Tag: Karol Ladd

Colossians Connection

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Positive Woman Connection

“Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”  Hebrews 10:24

This week we started our new season of Positive Woman Connection.  I love PWC, because it is a place for us to join together as women not only to encourage one another, but also to study God’s word together. This year we are studying the book of Colossians, and what a powerful book it is!  If I were to describe the book of Colossians using three words, I would say it is about Christ, Confidence and Community. We learned this past week about the importance of knowing what we believe and the basis for our worldview.  My personal worldview is based on the foundation of the Bible. What about you? I believe the Bible is the inerrant word of God and that it gives us the basis of understanding who God is and what our purpose is in this world. Most importantly, the Bible reveals who Christ is and why God sent Him.

Colossians teaches us specific truths about Christ. In fact, theologians agree that it is one of the foremost books on Christology.  Here’s a how Paul described the majesty of Christ in Colossians, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”

What a wonderful God we serve! He has rescued us and given us a new life because of what Christ did for us on the cross. I want to encourage you to study Colossians for yourself, and if you live in the Dallas area, join us for one of the Positive Woman Connection Bible studies – or start your own in your city.  We meet at Prestonwood Country Club in north Dallas on the 4th Tuesday of the month and in Allen at Cottonwood Creek Church on the 4th Wednesday of the month.  For more information go to www.roaringlambsministries.org.   Hope to see you October 26 or 27 at PWC.

Feeling Frazzled?

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Is your day turning out a little different than you planned?  Maybe your life is going a different direction than you thought it would. God can use the twists and turns in our life to lead us on a new journey. He may have a greater, eternal purpose that we cannot understand right now, and we may not comprehend it until we see Jesus face to face. The question is, are we willing to recognize God has a design for our lives that may be more beautiful than we can imagine, or will we settle for discouragement, bitterness, and frustration?

Hope in God can turn disappointments into appointments to trust God. As the psalmist said in the midst of his sadness, “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” We can find great encouragement from reading the words of the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah, who is known as the “weeping prophet.” Can you believe that? Encouragement from the weeping prophet! But I think you will be encouraged too. As Jeremiah grieved over the destruction of Jerusalem, he turned his eyes toward the day-to-day faithfulness of the Lord. Notice how Jeremiah’s discouragement turns into words of hope:

 The thought of my suffering and homelessness
 is bitter beyond words.

I will never forget this awful time,
 as I grieve over my loss.

Yet I still dare to hope
 when I remember this:

The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
 His mercies never cease.

Great is his faithfulness;
 his mercies begin afresh each morning.

I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance;
 therefore, I will hope in him!”

The Lord is good to those who depend on him,
 to those who search for him.

So it is good to wait quietly
 for salvation from the Lord.”  Lamentations 3:19 – 24

Will you dare to hope as Jeremiah did? As he grieved his loss, he also declared, “The faithful love of the Lord never ends!” Yes, His mercy is new and fresh each morning. My friend, as you walk this new and different road, seek God’s goodness and mercy along the way. Cry out to him for help, and trust his faithfulness to get you through one day at a time. Not one of us has been guaranteed a perfectly happy life. The Bible reminds us, “The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.” Psalm 34

See you Sept 22 in Allen at Cottonwood Creek Baptist at 12:00. or Sept 28 at Prestonwood Country Club 12:00.

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.