Show Me You Love Me, Lord

On Monday, I asked God to show me that He loved me. On Tuesday, I felt His love. It covered me in a warm embrace and I have sensed it everyday this week since. I felt God's love on Tuesday in the smiles and laughter of the little children that I teach at MDO. In a busy, busy week, God has showered me with affection through the blessings of fellowship with others, through unexpected blessings, through mercy and provision, and through the opportunity to serve Him. Yes, I did say that God showed me His love through my service to Him.

I am constantly in awe that the Creator of the Universe would allow me, an imperfect, hot-tempered gal, to serve Him. God knows what I struggle with. He knows when I am disobedient and hard-headed and, yet, He loves me still. And, He allows me to represent Him in service when I have no right to. He lets me love on little children and minister to parents. He lets me be a shoulder for a hurting woman to cry on. He lets me read His Word with understanding, and then He lets me--Me!--teach His Word to others. Best of all, He lets me serve Him moment by moment as a stay-home Mom.

And, as if this were not enough, the Most High God gives me so much: Four beautiful, healthy children. A husband who loves and supports me and who does an excellent imitation of Grover from Sesame Street. Great parents. A pretty cool brother, who happens to be married to the sweetest lady. Nephews and a niece. Friends--oh, my goodness--such wonderful friends! God has blessed me with health and talent, and a love for others that can only come from Him. There is no way that I am capable of loving people the way that I do without Him. I could write a book about all of the things that I am thankful for. Suffice it to say, that God is far better to me than I deserve. Thank you, Lord.

Driving home from Rocket Car Challenge at church this evening, I felt God's love again. It had been a great day, and the sun was shining gloriously. Every person I passed smiled at me as I drove the streets on the way home. That in itself is a rare thing. I knew that those smiles were from God!

Blessings and peace to you,

Jennifer

Psalm 147:1: "Praise the Lord. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!"

Holy is the Lord

"And they were calling to one another: 'Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.' " Isaiah 6:3

Isaiah chapter 6 describes Isaiah's vision of the Lord, and his calling to be God's prophet to Israel. When Isaiah comes face-to-face with the holiness of God, he cries out in his despair, "Woe to me!" He confesses that he is a "man of unclean lips...among a people of unclean lips." He sees that his own unrighteousness means that he has no right to stand in the presence of the Most High God. God's response was to forgive his sins and to offer Isaiah the opportunity to serve Him. Isaiah's response is so elegant: "Here am I. Send me!"

I had the opportunity to go up to the youth area, the Harbor, this afternoon when I got off of work at preschool. This past weekend was Disciple Now at our church, and the theme of the weekend was "Holiness". The youth listened to lessons about the holiness of God, and the events of the weekend culminated in a time of reflection on Saturday night, when the kids were permitted to offer up their reflections of the messages that they had heard over the course of D-Now. As I walked around the room reading the reflections written on the paper covering the walls, I was struck by how similar to Isaiah's response that the young people's responses were. Some were confessions of their own sins and unrighteousness. Some were praises and expressions of thanksgiving for God's goodness and mercy in their young lives. Some were vows of commitment based on their newfound understanding of God's Holiness.

What a tremendous gift to the young people of FBC of The Colony; to be given a glimpse of the Holiness of God. It is also important to remember that the only way that broken, unrighteous people like myself are permitted to be in relationship to the Most High God is through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. A righteous response to God is to confess our sins and to turn from them and to seek forgiveness through Jesus.

This week, I hope you'll take some time to reflect on God's holiness. Be sure to thank God for His unending mercy and grace.

Grace and peace to you,

Jennifer

Fall retreat

Our Heart 2 Heart Women's Ministry Fall retreat is scheduled for November 6-8 at Prothro Center in Pottsboro, TX. Our last two fall retreats have been there, and it is lovely and comfortable and peaceful there. The Prothro Center occupies land overlooking Lake Texoma, and fortunately, it is only about an hour and twenty minutes from FBC. The food is good, and the staff are kind. If you haven't been there before, you will be pleasantly surprised. It's a nice getaway.

For this year's retreat, I am working on a theme that I am not quite ready to unveil publicly. God had laid some things on my heart, and I am working on putting all of these things together. I am excited, because so far, this year's retreat will be different than anything we've ever done. That's all I'll say about that.

The costs have increased this year, and so the ticket prices reflect a modest increase per person. You'll find that it is still a good value for your money: $165 per person for quad occupancy room; $170 per person for triple; $180 per person for double; and $190 per person for single. There will only be a few ( like maybe 5 at the most) single rooms available. There are limited spots available, so I need to know soon if you are coming. We have to send our deposit in April 1 to confirm our reservation. We are asking for a $40 deposit to hold your spot.

Deposits should be made out to FBC of The Colony, with "women's fall retreat" in the memo. If you pay cash, just be sure to include a note telling Donna where the money needs to go. You may drop off your deposit to Donna at the church office, or to me, Penny Frantz, or Michele Green. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

Blessings and peace,

Jennifer

What do you fear?

I am doing research for our upcoming fall retreat. Yes, I realize that it is March 1, but it takes me months of research in preparation for our retreat message. I would like to know: What is your greatest fear? Take the poll on the page, or comment with your greatest fear, or fears.


Thanks!

Ministry in the Modern Age

Recently, I received an article from Lifeway about using media to maximize the impact of women's ministry. The article discussed how women's ministries are utilizing blogs to inform their members of what's going on in the ministry and to foster a sense of community amongst its members. This is my first foray into blogging, and I am hoping that this will be a way to keep participants in Heart 2 Heart Women's Ministry up-to-date regarding Bible studies, prayer groups, fellowships, and retreats. My goal is to post online devotionals, and to post the submissions from the leaders of Heart 2 Heart, as well as the members. I hope to post at least twice a week, so check back often for updates.

Grace and peace,

Jennifer