Build Up One Another

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Hello Friends,

Mark your calendars now for Sept 22 or Sept 28 as we start up a new season with PWC.  We will meet on Wed, Sept 22 in our Allen location at Cottonwood Creek at 12:00 – 1:00.  In north Dallas we will meet on Sept 28 at Prestonwood country Club.  We are beginning the study of the book of Colossians.  I’m so excited about this powerful book as we learn about Christ and His love for us.  See you soon. 

Here’s a devotional for you!

September 12 is National Day of Encouragement!

 Everyone could use a hearty dose of encouragement. Kids coming home from school need it.  Busy moms and dads could certainly be strengthened by it. Even grandparents and single adults need a good word now and then.  The word “encourage” means to give strength. The root word “cor” comes from the Latin word “heart.”  When we sincerely encourage someone we give strength to their heart, and we ourselves are uplifted in the process.

Encouragement must be sincere and specific. Don’t just say, “You’re great!”  Instead, honor others by telling them exactly what you appreciate about them.  “You are always thinking of others, I really like that about you.”  Even more specifically you could say, “I noticed your kindness to the person in the checkout line today, I really appreciate the way you care about other people’s needs.” 

Here are some starters:

  • You sure know a lot about…
  • I’m thankful for the way you…
  • I noticed how you…
  • Thank you for …..
  • You amaze me by the way you….
  • I was just thinking how you…

 

Creative ways to encourage (beyond text and email) include:

  • Use erasable markers to write a message on someone’s mirror or window.
  • Place fun, colorful note cards with an uplifting message in the car or lunch bag or briefcase.
  • Wrap a note of encouragement around a favorite candy bar.
  • One flower with a note attached does wonders for any woman.
  • Write a note and stick it on a balloon.
  • Take the time to send a card through the mail.
  • Pick up the phone and call someone just to encourage them.
  • Leave a message of encouragement on the answering machine if they are not there.
  • Put a little note of encouragement in a small box, with a bow on top.
  • Give a cute and inexpensive frame and put a message along with a picture in it.

 

Never miss an opportunity to give a good word. And Certainly don’t miss your opportunity to celebrate the National Day of Encouragement.  A good word cost so little, yet the rewards are long lasting.

See God’s Provision

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 Hello Friends.  I’m so excited that we will be starting the study of Colossians in September.  The title for this year’s study is “Positively Radiant,” and we will be learning specifically about the secret to living a confident life.  If you live near Allen, Texas we will be meeting on Wednesday, Sept 22 at Cottonwood Creek Baptist Church (12:00 – 1:00).  In north Dallas we will be meeting at Prestonwood Country Club on Tuesday Sept 28 from 12 – 1.  I hope you will join us at one of these locations for fun, food, fellowship and most importantly learning from God’s word.

Here’s a little devotional thought from my Thrive book.

His Mercies are New Every Morning

What has God provided for you? It’s easy to focus on our problems and forget to look for the provisions God has given us all along the way. It may be a helping hand or listening ear of a friend. It may be another day of health or the opportunity to visit with a family member. It may be a physical provision of some sort.  We can give thanks everyday for God’s presence and peace. We can also thank God everyday  for the mercy He shows us, and the forgiveness of sins through Jesus.

The Bible reminds us that God is our Keeper and our Provider. The apostle Paul while imprisoned in Rome said, “God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

Let’s open our eyes to the care God is giving us. We can begin by turning our eyes toward what we can be grateful for and turning our focus away from on all that is awful. Consider keeping a “Thank you, God” journal as you walk your road of disappointment. Each day write down at least one provision God has given you, and thank him for it. It may be as simple as God’s provision of food for that day or a roof over your head or a friend who called to ask you how you are doing.

Giving thanks ought to be a continual practice in our lives when things are going well, and when things stink. Even in our most difficult days, there is at least something (even if it is small) for which we can be thankful. Putting an entry into a “Thank you, God” journal every day helps us slowly turn from our sadness and begin to see possibilities. It forces us to observe what God has done and find reassurance of what he can do.

A PWC member, Denise Waters, felt compelled to write down at least five things she was thankful for every day. This attitude of gratitude so transformed her life and her way of thinking that she even created a guided journal called Give Thanks 5 A Day, which has a place each day to write down five things for which you are grateful. Try the principles of giving thanks each day, and you will find it will begin to transform your thinking as well. Most importantly, it will help you open your eyes to God’s care and the way he is working in your life day by day.  I know you will experience a lift in your attitude and spirit.

Are You In a Rut?

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Join us at Positive Woman Connection. Donna Skell will be our speaker.

Tuesday, August 24 from 12 – 1 at Prestonwood Country Club.

Here are some thoughts about facing disappointments.

In a Rut

Are you stuck? I mean emotionally stuck, grieving or frustrated by the way things turned out. Getting stuck can happen to any of us, often without our even recognizing it. We may be traveling delightfully along life’s pathway, when—boom!—things change, and we must adjust. Often our emotions are still lingering in pain. When our heart sinks at the loss of a dream, we can be deeply saddened because things didn’t turn out as we thought they should or would. We can grope through a wide range of feelings such as frustration, disappointment, anger, and grief.

We must adequately face our grief, but we must also accept our new set of circumstances and move on. The challenging question is how do we move through grief and toward acceptance? Most of us have never taken a course in “How to Handle Disappointment.” We simply stumble through the emotions and pain, hoping to find joy once again. How do you know if you are stuck in a rut? Ask yourself the following questions:

  • Are your thoughts constantly consumed with your disappointment?
  • Do you continue to rehash the situation over and over again in conversations?
  • Are you holding a grudge against the person who hurt you?
  • Do you keep playing the if-only-this-hadn’t-happened scenario in your mind?
  • Are you savoring a poor-me mentality?
  • Do you repeatedly tell people who are trying to help you, “You just don’t know how hard my life is”? (Exception: if you are in an abusive situation, be honest. Get help and tell a counselor or friend how bad it is immediately.)

 

If you identified yourself in any of these statements, you may be stuck, but you can move forward. I know it has been hard and you must grieve over your loss, but there comes a time when you need to climb out of your sadness and grief and move on. Honestly, it is easy to wallow in a rut without recognizing it. Some people stay there because they like playing the victim role. Others enjoy the attention they get from their sad story. Many people stay in a rut simply because they don’t recognize they have fallen into it, and they haven’t thought about how to get out. They just don’t know how to take a first step toward happiness again. Yes, we must grieve our loss, and at a certain point we must move on.  Next week’s blog will talk about some steps to take in moving forward.

This blog entry comes from an excerpt of my book Thrive, Don’t Simply Survive – Passionately Live the Life you Didn’t Plan (Howard Books, Simon & Schuster)

Great Connections

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Booksigning at Lifeway in Austin

This weekend I participated in a book signing with three other wonderful authors, Carol Floch, Gail Showalter and Janet Davis.  It was a great opportunity to connect not only with a few customers, but with other authors and even with the Lifeway bookstores employees.  In fact, one of the girls I met there shared a little of her life story with me, and it actullay fits perfectly into a book which I am currently writing.  Great connections are a God thing. He puts us together in His own way and time and for His purpose.  Always be open to the surprising ways He connects people.

I’m thankful for my friendship with Carol Floch.  God connected us years ago as I used to teach school with Carol’s sister and served on a board with her dad. She is a dear sister in Christ and a gifted writer.  This weekend she signed her new book, The Single Mom’s Devotional: A Book of 52 Practical and Encouraging Devotions.  If you have any friends who are single moms, this is a perfect devotional book for them, but honestly it is great for every mom.  Carol even let me write the forward of the book.  I know it will be a great blessing to your friends.  Here’s a description of her book:

When Carol Floch realized that her marriage was about to end and that she was about to join the ranks of moms left to raise their children on their own, she could not stop crying. She mourned her shattered hopes and grieved the loss of the family she had always dreamed of. But mostly, she cried for her children. Into Carol’s grief, regret and fear, God’s Spirit came with a message from Psalm 84: “Build your nest near my altar, and I will be your children’s source of security, protection, provision and blessing. In The Single Mom’s Devotional, Carol tells her story and shares with the “sisterhood of single moms” how they can build their family’s “nest” in the protective shadow of God’s presence. Single mothers, whether on their own after a divorce or a husband’s death, will discover how to find true life in Christ and allow the strength of that inner life to be the compass by which they navigate an unpredictable future. Near God’s altar—the cross of Christ—is where single moms will discover life through relinquishment, power through dependence and hope through surrender. Anchored at the foot of the cross, readers will find daily security and hope as they nourish their souls and nurture their children at a place near God’s altar.

A Quiet Week

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The Dogs and me in Austin

“How rare it is to find a soul quiet enough to hear God speak!”  Francois Fenelon

This past week, I’ve been in Austin working on a book based on the book of Colossians.  I must admit I am overwhelmed by the treasures of truth we learn about Christ in this amazing book of the Bible. It’s been wonderful to be in the quietness of Austin, having time to think, pray,  contemplate and listen to the Creator’s voice.

I want to encourage you to take some quiet time to consider the facts about Christ which are laid out in Colossians.  I’ve written a few of them below.   Ponder what these attributes of Christ mean to you personally. In fact I would encourage you to prayerfully take one of these attributes each day and allow God to speak to your heart concerning Christ.  Let’s continually grow deeper still in our knowledge of Him.

  • He is the visible image of the invisible God.
  • He is the firstborn (supreme) over all creation.
  • By Him all things were created.
  • He existed before everything else began.
  • He holds all creation together.
  • He is the Head of the church.
  • He is the firstborn of all who will rise from the dead.
  • In everything He has the supremacy – He is supreme over all, the first in everything.
  • All God’s fullness dwelt in Him and through Him.

God reconciled all things through Christ, by making peace through His blood shed on the cross