TEC Woman's Retreat
This weekend I had the fabulous opportunity to spend some super quality time with a few of my best girlfriends! TEC's Woman's Retreat was held at the gorgeous Brookwoods Conference Center nestled in Alton Bay, NH.
The theme for the weekend was "Fountains of Living Water". Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters. Isaiah 55:1
Our lovely speaker was Carrie Kittinger, the daughter of TEC's own Pastor of Women's Ministry Lura Mineau. Carrie taught for 4 sessions about refreshing, renewal, joy and our words. We had wonderful music, and some ministry opportunites to pray with each other too.
The weekend had it's times of laughter too! We had Lorene and Wendy to keep us in stitches with our "Wheel of Wow". Each of us got to spin the Wheel of Wow and try to figure out which of 3 statements about one of the other women at the conference was NOT true. We all got to learn a bit more of each other!
I had the fun of doing a skit on opening night! I had to play a unsavory street vendor, selling Plots and Plans, Schemes and Scams. I was able to pull from my childhood memories of going shopping with my mom on Saturday mornings to Haymarket Square. The streets and sidewalks were filled with pushcart vendors calling out their wares. What a surprise to some of my friends by being able to pull off my best Boston accent, and add a lot of attitude!
It was a blast!
Our small group gals were all roommates. We had the hangout room, at least Friday night! Saturday night we were all wiped out! I am SO looking forward to our conference next year!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Completely Preserved!
I read this familiar verse earlier this week in my quiet time:
1 Thess 5:23,24
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.
What a comforting and quieting verse that is to my heart!
That the God of Peace sanctifies me, and does it entirely. Spirit, soul and body.
What a faithful Father! I live for my God, and He has me covered!
I don't have to worry when I stand before the Lord if I will come up short. He has lovingly and faithfully guided me and corrected me, and cleaned me up again and again through this life. He will be there to welcome me home, paid in full!
I have a note written on the back of one of my notebooks, It reads: Legalism is reducing the law of God to what can be kept with out grace.
When I rely on myself for sanctification I am like the man on the old variety show spinning plates on a pole. I may be able to keep a few going for a bit, but as I see more areas that need attention, (and a faithful and patient God will point them out! Not in accusation, but to teach a lesson, that I need Him!) pretty soon things come crashing down, and I am frustrated and discouraged in my christian walk. Then like a child with a knotted up jump rope, I come back to my Father, hold up my tangled mess, and He straightens me out again, and reminds me of 1 Thessalonians 5:24, Faithful is He who calls me, and He also will bring it to pass.
1 Thess 5:23,24
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.
What a comforting and quieting verse that is to my heart!
That the God of Peace sanctifies me, and does it entirely. Spirit, soul and body.
What a faithful Father! I live for my God, and He has me covered!
I don't have to worry when I stand before the Lord if I will come up short. He has lovingly and faithfully guided me and corrected me, and cleaned me up again and again through this life. He will be there to welcome me home, paid in full!
I have a note written on the back of one of my notebooks, It reads: Legalism is reducing the law of God to what can be kept with out grace.
When I rely on myself for sanctification I am like the man on the old variety show spinning plates on a pole. I may be able to keep a few going for a bit, but as I see more areas that need attention, (and a faithful and patient God will point them out! Not in accusation, but to teach a lesson, that I need Him!) pretty soon things come crashing down, and I am frustrated and discouraged in my christian walk. Then like a child with a knotted up jump rope, I come back to my Father, hold up my tangled mess, and He straightens me out again, and reminds me of 1 Thessalonians 5:24, Faithful is He who calls me, and He also will bring it to pass.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Sing What You Mean!
My Worship Pastor called me in her office this afternoon and handed me a CD,
a Music Book and a mission: Sing this song for special music Sunday.
OK, I am a soloist and member of the praise team, so I sing on occasion what I call
"assigned" music. Generally, I get to choose something that I have been
working on myself. You know, the songs that you hear and really move your
spirit and you can't wait to sing them to someone else?
The song she asked me to sing is a real fun song, called "It's Alright" It has a
gospel style rhythm, (just what I like!) So, this afternoon I am looking over the
words. I like to meditate on the message of a song even before I start the vocals.
The first verse reads, "When I wake up in the morning, there's a smile on my face,
and with joy down in my heart..." Second verse starts, "If you ask me why I am so happy..."
I am thinking to myself, "Girl, you are going to be singing those words Sunday morning?"
Sunday mornings in a house of 7 people trying to get ready to get out the door is not the
most harmonious day of the week! Usually, some how during the night, the clothes that were laid out for the next morning have permanent wrinkles, mystery stains or have disappeared altogether. The competition for the bathroom, ("I HAVE TO BE AT FIRST SERVICE!!!") and running out of dry towels (I knew there was something else I was supposed to do Saturday afternoon!)
That is the morning that the cat decided to spit up a hair ball on the wool rug in the living room, and you know that because it just squished under your foot. Someone left the interior light on in the van so the battery is dead.
I am going to be singing about waking up happy and smiling? Maybe before my feet touch the floor. But I will have to look at my family's faces when I sing those words. Will their reaction be "Oh, was that what you call the 'where are the van keys, we are going to be late, why doesn't anyone put things back where they belong ' rant!" Ouch! That may be a stretch for me.
So I will focus on the word JOY. Thankfully, joy is a Fruit of the Spirit. When chaos is all around, I can still have joy in my heart. I certainly will be more focused this Sunday morning, and more consciencious Saturday evening!
In fact, I am going to go look for that other shoe right now...
a Music Book and a mission: Sing this song for special music Sunday.
OK, I am a soloist and member of the praise team, so I sing on occasion what I call
"assigned" music. Generally, I get to choose something that I have been
working on myself. You know, the songs that you hear and really move your
spirit and you can't wait to sing them to someone else?
The song she asked me to sing is a real fun song, called "It's Alright" It has a
gospel style rhythm, (just what I like!) So, this afternoon I am looking over the
words. I like to meditate on the message of a song even before I start the vocals.
The first verse reads, "When I wake up in the morning, there's a smile on my face,
and with joy down in my heart..." Second verse starts, "If you ask me why I am so happy..."
I am thinking to myself, "Girl, you are going to be singing those words Sunday morning?"
Sunday mornings in a house of 7 people trying to get ready to get out the door is not the
most harmonious day of the week! Usually, some how during the night, the clothes that were laid out for the next morning have permanent wrinkles, mystery stains or have disappeared altogether. The competition for the bathroom, ("I HAVE TO BE AT FIRST SERVICE!!!") and running out of dry towels (I knew there was something else I was supposed to do Saturday afternoon!)
That is the morning that the cat decided to spit up a hair ball on the wool rug in the living room, and you know that because it just squished under your foot. Someone left the interior light on in the van so the battery is dead.
I am going to be singing about waking up happy and smiling? Maybe before my feet touch the floor. But I will have to look at my family's faces when I sing those words. Will their reaction be "Oh, was that what you call the 'where are the van keys, we are going to be late, why doesn't anyone put things back where they belong ' rant!" Ouch! That may be a stretch for me.
So I will focus on the word JOY. Thankfully, joy is a Fruit of the Spirit. When chaos is all around, I can still have joy in my heart. I certainly will be more focused this Sunday morning, and more consciencious Saturday evening!
In fact, I am going to go look for that other shoe right now...
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