Hey girls! I am so sorry that I didn't do a post yesterday...I was out of town very early yesterday and didn't get home until close to 10pm last night! I was exhausted and fell right into bed. Then, I got a sweet email from Angela...thanks girl! I didn't realize I would be out of town and not be able to post. I'll have to look ahead more and post the evening before when I have commitments like that.
I'm so sorry! Thanks for coming here and sharing your thoughts and prayers for yourselves and each other. This is getting good...enjoy your day with family and take a few moments to get away with God and prepare yourself for our celebration together tomorrow!
I love you all...
Thrive!
Frances
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Devotion: Thursday, August 28
Begin your time today with prayer. Allow God to guide your time. Don't go to this time with an agenda of your own. Take time to hear from God and let Him reveal the things He wants you to pray about. Open your heart to His agenda today!
Read Exodus 16:9-10.
What are the things that speak to your heart right now in these verses?
What verse or words stick out to you? Why?
Where did the people see the glory of the Lord appear in a cloud?
What are your thoughts on this?
I find it so powerful that the people saw the glory of the Lord in the desert (wilderness)! It's so easy for us to feel and see God's presence on the mountain top. When we have wonderful conference experiences, Bible studies, weekend retreats, and Sunday worship experiences. But, many days when we are living the "normal life" or going through a very difficult time we find that it's harder to see God's glorious presence. We get bogged down in the details of life and sometimes miss the daily glory of the Lord.
What about you today? Do you desire to see the glory of God in your desert? Think about that desert we have been sharing about. We can see God's glory right in the middle of that desert! That is what a lost world is waiting to see. If our eyes are fixed on God...we won't miss His glory even in the desert!
Read Exodus 16:9-10.
What are the things that speak to your heart right now in these verses?
What verse or words stick out to you? Why?
Where did the people see the glory of the Lord appear in a cloud?
What are your thoughts on this?
I find it so powerful that the people saw the glory of the Lord in the desert (wilderness)! It's so easy for us to feel and see God's presence on the mountain top. When we have wonderful conference experiences, Bible studies, weekend retreats, and Sunday worship experiences. But, many days when we are living the "normal life" or going through a very difficult time we find that it's harder to see God's glorious presence. We get bogged down in the details of life and sometimes miss the daily glory of the Lord.
What about you today? Do you desire to see the glory of God in your desert? Think about that desert we have been sharing about. We can see God's glory right in the middle of that desert! That is what a lost world is waiting to see. If our eyes are fixed on God...we won't miss His glory even in the desert!
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Devotion: Wednesday, August 27
Take a few moments right now to think about the way God has been providing for you this week. Take time to thank Him for His daily provision in your life. Thank Him for His many blessings!
Read Exodus 16:5-8.
What are some of your own thoughts on these verses?
What is God saying to you right now?
Why do you think that in the evening when God sent the meat for them to eat, that they would know it was God who saved them from Egypt? (Look back at Exodus 16:3)
Don't miss the fact that in the morning...when the manna was there for them to eat...that they would see the GLORY OF THE LORD! Don't you want that in your life today? Don't you want to say that you have taken in the glory of the Lord this morning? I do!
Look closely at verse 8.
What is the difference in what God gave them in the evening and in the morning?
Do you want to be full today? If so, how do these passages help you in that? What is God saying to you personally through these verses?
I want to be full! I don't simply want to gorge on the fleeting meat of this world. They don't satisfy us! They won't fill us today. Our day timers won't fill us. Our children won't fill us. Our friendships won't fill us. Our husbands won't fill us. Ourselves and our accomplishments won't fill us. Money won't fill us.
Don't forget to look in that cup of yours today. Are you full? Have you eaten the bread of Heaven (His Word and our relationship with Jesus who is the Bread of Life) or are you just simply eating what this world has to offer today?
Read Exodus 16:5-8.
What are some of your own thoughts on these verses?
What is God saying to you right now?
Why do you think that in the evening when God sent the meat for them to eat, that they would know it was God who saved them from Egypt? (Look back at Exodus 16:3)
Don't miss the fact that in the morning...when the manna was there for them to eat...that they would see the GLORY OF THE LORD! Don't you want that in your life today? Don't you want to say that you have taken in the glory of the Lord this morning? I do!
Look closely at verse 8.
What is the difference in what God gave them in the evening and in the morning?
Do you want to be full today? If so, how do these passages help you in that? What is God saying to you personally through these verses?
I want to be full! I don't simply want to gorge on the fleeting meat of this world. They don't satisfy us! They won't fill us today. Our day timers won't fill us. Our children won't fill us. Our friendships won't fill us. Our husbands won't fill us. Ourselves and our accomplishments won't fill us. Money won't fill us.
Don't forget to look in that cup of yours today. Are you full? Have you eaten the bread of Heaven (His Word and our relationship with Jesus who is the Bread of Life) or are you just simply eating what this world has to offer today?
Devotion: Tuesday, August 26
*I'm sorry to be so late in getting this post up to you today. I hosted a surprise party at my house last night and some of the ladies did not leave here until midnight! I was too brain dead to try to write and everyone in our little apartment was asleep. So sorry!*
Start your time today with prayer. Ask God to help you focus on Him and what He desires to speak to you. Open this time with quiet calm before Him. Know He is God!
Read Exodus 16:4
What was God going to do for His people?
What was their part?
What was His purpose in this?
Why do you think He wanted to do this?
Take some time now to meditate on that verse.
What is it saying to you in your life?
Have you been gathering God's provision in your life recently?
What are some areas in your life right now where you need to be gathering God's provision instead of relying on yourself or someone else?
How will you apply this in your day? In your family? In your job? In your relationships?
Close this time with a time of application and reflection on what God is speaking to you. Take time to journal the answers to these questions and share any of them with us in the comment section of the blog. We all want to hear from you today!
Start your time today with prayer. Ask God to help you focus on Him and what He desires to speak to you. Open this time with quiet calm before Him. Know He is God!
Read Exodus 16:4
What was God going to do for His people?
What was their part?
What was His purpose in this?
Why do you think He wanted to do this?
Take some time now to meditate on that verse.
What is it saying to you in your life?
Have you been gathering God's provision in your life recently?
What are some areas in your life right now where you need to be gathering God's provision instead of relying on yourself or someone else?
How will you apply this in your day? In your family? In your job? In your relationships?
Close this time with a time of application and reflection on what God is speaking to you. Take time to journal the answers to these questions and share any of them with us in the comment section of the blog. We all want to hear from you today!
Monday, August 25, 2008
Devotion: Monday, August 25
Start today with prayer. Ask God to guide you and teach you. Take time to calm your mind and heart. Don't rush into this time just to check it off your list. Savor these few moments of quiet with God. Remember, this is the time to fill your cup!
Read Exodus 16:1-3.
Why do you think the Israelites were grumbling?
Who were they really grumbling against?
They were hungry. Things weren't going like they thought...and they were ready to head back into bondage!
Think about your life today. In that area of desert or dryness in your life that you have shared about in our small groups, are you trying to fill that hunger with something else besides God?
Filling the hunger in our lives with anything other than God, will send us back into bondage. The Israelites were hungering for the times in Egypt, without remembering the bondage and slavery that they endured. Satan wants us to be ruled by our flesh and it's desires. He knows that it causes defeat and discouragement...and bondage.
Take time today to look at the areas in your life that you are filling some kind of hunger you experience with other things instead of letting God fill them. Do you hunger for acceptance? Do you hunger for security? Do you hunger for love? Do you hunger for someone to trust? Do you hunger for forgiveness?
God can fill all of these points of hunger in your life today. But, many of us hunger...and then rush right back to those devastating relationships, habits, thoughts, and behaviors that take us back into bondage. The first step to THRIVING today will be to realize that God is the only one who can fill that hunger in your life. He is freedom!
What are your thoughts on this today? Would you share what God said to your heart with the rest of the group?
Read Exodus 16:1-3.
Why do you think the Israelites were grumbling?
Who were they really grumbling against?
They were hungry. Things weren't going like they thought...and they were ready to head back into bondage!
Think about your life today. In that area of desert or dryness in your life that you have shared about in our small groups, are you trying to fill that hunger with something else besides God?
Filling the hunger in our lives with anything other than God, will send us back into bondage. The Israelites were hungering for the times in Egypt, without remembering the bondage and slavery that they endured. Satan wants us to be ruled by our flesh and it's desires. He knows that it causes defeat and discouragement...and bondage.
Take time today to look at the areas in your life that you are filling some kind of hunger you experience with other things instead of letting God fill them. Do you hunger for acceptance? Do you hunger for security? Do you hunger for love? Do you hunger for someone to trust? Do you hunger for forgiveness?
God can fill all of these points of hunger in your life today. But, many of us hunger...and then rush right back to those devastating relationships, habits, thoughts, and behaviors that take us back into bondage. The first step to THRIVING today will be to realize that God is the only one who can fill that hunger in your life. He is freedom!
What are your thoughts on this today? Would you share what God said to your heart with the rest of the group?
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Hey girls!
Welcome to our blog girls! This is the place for us to communicate through the week and to give us a sense of community. Each evening, I will post a few verses that will go along with our Sunday lesson and a few thought questions. This will give us a chance to study all week and not only be prepared for the lesson, but help each of us to spend some time in God's Word together each day!
The name of this blog encourages us everyday to be THRIVING 365 days of the year! We're not just going to survive this life...we're going to thrive the way Jesus told us we could. He told us in John 10:10:
"I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."
Doesn't that remind your of our time today? God wants each of us to be FULL...our cup completely full. That is why Jesus came! I'm excited about filling our cups together each day.
Your part, is to comment each day if you can to let everyone know what you heard from God! I understand that everyone doesn't get the chance to post everyday and some of you aren't into the blogging world. But, for those of you that want to share...we welcome it!
Please invite one friend to the class for next week. We want to reach out to those women we all know who are looking for a place to get involved and encourage.
I will be out of town September 7th and 15th while I'm speaking in Poland to the National Women's Convention in Krakow. Lynette Patellis will be teaching in my place and you will LOVE her! I will miss you all so much...you have quickly become family to me.
Have a great week, and look tomorrow for the first devotion post tomorrow morning! I can't wait to hear from you...
Thriving 365,
Frances
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