Merry Christmas

Christmas has taken on a new meaning for me in the past few years.

For the first time in my life, I understand the true meaning of Christmas.  For the first time, my excitement of what is in that wrapped gift under the tree has been replaced with Thankfulness for the ultimate gift of Grace.

The Greatest Gift of All……..

Merry Christmas from the Etheridge home to yours…….May you hold in your hands, the most PERFECT and IMPORTANT gift of all……..all year long.

Love,

Chuck & Liz

GROWING SEEDS: "Guard Your Heart"

"Guard your heart above all else,

for it determines the course of your life."

Proverbs 4:23

There's a story I heard this past week that you NEED to hear.  We all NEED to hear…..truly HEAR this story.  A story told by Max Lucado.

It was about a young girl named Taylor Storch who, with her family, had headed to Colorado for a little skiing.  This 13 year old laughed all the way up and down the mountain until one sudden moment, she fell - crashed - down a straight rocky slant of the mountain.  By nightfall, she was gone from this earth and Home with her Father….and her parents, Tara and Todd, were signing papers giving away Taylor's still-warm heart.

Max said they ended up giving Taylor's heart to a 38-year old woman in Arizona whose heart was failing so much that she couldn't get off the couch anymore - Patricia Winters was her name.  

Taylor's mama had only one request.  She called Patricia Winters and asked her if she could come "hear" her heart.  So Taylor's mama flew from Dallas to Phoenix and knocked on Patricia Winters' door and Patricia Winters walked right past the very couch she had been confined to for so long, opened the door…..and her arms…..to Taylor's mama.  Taylor's heart beating right there next to her crying Mama's.

And then Patricia Winters reached over and handed Taylor's mama a stethoscope.  And there it was; clear as a bell; 

Thrum…Thrum….Thrum.  

Taylor's mama could hear it loud and long, right there in her ears…..her daughter's still-beating heart.

And then Max had asked slow and quiet. “What was Taylor’s Mama really hearing?”

“It indwells in a different body, but that heart is the heart of her girl…. ” Max said.  “And when God hears your heart, that’s what He hears — the still-beating heart of His Son.”

As we start a fresh new year, I pray I never forget that the heart that beats in my chest cavity…..that gives me life….that breaks when someone wrongs me….that speeds up when I'm excited and slows down when I sleep….is none other than Jesus' heart inside of me.  

I pray I never forget that.

P.S.  Two days after I wrote this article for the bulletin, the recipient of Taylor's heart passed away.  This heart that had lived so fully in both Taylor and in Patricia Winters', suddenly stopped beating.  What a strong reminder that we are just a heartbeat away from eternity.

GROWING SEEDS: "I Fear It"

Have you ever gone through a Christmas alone?  I mean….REALLY alone?  Like "No-Family-No-Friends-No-Anyone" to share this time of year with?  

I-FEAR-IT   

I fear that one day, it will be ME that has no one to purchase Christmas gifts for…..ME that has no where to go on Christmas Day……ME that has no family to visit or call.  

A few years ago, it suddenly dawned on me one day that I'm the youngest in my family…..I'm 13 years younger than my husband…..I have no children….and I'm going to be that lady in the nursing home sitting at the front door begging people to talk to her about her colonoscopy cause she is all alone.  I cried for 3 days.  And on the fourth day, I purchased a Long-Term Care Insurance Policy.  I could barely breathe from the reality of it all.

Sometimes reality really BITES, you know???

But guess what……it's not all about ME or YOU.  I've learned since that pity-party-Liz-day many years ago that you will never be alone if you simply become the friend you wish others to be towards you.  There are so many lonely people out there; especially this time of year.  Look around….they're sitting next to you in church…..they're passing you in the grocery store…..they are your neighbor.  The key is to put your "its-not-all-about-me-and-my-family-&-friends" glasses on and see….truly SEE…and become a part of their life.  If you can do that, you will never be alone.  You will never want for more friends and you will have more friends than your heart will hold.  But you have to LOOK.  Discouraged people generally don't carry a sign saying "I'm bummed".  

So, this Christmas, whether you are sporting those stylish new eyes in search of discouraged souls or you ARE the discouraged soul, I encourage you to find each other.  Invite someone who is alone to come over for Christmas dinner and join your family for the day or if you are alone and disheartened, I urge you to call a Stephen Minister here at the church.  Either way; the Spirit of Christmas will light up your life in ways you never expected!

"Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."

Philippians 2:4

GROWING SEEDS: "JOY"

 JOY

Welcome to the 3rd Week of Advent….the JOY week.

I must admit, I started this week off with anything BUT Joy.  It's funny how you can be rocking along, enJOYing the lights on the Christmas tree and everything that goes with this sparkling, holy season when WHAMM……your enJOYment gets zapped right out of your hands.  Something happens…..something is said…..something knocks you right off that JOYful high you were flying high on.  

And that's what happened to me; I lost my JOY for a brief moment this week.  I lost sight of the JOY that I had a Messiah that saw I couldn't fix myself and all the messy baggage that comes with me.  He saw that I needed help….He saw that I needed HIM.   So He decided to drop down to my level….and with 10 fingers, 10 toes, 2 ears, 2 eyes and a big heart, He left His comfortable throne and moved into my world.  He became flesh in my messed up, chaotic, angry world.

And isn't it funny how He puts the answer right under our noses when we need it most?  As my unJOYful self was reading the "Return To The Heart of Christmas" daily devotional that Pastor Jack handed out a few weeks ago, I discovered the answer: "Life is in the Preparation, not just the Destination."  We are so busy getting to our destination that we miss the preparation along the way…..you know, that messy "growth" part in the middle of our journey.

We say "Merry Christmas" so easily…….but is it REALLY that merry (Mary) when we are struggling through the crooked paths and rough places of life?  Those times when someone hurts you with their action or words….when you feel alone or betrayed?  

Without these messy growth parts; the "preparation" for our destination, would we fully understand what JOY is?   

GROWING SEEDS: "We Are Waiting"

What Am I Waiting For?

As Advent grew closer and closer this year, I found myself quietly questioning what "Advent" really meant.  I'm embarrassed to tell you that if someone had held a gun to my head and forced me to give a Websters definition of what Advent meant, I probably would have been shot.  I grew up an ADVENTist (Seventh day Adventist)…..how is it possible I didn't know the definition of Advent? 

But as I read and studied up on exactly what Advent is and why we celebrate it, I quickly understood its purpose.  Much like the anticipation I felt when my niece Jacque was a month away from being born and I could hardly contain my excitement as I attended Lamaze classes with my very pregnant and "bigger-than-a-house" sister, Advent is the preparing of our hearts and minds for the arrival of Christ.

Advent brings our minds out of the Christmas craziness of Wal-Mart and back to the sereneness of the manger.  It reminds us "why" we celebrate Christmas.  And its meaning is in the……waiting.  

YES.  The W.A.I.T.I.N.G, just as Mary and Joseph waited for the birth of their Son, the Messiah, we are waiting for His final return.  What we fail to recognize this time of year, amidst the chaos, the Santa Lists and the credit card charges, is that we are right smack in the middle of God's great story.  And chapter 1 of the story didn't start when Jesus was born……it started with Adam and Eve……and the end of the story is still being written.  You and me….we are actual participants in this story….the same story that Mary, Joseph, the Wise Men, the Shepherds and the Angels were…..only they were in earlier chapters of the same story.

Behind all the noise and chaos of this time of year is a story being unfolded……

      right before our eyes…..

     and we are living the story.

I'm Thankful for Thanksgiving…...

I'm Thankful for 

Thanksgiving!

Words cannot describe the blessing this Thanksgiving was for me…..so I think I'll just let the lens of my camera tell the story of my Thanksgiving….

FROM waking up to a most magnificent Thanksgiving sunrise on a cold, foggy lake…..

TO a Thanksgiving meal prepared mostly by men and a hodgepodge of orphan Thanksgivingers bringing their favorite scripture to the table with them……

TO a Thanksgiving birthday celebration…..

TO a Wii Bowling competition to work off the turkey and pumpkin pie in our bellies……

TO a morning of meeting new tiny friends ….

hugging old friends…..

and making new grown-up friends…...

TO singing "What Does The Fox Say" in the middle of a country road at the top of our lungs with my girlfriend…..

TO witnessing the last of Fall's final color…...

TO "faux" ice skating on OIL in downtown Mt. Vernon with my crazy niece and girlfriends…..

TO celebrating my 106 year old friends' Birthday as she moves into #107 with her family that are an extension of my own family…..

TO closing out a Thanksgiving weekend with a Liz-prepared grilled cheese sandwich and soup Thanksgiving meal with the family (thanks Matt, for having my back!)…...

And thank YOU for letting me share a titch of the blessings in my life.  God has been so incredibly good to me…..and has graced my life with you…..my Murphy's Mom Blog friends who so faithfully read my words, view my pictures and allow me the freedom to express myself so openly and honestly.  Thank you for letting me vent, whine, cry and occasionally exaggerate to you……and you never complain…

Well…..hardly ever.

"In our daily lives, we must see that it 

is not happiness that makes us

grateful, but the gratefulness that

makes us happy."

~ Albert Clarke

The Fall of Our Lives…..

 Fall is my favorite time of the year…..it's when the aged leaves, after living a full, complete life…are tired….they're wrinkled….and it's time for them to let go….let go of the stem that has held them safely in place through the storms of their life.

I love Fall.  And I love my 106 year old friend, Jewell……who will be 107 on Tuesday.  I met Jewell when she was at the ripe young age of 99……

She was on my Meals on Wheels route and this spunky young lady met me each time with a smile as bright as the sun.  She never let me leave without telling me she loved me….and as Jewell feels the crispness of the Fall of her life getting closer, she still has that twinkle in her eye; still never lets me leave without telling me she loves me…..she l.o.v.e.s. me.

I hope she knows I love her too….

Happy Thanksgiving…..

This year, Chuck and I have the honor of hostingThankgiving with our friends and neighbors here around the lake.  I am looking forward to squeezing them around a tight dining room table, eating off Ant Ellie's silver, sharing our favorite scriptures and remembering the blessing they have brought to my life as I look into their faces and remember how each of them were dropped into our lives at such a time as this.

There will be no Dallas Cowboys playing in the background…..there will only be a fight for air space as we all try to talk at the same time with our mouths full.  And a lot of laughter.  So, as I try to narrow down my favorite scripture to share at the table in a couple days, I thought I'd share with you a few things I've written down in my "1000 Gifts" journal over the past 12 months. 

45)  The pride I feel inside when Chuck rolls into the room with 2 dogs and a cat on his lap.

76)  The bruises on my legs and hips from roller skating with the granddaughters.

120  My beautiful friend Carla, who after months of not seeing, we can pick up right where we left off.

189)  The millions of bugs I killed on my windshield tonight coming home from Canton.

190)  The millions of bugs cleaned off my windshield from the dew last night.

201) The tears, stinging tears, that flow so quickly when just thinking of Mom.

287) The joy my heart feels when I see Deb (sister) online in the mornings.

343) For the many people in my life named "Jacque" and  "Jackie"

490) Betsy's voice singing

567) The glassy lake being cut by the quiet of the kayak separating it.

598) My brother James who sent me flowers yesterday for no reason.

AND FINALLY

600) A day called "Thanksgiving" to stop and remind us where our blessings come from.

So, my loyal Murphy's Mom friends, don't forget on this Thanksgiving Day, to count your blessings…..name them one by one….count your blessings and see what God has done!

Happy Thanksgiving!

GROWING SEEDS: "Kindness"

Who Rekindled Your Inner Light?

When was the last time you "thanked" someone from your past for the influence they had on your life?  Maybe it was a teacher or a friend's parent or maybe your own parent.

Here we are at Thanksgiving……with Christmas right around the corner…...a time to count our blessings….a time to remember, reflect and be thankful for those people that have made our life what it is today.  As someone who has been delivering Meals on Wheels for 7 years, I see firsthand what a letter, note or phone call of thanks can do for someone.  They feel lonely, forgotten and in their final years, so appreciative of not having been overlooked.  Each time they receive a personal letter or note from you, I hear about it.  They read every word to me….

World Renowed Motivational Speaker, Barbara Glanz once wrote…...

"In my speeches and workshops, I sometimes ask my audiences to shut their eyes and think about someone who, at some time in their lives, has rekindled their inner light.  It is always a profound experience for everyone as they remember the joy they received from being appreciated by someone when they needed it the most.  After one session, a gentleman thanked me for creating a new awareness as he had immediately thought of his 8th grade literature teacher who had really made an impact on his life.  He planned to track her down and thank her.

A few months later, he called me to say he had written to his teacher.  She had gotten his letter and the following week, she sent him her response:  

"Dear John, you will never know how much your letter meant to me.  

I am 83 years old, I live all alone in one room.  

My friends are all gone; my family is gone.  

I taught for 50 years and yours is the first "thank you" letter I have ever gotten from a student.  

Sometimes I wonder what I did with my life.  

I will read and reread your letter until the day I die."  

He was very emotional when relating this story to me.  He said, "She was always the one we talked about at every reunion.  She was everyone's favorite teacher."  But no one ever told her until she received his letter.   

Go ahead; recognize the impact your words have on others and thank someone TODAY who has touched your life.

I Found A Blessing in Deafness

You know, I have complained for years that of all the things medically wrong with Chuck, the absolute, unequivocal, one-hundred-percent thing that's the hardest for me to live with is his lack of HEARING.  Yes, I can deal with his running down old people and small children, along with taking out every door frame in the house and knocking over the toilet, with his wheelchair……I can deal with him wearing two sets of eyeglasses around his neck…..I can deal with the hole in the top of his head from skin cancer that we could store a wine cork in……but his lack of hearing….DADGUMIT…..it makes me CRAZY.  However, I found a blessing….yes, you heard me….a B-L-E-S-S-I-N-G…..in his hard-of-hearing.

The other day, we were headed the hour long drive to Longview when we got into a little "argument".  Ok, it was a BIG argument and Liz said some "not-so-nice" things to Chuck.   Have you ever had those moments when the words flew out of your mouth before you could stop them and then you find yourself grabbing at them as they continue flying out your mouth?  Oh ya, I know you're relating right now…

After my words flew out and I was immediately feeling the regret of them, I look over at Chuck who has a super mean scowl on his face.  His eyebrows were going in different directions….his eyes were beady and his mouth was pierced into a tiny ball…..I was thinking, "Ohhhh boy….I've done it now."  About the time I opened my mouth to apologize, he yells out, "YOU KNOW I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!!"

What?  You didn't hear me???  Whewwwww………and I whispered these words under my breath (not that I needed to; he couldn't hear me anyway), "Thank You God for Chuck's hard-of-hearing".  He never heard those mean words I had said to him just 60 seconds earlier…..and his scowl was frustration on not being able to hear what, up until this Blog, he had no idea were nasty words.

So, I think it warrants repeating…..THANK YOU GOD, FOR CHUCK'S HARD-OF-HEARING (the all caps was in case God didn't hear me)…….LOL!!

GROWING SEEDS: "Do You Believe The Scriptures/"

IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE THE SCRIPTURES,

THIS DOESN'T APPLY TO YOU

 

From the time I was a child, my parents "forced" my brother, sister and I to give 10% of our allowance, as well as Grandma's birthday money, to the church.  I didn't fully understand why, if God created everything, He needed my measly little $1.00 from Grandma's $10.00 gift to ME.  They explained to us that it was His money and He told us, in the Bible, to return 10% back to Him.  Period.  And heaven-forbid I buy candy FIRST before dropping my $1.00 into the offering plate!

As I entered my teen years, I came to resent letting go of my hard earned 10% offering.  I had gas to buy for my Chevy Vega, I had stylish platform shoes to buy and let's not forget it takes money to hang out with the girlfriends.  It got harder and harder for me to drop that money in the offering plate each week and my 10% dropped down to 5% then 3% and eventually 0%.  

Fast forward 100 years to today.  At some point over those years in-between, someone explained to me that everything I have….My house, My Jeep, My food, My electricity, My job….even My husband, two dogs and 1-claw cat, ALL belong to God.  It never belonged to me….it was simply a loan while here on earth to allow me to live comfortably, happily and contently….because He loves me.   Period.  All the "Landlord-of-my-Life", God, ever wanted was a little thanks….a little gratitude….a little Faith from me.  As a simple-minded person, this really hit home with me.

From that point on, I looked at Tithing/Giving with a completely different set of eyes.  I realized God's not being an "indian-giver" by asking for a portion back; quite the contrary.  He wanted to bless me with even MORE….and He wanted me to have faith that He is a Man of His Word.  By not obeying Him and giving back, I was not only depriving myself of a special blessing, but I was also keeping this blessing from others.  Without my CONSISTENT, faithful giving, our beautiful church has no heat in the winter and no air conditioning in the summer; no bulletins for me to write this article on, no Lunches of Love that ministers to our community, no choir, no organist, no pastor….the church disappears.  

Are you squirming a bit?  I sure am.

"Remember this; Whoever sows sparingly will reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will reap generously."

2 Corinthians 9:6

GROWING SEEDS: "Priorities"

Check out the cool drawing above.  I'm not sure exactly who drew this, but I do know it was one of our younger members who handed it to Jack as they were leaving church last week.  Did you notice the rainbow?  How about the 10 hearts?  How about "God and Jesus love us and care for us!"  I admit, I added the cross on one of the 10 hearts.  But let me tell you why…..

I heard an interesting story this week from a long time member of our church.   She was telling me that when she and her husband first started attending First United Methodist many years ago, they prioritized their household expenses like this:  

1) Mortgage 2) Utilities 3) Food 4) Personal Expenses 5) Church Giving (Tithe).  They lived like most of us; sticking strongly to a tight budget with very little to spare.  But upon hearing a sermon on stewardship one Sunday, they felt deeply challenged about how much they TRUST God to provide for their every need.  They decided to move the last item on their list to the very top of the list.  They moved "Church Giving" to the #1 position.  A decision that would terrorize most every one of us.  

It was a bold move……a move that challenged their trust that He is faithful in all things and will take care of them and meet their needs just as He had promised.   A move that guaranteed to be full of rainbows and hearts……as well as anxiety and tension.  But they realized this money they were calling "theirs" never had belonged to them.  God provided each and every dime in their bank account.  It was HIS money and He had blessed them greatly with it.

This church member was Andrea Abbott..  She not only made the bold move to move God to the top of her financial list, but she also moved Him to the top of her daily activities list.  She has served this church and her God well.  She is the fuel that drives and keeps our beloved church organized.   And because she was faithful and honored His request, He has given back to her with BONUS and BLESSING just as He promised……even in the face of daily trials….like cancer.  

The question I have to ask myself is, "Can I put my FAITH where my MONEY is?

Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, 

but not merely given back—

given back with BONUS and BLESSING. 

GIVING, not GETTING, is the way. 

Generosity begets generosity.”

Luke 6:38

GROWING SEEDS: "Power of Prayer"

"POWER OF PRAYER???"

Twenty-three years ago at the young age of 10, my niece Jacque had a tragic accident at her private Christian school.  The swing set she had been playing on suddenly fell, hitting the back of her head causing her to suffer a severe brain trauma.  As the doctors fought to save her life and our family gathered around her, word spread throughout the community and prayer chains were formed.  We will never know just how many people lifted Jacque up in prayer that day, but one thing we do know is that God was listening……and He brought Jacque through the storm and back to us.

But what about the child in the hospital bed next to her who had no one praying for them?  

For years this question has haunted me.  The God I knew didn't discriminate and base His decision to heal, or not heal, on the number of prayers one received.  So why do we pray?  Why form the prayer chains?  Why pray for healing? 

As I've grown in my faith since that time, I've come to realize that usually the prayers are more to strengthen US than the person we're praying for.  Don't get me wrong; I believe in the power of prayer…..I believe God can and does heal people we pray for.  But I also believe he heals those we don't pray for.  I am of the opinion it was God's intent all along to heal Jacque from this horrible accident.  She has gone on to serve Him faithfully and tell the story of her healing to others.  God gave her back to us for awhile……But I think it also warmed His heart to hear so many of His own children growing in faith through their prayers dedicated to her.

But what about those He didn't heal?  Prayer or no-prayer…..He chose to end their time on this earth.  Maybe, just maybe, our prayer requests for healing should be for "His Will" to be done and not "Our Will"…..even if this means His will is the "Ultimate Healing"…..togetherness with God…..FOREVER.  I simply can't think of a better healing than that!

God always answers our prayers.  ALWAYS.  And "No" can be an answer…..as much as "Wait" or "Yes".  

"Prayer does not change God, but it changes him who prays."

Soren Kierkegaard 

GROWING SEEDS: "Don't Worry About Tomorrow"

 

 

"In the midst of what seems a mess,
in the tripping up and stumbling down of all hopes,
Jesus gave thanks."
Matthew 11:25

The most amazing thing happened this week!

For the first time in my life, I "felt" God touch me.  I've heard him speaking to my heart before....I've sensed the Holy Spirit in decisions that I needed to make and things I needed to do or not do, but I don't believe I had ever "felt" God touch me.......until now.

I have always been a habitual worrier.....I worried about everything......things like "the lake is too low"...."the lake is too high"....."What if" was a constant phrase of mine, whether it was about something health related or what kind of shoes I should wear today.  But as I matured in my relationship with Christ, He appealed to my heart that I needed to stop all this unnecessary, excessive worrying.

"Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. 
Each day has enough trouble of its own." 
Matthew 6:34

It's been a long process.....a practice of-sorts, to recognize and shut the worrying down before it grew a life of its own.  But this week I came face-to-face with an unexpected confrontation involving a close friend that brought all this worry I had worked so hard to overcome, back with a vengeance.  I found myself angry, disappointed, confused and, as my Dad would always say, "totally bent out of shape." 

I felt betrayed......and as I left my meeting with her, I texted my dilemma to a couple close friends who I knew would afford me the space to vent that I so badly wanted to do.  Their response?  "Take a deep breath, count to 10.....and PRAY."  I knew they were right......but I simply wasn't ready to pray just yet.  I was too hurt to talk to God right then. I decided instead to take that deep breath and start counting.  I think I had gotten to #8 when suddenly, out-of-the-blue, a PEACE; a warm embracing Herculean-sized hug, came over my entire body......and I realized that God had just hugged me tight.  He touched me.....HE TOUCHED ME.

And at that very moment, I instantly knew everything would be okay.....even if it meant it might not be okay between my friend and I.  It would be okay.  It was as if that hug could talk and was telling me "I've got this......this isn't your worry.....it's Mine now." 

God and I have moved to a new level of our relationship.  We are tighter now.....best buds.....soul-mates.....BFF's!!!

GROWING SEEDS: "Living Right Side Up"

"If you grasp and cling to life on YOUR terms, you'll lose it; 

but if you let that life go, you'll get life on 

GOD'S terms."

Luke 17: 33

 

 

In the not so distant past, I lived my life on MY terms.  Don't get me wrong, I believed in God....I believed He died for my sins, rose again and ascended into Heaven.  I believed all the things a good Christian is "suppose" to believe.  I tried to be a decent, good person; I tried not to harm or judge people; I attended church every week and I prayed when I needed something.  Yep, I considered myself a pretty fabulous Christian.

But what I didn't realize as I was busy patting myself on the back for being this crackerjack Christian was that I was living on LIZ terms.....not God's.  Looking back, I see where He was desperately trying to get my attention....frantically waving His arms yelling "HEY LIZ, I'M OVER HERE" or "HEY SOFTIE (my Dad's nickname for me), CAN'T YOU HEAR ME??".....and rolling His eyes as I trucked-on living Liz's life....blind and deaf.   Funny how things come into focus when we look back on them, isn't it?

I was living my life, in many ways, as the people of Noah's time were.  I was chowing down on food (without thankfulness); I was buying houses (without asking for guidance); I was marrying (without His blessing) and I was working (without taking Him with me).  And although I may not have been doing many of the seriously wicked and creepy things the people in Noah's time were engaging in, I was living my life ALONE and WITHOUT Him.  And we are reminded by Noah's story that if we are living a life without God leading, it might be a good idea to learn how to swim.

Now that my eyes have been opened, my hearing has been restored and the Holy Spirit is now zooming in as a 1-million-candlepower-light shining in my soul where it once was a dim, almost burnt out candle, I seriously think the devil is a bit TICKED OFF because he was dumped.  

Dumped for an often more difficult.......but eternity-bound life.  

"It ought to be the business of every day to prepare for our last day." 

Matthew Henry

 

 

 

"GATHERING"

"God prunes us when He is about to take us into a new season of growth and expansion."

~ Christine Caine

Can I pray first before writing to you today?

Father, guide these fingers of mine as I transcribe the words You dictate and want said to this amazing child of Yours reading this right now.  Touch their heart....let them hear You speaking to their very soul at this exact moment.  Thank You Father, for always, ALWAYS listening and hearing our prayers.  Amen.

Over the past couple years, I have felt a "change" happening....not just in my own life, but also in my sister-girlfriends around me.  Suddenly, God was dropping women in, AND OUT, of my life at a rapid pace.  As I inched closer and closer to God in my personal relationship, suddenly the most amazing Godly women were popping up everywhere.  EVERYWHERE.  Not just at church, but in the grocery store, at the car repair shop, at the RV campground.....even at the dollar store.  It was SO obviously God.  Each time it happened, I would just look up, smile and whisper "thank you" for bringing these new, wonderful relationships into my life that were guiding, strengthening and holding my hand down this journey I was on.  At the same time, He was also removing women who had been in my life for years.  Some I considered Godly women, others were just going through the motions with God.  As He removed certain ones from my life, my heart grieved for the loss of these friends.

But what I have discovered is this:  change isn't just happening to me.  It's happening to many of you reading this.   Right here, in our own church, in our own community, in our own circle of friends and sisters, there is a gathering of women hungry....STARVING....for a relationship with Jesus.  This has nothing to do with denomination but has everything to do with the Holy Spirit.   Christian women are wrestling right now - all ages, all traditions, all shapes and sizes.  There is something stirring in the hearts of women all around the world right now......and it's awesome to see.  I, for one, want......no......NEED to be a part of it.

And there is something BIG happening for my sisters-in-Christ on February 7, 2014 to help meet this desire.  If you are feeling these same stirrings....these same nudging's and if you are needing to gather and unleash yourself to live out God's purpose, please let me know.  I'd love to let you in on what is happening as the new year begins.  I want to see women who have never felt welcome or felt like they belong.....or those who don't do the whole "church institution" thing very well......I want to see women like ME, being a part of this amazing experience.

Interested?  Email me at chuckie2@aol.com