It's Tough Being A Woman... Recap Of Our Esther Study

Just this last week, Tiffany and I (Julie) along with Sybil from Peace It All Together, finished up our study by Beth Moore on the book of Esther.  It took us over 5 months to finish but it was such a rich time of learning and fellowship.  I feel truly blessed to have spent this time with these two Godly women and to have been taught by the amazing Beth Moore.  If you've never experienced a Beth Moore study may I suggest that you do so ASAP!  Her studies have been life changing for this life-long Christian girl!

Sybil has dedicated a blog post to a recap of our study and asked Tiffany and I to contribute!  Check it out at Sybil's blog here.

Love you all!

I Thessalonians 5:16-18 - PRAY CONTINUALLY (Part 2)

"Be joyful ALWAYS.; 

pray CONTINUALLY; 

give THANKS in ALL circumstances, 

for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Last week I wrote about the first three words of this verse - "be joyful always." How did that go for you? What did you choose to find joy in? I hope you continue to find joy in the best and worst and most normal of time. It's God's will for you that you are joyful!

Today we're talking about praying continually. To some people, prayer is a foreign thing; to some it's scary. I've known people that think their prayers aren't heard, that they just talk to a wall or ceiling. I've know Christians that are afraid to pray because it won't be "good enough." Prayers can be short or long; on your knees, aloud, or in your heart; it can be a shout to God, it can be a cry for help. Prayer is about talking and about listening.

The simple fact is - prayer is a conversation.

For me, prayer is an ongoing conversation throughout my day with my King, Protector, Comforter, Creator, and Shepard. I need God in so many different ways, depending on the day and sometimes my prayers start by calling Him by the name I need him. "Jesus, my King, I am in awe of your blessing...", "My Comforter and Protector, I need your now as I am afraid", "Savior, like a Shepard, lead me!" I ask God for what I need in my prayers, I tell him why I am afraid and how I don't want to be, I share with God my hopes and dreams, I ask Him for strength on the tough days, and I seek His will and plan for my life when I may be lost. I thank God for blessings, big and small, I pray for those in need of healing or grace, I pray for my marriage that it would grow and flourish into what God intended it to be, I pray for my son that he would grow big and strong and come to know Jesus. My prayers are asking, telling, listening, begging, seeking, thanking, praising. 

Prayers are active, ongoing, conversations with God.

In her book, The Power of a Praying Woman, Stormie Omartian writes, 

“The battle for our lives, and the lives and souls of our children, our husbands, our friends, our families, our neighbors, and our nation is waged on our knees. When we don't pray, it's like sitting on the sidelines watching those we love and care about scrambling through a war zone, getting shot at from every angle. When we do pray, however, we're in the battle alongside them, approaching God's power on their behalf. If we also declare the Wordog God in our prayers, then we wield a powerful weapon against which no enemy can prevail.” 

If we're not praying for the loved ones in our lives, who is? If we're not praying for the salvation of our friends and neighbors, who is? Who is covering them in prayer and protection? There is an enemy among us who will do anything to devour our souls, to ruin our lives, and to stop anything and anyone from praising the name of Jesus or growing in Him. If we are not praying against Him, who is? There is POWER in the prayer. Never doubt what God can do and how much he loves to have a conversation with you.

Pray continually... this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

God Thing

You know those times when something happens and you know it is a God thing. It could be an event you needed at a particular moment to boost your spirit or an old friend coming to visit you at a down time in your life. I absolutely love those moments. For me those moments are even more proof that God is living with us and helping us.

For example, I was at church today and the youth pastor asked me if I would like to sponsor an event with the youth. It is a three day trip they always go on and I went on while I was in the youth ministry. I have always dreamed of being a sponsor for this event and have been thinking a lot about it recently. So today when the pastor asked if I wanted to help out I knew it was a God Thing and I was/am super excited to be His disciple in this way!

Have you ever had these moments when you knew that God was speaking to you or helping you on your path? I call these moments "God Things" because it is something that happens that I don't fully understand but I know that He does:]

DIY monogram wedding favor tags

 

First design you monogram on any program that you have. I used photoshop.

The font I used was Janda Celebration Script. The P is size 110 and the J&K is size 50.

The date is font Vijaya in size 30.

 

After you design your monogram and date then print them out on cardstock in the color of you choice. I chose ivory for these.

 

 

 I then cut out each monogram in a rectangle around them so that the tag punch would fit.

This tag punch is from Michaels. It is the Recollections 2 3/16in.

It was $9.99 and I used a 40% off coupon.

 

 

 

  Take your tag punch and turn it upside down in your right hand and then take you monogram already cut into a rectangle and place the rectangle with monogram facing you so you are able to see where the punch will cut. Then squeeze your right hand and punch it out.

Then take a regular hole punch and put a little hole for hanging/tying to the favor of your choice.
 

 

And.... this is how they turn out!

 

Next Tuesday I'll be sharing what I used them on!

 

 

Jesus HAS conquered it all

1 Thessalonians 5:16 - Part 1: Be Joyful Always

A few little verses in 1 Thessalonians have been speaking to me lately and I wanted to share them with you. It's about three very simple things, yet we can sometimes make these actions so complex and so tough to do. So I'm breaking them down in three parts over the next 3 weeks. Let's dig into what God's Word has for us!

"Be joyful ALWAYS.; 

pray CONTINUALLY; 

give THANKS in ALL circumstances, 

for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

To be joyful is to feel great happiness or delight. The Bible is filled with verses about being joyful, singing joyful songs, and tells us when to be joyful. Nehemiah 8:10 says "the joy of the Lord is my strength" and to be "joyful in hope" (Romans 12:12). What causes you to be joyful? Family, friends, kids, wealth, traditions, holidays, your job? How about your spiritual growth? Or your kids learning Bible verses?  What brings you joy? Is it worldly things or eternal truths?

What causes you not to be joyful? Do you find yourself unhappy, grumpy, complaining more than you are joyful? Not only does this verse tell us to be joyful... but it tells us to be joyful ALWAYS. That's a hard one. Because we all have tough stuff going on and it's hard to be happy and joyful when we're unsure about our job situation or where the money for Christmas is going to come from. It's hard to be joyful when you're arguing with your husband or frustrated with your kids. But true joy, comes from the Lord, and will help you persevere through those tough situations. James 1:2-4 says, "Consider it pure JOY, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds." Why should we be grateful and joyful to face trials? Because we know that when our faith is tested it will be a chance to develop perseverance within us. And by facing trials with joy and seeking God's will, we will develop and grow in spiritual character.

Always. That's a hard one. But consider this a testing of your faith, like James described. If we choose to be joyful always, God sees favor in that. Because we are doing what He has commanded of us. The last part of the 1 Thessalonians verse says, "for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." God's will is that we are always joyful. So find joy in the little things this week. Find joy in the drive to work by listening to worship music or talking out loud to God. Find joy in the errands you have to run with your kids. Make it fun and joyful, thank God for you children, for your car, for the money you have to buy groceries. Find joy when your husbands asks something of you because it give you a chance to show him how much you respect and love him.

Be joyful always.

Easy Mozzarella Stick Recipe

 

I was needing a new snack for my kids and hubby and quick!

They were hungry and I was in the middle of cleaning so I whipped these up in just a few minutes just to hold them over until dinner.

 

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 package of mozzarella cheese sticks

1 package of egg roll wrappers

garlic salt

garlic powder

marinara sauce

olive oil

skillet

1.  Heat up olive oil in skillet

2.  Roll up one cheese stick in one egg roll wrapper. After you roll 2 times then fold ends in and roll the rest up.

3. Fry in oil. Keep turning as each side browns and sprinkle with garlic salt and powder.

4. Place on a napkin to drain oil.

 5. Serve HOT with HOT marinara! Yum!