the truth. My child, if you want strength in this hour of your day, when you are feeling so EMPTY, listen to him. A smile crept across my face as I began to sing. "The joy of the Lord, will be my strength. I will not waiver, walking by faith. He is my shelter I am not afraid. The joy of the Lord is my strength."
All of a sudden, my grin was so big you'd've thought I was the cheshire cat. Oh how I felt the truth in these verses from Ephesians. If I allow Christ to be my head - direct my actions - then truly, I am full. This is my promised daily bread. Praise you, Jesus! Be head of my life and fill me today like only You can.
-Kelly T
For the last 31 years, music has been a big part of my life. I. LOVE. TO. SING! I am one of those people who can hear someone make a simple statement and it brings song lyrics so vividly to my head that I cannot help but break into chorus. Often I feel like my life is a musical (and sometimes I wish it were)! My God, ladies, knows this about me. And in His beautiful mercy, He will often use this against me. :)
Last night, I did not feel "full." After a draining day with an even-more-exhausting ending, I was on the fence between breaking into tears or just emotionally shutting down as I helped my children brush their teeth. I had gone all day calling on the power of the Lord in my life - and He had given it! And then I allowed Satan one too many wins, and I was crashing hard. As I harshly grabbed at toothpaste and spoke impatience to my beloved young ones, I heard this from the front room:
"The joy of the Lord, will be my strength. I will not falter, I will not faint..." It was my husband singing to the baby as he fed him his bottle. Ashamedly, my first thought was sarcasm. Oh yeah - the guy who is leaving in 20 minutes to go play racquetball with his buddies - of course he's got the "JOY of the Lord."
But almost as quickly as the sarcasm came, so too, did the truth. My child, if you want strength in this hour of your day, when you are feeling so EMPTY, listen to him. A smile crept across my face as I began to sing. "The joy of the Lord, will be my strength. I will not waiver, walking by faith. He is my shelter I am not afraid. The joy of the Lord is my strength."
All of a sudden, my grin was so big you'd've thought I was the cheshire cat. Oh how I felt the truth in these verses from Ephesians. If I allow Christ to be my head - direct my actions - then truly, I am full. This is my promised daily bread. Praise you, Jesus! Be head of my life and fill me today like only You can.
-Kelly T
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Wednesdays in His Word
Three years ago my husband and I traveled to Louisville, KY for the Ironman competition. I know what you are thinking, “way to go Andrea!” But wait, before you do, it was definitely NOT me that competed. My Jeff trained for nearly two years to be in the very best condition he could and perform at the Ironman. It was literally a life changing experience for us both. I have never witnessed men and women of all ages push themselves to the limit. Their bodies were crying to stop but something kept pushing them. I was able to talk to Jeff in between the 112 mile bike ride and the start of the full marathon. The wife part of me wanted him to sit down and just throw in the towel. I didn’t want to send him out to do a full marathon, but I had to. I kissed him and told him with utter confidence “you can do this!” In the midst of all the athleticism that day, it was the spectators that blew my mind. They were up as early as the competitors. They stood by the sidelines wearing shirts with peoples names. They went without sitting or even food the entire day. They stood out in the exhausting heat and Kentucky humidity to get a glimpse of the athletes. They clapped and cheered for every person that crossed the finish line. The day was filled with amazing encouragement. When Jeff ran across the finish line the hundreds of people cheered and rejoiced with him!
You are that person, You are pushing yourself to the limit (or you should be). Except our race is this life before us. Some days our bodies want to give up, our minds want to throw in the towel. I’ve been there. I’ve been taken to my knees in exhaustion and defeat. But then, you turn the pages of Ephesians and find such hope. Such encouragement. Paul is writing to us to “be flooded with light so that we can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called.” Sisters, I have days that I am beaten down but I have someone out there praying that I be filled with the light! He is praying for us but he’s also encouraging us. I have a cheering section praying that I fulfill my calling! We have people on the sidelines praying for us and rejoicing in our victories. I can’t wait to meet Paul, because I know that he is one of those cheering me on!
~Andrea W.
You are that person, You are pushing yourself to the limit (or you should be). Except our race is this life before us. Some days our bodies want to give up, our minds want to throw in the towel. I’ve been there. I’ve been taken to my knees in exhaustion and defeat. But then, you turn the pages of Ephesians and find such hope. Such encouragement. Paul is writing to us to “be flooded with light so that we can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called.” Sisters, I have days that I am beaten down but I have someone out there praying that I be filled with the light! He is praying for us but he’s also encouraging us. I have a cheering section praying that I fulfill my calling! We have people on the sidelines praying for us and rejoicing in our victories. I can’t wait to meet Paul, because I know that he is one of those cheering me on!
~Andrea W.
Ephesians reading this week:
Mon - 1:15-16
Tues - 1:17
Wed - 1:18
Thurs - 1:19-21
Fri - 1:22-23
Monday, May 23, 2011
Known For
Today's verses out of the Message are 15 & 16 "That's why, when I heard of the solid trust you have in the Master Jesus and your outpouring of love to all the followers of Jesus, I couldn't stop thanking God for you - every time I prayed, I'd think of you and give thanks."
What stuck out to me today was "solid trust you have in the Master Jesus", solid! I looked up the definition of solid and these were the two definitions I really liked, "of a substantial character; not superficial, trifling, or frivolous" also "without separation or division; continuous". Paul was writing to the believers in Ephesus and he knew that they had a solid trust, not superficial, trifling or divided but solid trust in our Master Jesus Christ. Wow what a compliment to be known for your solid trust in your Master. Not only were they solid in their trust of who Jesus was but they lived a life of Jesus since they were also known for their outpouring of love to all the followers of Jesus.
So, my question to you is what are you known for? What do others in the body and outside of the body know you for. Do they know you are a believer who has a solid trust in Jesus Christ? I pray that digging deeper in the Word daily will catapult your relationship with Christ to the next step which will get you to the point where Soul Sisters will be known as having a solid trust in our Master Jesus Christ.
What stuck out to me today was "solid trust you have in the Master Jesus", solid! I looked up the definition of solid and these were the two definitions I really liked, "of a substantial character; not superficial, trifling, or frivolous" also "without separation or division; continuous". Paul was writing to the believers in Ephesus and he knew that they had a solid trust, not superficial, trifling or divided but solid trust in our Master Jesus Christ. Wow what a compliment to be known for your solid trust in your Master. Not only were they solid in their trust of who Jesus was but they lived a life of Jesus since they were also known for their outpouring of love to all the followers of Jesus.
So, my question to you is what are you known for? What do others in the body and outside of the body know you for. Do they know you are a believer who has a solid trust in Jesus Christ? I pray that digging deeper in the Word daily will catapult your relationship with Christ to the next step which will get you to the point where Soul Sisters will be known as having a solid trust in our Master Jesus Christ.
Ephesians reading this week:
Mon - 1:15-16
Tues - 1:17
Wed - 1:18
Thurs - 1:19-21
Fri - 1:22-23
Dig deep Soul Sisters!
~Missy D
Friday, May 20, 2011
Divine Intervention
Has anyone else ever felt that they just could NOT do something, be something, speak or act a certain way? I know I have. Yesterday was one of those days. I unfortunately was *gasp!* hormonal and quickly reeling out of control with my children. Yet after a comment from my almost-4-year-old that could've sent me further down that road, I found myself doubled over in fits of laughter. The relief on her face was enough to send me straight to my God, desperately calling for patience. The rest of the day was a beautiful mess. I wanted to clean the kitchen but my sweet girl wanted to play blocks. So we did. I wanted to read for 10 minutes while my kids watched Veggie Tales. But when they saw Mommy sitting down, they were done with their show and wanted attention. I fought it momentarily, but eventually put my book away and spent time focused on them.
Patience is not natural to me. Yet in our reading for today (Eph 1:13-14), I was reminded of just how I summoned up something that is- let's face it - NOT of me. Part of that scripture says, "Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance." Oh yes, Lord. You marked me with your seal. You are claiming me - you own me! And you gave me Your Spirit as a reminder to me. Patience when I'm hormonal? Well, that's NOT human. It's divine. It is only Your Spirit that can accomplish that in my life. And You are using that to remind me today - my mental "guarantee" - that the best is yet to come! Oh praise you, Lord!! You are too much.
Call on His Spirit today, my Soul Sisters! You'll be so thankful you did.
-Kelly T
Patience is not natural to me. Yet in our reading for today (Eph 1:13-14), I was reminded of just how I summoned up something that is- let's face it - NOT of me. Part of that scripture says, "Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance." Oh yes, Lord. You marked me with your seal. You are claiming me - you own me! And you gave me Your Spirit as a reminder to me. Patience when I'm hormonal? Well, that's NOT human. It's divine. It is only Your Spirit that can accomplish that in my life. And You are using that to remind me today - my mental "guarantee" - that the best is yet to come! Oh praise you, Lord!! You are too much.
Call on His Spirit today, my Soul Sisters! You'll be so thankful you did.
-Kelly T
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Wednesdays in HIS Word
Our God is good! In yesterday and today's reading, it says several times that God has a plan. His plan has always been to adopt us into his family! He knew this before He ever created the heavens and the earth. I love that we, (that I) am part of His plan. We aren't an "oops" or just something He created! He planned for us. The most beautiful part is that this plan gives Him pleasure! Can you imagine? Its given that we are blessed beyond words for what the Lord has given us and covered us with. But scripture reads that we give HIM pleasure!
Verse 4 reads, "Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes." The word continues on, "He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins." We are free in HIM! We have been saved because of His kindness and His grace! Praise God that he loved us because now we are able to stand faultless in His eyes!
Verse 6 conveys my emotions perfectly, "So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son." Praise God Sisters, we are covered in His glorious grace!
~Andrea W.
Verse 4 reads, "Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes." The word continues on, "He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins." We are free in HIM! We have been saved because of His kindness and His grace! Praise God that he loved us because now we are able to stand faultless in His eyes!
Verse 6 conveys my emotions perfectly, "So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son." Praise God Sisters, we are covered in His glorious grace!
~Andrea W.
Ephesians Reading for this week:
Mon 1:1-3
Tues 1:4-6
Wed 1:7-10
Thurs 1:11-12
Fri 1:13-14
Monday, May 16, 2011
Welcome to Soul Sisters!
First I want to start off like Paul did in Ephesians, "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." I'm not sure how you heard about us but I am glad you are here. If you haven't done so already jump over to the About Us to read a lil more on how we got started and why we are here.
Accountability has become a huge part of my life and I am so thankful for it. I wanted a deeper relationship with my Savior and God but didn't have the discipline to get to the point I wanted. I knew that I needed to spend time, daily, in the Word but with 4 kids ages 1 1/2-18 and all the other things I made time for I couldn't fit daily Bible study in the schedule. I would look at different blogs and websites trying to find the quick fix to get where I wanted. I mean come on we are in a society of instant gratification where was my read this book and you will be at the level you want in 48 hours? As I searched different blogs I stumbled on Women Living Well and an idea of accountability groups. I have to say I thought to myself wow that is a great idea but I could never do it. After God kept knocking I finally answered. The reason I started this group I have to say were completely selfish reasons. I wanted someone to hold me accountable in being in the Word daily. Wow, God had different plans for me. After sending out the inital email I had several emails responding "this is an answered prayer", "it's just what I need." My heart was filled with joy and I thanked God for being patient with me and not giving up on me.
This group has been more of a blessing than I could have ever imagined. I have several Soul Sisters who will hold me accountable, love me, pray for me and share my burdens. The name Soul Sisters came about when our group decided we wanted to get the word out so that other women could experience the same blessings we were. Our group had come about because of a blog that was called the Good Morning Girls. We knew we had to find another name so Soul Sisters is what we came up with.
The purpose of this blog is to help encourage you to start a group of Soul Sisters yourself or if you are a part of a group already to encourage you in your daily walk. Today kicks off the start of our Ephesians study. If you are interested in a study we will have them listed under the studies tab. These are past studies we have done and then the current one we are doing. The Ephesians study has divided the book into readings that span over a 12 week period. We will have different Soul Sisters sharing their thoughts here and would love to hear from you too in the comment section. We are all new to this so be patient with us as we get the blog up and running.
I encourage you to all have that deeper relationship with God that I know is possible with accountability. He desires to have a close relationship with us all. As it says in James 4:8a "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." Soul Sisters lets draw near to God so that He will draw near to us and we can be the hands and feet of Christ!
~Missy D
Accountability has become a huge part of my life and I am so thankful for it. I wanted a deeper relationship with my Savior and God but didn't have the discipline to get to the point I wanted. I knew that I needed to spend time, daily, in the Word but with 4 kids ages 1 1/2-18 and all the other things I made time for I couldn't fit daily Bible study in the schedule. I would look at different blogs and websites trying to find the quick fix to get where I wanted. I mean come on we are in a society of instant gratification where was my read this book and you will be at the level you want in 48 hours? As I searched different blogs I stumbled on Women Living Well and an idea of accountability groups. I have to say I thought to myself wow that is a great idea but I could never do it. After God kept knocking I finally answered. The reason I started this group I have to say were completely selfish reasons. I wanted someone to hold me accountable in being in the Word daily. Wow, God had different plans for me. After sending out the inital email I had several emails responding "this is an answered prayer", "it's just what I need." My heart was filled with joy and I thanked God for being patient with me and not giving up on me.
This group has been more of a blessing than I could have ever imagined. I have several Soul Sisters who will hold me accountable, love me, pray for me and share my burdens. The name Soul Sisters came about when our group decided we wanted to get the word out so that other women could experience the same blessings we were. Our group had come about because of a blog that was called the Good Morning Girls. We knew we had to find another name so Soul Sisters is what we came up with.
The purpose of this blog is to help encourage you to start a group of Soul Sisters yourself or if you are a part of a group already to encourage you in your daily walk. Today kicks off the start of our Ephesians study. If you are interested in a study we will have them listed under the studies tab. These are past studies we have done and then the current one we are doing. The Ephesians study has divided the book into readings that span over a 12 week period. We will have different Soul Sisters sharing their thoughts here and would love to hear from you too in the comment section. We are all new to this so be patient with us as we get the blog up and running.
I encourage you to all have that deeper relationship with God that I know is possible with accountability. He desires to have a close relationship with us all. As it says in James 4:8a "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." Soul Sisters lets draw near to God so that He will draw near to us and we can be the hands and feet of Christ!
~Missy D
Ephesians Reading for this week:
Mon 1:1-3
Tues 1:4-6
Wed 1:7-10
Thurs 1:11-12
Fri 1:13-14
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