Christmas cards to injured soldiers

Here is a wonderful idea...When you are making out your Christmas card list this year, please include the following:

A Recovering American soldier

c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center

6900 Georgia Avenue,NW

Washington,D.C. 20307-5001

October 12, 2007

Get Real
By Tracie Miles

"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory; which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."
2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV)

I was sitting in Sunday School listening to prayer requests being mentioned. Prayer needs varied - someone's neighbors were having marital problems; a co-worker was having a problem with her boss; a friend whose child was being rebellious; a family member's health issues. A few were personal requests such as an important decision about work, a scheduled surgery, and safe travels for vacation. All the prayer requests were valid and prayer-worthy, but I started to wonder if we were really being real with one another. Why were we not asking for prayers for our own struggles - our own marriage struggles, our own children, or our own challenges in living a Christ-like life?
I had many prayer requests on my heart that morning but instead of sharing them with my Christian friends, I kept them hidden in my heart. Part of me yearned for their prayers, but part of me also feared sharing my most personal issues and concerns with others. Instead of focusing on the truth that God would hear the prayers of these prayer warriors and divinely intervene in my life, I focused on my own insecurities, and the fear of being judged for circumstances in my life or the condition of my own heart. I finally realized we all needed to get real, and that by keeping our struggles to ourselves, we were denying each other the opportunity to be encouraged by hearing the triumphs over trials in other people's lives.
In today's society, we have a tendency to focus more on outward appearances than on the inward condition of our hearts. We may have a smile on our face on the outside; but on the inside, our heart is aching, and our soul is pleading for someone to care enough about us to speak with God on our behalf. Our hearts need to be in God-condition for us to be confident enough in our faith to allow us to solicit the prayers of others. In so doing, we glorify Christ through our lives. If we truly desire a character like Christ's, we must be willing to expose our weaknesses, shed our hypocrisy and stop pretending that our life is a bowl of cherries. God calls us to be transparent.
The Lord made it clear to Samuel that he did not care about what was on the outside. 1 Samuel 16:7 says, "But the LORD said to Samuel, 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.'" Samuel was in the process of determining which son of Jesse God wanted to become the king of Israel . Samuel was looking at the outside, instead of the inside condition of the heart.
When I am transparent, I allow people to see, pray for, and love the "real me." Being real and vulnerable helps me to be usable for God. Once my mask is removed God can use the "real me" to minister to others. Sharing about a restored marriage, about forgiving someone who betrayed you, about a repaired relationship, about spiritual healing from an abortion, or recovery from an addiction could be exactly what someone else needs to hear so that their life, and their heart, can be changed. If people think we "have it all together," they are less likely to share their struggles. This could close the doors God opens for us to minister to others so that we can help them remove their masks, as well.
By removing our own masks, we can be transformed into vessels for to God use to bring glory to His kingdom. Not only will people see the prayer needs in our lives, they will also see the transparency of a sinner being transformed by being real and praying to a faithful God.

Dear Lord, help me take off the masks I wear so that I can be real to others. Give me the strength to look past my own insecurities and fears, so that I can use my experiences to help others learn to see You working in their lives. Please bring people into my path that I can minister to by being a vessel for Your mighty work. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Do You Know Him?
Beautiful in God's Eyes by Elizabeth George
Reinventing Your Rainbow by Tracie Miles

Application Steps: Ask God to show you how you can minister to someone by sharing your victory over a difficult situation.

Reflections: Am I willing to be real with my friends and acquaintances? Am I more concerned with my outward appearance than the condition of my heart?

Power Verse: 2 Corinthians 3:16, "But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away." (NIV)

Off The Beaten Trek - Tony and Tracy Boyd

Well friends, the months continue to fly by. Our delay in writing is due to the hectic schedule we have had over the past few months with many new ministries developing around us and mentoring and relational ministry at every turn. It will be difficult to encapsulate all that God is doing in our midst in this email. We have just finished our MTW Area Retreat for Asia/Australia in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia . These meetings were followed by additional Australia Field Counsel Meetings. What an encouraging time for us spiritually as the Spirit really fed our hearts with a renewed sense of HOPE we have in the Gospel to transform our lives and accomplish His mission in this world. From Kuala Lumpur we traveled as a family to India where we have spent a few days of holiday while preparing for our first short-term team from Australia ....keep reading!
Our Big Announcement: But first, our announcement...we are expecting Baby #2 in early May 2008! Kathryn will be a big sister, which is very exciting for her because she LOVES babies, socializing, and needs a permanent playmate! We marvel at the miracle of God giving us another child and ask that you pray for both Tracy's and the Baby's health. So far, so good as Tracy has NOT experienced any sickness--which is another amazing miracle considering how sick Tracy became with her first pregnancy. Even now, as we are traveling, we have observed the powerful Hand of God protecting Tracy 's health in Malaysia and now India . PLEASE PRAY for God's continued protection over Tracy and the Baby's health while traveling. Please pray for little Kathryn too, as she is nearly 2 and many things still make their way into her mouth.
To India or Bust...with Aussies! We continue to see God weave our lives and hearts into the Aussie ministry context and are amazed at what an opportunity we have to both mentor some amazing young men and women from our church plant, and also influence the nations-both locally and globally. Since last writing, God has unfolded a wonderful opportunity to mentor and mobilize some of our young church leaders (all in their mid-20's) in their global ministry vision-particularly towards India! In fact, in a few days we will begin leading a team of 5 young professionals from Christ Community Church (CCC) on a Life Vision Trip to India-the first short-term team to be sent from CCC! In brief this is an opportunity for the team to experience a "real picture" of life & ministry in India including exposure to various facets of Indian daily life, culture & religion. We also want to help them begin to understand various contexts and methods of ministry in India by meeting with Christian workers in diverse ministries and locations. We will be spending time in Mumbai, Delhi , Dehra Dun & Mussorrie over the course of 12 days, networking broadly with many of our personal friends and ministry partners from India . Many Aussies we have met have expressed their interest in missions, but lack of exposure or opportunity. Each person on the team are at different stages of seeking God's direction regarding their future in ministry and are working through what the "next steps" look like for each of them. One teammate, Karl, just wrote us today, "As I was catching the bus home from work my heart was leaping at the prospect of being a part of the gospel going to the nations." PLEASE PRAY for us as we seek to encourage this team with what God is doing in India as well as within their own hearts. We welcome you to pray for Karl and others on this team (Alex, Robbie, Jeanne & Mindy)! Please see our Team's specific Prayer Requests at the end of this email. As a result of God opening the door widely for this opportunity, we have been very busy both organizing all the logistics and contacts for this multi-city trip, developing training materials that provide a good foundation in the theology of missions, missiology, and leadership development, as well as meeting regularly with the team members individually and as a group. Needless to say we are loving it and hoping that this trip may be a "pilot" for future trips to come, particularly as we hope to use many of these training materials for future short-term teams and individuals/couples we send out.
Caring over Global Missions: In developing CCC's global and local mission's ministry, over the past few months our initial Global Missions Team (GMT) has begun to meet, work through our vision and values and pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit as we begin to together in building a ministry from the ground-up which we pray God will use for His glory and the furtherance of His Kingdom. Beyond leading the GMT, we have been actively involved in helping send our first two couples to Japan . One couple, the Warrens, recently arrived in July 2007. The second couple, the Kings, are hoping to arrive by mid 2008 and we are actively involved in mentoring/ training them, using many of the materials we are developing for the India Life Vision Trip as well as coaching them through support-development in a culture where raising support is extremely difficult. We are also mentoring (to varying degrees) an additional number of young adults at various stages of understanding their giftedness, vision, and God's direction into missions. The past few months have involved MORE meals with people in our home than not. PLEASE PRAY that we would learn to balance the amazing opportunities with our need for some personal margin and rest. We have found that in our zeal for the ministry here, we are having trouble pacing ourselves.
Caring over Ministry to Internationals: As mentioned in our last email, Tony continues to plan for launching International Friendship Partners (IFP) as a ministry of CCC to the thousands of international students and scholars in the Brisbane area. The official launch will be in January 2008 to coincide with the beginning of the new University year. Tony has already begun to make some strategic contacts into the University through which we can connect students with people from our church. PLEASE PRAY for more strategic inroads into the Universities of Brisbane . We will continue to keep you informed on this and how to pray as God unfolds the way. In the mean time, we are seeking to reach out to the International community of Brisbane through weekly Soccer games at the University of Queensland (Vietnamese, Korean, Middle Easterners) as well as intentionally following up international visitors to church (Koreans, Japanese, Chinese, Indians). Kathryn certainly loves all the attention from her Asian "Aunties" every week!
Prayer Requests:
-For our marriage and family to be a reflection of the Gospel of Grace towards one another and the world around us.
-For the Holy Spirit to guide and empower us on a daily basis and for our hearts to be drawn more deeply into knowing Christ and His abundant love and grace.
-For a healthy and stress-free pregnancy for Tracy .
-For unity as we lead the India Team together-and for sensitivity to the Spirit while we come alongside each team member as they process all God is doing in their lives.
-For WISDOM and GUIDANCE by the Holy Spirit as the Global Missions Team develops vision and strategy for developing a missions ministry at CCC.
-For inroads at Universities in Brisbane for the International Friendship Partner (IFP) ministry.
-For wisdom and balance in the many mentoring opportunities before us with Aussie believers-particularly those interested in cross-cultural ministry.
-For the ability to rest, pace ourselves and say "no" when necessary.
-For the US Dollar to "stretch" to meet our needs. (The US Dollar has lost significant value since our arrival in Feb)
-For our Australian Permanent Residency process to go quickly and smoothly...huge request!
Life Vision Trip-- India Team Requests:
-To pray towards how God may desire to use us and Christ Community Church in ministry, both in Australia and beyond.
-That we would be a blessing and encouragement to all the Indians and Christian workers we meet.
-For safety, health, and smooth logistics as we travel.
-That our hearts would be open to all experiences of Indian daily life, culture, and ministry opportunities.
-That our dependence on God would increase as we expect Him to guide us daily to the people and places He desires.
-That we might make some strategic connections for Christ Community Church .
-That our hearts would be ENLARGED & AWAKENED for ministry to unreached peoples as we explore our own ministry vision and calling.
Thanks for your continued prayers and support!
Grace,
Tony, Tracy, Kathryn and Baby Boyd!

Reducing Morning Chaos - by Kathy Peel

This Article was downloaded from www.familymanager.com , Kathy Peel

Every fall year when school starts, moms across the country deal with many of the same issues. Here are eight common complaints and solutions that can work for every family.
1. We never have enough time in the morning. Figure out what time everyone has to be out the door and work backwards from there. How long does it typically take each person to get ready? Set a wake-up time that gives each child enough time to wash, dress, eat, do chores, and get out the door-then add ten minutes for schedule snags so they won’t miss the bus or carpool. Put a clock in every room so everyone is always aware of what time it is. Have one person be in charge of giving family members a ten-minute warning-ten minutes before it’s time to walk out the door.
2. The kids change clothes a lot and we argue over what they want to wear. Ask kids to decide and set clothes out the night before. (Pack away all clothing that doesn't fit and put away out-of-season items to simplify choices.) For children who like to decide in the morning, make decisions easier by hanging all their school clothes in one area of the closet. Also . . . Buy socks all of one kind and color for each child. This saves searching for mates. Buy “fast” clothes-shoes with velcro fasteners, tagless T-shirts, and shirts with ample openings to make it easier for young children to dress. (Buttons, snaps, zippers, and shoelaces slow them down.)
3. The kids often forget things, and I have to make extra trips to school. Start off the school year with this routine: have kids load books and homework into their backpacks at night before bed, then put their backpacks near the exit door along with rain gear, gym clothes and other items they need to take to school.
4. Breakfast (if we eat at all) is always fast and furious. Set the table and make as many preparations as you can the night before. Offer a very limited menu of easy-to-prepare but healthy foods. Divide preparation and cleanup chores between family members. Sit down at the table together, even if it’s only for four or five minutes, and talk about your children’s day. Ask about tests, activities, and if there’s anything you need to pick up for them at the store. This is an easy way to show them you care about their world.
5. Every morning somebody throws the schedule off by spending too much time in the bathroom. Design a rotating schedule for the bathroom and assign each child a time. Put a timer in the bathroom so they’ll know when their time is up. (Have teenagers get up fifteen minutes earlier than younger siblings since they usually need more time in the bathroom. Put a makeup mirror in girls’ bedrooms to free up time for others.)
6. The kids come home loaded with papers and information. It’s hard to keep up with all the practices, games, and meetings at school. Create a Control Central (a home base of operation) where you can organize and administrate the countless daily details-schedules, appointments, invitations, school papers-and oversee your family’s coming and goings. Kitchen is ideal location. You need a central family calendar, small dry erase board for messages, bulletin board, and an inbox for each child. When kids get home from school, have them unload backpacks right away and put important papers in their in-boxes. Mom or dad go through kids’ inboxes at night. It’s also a good idea to have a 3-ring binder and hole-punch handy to store team and homeroom phone lists, class/homework rules, sick day policies, field trip guidelines, etc.
7. I end up doing all the work. I want my husband and kids to be more helpful. Create a morning chore chart kids can follow. Post it at child level on the refrigerator. Have each child check off tasks as he completes them. Have a rule at your house that kids do not get their privileges-watching TV, playing computer games, talking on the phone-until they fulfill their responsibilities. Stand firm. Carve out some time to talk with your spouse about who does what around the house. Many times men don’t know specifically what needs to be done or how to be helpful. Print off a Who’s Responsible for What in the FREE area to jumpstart the conversation.
8. I’m tired of nagging. I would like my kids up to get up and get ready in the morning without yelling. Create a no-play-until-ready rule. Inspire a child by providing a special toy or game to be played with only when he is ready a few minutes early. Create a “Sunshine Jar” for young children who drag in the morning. Put some change in the jar each day they make progress sticking to the family schedule. Give them the money to spend on a treat the end of the week.
Keep to a reasonable schedule for bed preparations and sleep. Don’t alter kids’ schedules much on weekends; they learn a daily rhythm and struggle when it’s upset. Set a specific time for younger children to bathe, brush their teeth, and go to bed, so they’ll have a sense of daily rhythm. Although they may stay up later n the weekends, don’t alter the schedule greatly if you want the school-day routine to be easy to maintain. Enforce a “lights out” time by installing a timer on kids’ lights. Let them read or listen to audiobooks until the light goes out.

"Homeschool Heart" edited by Denise Askelson

It was a gift; a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. The recipient wasn't exactly sure why she had received this gift until she read the inscription: "To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees."

No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of
their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the
cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny
bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, "Why are you
spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered
by the roof? No one will ever see it."

And the workman replied, "Because God sees."

I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As
one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to
work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the
book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our
lifetime because t here is so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend
he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My mom gets up at 4 in the
morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for
three hours and presses all the linens for the table.” That would mean I'd
built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home.
And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add,
"You're gonna love it there."

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're
doing it right. And one day, it is possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have been blessed to build, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the life-long prayers for our children.

"Mourn With Those Who Mourn" by Jennifer Baker (Excerpt from Feb. 2007 Newsletter)

This life is difficult. It is even harder to get through, it when someone you love is missing from it. Grief is a part of all of our lives at some point. We usually can’t truly grasp how another feels until we have truly grieved the loss of someone ourselves. I know when I lost my father I felt like the world had moved on after the funeral and those initial weeks after. Then I had my miscarriages. When I walked around in the “real” world I often felt like my pain was so intense that others could just “see” it. I felt different, alone, and misunderstood. The saddest thing is, those things were true. So many people don’t know what to say, do, or even how to approach those who have suffered loss. Most of the time we don’t say anything because we are afraid to say the “wrong” thing and cause even more pain. In my own experience, the thing that hurt the most was when people didn’t ask. When they forgot. I’ve done it, we all have, but we absolutely must not forget those who are grieving, especially those who have lost a child or a spouse. As you know, we are all called as the church to care for widows and orphans. That doesn’t just mean “programming’ and support groups, although those things are good. It means talking with them and processing their feelings. It may mean bringing them meals or cutting their grass. It may also mean caring for their children, and being a mentor to a child who has lost a parent. Maybe it means asking a single mom out for coffee and paying for the sitter. Whatever it takes. They should not be abandoned by God’s people because we just don’t know what to do for or with them. There is a hole in their lives and Christ calls us to help fill it. It is hard work. It is a true call to service. The grieving process takes years. Don’t assume that there is any time limit or a window period for grieving. Just show the true love of Christ, and He will do the healing. Pray for those in our church who have lost someone they love. Call them, go and spend time with them, write them a note. Sooner or later, there will be a time when we will all need the love support of our church family. Let’s be faithful to our call and to each other.

Women's Ministry - "Connecting...the dots" by Jennifer Baker (Excerpt from Feb. 2007 Newsletter)

This is going to be a busy and exciting year for all of us. The Women’s Ministry Program is really gearing up for a wonderful and fruit-filled year. Some of you have not been present during my wonderful and inspiring rants/speeches/sermons, so I wanted to take the opportunity and let you know what we want to do with this program. Seriously, the leadership team and I are all very excited about the possibilities that lie ahead with the Women’s Ministry at Grace. There are so many new ideas and programs that I am sure many of you may be feeling excited and a little overwhelmed. I haven’t talked to anyone who is not receptive to all these ideas, but I wanted to answer the question, “Why?”. Just exactly why are so many things changing, especially at this very challenging time in the history of our church? Well, here goes… The reason there are so many opportunities to be together either through fellowship, service, or Bible Study is simply that we need each other. We need to know each other. We need to be so familiar with each other that it strips away the layers of surface relationships, and creates real and meaningful relationships. You can be loving with out really loving someone, but you can’t REALLY love someone until you really know them. The more we know each other, the more we will be connected in such a way that when non-Christians see us they will know “we are Christian’s by our love.” I believe that if we strip down these layers of surface relationships we can create a truly caring , “healing community” as author Larry Crabb puts it. A healing community is a place in the church where you basically are as exposed as you are in your own family, and loved more for it. It is a community that is aware of your struggles both internal and circumstantial . It is a group of people who participate in your life. It becomes a support system. Grace is a very friendly church. That’s because the people here are great. We can worship along beside each other once or twice a week and be exceptionally kind and loving. Yet, some may leave feeling lonely and unknown, yearning for something more from these relationships. God calls us, as women, to be a part of each others lives, to connect. (Titus 2) The church is described as a body, connected together with each part being necessary to the other. So, that’s it. Let’s be necessary to each other. Let’s talk to each other. Let’s open up. Let’s be real. Let’s share what is going on in our families and lives. Let’s cry together. Let’s lift each other up. Let’s believe in each other . Let’s help each other through life’s major struggles. Let’s pray for each other and with each other. Let’s confront each other with truth and love. Let’s confess our imperfections without fear. Let’s accept each other. Let’s serve each other. Let’s laugh together. Let’s worship together. Let’s grow in Christ together. Have I left anything out. Then...Let’s GO! Are you interested?

Book Review - Rite of Passage Parenting

This book review was downloaded from the website: www.crosswalkplus.com

Rite of Passage Parenting -Four Essential Experiences to Equip Your Kids for Life
By Walker Moore

It's no secret: something has happened to America's families. Dramatic shifts in our culture mean that what was once an acceptable way to produce mature, capable adults has now all but disappeared. In Rite of Passage Parenting, family expert Walker Moore explains how that happened. And after concisely assessing the problem, Moore teaches you how to build into your children''s lives the essential experiences every child needs: (1) an authentic Rite of Passage, (2) Significant Tasks, (3) Logical Consequences, and (4) Grace Deposits from parents, grandparents, and other caring adults.
Walker Moore writes from years of experience as a minister, family speaker, youth culture specialist, and father. He knows well the damage to self-reliance, self-worth, values foundation, and identity that missing out on these essential experiences can cause. In Rite of Passage Parenting, he shows you how to prevent the damage and help your children move toward adulthood in a healthy way. If you are concerned about the effects of the current cultural chaos; if you notice in your children a lack of responsibility, the lack of a good work ethic, disrespect for authority; if you are worried that your children may experiment with false rites of passage-profanity, smoking, drugs, alcohol, body piercing, or sex-let Walker Moore show you how to provide the four essential experiences most children are missing. Visit the official Walker Moore website http://www.ropparenting.com

MINISTRY FEATURE by Dr. Deb Quenelle - Spirit of Hope Youth Ranch (Excerpt from Feb. 2007 Newsletter)

Spirit of Hope Youth Ranch, Inc. was founded in 2006 as a program to provide hope, healing, and restoration to families. Our goal is to create a safe haven for both children and rescued horses in need of mutual healing. By doing so, we hope to demonstrate God's love. Our founding directors were brought together in May 2006 at a training conference in Bend, Oregon held at Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch, the model on which we are based. Spirit of Hope Youth Ranch plans to operate year round with hopes of serving 50 youth during our first year of operation. Youth will receive instruction in grooming, beginner horseback riding skills, tacking, basic horse care, and horse training techniques. These skills aid youth in personal development by the encouragement and empowerment of becoming confident horseback riders as well as becoming compassionate horse caretakers. Funding is provided by individual contributions with plans for grant writing to provide start-up monies. Please contact Dr. Deb Quenelle if you are interested in learning more about the SOHYR or check out www.spiritofhopeyouthranch.org.

"HOMESCHOOL HEART" by Denise Askelson (Excerpt from Feb. 2007 Newsletter)

As a mother of 4 children ages 3 to 16 who are in preschool, kindergarten, 8th grade and 11th grade; I know how easy it is to become overwhelmed! How can I teach, train, love, carpool, clean, nurture, care, cook, take care of the laundry …o.k., even now, I sense an overwhelming need for a nap and I haven’t even thought about my role as wife, friend, and daughter. However, that is not any where on my long Santa-esque list of items to be completed by days end. And there is my problem; how can I be everything to my children and show the godly example that I so long want them to see when I can’t even seem to clean up breakfast dishes before it is lunchtime! And ---get ready—here it comes---I cannot do it all! There, I said it. I wrote it, and yet, I don’t want to believe it. Everyday it is a struggle for me to not be list minded and to be heart minded. I pray to concentrate on my children’s hearts. I know how they grow so quickly. I see it with my children everyday. I must depend on God everyday and I must rest in Him. I must continue to do what I know is right and I must sit in the lap of my Heavenly Father and rely on Him. And then when I try to do everything in my own strength again, I need to crawl back into my Father’s lap for the comfort even a mom needs as He is the One who encourages my heart.
Check out these great resources:
Deuteronomy 11:19
Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
(I like this verse because it tells me that even the Israelites had a chance to sit down before bedtime!)
www.HSLDA.org
www.chefofalabama.org

FAITH ENCOUNTER'S -Featuring Missionary, Linda Cutlip

Three years ago, Dale and I were in Nairobi and I was having my hair done in the hotel beauty shop. The lovely Muslim girl helping me took one look at my scalp and asked if I'd been on safari! That was a blow, but after I assured her that I had never been nor would ever be on safari, she gave me another shock: She said, "So, why did you want to become a Christian?"
The scripture says,"Be always ready with an answer to him who asks a reason of the hope within you..,"but I could not remember ever being asked so directly! It turns out that, for their entertainment in the evenings, she and her strict Muslim husband and daughter watch Christian testimonies on tv, presumably 700 club, or a similar program. She said,"The stories are so good!"
I returned last year while we were in England and, again, she asked the same question. Both times I was able to freely give my testimony. I was aware both times of all the other workers praying both times. All the others were Christians and had been witnessing to her for years.
I took her to lunch the last time we were there and she said, "I understand about Christianity. I grew up in England, but we don't believe He is the Son of God." Would you ladies pray for Sophia in Nairobi to be able to believe He is the Son of God?
Thank you for your love and prayers "from the first day until now.."
Love,
Linda for Cutlips

Women's Retreat, Feb. 2007

Hey everyone, I know it has been a while, but I thought you might want to see a few of these pictures. Remember what a great retreat we had. Blue Spring Manor was incredible and the food, oh, don't get me started! Julie Sparkman was great and very challenging. I remember how much fun we had making those prayer albums that Elayne is holding up. Oh, do you remember Joan practically stealing those lamps that Dana brought! Just kidding! What a nice time, although I don't think we should call these things retreats, I mean I only got three hours of sleep! Thanks to all of you who came, it was so much fun!

Surrenduring Your Marriage - Proverbs 31 Ministry

Surrendering Your Marriage
By Melanie Chitwood

"Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the One who will keep you on track. Don't assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil!" Proverbs 3:5-7. (The Message)
Devotion: It seems that the longer I've been married, more and more frequently I hear of struggling Christian marriages. I know these couples never intended to be in such a desperate place. When they said their wedding vows of "for better or worse," they never imagined that the "worse" part would include thoughts of divorce appearing as a good option. When I hear about these couples, I turn my thoughts toward my own marriage. I hug my husband tightly and whisper prayers of thanksgiving that we are together, committed, and growing closer. You see, this hasn't always been the case for us. For about half of our fifteen years of marriage, we fought constantly and although we loved each other passionately, we just couldn't figure out how to be married or how to be a couple. Finally, in desperation, I cried out to God asking Him what I should do. His answer surprised me. In the still, small voice in my heart, God told me to surrender my marriage to Him. I knew that the key to surrendering my marriage was trusting God. Instead of trying to be in control by telling my husband and God what to do, I learned to set my eyes on Christ and to ask Christ what He wanted me to do in my marriage. Since that day, I have focused on being the kind of wife God wants me to be. I have searched the Scriptures, and one step at a time I have obeyed God's commands for being a godly wife. Many times it has felt like two steps forward and one step back. But that's still progress! God has transformed our marriage into one of friendship, intimacy, and laughter, instead of the strife-filled marriage we had previously experienced. God knows all about your marriage. He knows all about you. He knows all about your husband. Your marriage is a gift from Him, and can bring God glory and you joy when you surrender your marriage to Him. Start today by trusting God, and see what happens as you allow God to transform your marriage.
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for my husband and my marriage. I want the marriage You want me to have, Lord. I confess that I've tried to make it into what I want it to be, not necessarily what You want. I surrender myself and my marriage into Your loving hands and Your sovereign Lordship. Give me the desire and strength to be the kind of wife You want me to be. Then I know I'll be the wife my husband needs. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Related Resources:
What a Husband Needs from His Wife by Melanie Chitwood
For expert marriage advice, visit Growthtrac online
Do You Know Him?
Application Steps: Pray a prayer surrendering your marriage to God. Pray with your hands open to symbolize the release of your marriage to God. Another idea to represent this release is to write your name and your husband's name on a balloon before it's inflated, blow it up, and then release it in the air.
Reflections: What would you like your marriage to look like today? One year from now? Five years from now? Ten years from now? Ask God to give you a hope and a vision for your marriage. What's one thing can you stop doing because you know it doesn't create oneness in your marriage? In Colossians 3: 14 we're told to "put on love." What's one thing you can do today to show your husband you love him? Sometimes we hesitate to surrender to God because of our fears. Can you identify any fears you have in your marriage? As God to reveal these to you, ask Him to take away your fear and to replace it with His truth. What two or three questions can I ask here to further contemplate this topic?
Power Verses: 1 Peter 4:8, "Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins" (NLT). Proverbs 3:27, "Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due when it is in your power to do it" (NAS). Ephesians 4:32 , "And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you" (AMP). 2 Timothy 1:7, "For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline" (NAS).

Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G, Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
www.Proverbs31.org

2007 Womens Ministry Leadership Training and Mercy Conference

In April of 2007 I was able to attend the PCA Mercy Conference and Women's Ministry Leadership Training. It was an incredible learning experience, filled with intelligent and challenging seminars and incredibly moving and inspiring worship services. I was privileged enough to meet several of the PCA Women's Ministry Trainers and several WIC staff members. I met some Women's Ministry directors who were new like myself and some who had been serving their churches for fifteen years (YIKES!). (The picture you see is of a group of women from one church, the same size as our and the same age as ours... I learned a lot from these women in the two days I was with them..and do you think it was an accident that I sat right down next to them in a room full of 800 people?!?!?) The quality of the conference was superior. I was very impressed with our denomination, to tell you the truth. I was really blown away by the "heart" of our denomination, and very proud to call myself a Presbyterian. I met people who were "on fire" and excited about serving our great God. I spoke with women and men who love Jesus Christ and who serve Him from a sincere gratitude for His sacrifice. I got to hear about several different women's ministries and their programs. I was confirmed on several occasions that what we are doing at Grace in our Women's Ministry is at the very heart of what PresWIC (Presbyterian Women in the Church) is hoping for in local congregations. What's that you say?... Well, we are practicing love and nurturing the body, we are serving one another, we are serving the community, we are growing closer together in our relationships and seeing the buds of true connection happening among our women. We are glorifying Christ and seeking to honor Him in all we do. Are we perfect, NO, but are we persevering and running the race...ABSOLUTELY! God is doing all of this for us, through us, and to us. We have Him to be grateful to, and we have much to be grateful for here at Grace. I came home overwhelmed by all of the feelings this conference evoked in me. I guess I could go on and on, but one thing I did leave there with was a confirmation that we are in the right place, we are doing the right things, we are moving toward healthy growth and Grace Presbyterian Church in Chelsea is a wonderful place to come home to. I am grateful to be serving Christ through this ministry and to be here with all of you!

Grace Hosts Community-Wide Baby Shower for Sav-A-Life

On March 31st Grace Presbyterian Church in Chelsea sponsored the first Community-Wide Baby Shower for Sav-A-Life Shelby. The shower was held at North Shelby Baptist Church and over eight churches in the local community came together to serve this wonderful ministry to women in crisis pregnancy. The purpose of the shower was to collect new and gently used baby items for women who are participating in the “Earn While You Learn” Program. This is a program where women who are pregnant can participate in parenting classes and Bible studies and can earn vouchers for items in the “Mommy Boutique”. This boutique is set up to look and feel like a store and the women get to go “shopping” after their participation in classes. It is a very successful program and the women are very grateful to receive these items. Grace decided to sponsor this event as one of their women’s small-group community service projects. North Shelby had already started collecting items for Sav-A-Life when members at Grace Chelsea contacted them about hosting the shower. It was a perfect fit and the beginning of a great community partnership. Everything was beautiful and people were so glad to participate. It was amazing to walk into North Shelby to see what they had already collected from their church before the shower even started. So many people from the community came to the shower bearing gifts and the response was inspiring. It took three SUV’s to transport all of the items to Sav-A-Life. There were about 30 bags of diapers, 7 car seats, a baby bed and changing table, a 6 foot table full of clothes. There were also baby blankets, bedding, toys and books, and every baby item you could imagine. Annette Johnson director of Sav-A-Life Shelby was extremely grateful for the donations and the community participation. She and other staff members were present at the shower. It was so amazing to see how God can use Christians in the community to come together to glorify Him and bond together through service to Him. So many businesses donated items to the shower such as Main Street Florist in Mt. Laurel, The Rose Garden Art Studio at Mt. Laurel, Kathy Elliot of The Rose Garden Tea Room, Sysco, The YMCA and Stacy Averette of Creative Cakes and Catering in Chelsea. The Chelsea Weight Loss Center served as a drop-off site for items collected from the community. Churches represented at the shower were North Shelby Baptist Church, K-Springs, Church of the Good Shepherd, Morningstar United Methodist Church, Harpersville UMC, The Episcopal Church, Liberty Baptist Church, and Grace Presbyterian Church (PCA). God certainly did “more than we could ever ask or imagine” and the women of Grace Chelsea are proud to have sponsored this event. Grace Chelsea would like to say a special thanks to Joan Hicks, Kathy Elliot, and Sonja Bennett of North Shelby Baptist who were instrumental in supporting this shower. If you would like more information about the ministry Sav-A-Life Shelby please contact them at 664-1667.