Women of Grace | Grace Community Church

The Glass Half Full

 

A recent electrical storm did a number at our house in the country. In the week after the storm we kept discovering gadgets and appliances that had been destroyed by the lightening strike.

I was exasperated not only with the mounting financial cost but the time it was taking waiting on repairmen. After the third workman showed me scorch marks along with a melted phone jack,  I decided that I should begin measuring our "catastrophe" in a different way.

Queen of Good Intentions

 

I adjust my sash, straighten my crown...no, I'm not a beauty queen, but thanks for the boost to my ego.

 

Don't you recognize me? Surely you have seen me before, perhaps even in your very own mirror.

 

I, my dear friend, am the Queen of Good Intentions.

The Offering

 

Do you ever feel that all you have to offer God is a big, tangled mess?

 

 

Whether it is relationship conflict, family issues or financial failures, we all feel at times that the only thing we can do is crawl into God’s presence and lay the confusing jumble at His feet… and wait for a blast of harsh words in response.

Good Mom Vs. Loser Mom

 

Today I was a good mom. One of my three daughters wanted to have a bake sale. And, despite the fact that we live in a two street neighborhood with little potential for her to reap any financial reward for her efforts, and despite the fact that I had so many other things to do, and despite the fact that when one child wants to bake, all three want to bake and eight hands are four too many in the kitchen, I agreed. I was a good mom.

KNOWING THE FATHER

 

The little girl clung tightly to her mother as they entered the room. Her demeanor wasn’t like the other children who smiled and laughed. She was quiet and withdrawn and kept her head on her mother’s shoulder. She appeared to be about four years old and I assumed she was just bashful.

 

The Father's Eyes

 

 My oldest daughter loved to go to the mall when she was four.  As a social butterfly she liked to be around the crowds. She never met a stranger. She had no fear.

 

This also presented a problem. My daughter did not feel the need to stay with her parents. She could handle the excursion on her own and expected us to keep up.

Mentoring through friendship . . . you do it all the time

 

God is neither distant nor aloof. He is personal and relational, and He has clearly communicated that our relationship with Him cannot be separate or isolated from our relationships with other believers at all levels of maturity. His Word, in fact, describes our relationship with other believers as a body – one body with Him. These relationships are not an option. They are as essential as the air we breathe and the blood that courses through our veins.

 

Just another Pretty Face

 

Have you ever realized the things that we take for granted? I don’t mean things like we have more money and more food and more jobs than most of the world. I mean, little tiny things. Things like, your eyes open and close when you blink, or sleep. You can chew your food and give someone a huge smile. I know that sounds crazy, but just stick with me for a minute.

 

Happily Ever After?

Have you ever been truly gripped by fear, so paralyzed by panic that you literally felt crippled? Fear has a way of manifesting itself in many forms. Maybe for you it’s finances, your prodigal child, the uncertainty of your job, or a rocky relationship. For me, it is cancer. It’s just one of those words that I never planned to add to my resume. Then again, none of these things are, are they?

Happy Valentine's Day....Love, God

 

 The phone rang and I could hear the sobs in the young woman’s voice. She poured out her disappointment over a recent argument with her husband. 

 

“He just was not sensitive to my needs,” the newlywed cried.

 

I remembered the days of putting my own husband to such a high standard that he was doomed to failure. He had to be Brad Pitt, Mr. Darcey and Jason Bourne all in one well dressed package.

 

Guilt is like

reflux.

 

It just keeps coming back.

Whether guilty feelings are mild or seriously troubling,

they should not be ignored.

 

It is a potentially dangerous condition

that can damage your faith,

discourage your heart,

and delete your joy.

 

Take one capsule of sincere confession

each day

and

see your Great Physician for faithful treatment.

 

by Mary Rossman

 

Cleansing the Pain of False Guilt

 

I willl always believe that if the devil could steal just one truth from the church, it would be the foundational truth of repentance. And he has succeeded. God has given us a simple plan for repentance and cleansing the pain of our sin. Old Testament believers understood it. The first century church understood it. The Puritans understood it; but contemporary Christians have somehow lost this vital truth. Somewhere along the way we moved away from tearful repentance to dry-eyed confession of sin.

Thank You, Workers for LIFE

 

I met Leah Crawford on a sidewalk in downtown Tyler. She was taking part in a Stand for Life.  Her sign caught my eye and I had to hear her story.

THE STRANGER

A few years after I was born, my dad met a stranger who was new to our
small Texas town.  From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this
enchanting newcomer and soon invited him to live with our family. The
stranger was quickly accepted and was around from then on.

CHRISTMAS Light

 

This holiday season we are reminded at every turn that money is tight. The headlines scream about Wall Street tumbles and dives. My friends have all voiced plans for scaled back festivities and fewer gifts under the tree.

Christmas light is really a course correction.

I ponder the first Christmas and marvel at the irony of its incredible simplicity. A baby whose father owned the cattle on a thousand hills was a street child birthed in a stable. That is a beginning with which half of the world’s population can identify.

During a season that has boasted increasingly more extravagance through the ages I read in Luke 2 of Jesus being presented to God in the temple on the eighth day of his life. His parents offered a pair of common birds – the poor man’s offering instead of the preferred unblemished lamb. The son of God was indeed born into a humble, poor earthly family.

I am finding my own family’s trimmed budget actually freeing. Less shopping -- less shipping. The paradox, “less is more”, could not be truer. As we leave behind the focus on the material we can realize the opportunity of walking in the reality of the spiritual richness of the holiday season.

Merry Christmas Light!

 

by Rhodema Cargill

SHINE LIKE THE STARS

Have you ever thought how the stars are always shining overhead? We don’t see them during the light of day. But they are up there – never wavering.

A Taste of Missions - Columbian Coffee anyone?

by Betty O'Maker

For many of us, probably the most we know about Colombia is that they export beans that make a fine cup of coffee.  And for some of us, we might even remember the figure of Juan Valdez leading his trusty burro loaded down with bags of rich coffee beans from the Colombian hills. 

But as you sit drinking that heavenly nectar at Starbucks, or McDonalds, or in the comfort of your own home, do you ever think about the country of Colombia and its people?  Probably not.  If you're like me, you're probably in an early morning stupor, hoping the caffeine will kick in and finally get you motivated into motion so that you can make to work on time, or get the kids breakfast, pack their lunches, and get them off to school - or possibly all of the aforementioned. 

From the Mouth of Babes

I wasn’t ready to answer THE question. I was driving my seven year old daughter, Kristen, to school when a news story came on the radio. She asked, “What is abortion?”

I looked at her across the front seat of the car. Her feet didn’t touch the floor and her pony tails bobbed about as she twisted intently toward me. I wasn’t ready to answer this. But, I’d rather it came from me than someone at school.

Date Night Blessings

Remember date nights?  Those are the special evenings that you are supposed to reserve for your husband for time with just the two of you. For some of us they are monthly, weekly or non-existant.

Maybe it is time to reinstitute this special tradition. Last night in Bible study one young wife shared a tip that might kickstart date nights in your marriage or revitalize them.

A Sane Estimate

As this fabulous day marches on, I am struck by the fine line I walk between self doubt, or shall I even say it…self-hatred and on the other side of the line, an inflated opinion of my abilities. At times, I believe that I can do anything. Now this is not “the anything through Christ Jesus, who strengthens me”. No, this is the “you can do anything you want to do American dream anything” that my parents espoused. At other times, I am sure that I am not smart enough, pretty enough or talented enough to do even the very next thing. So what is that posture I should seek as someone who loves the Lord?

Disposable Cash

Would you throw away $8 billion?  Apparently that is how much Americans threw out in unused giftcards purchased in 2006.

I think believers do the same thing everyday – not drawing from the vast store of our inheritance in Christ. Consider the following prayer offered by Paul in Ephesians:

Matchmaker, Matchmaker

By Kimela Cargill

Ever heard the song “Matchmaker, Matchmaker”? It’s a popular song from the hit musical Fiddler on the Roof. Set in a time when good girls did not pick out their own husbands but rather left that to the matchmaker, three girls dream of a world when all their dreams will come true by getting the right man.

If you have ever the seen the movie you know that the matchmaker, Yente, is a very noisy old lady who has nothing better to do than try and make matches for young girls who are single. The way Yente presents life, it seem like relationships are the only thing worth living for. The girls make a plea in the song for the match maker to set them up with a young man.

Antique Sisterhood

by Rhodema Cargill

Sisterhoods aren't just for the young and they don't require a pair of pants to hold them together.

I've been blessed by an enduring friendship with two other women. We have gone through funerals, baby showers and weddings. We have buried parents and sadly one of our children. The baby showeres were for those late in life surprises. Mine was the first child to marry and I could not have done it without the sisterhood's decorating talents. 

THROWING A PARTY?

By Pat Smithdorff (Complement Archive)

Every woman loves a party! I'm throwing myself a huge one and inviting lots and lots of you...it's a pity party and I'll cry if I want to! It reminds me of a refrain from a childhood song: "Nobody likes me, everybody hates me, guess I'll eat some worms!"

Do you ever feel that way? I do. Do you think we are the only ones? Alone, hurting, confused, fearful. How have great women of the Bible responded when faced with similar feelings?

Beat the heat: Think Christmas in July/August

We received an email recently from some of our Grace Missionaries, Glenn and Kim Strauss who serve with Mercy Ships. I wanted to share this lovely letter of thanks with you.

"It’s July and we are here in Africa remembering that you will soon have your Christmas in July event. You all graciously allowed us to be on your “tree” last year and we wanted to express our thanks to everyone that gave to us so generously. Let me say that it was greatly appreciated, even more now that we have been able to use the gifts! We received a wonderful new suitcase for Glenn to use on our travels that is just the size we needed! We also received many DVDs. You should know that we have watched and re-watched our movies and have a couple of new favorites. Watching DVDs while in Africa does something to make us feel like we are at home. And we need that regularly! We also got Starbucks gift certificates!! Great for all the airports! What a treat!

Do You Have a Starbuck's Name?

By Rhodema Cargill

I love the whole coffeehouse scene. The aroma of the warm brew and baked goods hits you at the door. Voices rise and fall in quiet conversations, debates and laughter. The feel is electric.

I like going by myself, finding a table for one and opening my laptop. I don't want to talk to anyone -- just be part of the group as I check emails, surf the net and of course, write.

Coffeehouses provide camaraderie with distance. You can sit there for hours but nobody has to really know you.

BUSYNESS OR THE FATHER’S BUSINESS?

By Mary Rossman

God has set our days at twenty-four hours and called us to a day of rest every seventh. How are you doing with this?

Jesus, the wisest man that ever lived handled demands on his time seemingly without pressure. How he dealth with demands of people - lots of people -- gives us a clue to His priorities.

How did Jesus meet the demands of his life on earth?

WHAT IF

By Joan Hall

“Don’t bother fixing breakfast for me,” I told Mom as I dashed out the door, “I’ll grab something later.”

My parents were early risers and Dad was already busy tending to a small brood of young chickens. He raised them in an incubator and was looking forward to the time they were old enough to lay farm fresh eggs.

As I started to leave, I had a strong impression to go back inside to tell Dad that I loved him. However, I was in a hurry to leave for work and knew that I would see him that afternoon. I walked out the door without even saying goodbye.

Finding Papa

by Rhodema Cargill

My husband's Aunt Linda related the following story from the home front during World War II.

Linda pattered as fast as her short 3 year old legs could carry her while trying to keep up with her older sister. They ran to the wooden bridge at the corner which was as far as Mama said that they could go. Papa was coming home today. He was coming home from across the ocean -- from the big war on the other side of the world.

Mama had been cleaning the house for a week, although Linda could not remember a time that their home wasn't spotless. The two sisters, 6 year old Jessie and Linda, helped as they aired the feather beds and beat the rugs outside. Every square inch of their house was scrubbed, dusted and shining. It was ready for Papa.

Linda and her sister were also scrubbed and shining, dressed in their best dresses and the matching bows. Mama even walked to the dime store last week and bought them little American flags to wave while they waited for Papa.

Papa. That was the reason for all of the excitement and flurry of activity in their small frame house. Papa was also the problem.

Throwing Off the Shackles of Shame

by Mia Forehand

Imagine a prisoner on death row. The Governor grants him a pardon, but the prisoner won't leave his cell. He stands, paralyzed, with the cell door wide open, while the guard says, "You don't deserve to be a free man. You will always be guilty for what you have done. You will always be wretched and depised in the eyes of the world."

As believers, we have been granted freedom (2Cor. 7:10) and a new life (Rom. 6:5); instead of walking in the freedom we have received through Christ, many of us stand in our prison cells, paralyzed by shame.