"Pick me, pick me!" As most of us can remember, when we were children we always wanted to picked first to be put on the best kickball team or the best "Red Rover" team. We always knew, even as a child, that when we were picked first then we would have the best chance of winning whatever game was being played. As adults the scenario is the same, but we get the chance to pick ourselves first. To many, this is a hard task because we are torn between choosing what is best for us or what is best for our friend. In most cases, we would meekly choose our friend, but deep down inside we really wanted to put ourselves first.
As Christians, we know that we are supposed to put God first, but still fall short. In Isaiah 6:8, we read about how Isaiah called out to God, "Here am I. Send me!" Isaiah, being filled with the Spirit, submitted himself COMPLETELY to God's service. He didn't say, "Lord, I will go when it is convenient for me" or "Lord, I will follow you as long as my friends go with me." He gave his life up completely to His service. No matter how difficult his task would be, he said, "Here am I, Lord. Send me!" Can you imagine if Christians followed Isaiah's example? If we all COMPLETELY gave up our lives to follow Him? Only God can fathom the numerous amounts of people that would possibly come to know Him through those that truly surrendered their lives to His service.
Every day I thank God to have been raised in this amazing country!! I thank God for giving America a strong Christian foundation that provided me the freedom to worship as I pleased. Sadly, this freedom becomes a hindrance to Christians because it gives us "flexibility" to go to church when we feel like it or the "flexibility" to pick and choose what we will do for Christ. We need to be getting into His word DAILY and developing a relationship with Him, so that when we say, "Here am I, Lord. Send me!!" we would truly be willing to do whatever it takes to follow Him. We need to develop such a close relationship with Christ that when we follow Him, we would know that we are following a "friend" that would help me reach out to those who need to hear the Good News!!
Instead of picking ourselves first and giving into our own selfish desires, we need to FIRST surrender to Christ and HIS desires for our lives. The best part of being a mission church and church plant is having the desire to reach new people and get out of our "comfort zone" a little bit. God can't be completely evident in our lives until we break down all of our barriers and all the excuses we put up and begin to look to Him for comfort. This week, make it your goal to seek out new ways to choose God over yourself and to pick Him first as you follow Him.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Made to Crave
Some of us have expressed an interest in a women's book club. The book that was suggested was "Made to Crave - Satisfying Your Deepest Desire With God, Not Food" by Lysa Terkeurst. From what I have read this afternoon, the book talks about how Eve was tempted with food and we've let it tempt us away from God ever since. I have found that it has made excellent points and has grabbed my attention. A couple of us are going to start reading it, so I am inviting the rest of you ladies to join us. The chapters are really short and it has been a quick read for me. If we want to make it into an event where we meet together every other week at Starbucks to discuss it then let me know. I look forward to reading this book and allowing its content to change my food cravings into God cravings.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Pardon the Interruption
Darren often watches a show on ESPN called "Pardon the Interruption" where two men debate their thoughts on various sporting news. It isn't unusual for these two men to interrupt each other in mid sentence, so they can speak their opinion or protest the other's comment. As humans, we get very frustrated when someone interrupts us when we are telling a story or in my case, when I am trying to teach my students. The interruptions are so frustrating that it can make us irritable at everything in our paths. For those who have ever been in a car with my husband, you know that he tends to get frustrated at "slow drivers" who are on the highway. We may be running late to an appointment and there will be that one slow driver out for a "Sunday drive" when it isn't even Sunday! This morning I was awakened to my cell phone ringing before my alarm went off. On the other end of the phone was my twin sister, Beth, crying and shaken up. She proceeded to explain to me that she had just witnessed a car rolling off 635 onto the exit ramp right in front of her. She was shaken up not only by the car rolling onto the road in front of her, but thankful that she wasn't hit. She was on 635 headed for her destination and was frustrated to be stuck behind what she referred to as the "slowest driver ever!" While she was driving she was starting to get frustrated that the driver was making her late and thought about going around the car. Thankfully God had other plans. If she had gone around that car and exited the highway onto Centerville then she would have either been hit by the rolling car or hit by the cars swerving around the rolling car!
David reminds us in Psalms that God protects us each day and has plans for us. Psalm 138:7-8 says, "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, with your right hand you save me. The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever - do not abandon the works of your hand." When we reflect on the words, 'with your right hand you save me,' we can thank God for the little interruptions in our lives that cause us to slow down. For in Psalm 46:10, "He says, 'Be still and know that I am God." What if we began to think of the slow drivers as God's blessing to us to remind us to slow down and enjoy the moment and to thank Him for the day, and the safe commute? How often have we rushed through traffic only to avoid a wreck right in front of us or been stuck in traffic and thank God that we were not the cause of the traffic jam?
Next time you get annoyed with an interruption, remember to thank God. Let His interruption remind you to look for a purpose in the interruption. We ask God for specific things in prayers, but barely stop to reflect on what He is trying to tell us. The next time you are behind a slow driver, stop and think about what God is trying to tell you and thank Him for all the little interruptions in your life.
David reminds us in Psalms that God protects us each day and has plans for us. Psalm 138:7-8 says, "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, with your right hand you save me. The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever - do not abandon the works of your hand." When we reflect on the words, 'with your right hand you save me,' we can thank God for the little interruptions in our lives that cause us to slow down. For in Psalm 46:10, "He says, 'Be still and know that I am God." What if we began to think of the slow drivers as God's blessing to us to remind us to slow down and enjoy the moment and to thank Him for the day, and the safe commute? How often have we rushed through traffic only to avoid a wreck right in front of us or been stuck in traffic and thank God that we were not the cause of the traffic jam?
Next time you get annoyed with an interruption, remember to thank God. Let His interruption remind you to look for a purpose in the interruption. We ask God for specific things in prayers, but barely stop to reflect on what He is trying to tell us. The next time you are behind a slow driver, stop and think about what God is trying to tell you and thank Him for all the little interruptions in your life.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Many Hats, One Purpose
Each one us have different identities that require us to wear a different "hat." Some of the hats we use are the ones of a mother, a wife, a sister, an aunt, a friend, and a co-worker. By the end of the day we may have switched hats numerous times to fulfill a certain responsibility. When we go over to our hat collection and really begin to examine each one, we might notice that some hats are worn more than others. We can tell from the tears, the holes, and the stains which ones we put on more. We might even have some hats that still look brand new because we haven't worn that hat too much. It might be a hat that you don't want to wear because you aren't comfortable wearing the hat, but like talking about it. When we examine our Christian life, we can think of our hats as spiritual gifts. God gives each one of us a certain spiritual gift and just like our hats, we are expected to use them. God didn't bless us with a spiritual gift just so we can hang it up and admire it. He expects us to utilize it to further His kingdom!
Paul reminds us in Romans 12:6-8, that we each have a different gift according to the grace given to us. God gives us gifts so we can build up His church. In order to use them effectively, we must (1) realize that all gifts and abilities come from God, (2) understand that not everyone has the same gifts, (3) know who we are and what we do best, (4) dedicate our gifts to God's service and not our personal success, and (5) be willing to utilize our gifts wholeheartedly, not holding anything back. Our purpose is to be faithful and to seek ways to serve others with what God gave us.
Look at this list and imagine the kinds of people who would have each gift. Prophets are bold and articulate. Servers are faithful and loyal. Teachers are clear thinkers. Encouragers know how to motivate others. Givers are generous and trusting. Leaders are good organizers and managers. Those who show mercy are caring people who are happy to give their time to others. It would be difficult for just one person to have all of these gifts. Romans 12:4 tells us that, "just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not have the same function." Our ministry cannot function if we all had the same gifts, just as our ministry won't be its best if its people don't use their gifts. Identify your gifts and ask God to reveal to you how He wants you to use them to build up His family. We are to be thankful for people whose gifts are different from ours because where one is weak the other is strong. Together, we as a family, can build up Christ's church.
A couple of months in Life Groups, we took a spiritual gifts inventory and discovered our God given gifts. When you examine these gifts can you honestly say that you wore it out from using it too much or have you hung it up to admire it and talk about it to your friends? Do your spiritual gifts reveal that you have "worn it with pride?" If your gift was serving, how have you served at the Refuge? If your gift is an encourager, how have you encouraged someone for the Refuge? If your gift is teaching, how have you taught at the Refuge? If your gift is giving, how have you given to the Refuge? As we begin to multiply our Life Groups, try not to think about leaving your comfort zone in one Life Group, but start thinking about how God can use this multiplication and your gifts to reach people through The Refuge. The opened doors at Stacie's apartment complex is a HUGE blessing for us. God is giving us a chance to really show Him how we will use the gifts He gave us to reach people. It means that we might have to get out of our comfort zone and talk to people that we have never met. It means that we might have to encourage people that we have never talked to before. This week, I challenge you to find ways to use your spiritual gifts. As we begin to use our spiritual gifts we must remember that they all serve a purpose and that is to build up Christ's Kingdom and win people for Him. We may not be comfortable using the gift because we have never had to use it before. If you never step out in faith and realize that God doesn't make mistakes in issuing us our spiritual gifts, then you will never know the blessing that you will be missing. Use your spiritual gifts so much that if they were to resemble a hat then you would see holes, tears, and stains in which you would admire and proudly say, "man, I really wore out that hat!" Then you would be comforted in knowing that God will say, "Well done, thy good and faithful servant."
Paul reminds us in Romans 12:6-8, that we each have a different gift according to the grace given to us. God gives us gifts so we can build up His church. In order to use them effectively, we must (1) realize that all gifts and abilities come from God, (2) understand that not everyone has the same gifts, (3) know who we are and what we do best, (4) dedicate our gifts to God's service and not our personal success, and (5) be willing to utilize our gifts wholeheartedly, not holding anything back. Our purpose is to be faithful and to seek ways to serve others with what God gave us.
Look at this list and imagine the kinds of people who would have each gift. Prophets are bold and articulate. Servers are faithful and loyal. Teachers are clear thinkers. Encouragers know how to motivate others. Givers are generous and trusting. Leaders are good organizers and managers. Those who show mercy are caring people who are happy to give their time to others. It would be difficult for just one person to have all of these gifts. Romans 12:4 tells us that, "just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not have the same function." Our ministry cannot function if we all had the same gifts, just as our ministry won't be its best if its people don't use their gifts. Identify your gifts and ask God to reveal to you how He wants you to use them to build up His family. We are to be thankful for people whose gifts are different from ours because where one is weak the other is strong. Together, we as a family, can build up Christ's church.
A couple of months in Life Groups, we took a spiritual gifts inventory and discovered our God given gifts. When you examine these gifts can you honestly say that you wore it out from using it too much or have you hung it up to admire it and talk about it to your friends? Do your spiritual gifts reveal that you have "worn it with pride?" If your gift was serving, how have you served at the Refuge? If your gift is an encourager, how have you encouraged someone for the Refuge? If your gift is teaching, how have you taught at the Refuge? If your gift is giving, how have you given to the Refuge? As we begin to multiply our Life Groups, try not to think about leaving your comfort zone in one Life Group, but start thinking about how God can use this multiplication and your gifts to reach people through The Refuge. The opened doors at Stacie's apartment complex is a HUGE blessing for us. God is giving us a chance to really show Him how we will use the gifts He gave us to reach people. It means that we might have to get out of our comfort zone and talk to people that we have never met. It means that we might have to encourage people that we have never talked to before. This week, I challenge you to find ways to use your spiritual gifts. As we begin to use our spiritual gifts we must remember that they all serve a purpose and that is to build up Christ's Kingdom and win people for Him. We may not be comfortable using the gift because we have never had to use it before. If you never step out in faith and realize that God doesn't make mistakes in issuing us our spiritual gifts, then you will never know the blessing that you will be missing. Use your spiritual gifts so much that if they were to resemble a hat then you would see holes, tears, and stains in which you would admire and proudly say, "man, I really wore out that hat!" Then you would be comforted in knowing that God will say, "Well done, thy good and faithful servant."
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
10 Minute Challenge
How many of us get so wrapped up in our daily routines that by the time we sit down at night we are so exhausted, but all we can think about is what needs to be done tomorrow and try to decide how many things on our "to do list" can be pushed back to another day? Like most of us, the last thing we think about is spending time with our Heavenly Father. When we sit and really think about it, we owe Christ so much. God sent us His Son to die on a cross for us so that we would be saved from an eternal separation from Him. Christ was hung on a cross, He paid the price of OUR sins, and we show Him our appreciation by praying for our food before meal time and by opening our Bibles on Sundays when we go to church. If God loved us that much to bridge a gap between Heaven and hell then why can we not set aside a time in our life to study His Word?
I would like to suggest a challenge for each of us. I am not going to ask that we take an hour of our time to get in the Word and pray every day because we know that the physical and emotional stresses of our daily lives would enable us to do that. I am going to encourage you, however, to start dedicating 10 minutes of your daily routine to Bible study and prayer. In order to keep each other accountable I would encourage you to comment on this post what Scripture you read and what God revealed to you through your chosen Scripture. My prayer for doing this is that we will be able to grow in Christ as we develop a new found relationship with Him, as well as, relating to each other on a different level.
I look forward to reading how the Lord spoke to you during your Bible study and look forward to seeing you at our next Life Group this coming Sunday.
Love in Christ,
Becky Lemons
Psalm 146:1-2
I would like to suggest a challenge for each of us. I am not going to ask that we take an hour of our time to get in the Word and pray every day because we know that the physical and emotional stresses of our daily lives would enable us to do that. I am going to encourage you, however, to start dedicating 10 minutes of your daily routine to Bible study and prayer. In order to keep each other accountable I would encourage you to comment on this post what Scripture you read and what God revealed to you through your chosen Scripture. My prayer for doing this is that we will be able to grow in Christ as we develop a new found relationship with Him, as well as, relating to each other on a different level.
I look forward to reading how the Lord spoke to you during your Bible study and look forward to seeing you at our next Life Group this coming Sunday.
Love in Christ,
Becky Lemons
Psalm 146:1-2
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Women of Refuge Outings
The Women of Refuge try to meet together in fellowship once a month. We try to plan various events so that we do not lose touch and stay connected during our busy lives. In December we went to Canton for a shopping day and lunch. We enjoyed the beautiful day God created while we shared our love of shopping! This month we met for dinner and went to Hometown Cinemas to watch Joyful Noise. We laughed and enjoyed our night out.
Next month we are planning to go to the house of Dianne Lemons to watch a movie and have pizza! Be sure to invite your friends and neighbors. Since this is a ministry, it almost seems selfish to not include all parties involved in planning events. With that being said, we are asking for suggestions for future events. Some of the suggestions so far have been as follows:
Weekend Shopping Trip to San Marcos (leave Saturday morning and come back Sunday)
Canton Shopping Trip
Spa Day
Dinner and Bible Study (study 5 Love Languages {for singles too}, Seasons of Marriage, or something related to women)
Allen Outlet Mall Shopping
Slumber Party/Bible Study (stay the weekend at Dianne's house)
Shopping Trip to Pearland, Texas
Arboretum and Lunch (Spring)
Once a Week Workout (meet to workout during the week)
If any of these sounds like something you would definitely like to do and have other suggestions, then please feel free to contact me at becky@gototherefuge.com. I look forward to spending time with each of you!
Love in Christ,
Becky Lemons
Women of Refuge Ministry
Next month we are planning to go to the house of Dianne Lemons to watch a movie and have pizza! Be sure to invite your friends and neighbors. Since this is a ministry, it almost seems selfish to not include all parties involved in planning events. With that being said, we are asking for suggestions for future events. Some of the suggestions so far have been as follows:
Weekend Shopping Trip to San Marcos (leave Saturday morning and come back Sunday)
Canton Shopping Trip
Spa Day
Dinner and Bible Study (study 5 Love Languages {for singles too}, Seasons of Marriage, or something related to women)
Allen Outlet Mall Shopping
Slumber Party/Bible Study (stay the weekend at Dianne's house)
Shopping Trip to Pearland, Texas
Arboretum and Lunch (Spring)
Once a Week Workout (meet to workout during the week)
If any of these sounds like something you would definitely like to do and have other suggestions, then please feel free to contact me at becky@gototherefuge.com. I look forward to spending time with each of you!
Love in Christ,
Becky Lemons
Women of Refuge Ministry
Welcoming Statements
Welcome to the Women of Refuge blog! Thank you for taking the time to check out our blog and for investing in our ministry. The sole purpose of this blog was that I wanted to create a personal space for the women of Refuge to go and connect with each other through devotionals and inspiring messages. My prayer for this blog is that it will connect us on a more personal and spiritual level. My prayer is that you’ll be inspired and encouraged and that what you read each week will help guide you each day as you live life. I challenge you, and myself, to connect on a deeper level with God and influence the community around you.
I am blessed to have each of you women in my life and a part of the Refuge Church.
In Christ,
Becky Lemons
Refuge Women's Ministry
I am blessed to have each of you women in my life and a part of the Refuge Church.
In Christ,
Becky Lemons
Refuge Women's Ministry
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