Sunday, January 15, 2012

Job

Tonight's Girls Group we talked about Job!  


What can we learn from Job's life:
1. Sometimes Bad things happen (even to good people)
2.  Don't give up!
3.  Job praised God even when he had nothing.
4.  God is in control!
5.  We should appreciate the good and bad things in life
6.  We can learn and grow from difficulties in our lives!
7.  I know there are more.....

Here is the video I showed tonight! 








We also talked about being afraid!  I have to admit that fear is a struggle for at times!
Here are some of my favorite scriptures that talk about not being afraid.

Isaiah 41:13  For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you Do not fear I will help you.

Exodus 14:13  Moses answered the people Do not be afraid, stand firm, and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring.

Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and Courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you, He will never leave your nor forsake you.  

2 Timothy 2:10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

Hebrews 13:6 So we say with confidence, The Lord is my helper I will not be afraid.  What can mere mortals do to me?

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you,  Be strong and Courageous. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.



There are tons more... I can get you a list if you like! 

I can't even begin to imagine how rough Job had things, but I have felt pain and disappointment and wondered why me?  And almost every time I am reminded of Job's story and I know that I really don't have it so bad.  That God is in control and I will praise Him for the good and in the bad! 

Praying for you this week!  Don't forget to pray for your prayer partner! 

Have a Beautiful Day!
Christina

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Where is your Beauty coming from?

 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. 4 Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. 
1 Peter 3:3-4

The Bible tells us that our beauty, true beauty comes from what's inside not our outsides.  This passage isn't saying not to wear jewelry or braid your hair, instead it's saying what's inside counts so much more.  

Think about how much time you spend getting ready each day (hair, makeup, clothes, etc..) do you spend they same amount of time working on your inner beauty? (How do I work on my inner beauty you ask?)  

Our inner beauty comes from what is inside of us.  If you spend all of our time reading, looking at, listening to things that put us down or make us feel bad we will begin to believe those things to be true of ourselves.  But, if we spend our time looking at reading listening to things that grow us, or make us see who we truly are then we will grow our inner beauty.  

The best way I know how to do this is through God's word.  Throughout scripture we are reminder of who we are in Christ.  

I am a child of God and I belong to Him.
1 Peter 2:9 - But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
I am chosen by God
Ephesians 1:4 - For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight
I am never alone --- God will not leave me.
Hebrews 13:5 - Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

I am loved by God and nothing can separate me from His love

Romans 8:35-39 - Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.


So what's inside of you, will shine out!  That's True Beauty! Check out Mandisa Singing about True Beauty! 



Girls You are Loved, Thought of, & Prayed for!
Have a Beautiful Day!

Christina


Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Guarding Your Heart



Girls When I read this short devotion I knew I wanted to share it with you! It is so important for us to guard our hearts and our minds against the negative, the destructive, the unhealthy thoughts! I pray that this year will be a great year for you!  That you will be filled so much with God's love that it will overflow our of you into the lives of those around you!

Guarding Your Heart
 Proverbs 4:23 says to guard your heart "for it determines the course of your life" (NLT).
Think about that. Whatever's in your heart is eventually going to show up in your everyday life.

 Whatever's inside will eventually find its way out, where anyone and everyone can see it.

 That alone makes it extremely important to monitor the things we allow to shape our hearts. I don't want something nasty, sinful, and selfish finding its way out and damaging my relationships with others, and I doubt you do either.

 A large part of guarding your heart means learning how to control your thoughts, your words, your disposition and your general outlook.

 What you think usually comes out in what you say.
What you say affects how you feel, and that shows up in your overall attitude. In the course of everyday life, this is what determines how you handle your circumstances, whether you'll have peace or fall apart in a stressful situation. It governs how you respond to others, either with compassion and understanding or with judgment and arrogance, especially when you disagree with them!

 You can try and keep your inner thoughts from altering your words and attitudes, but I find it's much easier to have godly thoughts to begin with.

 Spend time in God's presence, and let the Holy Spirit fill your heart with His goodness.

 Prayer Starter: Lord, I only want my heart to be filled with thoughts and desires that are from You. As I spend more time in Your presence and focus solely on You, I know that my heart will change for the better, affecting the rest of my life in godly ways.

Know you are Loved, Thought of, & Prayed for! 
Have a Beautiful Day! 
Christina