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How Does God Want To Use Me?

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“As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Colossians 3:12

 

Perhaps  you have asked the question, “What can I do? How can God use me?” This month at PWC we are going to be learning about a woman in the Bible who came to a decision point in her life. Instead of choosing the easy road, she chose to reach out of her comfort zone and reach into someone else’s life with compassion and kindness. There are many lessons we can glean from the life of Ruth.  God has a beautiful plan for each of us to use our gifts and talents for His glory. I look forward to seeing you this month, as we talk about wonderful ways God can use each of us. See you at one of our three DFW locations!  

 

Mid-cities

Fri, March 22  12:00 – 1:00

Stacy’s Furniture – 3rd floor community room

(Main street in Grapevine)

New!!! Buffet lunch from Cliffs. $15

Be sure to RSVP: acreativeshop@aol.com

For more info contact: debbiebeavers@gmail.com

gigi.falstrom@gmail.com

 

 

North Dallas

Tues, March 26 12:00 – 1:00

Prestonwood Country Club

(Preston Road just north of Arapaho)

Buffet lunch $20

RSVP: Donna Skell 972-380-0123

dskell@RoaringLambsMinisteries.org

 

Allen

Wed, March 27  12:00 – 1:00

Cottonwood Creek Church

(Hwy 121 and Stacy Road)

Bring your own lunch or Jason’s deli

Contact Sandy: 972-359-7777 x2028

Prowant@cottonwoodcreek.org

 

 

                        To learn more about PWC go to:

www.PositiveWomanConnection.me

What Can I Do?

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This month at PWC we will be studying the story of Ruth and her willingness to reach out beyond her comfort zone to touch the lives of others. Ultimately we want to ask ourselves, “What can I do to reach out and touch others?” I thought the following excerpt from Henri Nouwen’s Bread for the Journey offers a wonderful reminder that we can’t solve all the world’s problems, but we can do something.

Our Unique Call

“So many terrible things happen every day that we start wondering whether the few things we do ourselves make any sense. When people are starving only a few thousand miles away, when wars are raging close to our borders, when countless people in our cities have no homes to live in, our own activities look futile. Such considerations, however, can paralyze and depress us.

“Here the word ‘call’ becomes important. We are not called to save the world, solve all problems, and help all people. But each of us has our own unique call, in our families, in our work, in our world.  We have to keep asking God to help us see  clearly what our call is and to give us the strength to live out that call with trust. Then we will discover that our faithfulness to a small task is the most healing response to the illnesses of our time.”   – Nouwen

 

…So we must ask, what is my call? I encourage you to consider the gifts and talents God has given you and pray for direction as to how you can use them to reach out and help others.  And yes, that may mean stepping out of your comfort zone.

One thing each of us can do is pray. This month, I want to encourage you to pray for the missionaries in Asia. Go to www.gfa.org/women  to learn more about women who are serving Christ in Asia.

Make plans to join us at Positive Women Connection. 

 

 

North Dallas

Tues, March 26 12:00 – 1:00

Prestonwood Country Club

(Preston Road just north of Arapaho)

Buffet lunch $20

RSVP: Donna Skell 972-380-0123

dskell@RoaringLambsMinisteries.org

 

Allen

Wed, March 27  12:00 – 1:00

Cottonwood Creek Church

(Hwy 121 and Stacy Road)

Bring your own lunch or Jason’s deli

Contact Sandy: 972-359-7777 x2028

Prowant@cottonwoodcreek.org

 

Mid-cities

Fri, March 22  12:00 – 1:00

Stacy’s Furniture – 3rd floor community room

(Main street in Grapevine)

Bring your lunch or order from Cliffs restaurant (817-416-0608)

debbiebeavers@gmail.com

gigi.falstrom@gmail.com

 

                        To learn more about PWC go to:

www.PositiveWomanConnection.me

Do Not Be Afraid

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Our devotional this week comes from Gigi Falstrom.  I believe it is well-timed in light of the tragedy we are seeing in Japan, and the fear that it stirs in many people’s hearts. I hope you find comfort in Gigi’s words of hope.

DEAD FROM DREAD

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” 

(Joshua 1:9 )

That word “DREAD” is so close to the word “DEAD.” If we live in FEAR and DREAD, we are DEAD, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. We become immobilized, unable to think rationally or creatively. We become stuck, unable to make decisions or take needed action. And that is not living, especially the full life God has planned for us.

So, when our situation looks dismal and choices seem limited, where do we go? It’s easy to just sit around ringing our hands and repeating, “woe is me.” And we’ll get lots of worldly advice and sympathy. But is that what we want? Do we need more encouragement to feel sorry for ourselves and continue to flounder? NO, we have options. 

Christians do not have to fear and dread what others may do to us or what might happen in our lives. We have hope in our Lord. Through the centuries he has proven himself faithful to believers. Think about Job, Moses, and the other “heroes of faith” honored in Hebrews 11. Remember Christ as he walked down the Via Dolorosa to Calvary and was nailed to that cross.

In Psalm 34:4 , the psalmist says, “I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.” Even Sir Winston Churchhill told us that “we have nothing to fear but fear itself.”

Freedom is available as soon as we surrender and let Christ forgive us, guide us, protect us and love us? Why then is fear and dread holding us back, keeping us from living the full life God has provided?

Gracious, loving Heavenly Father, we come to you asking to be enliven in our faith, belief and actions. We’re dead and ineffective to you because we have allowed fear to replace faith. We want to be faithful servants and witnesses who, by our example, bring you glory as others see us strong, creative, loving, joyful and faithful because of your presence in our lives. We want the world to see us as Positive Christian Women, alive through Christ.

Georgeanne, AKA Gigi, Falstrom lives in Irving, TX with her husband, Jim and two Wire Fox Terriers, Krissi and Kramer. She has one living son and three beautiful grandchildren. God called her to write devotions and inspirational messages thirty years ago as he demonstrated the true meaning of his grace, love, compassion and power in her life.

Our lesson this month at PWC is “Tools for the Times – Experiencing Peace through Difficulties.”  See you soon.  North Dallas:  Tuesday, March 22  12:00 – 1:00 Prestonwood Country Club,

 RSVP: dskell@roaringlambsministries.org

Allen:  Wednesday, March 29 12:00 – 1:00 Cottonwood Creek

RSVP: prowant@cottonwoodcreek.org

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Hello wonderful PWC ladies. Today we are featuring another devotional written by one of our ladies. Her name is Carmyn Sparks and you can read her bio at the end of this blog. I’m thankful for the gifts and talents you all are sharing through PWC. Remember to RSVP for the upcoming PWC luncheons on February 22 (Prestonwood Country Club) and 23 (Cottonwood Creek church in Allen).

 Here’s Carmyn’s devotional: 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love, and a sound mind.”

 What is the root of fear?

Amy Carmichael says “when we are downhearted or fearful or weak, we are saying by the way of our fear and timidity, ‘After all, the Lord can’t be absolutely trusted.’”

Does God send this spirit of fear?

And if He does not send it to me, where does it come from?

 I can will to will to will to choose by my glorious God ordained freedom to refuse it! How can that be?

 I have a Savior who willingly gave His life for me that I might receive “everything (not just some but all)” pertaining to life (my outer physical needs) and to godliness (my inner spiritual needs)!

The One who redeemed me, created me. The One who created me knows me inside and outside! His Father in heaven is my Father in heaven!

 My Father has never once failed Christ…..He will never fail me. He loved and led and guarded Christ all the days of His life on earth…..God has loved, and led, and guarded me all the 62 years of my life.

Is God unchanging, does His faithfulness fail when I am fearful? My answer determines my trust.

Yes, God has, God is and God will continue to love and lead and guard me all the days of my life.

Holy Spirit, I look to you now and pray from this foreboding shadow of fear that covers my mind for Your power within to set me free.

The reality of this shadow is the Presence of God’s light.

I unquestionably believe Your Word.

 I choose to submit my fears to the Son and courageously resist this fear of darkness believing it must be swift to flee at the sound of Your Word.

Fill me now with a spirit of power, of love and a sound mind to discern the Truth of God’s Word.

Grant me courage and grip my heart with the perfect love that drives out fear. Can I trust God today?

Yes, I absolutely Trust God, therefore, I have no shadow of doubt that I now can emerge from this darkness of fear.

May I be a light to dispel others’ fears wherever I go today as You go with me.

Copyright ©2011 Carmyn Sparks

Carmyn Sparks has been involved in women’s ministry for 30 years teaching church and home bible studies; speaking at retreats and seminars; and leading discipleship classes. She has served with Search Ministries; worked with Community Hospice of Texas serving on the advisory board as well as facilitating hospice training programs. Her heart’s passion is to share the redeeming grace and mercy of God’s transforming love for others no matter their past or present stories. She has published serveral poetic works in various anthologies by the International Library of Poetry. Carmyn lives in Fort Worth, TX with her husband of 40 years, Hal. They have three married daughters and six grandchildren. Her life’s message is Jude 21 “Stay always within the boundaries of God’s love where He can reach and bless you” in order that His Son, Jesus Christ be glorified.

Before, During, After

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Last week at Positive Woman Connection, I asked our members to consider contributing a devotional for our blog in order to encourage one another. Several of you have submitted devotionals.  Here is our first submission by my friend, Lola Moret.  I like her style of writing about before, during and after she came to know Christ.  She calls it BDA. Here’s what she wrote.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:The old has gone, the new is here!”   II Corinthians 5:17

 

Before:

When I was a toddler we did not go to church but my mother would talk to me about God.  I did not like Him.  She would wag her finger in my face and growl, “God will punish you”.  My brother and I were too familiar with being punished.  God was just another authority figure whose job it was to hurt me.  Look at what he arranged for his own son. During this time I kept a big list of promises to my future children in my heart.  God certainly was not in the promises.

During:
All I wanted to do was to grow up, get out of town, land a good job and find a nice husband. Check, check, check, check…asked and answered. My husband and I tried church for awhile, but not for long. Problems resurfaced for me when I had my sons.  I knew I was not going to beat them, but I did not know much else.  I felt afraid, overwhelmed, stressed and frustrated about parenting. When the boys were old enough to start pre school, I “decided” to send them to a Christian preschool. I laugh because I thought it was my idea, but now I can see clearly that God started to make me aware that he took care of me all those years even though I ignored and even scoffed at Him. 
The transformation was not instant  On the first day of school the pastor’s wife invited me to Bible Study and I wanted to run away fast.  Instead, God started me on a new plan had me say “yes”. I could not believe I said that!!  I squirmed and eye rolled through a lot of Bible Studies at that little preschool, trying to figure out how to quit.  Eventually I realized that I felt good when I was with the Christian women, I felt safe with them, there was peace that I never felt before.

After:

Eventually, some truths started to penetrate my stubborn head such as:  God is good and the sacrifice of Jesus was for my salvation, not some cruel murder planned by an evil father. Even though I misunderstood and avoided God for years, He welcomed me back with the same love that He would have given me if I never strayed.
Praise God for His infinite love and patience.

Lola Moret has lived in Dallas on and off for 20 years and is the mother of three grown sons.  She is joyfully following the Lord’s will for her life and co-leads a Bible Study at  Bent Tree Bible Fellowship. She is also an ecology artist at heart and enjoys creating a wide variety of items from repurposed materials.