Servant Girl's Heart

Serving in Nepal

2011-12-20T10:14:00.000-06:00

Servant Leaders,
Our son, Andrew, will be serving in Kathmandu, Nepal, with a team of students from Azusa Pacific University in Summer 2012. They will be working with Tiny Hands International (www.tinyhandsinternational.org), a ministry dedicated to rescuing kids from the streets and the human sex-trafficking networks that so many are being enslaved in. Please, check out the following letter (click and download the pdf) and consider supporting Andrew and the APU team. You can scan the QR Code with your smart phone or access the link provided to send your support. Thank you so much in advance for your partnership in rescuing these precious kids!

Nepal Mission Support Letter, PDF

Have a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!
Elisabeth

A Sweet Lesson in Discipline

2011-03-29T15:32:00.000-05:00

The past few months, I have been challenged by a coach/mentor to focus on five spiritual disciplines. These are disciplines that I have had in my life; however I have been challenged to spend more focused time in each area. It has been an intense focus to take me deeper in my relationship with Christ. I have also been challenged in the area of fasting. It’s funny how when you are given a challenge or new opportunity, the enemy tries to derail your efforts at every turn.

Webster defines discipline as instruction or training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character. This seems simple enough, until you are in the midst of the discipline. I don't know about you, but being corrected doesn't always come easy for me. Whenever I am going through a time of correction or training, it can sometimes be difficult to endure. Sometimes, we go through a season or trial that can be so difficult, it is painful. It sometimes seems more than you can bear.

Hebrews 12 talks about such discipline. In verse 7, it says to, “Endure hardship as discipline. . .” We read on to discover in verse 11 that, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” I love the Word of God! This passage jumped out at me today as I was thinking about this season of my life. Have you ever had one of those days when you think, “Okay Lord, help me to learn whatever you are trying to teach me because I don’t want to have to go through this lesson again.” Well, that has pretty much been the season I have been in the past couple of years. Obviously, I had some learning that needed to take place!

I desire to learn from my current situation! I don’t want to miss a single thing that the Holy Spirit is teaching me. While I am learning though, I realize that sometimes what I learn about myself can be pretty painful. I am a mess without Jesus! This I know is true! One lesson that I have learned through this time is that I need to focus on others and not myself. SELF always wants attention! SELF always wants to throw a pity party. I have learned that when I shift my focus from SELF to someone else’s problem, trial or hurt; suddenly my problem doesn’t seem near as large. I challenge you to pray and encourage others and shift your focus off of yourself! It is amazing how God blesses us in the midst of the trial.

Maybe you are thinking what does this have to do with discipline? We must train our minds. Create a “new” normal. Establish a new habit. Philippians 4:8 tells us the things we should focus on and think about. Continue to refocus whenever the enemy tries to derail your day! Whenever you are tempted to give in to the desires of the flesh, refocus! Discipline your mind to think like Jesus. FOCUS on Him!

I was reminded of this very thing this past week when I was at one of my favorite places (Target) with one of my favorite girls (Abigail Hall). Abigail is my cousin’s 8 year old little girl who gave her heart to Jesus and was baptized earlier this year. I have watched as the Lord continues to mold her and as she grows in her new relationship with Him. It is so precious!

Anyway, I told Abigail to go pick out some candy to take to the movies with her and I would buy it for her. She was going with her family to the movie to celebrate her brother’s birthday. She hesitated and replied, “That’s okay.” I insisted that she pick something out. I told her it was my treat and I wanted to get her something. She said, “I can’t.” When I probed further, I wasn’t expecting what would come next. I figured that her Mom had told her not to get anything. This, however, was not the case. Abigail replied, “I can’t because of Focus 40.” Focus 40 is a time of prayer and fasting that we are doing together at church to focus on our relationship with Jesus. Abigail said, “It’s what I gave up for these 40 days. I gave up candy.” My heart melted! How precious for that sweet girl to be so obedient to the Holy Spirit. She was serious about her commitment and even if no one else would know whether she ate the candy or not; she chose to endure hardship as discipline. She chose to give up something she enjoyed to focus her attention on Jesus. I believe that the angels were cheering that day and the Lord was smiling. Abigail was being obedient! She was showing discipline in its truest form. Praise God!

I learned an important lesson from that adorable 8 year old. Stay focused and disciplined, no matter what the cost because our relationship with Jesus will be sweeter than any “candy” this life throws at us. What a sweet peace and joy that comes from being obedient to the Savior! Allow God to mold you, discipline you, and train you. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and enjoy the sweet peace that comes only from Him.

Learning more and more each day,

Elisabeth

Be Strong and Courageous

2011-03-02T08:53:00.007-06:00

Good Morning Sweet Ones,

God is so good! I love how the Lord always provides the word you need to hear at just the right moment. I have the wonderful opportunity to be a part of an amazing group of women who come alongside me, encourage me and pray for me. This morning, as we have been praying together, the Lord led one of these women to this timely devotional that spoke to my heart. I asked permission to share it with you. I don't know where you are at or what you are going through, but I know you are not alone! We serve an awesome Savior who is with us through trials and difficulties. He goes before us and He is always with us. Trust Him and be strong and courageous today!

Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

Courage Definition: The quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery. Have the courage of one’s conviction, to act in accordance with one’s beliefs, esp. in spite of criticism.

The Positive Power of Courage
Joshua 1:1-9

What do the following people have in common: Joshua, the Israelite
leader; Daniel, the visionary; Jesus’ 12 disciples; and the apostle Paul?
Besides loving God, they all were in need of courage.
Obeying the Lord required bravery —
a firmness of spirit that could face crises without retreating.

Appointed by God, Joshua was to lead the nation into the
Promised Land. Perhaps he thought, Who am I to follow in Moses’
footsteps? or What if the people will not support my leadership?
God spoke reassuringly to him three times, telling him
to be strong and courageous.

Joshua responded affirmatively and built his bravery
on two precious assurances:

Promise #1—God travels with us. The Lord pledged He would be with the
Israelites in the new land, never leaving or forsaking them. In Hebrews 13:5,
He makes the same promise to us. In fact, the Lord travels with us in a far
more intimate way — through His Spirit living within us.

Promise #2—God goes before us. God promised to take care of the enemy
before the Israelites arrived. They still faced battles, but He assured them
of victory if they had faith and obeyed. Jesus has gone
ahead of us to heaven with the spiritual battle already won.
Our redemption has been secured, our place in God’s family
permanently established, and our heavenly inheritance
guaranteed. While our earthly trials continue, they are temporary.

If you build your life on these two pledges, then courageous will become
part of your name. Why not try out how it will sound? Courageous _________.
(In Touch Daily Devotional by Dr. Charles Stanley)

Be Strong Sweet Sisters!!
YOU are LOVED,

Courageous Elisabeth :)

God Speaking

2011-02-21T13:40:00.000-06:00

What a blessing the past couple of days have been to me! I love it when the LORD surprises us with unexpected blessings. The past two months, I have been working Monday-Saturday. I feel as though I haven't had time to do much of anything other than work, sleep and eat. I have been looking forward to this day because I actually have the day off work. Aahhh!!! Blessed Quietness!! :) Also, this is the last week that I have to work Saturdays. I am super excited to go back to being a Monday-Friday kind of girl!

I have been desperately trying to keep up with the spiritual disciplines in my life such as time in Bible study, prayer, memorizing scripture, reading and solitude. I must admit that this has been quite a challenge over this past month. I almost felt as though I was performing a "duty" instead of savoring my time with the Savior. I have been looking forward to spending the day with Jesus! I am happy to say that my time with Jesus yesterday and today has been so wonderful! GOD IS SO GOOD!! I love to hear His sweet voice speaking into my heart and spirit as I worship Him.

Yesterday, as I was going to church, I was able to spend some time just praising the Lord! When is the last time you have just praised Jesus for who He is and not for what He has done for you? It is such a wonderful blessing to Praise Him!!! My husband and I began to sing and praise Him on our way to church and the tears began to flow. GOD IS SO GOOD!

Today, I have been reflecting on this past year and the healing that has taken place in my life. God has done such an amazing work in me and I just want to give Him praise and shout it from the mountain tops! I love Jesus and I love how He loves me! Oh, how HE loves you and me!

Recently, I had the opportunity to become a part of a wonderful organization that helps at risk young people. With this opportunity, I have a spiritual coach who has been speaking into my life. She spoke about the importance of solitude. Sometimes, we just need to get alone, turn off everything and focus on God. Think about who He is and all His attributes. It is amazing how when you set aside time for Him, HE SPEAKS!! I had been attempting to do this and was really struggling. I couldn't understand why I couldn't hear Him speak. Was He just not speaking to me? Was I too tired? Too stressed? Too distracted?

I have been reading a book by Wayne Cordeiro, The Seven Rules of Success. In the book, Wayne says that "The real question is not 'Is God speaking?' but rather 'Am I listening?'" He goes on to say that God's voice is all around us speaking, warning, coaching, coaxing and correcting. We must take time to listen!

Finally I realized, maybe it wasn't that He wasn't speaking, but I had too much going on to hear Him. Today, I have turned off everything. It's just me and the Lord. (Well, my dog Barnabas is here too, but he is sleeping!) What an awesome day I have had with Jesus!!! He has been speaking to my heart and I have been so blessed. I listened and then went to His Word and began to receive confirmation on what He was telling me. The Holy Spirit is so powerful and mighty! I love it when God speaks!

I just want to challenge you to spend some "Solitude Time with the Savior!" Set aside some time in the midst of the chaos and just focus on Jesus. Allow Him to speak to your heart. You will be so glad that you took the time to listen.

Listening and loving it,
Elisabeth

Celebrate Life!

2011-01-31T19:55:00.000-06:00

Recently, I had the incredible opportunity to sit at the feet of an amazing woman of God, Dr.Lori Salierno. Lori is founder and CEO of Celebrate Life International, one of the most progressive youth development organizations in the country. She is the co-creator of the Teach One to Lead One philosophy which teaches young people to live lives of integrity and honor. She takes truth and makes it applicable to this post modern generation. She is an authority in youth leadership and has a gift of speaking and spreading contagious joy!

I am excited to be a part of the Celebrate Life International team. Celebrate Life International is dedicated to transforming the lives of at risk kids into responsible citizens by building in them character based on practical leadership skills and universal principles. CLI delivers programs, materials and personnel that equip young people to build lives of integrity, create positive relationships, stand strong in healthy habits and multiply their influence among their peers. If you would like to know more about this program and how you can bring it to your church, community, school or organization, please do not hesitate to contact me. You can also learn more about this amazing organization by visiting their website at http://www.celebratelife.org/index.htm.

Join me in being a part of the solution for at risk kids in our country and throughout the world. Young people need mentors and role models in their lives. Let's be intentional about educating our kids and celebrating life together!

Excited about the Possibilities,
Elisabeth

New Year, New Hope!

2011-01-01T21:32:00.002-06:00

Happy New Year Journey Girls!! I know that it has been quite some time since I last blogged. Let me take a few moments to update you on my journey. My husband & I moved back to Kentucky last August and he took an interim pastorate in Florence. We are currently located in Lexington and I am working as a nursing instructor at a local community college. His interim was complete in October and we are anxiously awaiting our next steps. We are praying about where God wants us to be and cannot wait to see what the new year holds! Our son is a sophomore at Azusa Pacific University and doing great! It has been such a joy having him at home for a few weeks over the holidays.

These last three years have been a difficult journey for our family, and those of you who took the 40 day challenge with me last January know all about our story. However, we are so blessed and I continue to praise Jesus for who HE is and all HE has done in and through our lives. His provision, strength, love and grace is so amazing!! There have been many times during the past few years that I have felt a sense of "hopelessness." I know that this is a lie from the enemy, because through Jesus Christ, we have a HOPE!!

This year is going to be a New Year of new opportunities, new trials, new mountaintops, new valleys and new hope! I am excited to see all that God does in and through us. Scripture tells us that HE goes before us and HE is our rear guard. HE knows all that will take place this year and HE will be with us every step of our journey. I am starting off the year with scripture memory and I invite you sweet sisters to join me. I love the LPM blog and Beth Moore has a group of "Siesta Sisters" that memorizes 2 scriptures each month. You can go to her blog site to read the instructions and join me in this adventure! http://blog.lproof.org/

The first scripture that I am attempting to put to memory is Romans 15:13 (NIV). "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." This is my prayer for you, sweet journey girls, that the GOD of HOPE fills you with joy and peace this year, so that you will overflow with hope and love to others by the power of the Holy Spirit.

I am going to try to do a better job at blogging this year. I have missed each of you and look forward to hearing what God is doing in your life!! You are loved!

HAPPY NEW YEAR,
Elisabeth

So Long Insecurity Simulcast Commissioning Statement

2010-04-27T15:02:00.001-05:00

My Dear Sister

If Christ is Your Savior
You are the dwelling place
Of His own Spirit
You have it IN YOU
to be secure.

Every day of your life
You have a choice to make
You can live in your old defeat
Or you can turn from your unbelief
And choose life

Make up your mind
To put off the old you
And put on the new you.
Never, ever, ever forget
That the Lord is your security.

He will keep your foot
From being caught in a trap.
He will take care of you
To your very last breath.

Now, leave this place
And go out into the world
And act like a person
Who knows she’s dearly loved.

You were born to be exceptional.
So, Girlfriend, go forth
And walk worthy of your calling.
You are clothed in strength and dignity!

Now unto Him
Who can keep you from falling
Be glory and majesty
Power and authority
Through Jesus Christ our Lord
Now and forever more
Amen.

So Long, Insecurity!

~from Beth Moore

A Secure Girl's Prayer

2010-04-21T14:07:00.001-05:00

My Father in Heaven,

I thank You for this day to give You praise.
I thank You for a life where nothing is wasted,
a life where pain turns into purpose and Your providence assigns a personal destiny.
You will never allow anything in my path that cannot bring You glory,
or me and those around me good.
No matter what this day holds,
I am clothed with strength and dignity.
I have divine strength to overcome every obstacle and all oppression because I belong to Jesus Christ, and His Spirit lives within me.
You, Lord, are my security.
No one and nothing can take You from me.
You will keep my foot from being caught in a trap.
I choose to turn my back on fear because You are right here with me.
I can smile over the days to come because Your plan for me is good and right.
My heart is steadfast, trusting in You, Lord.
In the end, I will look in triumph on my foes.
Because of You,
I, _______________________________, am secure.

In Jesus' triumphant name,
Amen

~Taken from "So Long Insecurity," by Beth Moore, page 346.

So Long Insecurity ~ A Final Word

2010-04-20T16:12:00.001-05:00

Hello sweet friends! I want to apologize for the long delay in writing. For the past week and a half my life has been in a crazy whirlwind. Two weeks ago, this Friday, I received a phone call from my Dad. He told me that my sweet Momma had been in an accident and she had broken her right leg. She was minutes away from surgery. They were out of state at the time, so I immediately got in the car and headed their way. I have been caring for my Mom and without internet access for this time. I snuck away for a bit this afternoon, so that I could touch base with my blogging buddies! :)

I didn't want to end our book study without finishing my reading and answering my last two questions. I hope that you have had time to finish your reading and are able to attend a simulcast event this upcoming weekend. It is looking like I am not going to be able to attend the event. I am so disappointed. I continue to pray for Beth Moore, her team and the Mt. Sterling First Church of God as they prepare for this amazing weekend. I know that God is going to do an awesome work in the lives of many women!!

Okay, so here are my answers to our final questions. . .

1) On a scale of 1-10, I would say that fear has unfortunately had a hold on me at about a 7 or 8. (sometimes less and sometimes more!) This is something that I have always struggled with, on some level, and the last 2 1/2 years, it has reared its ugly head. Chapter 17 was very eye opening and the part that resonated with me the most was to "Trust God! Period." I love the words of Isaiah 33:6, "HE is your constant source of stability." (NET). Lord, help me to trust YOU, no matter what the situation or fear. Help me to lean not on my own understanding. Help me to seek YOUR will and allow YOU to show me which path to take. Help me to have a secure heart, trusting completely in YOU! I love you Lord! Amen.

2) This has been the most amazing journey! I am so thankful that once again, Beth has been obedient to the Holy Spirit and allowed the Lord to use her in such a mighty way. God has opened my eyes so much over the past ten weeks. This book study has changed me. I am striving to live each day secure in Christ! I know that my security comes from Him. I know that I am clothed with strength and dignity and no one can take that from me. My heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. Each day, I am clinging to His Word and His truths! I am changing the way I think and reminding myself daily of the mighty God that I serve. My life is in His hands. "The Lord is your security. He will keep your foot from being caught in a trap." (Proverbs 3:26 ~ NLT) PRAISE GOD!!

I just want to say thank you to all who have done this book study with me. Thank you also to all who have read along, prayed and given me support and encouragement. I praise Jesus for each of you. I pray that you trust in Him! I pray that you hold on to your security and know that no one can take it from you. Let's make a decision to live as secure women of God and be examples to young women, showing them what security looks like. I love, love, love each of you!!

Praising God for His Security,
Elisabeth

So Long Insecurity Discussion Conclusion

2010-04-08T14:51:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe that this time has already come to an end. We will wrap up our "So Long Insecurity" book study this week. I know that the LORD has spoken in mighty ways throughout this study and I pray that you have received many blessings. I also pray that you are walking securely in Him with your heads held high for His glory! I am posting what Beth Moore posted on her site this morning and will look forward to hearing from you this next week.

Beth wrote:

"It’s time for us to finish up! I am so grateful for your partnership through this journey. You were such a big part of the inspiration to write it (not because you’re insecure or anything… but because I knew I’d have a little company if I went public). When it came out, reading it together seemed only fitting. Thank you for your willingness to enter in."

This week’s assignment? Finish this baby up! Please read Chapters 17 and 18 and answer the following questions:

1. Based on Chapter 17, on a scale of 1 to 10 (one-almost none, ten-over the top), how big a part has fear played in your life? After responding with your approximation, please share what, if anything, in the chapter resonated with you.

2. Reflect over the journey as a whole. What (again, if anything) lasting and of God will you take away from it?

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, Ladies. You are a great joy to me. May the God of peace sanctify us through and through – spirit, soul, and body – until we are wholly overtaken by Him. (1 Thess. 5:23) This alone will be the essence of wholeness."

And I want to thank you too, for doing this study with me! You are such a blessing to me and I love knowing that I have sisters in Christ all over, in different stages of life, going through this journey with me. God is so good and I praise Him for each of you!! Let's continue to cling to Jesus and finish strong! :)

I love you,
Elisabeth

So Long Insecurity Discussion - Week Eight

2010-04-07T11:38:00.000-05:00

Greetings my sweet girlfriends! I hope and pray that you are having a blessed spring day! I am anticipating great things!! I thought I would post my answers to this week's questions. I truly hope that you are continuing to read. Even if you are behind, continue on at your own pace. I want you to live life victoriously and abundantly secure through Jesus Christ!!

I had the blessed opportunity to skype with some dear friends this morning and it reminded me of just how blessed I am with some precious friendships in Jesus. God is so good! I love how He places people in our paths throughout our life at just the right time! His timing is perfect. Sorry, I know that I am getting off the subject, but I just wanted to share this with you because it led me to answer the first question of my homework.

Here are my answers:

1) I do not have any daughters, but the Lord has blessed me with some special young girls that He placed in my life. One sweet girl is very dear to me. I feel as though I have helped raise her and I love her as if she was my own daughter. She is the daughter of a very dear friend & I have been in her life since the time she was born. They have lived with us for short times on two separate occasions, so needless to say, we are close. Then, a year ago next month, the Lord placed another baby girl into my life! My brother & his wife had the first baby girl in our family and I love her dearly. God has graciously allowed us to be near them this past 9 months and I have grown attached to her & love her so very much. I want to be a godly example for these two little girls and I want them to know Christ and live their lives for Him. I don't want them to struggle with insecurity, but know that their security comes from Him.

One of my greatest memories in ministry was having the wonderful opportunity to baptize a young girl. I had prayed with her as she asked Jesus into her heart & she wanted me to be the one to baptize her. (so sweet!) Nothing could have prepared me for what I felt that day. As we entered into the baptistry, her with her princess crown on & all, the Holy Spirit flooded my soul! I thought that day . . . "Even though I never had a daughter, the LORD has given me many spiritual daughters to be an example before them!" It is my heart's desire to leave a legacy of faith to all those that I have come in contact with. I want them to see Jesus in me and I want them to know Christ and the abundant life that only He can give. I desire to live abundantly and effectively for my Lord!

2) I believe that the best way to look out for my female gender & the battle of insecurity is to start living victoriously over this issue myself! I love the passage in 2 Corinthians 4:6-7 that says, "For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." ~ "But I have this treasure!" I want to live my life in a way that radiates the glory of God! Jesus Christ lives in me & I have no reason to be insecure. . . my security comes from Him!!

3) My passion is women's ministry. I love seeing women of all ages "get it!" I love seeing them come into a relationship with Jesus Christ and watch as they grow in Him. I love seeing those moments when God's Word becomes alive and active in them and it is like a light bulb comes on . . . they get what the Lord is saying to them. It brings joy to my heart and fills me with such a sense of excitement and fulfillment. My heart also beats wildly for young pastor's wives. Being a pastor's wife myself, I have been through many trials and valleys, as well as, on many mountaintops. I know what it is like to feel as though you have no one to turn to. I know what it's like to feel as though you have to be "perfect." I feel an obligation to be a mentor to other young pastor's wives who may feel as though they have no idea what they have gotten themselves into. I don't feel obligated in a bad way. I feel honored to be able to come alongside other pastor's wives and to be able to listen, pray and encourage their hearts. This is something that I have become more passionate about over the past 2 1/2 years. I hope that the Lord gives me opportunity to be poured out for His glory. I love Jesus and I love serving others through Him!

It has been such an honor to be able to share with each of you throughout this journey. I hope and pray that you are also being blessed along the way and learning so much as the Lord leads each of you. I look forward to our last week of reading together. Remember as you study this week (and as you get ready each morning) to say to yourself, "How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty!" (Psalm 84:1)

I love you girls!
Elisabeth

So Long Insecurity - Week Eight

2010-04-01T18:12:00.000-05:00

Happy Maundy Thursday Sweet Ones! I wanted to get our assignment for this next week posted before the day was over. We will only have two more discussion weeks and there are five chapters left to read in So Long Insecurity. We will read three chapters this week and two next week per Beth's instructions.

Also, if anyone is interested in attending the live Beth Moore simulcast with me, please let me know. I will be attending at the First Church of God in Mt. Sterling, KY on April 24, 2010. You can check Living Proof Ministries website to see a number of host churches who are taking part in the simulcast and find one in your area. I highly encourage you to take advantage of this great opportunity. You will be forever changed!

Here is our assignment for this week:

Read Chapters 14, 15 & 16 and answer the following questions:
1) As you surely noticed, Chapter 14 is more of a testimony than a teaching but it concludes with a charge to deal with our female insecurities for the sake of young girls coming up behind us. Briefly describe someone who is worth doing what it takes to you to live abundantly and effectively in Christ. Help us picture her so that she inspires us, too. Needless to say, don’t share more than she’d want you to.

2) I wish we could discuss all of Chapter 15 in person but this is the next best thing. Name a couple of ways pertinent to your sphere of life and influence that you could look out for your own gender in our battle with insecurities. In other words, how can you (not others but you in particular) start becoming part of the solution in your female relationships rather than default into part of the problem. No condemnation here. Goodness knows, we’ve all been both. Our challenge is to learn to be deliberate. How are you prepared to do that?

3) I can’t wait to see your answers to this one. Based on Chapter 16 and the challenge to look past ourselves, what is your passion? If you don’t have one presently, don’t feel pressured or unnerved. You might be too deep in toddlers or school work to think past the urgent. Those things are priority and need to be your passion right now. If, however, you long for something that makes you feel fully alive and part of something specific God is doing for the greater good, ask Him to nurture that vision in you. It will be ultimately be the key to life on the outskirts of self-absorption. Keep in mind, your passion may not be anything you’re currently engaged in. Maybe you don’t have the opportunity to participate right now. Maybe it’s just in dream-form. Or maybe it’s just a place God has tendered your heart. Try to give it a name. What is something outside of yourself that you feel passionate about?

Have a blessed Easter weekend and celebrate our risen Savior! Enjoy this wonderful time with your family. You are in my thoughts and prayers!

Blessings,
Elisabeth

So Long Insecurity Discussion - Week Seven

2010-03-31T12:32:00.000-05:00

What a blessed Easter week! I absolutely LOVE this time of year. Easter is my favorite! I love celebrating our risen Savior! Hallelujah!! I pray that each of us are spending some precious time with the Savior this week reflecting on all that HE has done on our behalf. God is so good.

I am also blessed that my son is home from college this week for spring break! It has been so good to spend time with my boy! I am so blessed to be his Momma! He brings a smile to my heart and joy to my soul. Thank you LORD for this special time! God is so good.

I hope that you have been able to keep up with your reading with all the craziness of life. We have gotten to the core of this study and it is awesome! Don't get discouraged if you are behind, but continue to press on! Don't let the enemy get a foothold. This part of the study is where we are learning how to respond differently and not to let anyone or anything threaten our security. We are clothed with strength and dignity. Remember? (Proverbs 31:25) I love what Beth Moore wrote in this week's reading. "Wear your God-given strength. Throw on your God-given dignity. Walk with your head up in your God-given security." (pg. 258). So in other words, let's get our God-given security on girlfriends!

Okay, I hope you are doing your homework. The following are my answers to this week's assignment.

1) My "I already knew that moment" was that men were on to us and our insecurities. My "That's new to me moment" was the fact that men thought that women show their insecurity by how they dress. I was surprised at the comment from the 29 year old man on page 233. This was very interesting to me.
2) I believe a weak will definitely plays into our insecurity. When we allow the enemy to have a foothold with us emotionally, it feeds our insecurity. Praise God, we have a right to choose! Because we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, we can refuse to give way to insecurity! We can choose to react differently and to have a new attitude!

I love Psalm 29:11 (NET). It says, "The LORD gives His people strength; the LORD grants His people security." We can hold our heads high and know that we are children of the Most High! We can have our feelings hurt, we can be criticized and wronged, we can be embarrassed, intimidated and even threatened; but we can also refuse to hand over our security. It is ours to keep! God gave us our security and crowned us with dignity. It is by His strength that we are able to hold our heads high. He is the lifter of our heads. (Psalm 3:3). "The enemy of your soul will never have to worry about what kind of damage you could do the kingdom of darkness if he can get you to buy the lie that you are incompetent, weak, and inadequate." (pg. 259). Sisters in Christ, remember, we ALL need God and He is our strength and shield. Whenever you are "struck down," remember that you are not "destroyed!" (2 Corinthians 4:9). YOU are not incompetent, weak or inadequate! YOU are a child of GOD!

Enjoy this Easter week and hold your head high! The LORD has done great things for us! He created us and He crowned us with strength and dignity. I love each of you and you are in my daily prayers. Have a blessed week!

Clinging to Christ,
Elisabeth

So Long Insecurity - Week Seven

2010-03-25T17:11:00.001-05:00

I just want each of you to know how very proud I am that you are continuing with me on this journey! God is so good and He is our security! He has great things in store for each of us this week. Please do not give up! If you are behind in this study. . . continue on at your own pace, but keep going! I am praying for you!

Week Seven of So Long Insecurity! Your assignment this week is to read CHAPTERS 12 and 13 and answer the following questions. (You will NOT want to miss Chapter 12. It's what the guys on the survey had to say about women's insecurities. Don't wait too long in the week to read Chapter 13 either. It's a little lengthier.)

1. Based on Chapter 12, name one "I already knew that" moment and one "that's new to me" moment, if either applies.

2. Based on Chapter 13, how does a weak will play into our insecurity?

"Let's recommit to our journey together even if you've already read the whole book. In the spirit of 2 Corinthians 8:11, "Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it." Translation? Let's finish strong!" ~ Beth Moore

Let's finish strong fellow Sojourners!

You are loved,
Elisabeth :)

So Long Insecurity Discussion - Week Six

2010-03-24T15:31:00.001-05:00

Good Afternoon! I hope you girls are having a great week in the LORD!! I am loving this sunshine & having a glorious week. My boy comes home for spring break on Friday, so needless to say, I have been SUPER excited!! :)

Here are my answers to this week's assignment. I hope that you are all continuing on with this study. You are in my prayers & I love you so very much!

1) I don't think that I have ever viewed men as being gods or devils. I have always admired the men in my life. I was raised by an awesome Christian Daddy & married an amazing man of God! I am blessed with an incredible son and have a wonderful brother. They mean the world to me, however they are not perfect and would be the first ones to admit that fact. I am truly a blessed woman!

2) I believe that the main difference between men and women's insecurities is that women tend to have more insecurity about their physical appearance than men. While some men may have issues in this area, I feel that this is primarily a female issue. We have it plastered all over the media and the pressure of looking a certain way is very pressing for women.

3) Yes. Omnipotence is the divine attribute that I am particularly taken with. Unfortunately, if you ask my husband or son, they would both tell you that I have "control" issues! They actually joke about my son being the "bubble boy!" I have had to learn to let go and let God in many areas of my life, but this has been a huge one for me.

Okay, now it's your turn! :) If you need to review this week's questions, you can view the previous blog post or check out Beth Moore's site.

The main thing that the LORD impressed upon me as I read and studied His Word this week was to be a better encourager to my husband. I don't want to be critical and sometimes I can be the biggest critic to those that I love the most! I am praying and striving through the Holy Spirit to be an encourager and to continue to be a prayer warrior on my husband's behalf.

I encourage each of you to do the same. Send your husband a text, email or leave him a note letting him know how much he means to you and how thankful you are for him. Let's encourage our men and pray for them daily! As we learned this week, they battle insecurity just like we do. Let's be their biggest cheerleaders and prayer warriors! Pray for wisdom and knowledge in Christ! Pray for God to teach you to encourage others! I am praying for each of you and love you girls so much!

"My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." ~ Colossians 2:2-3

Praising God and Praying for my Man,
Elisabeth

So Long Insecurity - Week Six

2010-03-18T22:03:00.000-05:00

Okay girls, we are half way through our book study and God is revealing some awesome truths in His Word! I pray that you are staying with this study. God desires for us to live a Spirit-filled life of freedom in Him. He desires for us to be rid of insecurity once and for all!

In this next part of our study, Beth Moore will share insights from her surveys of men. Please read each chapter, even if you do not have a male influence in your life. It is important for us to read each part of this study so that we might gain better understanding into our gender related insecurities.

Our assignment from Beth this week is to read CHAPTERS 10 AND 11 and answer the following questions:

1. Based on Chapter 10, in all truthfulness, has your historical tendency been to view men (generally speaking) as gods? Or devils?

2. Based on Chapter 10 and your own day-to-day observances, what differences do you see between men’s insecurities and women’s?

3. On p.208 in Chapter 11, I suggest that women who struggle with insecurity tend to be particularly taken with 2 divine attributes: omnipotence and omniscience. Did either of these resonate with you? If so, how?

I hope that you will begin to share what God is doing in and through you as we study together. I also hope that you are keeping a personal journal that you can reflect back on whenever needed. Our times of sharing will make our journey more meaningful and help to hold us accountable. I love each of you and I am keeping you in my prayers. Enjoy your reading this week!

Love you girls,
Elisabeth

So Long Insecurity Discussion - Week Five

2010-03-18T07:19:00.001-05:00

Good Morning sweet friends! I pray you are doing well and having an awesome week with the Lord! I am posting later this week. My husband and I have been travelling. We are in Kentucky right now and I must say. . . it feels so good to be "home." We have spent our best years of ministry here and most of our married life. Kentucky holds some wonderful memories and it is nice to be back in the Bluegrass! :)

I don't know about you, but I absolutely loved our reading this week. Chapter 9 of "So Long Insecurity" has been my favorite chapter thus far in our study. What a blessing to pray God's Word and spend some precious time with our Savior! Beth had asked us to write down five Scriptures that spoke powerfully to us right now. I had trouble choosing only five. Oh, how I love the Word of God!

The Scripture that the Lord spoke most powerfully to me this week was Deuteronomy 33:12. I placed my name in the verse and allowed the Lord to speak directly to me. Place your name in the blank below and allow the Lord to speak to your soul.

"About ______________ He said: Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in Him, for He shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between His shoulders." (Deuteronomy 33:12)

What a blessed assurance that we can rest secure in the LORD. I remember when Andrew (my son) was a little boy and my husband would carry him on his shoulders. What a sweet memory! He could see better up there. He was right by his Daddy’s face. He could hear him and cling to him. He felt safe and secure! Beloved, just imagine our Daddy, Abba, carrying us on His shoulders.We can see clearer when we seek His face. We can hear God speak. He loves us so much and we can rest in Him as He carries us.

I think of a shepherd carrying his sheep. He would always place the sheep across his shoulders and protect him. The Shepherd of our souls does this for us. He shields us all day long and protects us. Pour your heart and soul out to Him and allow God to bring healing and restoration. The Lord knows you better than you know yourself. Ask Him to speak to your heart and reveal Himself to you! Ask Him for His protection and allow Him to be your shield.

We are at a turning point in our journey for security and God is doing an amazing work in and through our lives! When you struggle this week, read back through the prayer in Chapter 9. Allow the sweet Savior to place you upon His shoulders and carry you. Give Him your worries, fears and insecurities and rest in His love.

I love you girls and I am praying for you! Continue to stay in God's Word and allow Him to speak to your heart. I am excited to hear what He is speaking to you.

Resting on His Shoulders,
Elisabeth

So Long Insecurity - Week Five

2010-03-11T17:13:00.000-06:00

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen." ~ Ephesians 3:20-21

Well, we have made it half way through our book study and it has been glorious! This week will become intense and I believe that the Holy Spirit is going to do amazing things in and through us as we surrender to Him.

Here is what Beth Moore wrote to us for this week:

"We are reaching the halfway point in our journey and have arrived at a place of utmost importance in our pursuit of wholeness. Your assignment this week is based on only one chapter of the book: CHAPTER 9. As you will soon discover, it is not a chapter you just read. It's a chapter you actually do. A chapter you actually pray. Please take it seriously. Everything ahead of us hinges on this experience. It is placed at this point in the journey prior to the prescriptive and practical phase of the book so that the way is cleared and our dignity restored enough to move forward. It will help place us in a posture God can bless with the rich kind of confidence He wants for His people and activate the power we have within us to think and FEEL differently. That's essentially where the remainder of the book heads.

Here are your very simple assignments this week:

1. Do (don't just read but actually do) Chapter Nine. In your comment to this post, simply reflect back on your time with God and share anything specific that you received from it.

2. Pick five Scriptures that speak most powerfully to you right now - five that you feel like you need the most - and write them on the inside of the back cover of the book. (This should be a lot less intimidating than what I asked you to write inside the front cover at the beginning of our journey!)

And that's it for this week! I want the prayer journey to stand by itself and clear the way for mighty works ahead. We have some of our most eye-opening moments in the second half so stay with it, Girls!"

I love you sweet girls and I am praying for you! Enjoy this week in the Lord and if you are behind in the study, it will be a great week to get "caught up!" Continue to pray for each other and allow the Lord to speak to your heart this week.

Praying with you,
Elisabeth

So Long Insecurity Discussion - Week Four

2010-03-10T16:22:00.000-06:00

Hello Sweet Journey Girls! I hope this finds you in the middle of a glorious sunny day with Jesus! It is beautiful here today and I am praising the Lord for the 72 degree weather. Oh, how I have missed the sunshine!! It is wonderful and I pray that you are experiencing a wonderful day too!

Before we get to this past week's assignment, I wanted to post a link to a video clip from Beth Moore that she posted for those doing her "So Long Insecurity" book study. You can click on the link below or on the book to the right of the page. It is a very important personal message from Beth and I hope that each of you will take the time to listen intently to what she has to say.

http://vimeo.com/9861089

Okay, now let's get to the questions for this past week's assignment. I hope that you all read Chapters 7 and 8 in their entirety. It is important to push through so that we can be victorious over insecurity! The Lord desires for us to have freedom in our lives. Galatians 5:1 says, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Praise God! Jesus Christ has set us free and we are free indeed!!

The following were questions for this week:

1. What part of Chapter 7 hit home with you most and why?

2. (If you're choosing only two, please include this one.) Based on your journey so far in chapters 1-8, list your own personal top three reasons why it's time to deal with your insecurity. (We're not looking for right answers. We're looking for YOUR answers. Don't copy off your fellow sojourners' papers on this one. Grin.) So that you don't get your numbers confused here, list your 3 reasons under A.B.&C.

3. Based on Chapter 8, briefly describe a recent trigger of insecurity and whether or not it got a rise out of you.

4. Also based on Chapter 8, what does dignity mean to you?

I pray that you will answer one or all in the comment section below. Feel free to comment on what the study has meant to you thus far, even if you feel as though you do not wish to answer the other questions on this site. I would love to hear how God is working in and through your life!

Here are my answers to the questions this week:

1. I think that the thing that impressed me the most from Chapter 7 was the fact that so many women have battled insecurity! It was astounding to see how the enemy can work to deceive and destroy. It made me angry! I want women of all ages to have freedom in Jesus Christ!! I was also struck with a sense of, "I've been there," in some of these writings. Oh, how insecurity can wreak havoc. I am sick and tired of the enemy making me and others feel this way!

2. My top three reasons why it's time to deal with my insecurity:
    a) I am sick and tired of the enemy working me over in this area of my life!
    b) I want to believe that I am who God says I am.
    c) I want to help other women to have victory and healing in this area of their lives.

3. I laughed when I thought about this answer. The last trigger recently that I remember was when I met someone I really admire and said something stupid! It was actually when I met BETH MOORE at a book signing last month! (haha!) I had anticipated this moment for so long and I was sooo ecstatic that I blubbered all over her and myself! I can't even remember what I said. (Nothing that I had planned.) I was talking so fast and trying to tell her so much in such a few brief moments! I know I must have sounded so stupid. My sweet husband had driven me all the way down to Tennessee for a Valentine's gift to meet her. We both laughed all the way home at how "silly" I acted. You would have thought I was a little girl! I felt so stupid and thought, "I can't imagine how goofy she thought I was. . . how stupid!"

4. I absolutely LOVED Chapter 8. I looked up the meaning of dignity in Webster's dictionary. It said,
"The quality or state of being worthy, honored, or esteemed." To me, after reading this chapter, dignity means a crown of honor that Jesus Christ has placed upon my head deeming me worthy of respect and high esteem. Thank you LORD!

I pray that each of you have a glorious day and enjoy your reading! I will post our reading and assignment for next week in the morning. I am praying for each of you and love you so much!

Crowned with Dignity,
Elisabeth

She is Clothed with Strength and Dignity

2010-03-09T16:34:00.000-06:00

Sweet sisters, I apologize for not writing yesterday. I have been feeling a bit under the weather with a cold, but praise God, I am feeling much better today. I am really enjoying our book study together. I feel like each week, I am learning more and becoming a more secure woman of God! :) I absolutely have LOVED our reading this week. If you have not gotten to chapters 7 and 8 yet, please don't stop now! Journey on, dear ones, it is worth it. . . . I promise!

I will answer my questions for this week and post them tomorrow. I will also be posting next week's assignment on Thursday. Today, however, I just wanted to bask in the wonderful treasure that the Lord has spoken to my heart recently. I love how our Daddy continues to reiterate something until we finally take it in and allow it to resonate in our hearts!

Chapter 8 has been my favorite chapter in "So Long Insecurity," to this point of our study. I absolutely enjoyed every word. I have read and reread this portion and learned something new and refreshing! God is so good!! Thank you LORD for how You have continued to reveal Yourself to me through Your written Word. Thank you for giving Beth Moore insight and speaking truth through this book.

This chapter was so timely, because just recently I had a young lady ask me about my interpretation of the Proverbs 31 woman. I gave her a brief response and told her that I would do some more in depth study and get back to her. As I had been praying and asking the Lord to help me to understand portions of this scripture, I reached chapter 8 of our study. I have to admit that I had not thought about Proverbs 31:25 in this way before. I have always loved verses 25-30 and they are my favorite part of this passage of Scripture. I now love this passage even more!

Beth talked about how insecurity relates to losing our God-given dignity. (pg. 148) The enemy loves for us to give in to this issue. He knows that insecure people who don't value themselves will begin to believe that they do not deserve dignity. First of all, let's define the word dignity. Webster states that dignity is: the quality or state of being worthy, honored, or esteemed. Beloved, I have wonderful news for you! YOU are worthy of respect and high esteem! YOU are honored! GOD gave dignity to us. We are His prized possession and created in his image! If He resides in you, then His divine power is yours. When we are weak, He is strong! Praise God! He crowns us with glory and honor (dignity). (Psalm 8:5b) The Hebrew word for "honor" is derived from the same Hebrew term as "dignity." (pg. 158).

Beth writes, "If we knew who we were and what God has conferred upon us, what everybody else thought of us would grow less and less significant." (pg. 159). Beloved, you are a child of the Most High! You are worthy of respect and dignity! You are honored and loved by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Claim back your dignity and believe God! You are who He says you are and you are clothed with strength and dignity!

Finally, I love that Beth emphasizes that God places a crown of honor/dignity on our head and not in our hands. (pg. 159). He places it where we need it the most. He places it around our minds. How many times do we let our minds run away with us and try to tell us something that is untrue? How many times do we imagine the worst instead of God's BEST? We can KNOW that we are the Lord's prized possession. We can know that He loves us and values us! We can hold our heads high, not from pride, but from the knowledge that we are a child of the King and He deems us worthy!

Dear ones, whenever the enemy tries to deceive you or lie to you, remember to "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ!" (2 Corinthians 10:5). Allow Him to remind you of the crown of honor/dignity that He has placed upon your sweet head.

Claiming Truth and Loving my Lord,
Elisabeth

So Long Insecurity - Week Four

2010-03-04T09:58:00.000-06:00

Well, we have made it through another week and PRAISE JESUS we are learning more and more each day! God is SO good! I hope that you are continuing with your reading and journaling your questions. I so want each of you to experience sweet blessings from Jesus and freedom from insecurity! I have been so blessed as I continue in this study. Thank you Beth Moore! I praise the Lord for giving her the wisdom to write on this subject. I believe that it is going to forever change the lives of many women.

Okay, here is our assignment for week four: Read Chapters 7 and 8 and answer the following questions. Since (Beth) is giving us four this time around, she says, "you're welcome, if you prefer, to pick two of them to answer in your comment:"

1. What part of Chapter 7 hit home with you most and why?

2. (If you're choosing only two, please include this one.) Based on your journey so far in chapters 1-8, list your own personal top three reasons why it's time to deal with your insecurity. (We're not looking for right answers. We're looking for YOUR answers. Don't copy off your fellow sojourners' papers on this one. Grin.) So that you don't get your numbers confused here, list your 3 reasons under A.B.&C.

3. Based on Chapter 8, briefly describe a recent trigger of insecurity and whether or not it got a rise out of you.

4. Also based on Chapter 8, what does dignity mean to you?

I cannot wait to get into this week's reading and assignment. Please know that I love each of you and you are in my prayers. Read Psalm 139 today and know that YOU are fearfully and wonderfully made! I love verse 5 that says, "You hem me in - behind and before; You have laid Your hand upon me." Our Daddy has us in His hands. He loves us so much and He made us wonderful! I love what Beth wrote on pg 103 of our reading this past week. "In the radiance of His greatness, we are made great. Our search is over and our egos silenced. We no longer need pride to drive us, because we've found something infinitely more fulfilling: purpose. He is the reason we are here." Sweet ones, He is the reason we are here! Let's think on that each morning this week when we wake up and start our day. Lord, help us to remember the reason why we are here. Help us not to take one single moment for granted. Help us to glorify YOU in all we say and do this week. We love you Jesus! Amen.

Praising Him for You,
Elisabeth

So Long Insecurity Discussion - Week Three

2010-03-02T18:21:00.000-06:00

I am so happy to report to you that the LORD has made Himself known to me in a powerful way this week! GOD is SO good!! He continues to refine me and confirm through His Word and others the things that He desires for me to learn through this study. I don't know about you, but this week of getting down in the dirt and digging up roots was not very easy. I felt like every point Beth made was screaming out my name!! Have you ever felt this way? It's kind of like when the preacher preaches on Sundays and you feel as though he has been a fly on the wall of your house the week before! LOL! (For me, the preacher actually had lived with me all week long!!) :) Praise God for His Spirit and His love. He loves us so much that His Spirit convicts our hearts when there is something that we need to change. He also helps us when there is something that we need to learn through His Word. Many times, He brings the same point up over and over until we realize that He is speaking directly to us! I'm so thankful that He doesn't give up on us.

Okay, let's get to our questions for this week. Please do not feel hesitant about answering. It is awesome to learn and study together. Many times what the Lord lays upon your heart will be a blessing to someone else. Let's not worry about if we are the best spellers or articulators, but just speak from your heart. It blesses me to hear from you!

Our questions this week, after reading Chapters 5 & 6, were the following:

1. After reading these two chapters, what do you believe to be the TWO primary roots of your struggle with insecurity? Keep in mind that more may apply but try to lock in on two that you believe to be most impactful.

2. What, if any, insight did you gain about the roots of insecurity and did you sense that God was trying to speak to you in any specific way through it? (This answer does not need to be limited to the two roots you identified in the previous response.)

My answers:

1. I believe that my two primary roots of my struggle with insecurity, at this stage of my life are dramatic change and rejection. As most of you know from our previous 40 day journey, this past few years has been one of dramatic change for me. I have had a hysterectomy, moved twice, seen my only child off to college and turned the big "40"!! This period of dramatic change has definitely been a root of my struggle with insecurity. I love what Beth said in Chapter 5. "The truth is, God uses change to change us. He doesn't use it to destroy us or to distract us but to coax us to the next level of character, experience, compassion, and destiny." I also loved the fact that she used mine and Tom's life verse, Philippians 1:6! What a blessed confirmation! God is committed to finishing what He started in us!

The other root had to do with rejection. I must agree that when we are rejected in any way, it causes us to question our personal value. These pages resonated within me as I read what Beth had to say about this deep root of insecurity. Sometimes we are outright rejected and sometimes it is a mere perception. When our hearts are wounded and tender, we can often perceive something as a total rejection, even if it is not. I could painfully identify with this truth. During times in our ministry, when we have been rejected, the pain was so great. This definitely causes a hypersensitivity to criticism and often causes you to take everything personal. Trust me; I have been there many times in the past 3 years! I can tell you that this is NO WAY to live!! Beloved, don't allow the enemy to keep you in a state of feeling worthless! Pray for healing and allow God to do some refining in your life. That is what He has been doing in mine! It is such a blessing when we realize that we are worth it! Christ loves us and HE felt that we were worth dying for. Sweet ones, believe this and know it is true!

2. I know and believe that God has been speaking clearly to my heart this week! I had the blessed opportunity to share with a friend some of the truths that God has taught me during this journey. I am so thankful that HE loves us and does not give up on us. I am the first to admit that I have been a perfect mess! :) I am also the first one to admit that God is doing a new work in my life. He is teaching me to look up to Him first and then to look into my heart. I want to move on and grow deeper with my Savior. I don't want to live in the past and I don't want to live feeling defeated. "We end up looking in to look up instead of looking up to look in. We get fixated on every self-gain and every self-loss until, in our inordinate self-production, we end up licking our wounds to the point that they can't heal." (pg. 105). Lord, search my heart! Help me to look to YOU and allow YOU to look in my heart. Show me the things that need to be changed and change me. YOU are the reason that I am here and YOU made me. I give YOU all the glory, honor and praise! Thank you Lord that I don't have to live with regrets. Thank you Lord that I don't have to live in the past. Thank you Lord that I don't have to live feeling defeated or worthless. I am victorious, chosen, redeemed, blessed, forgiven and loved by YOU, O Lord. I love you Jesus!

Journey Girls,
I just want you to know how very much you are loved! You are worth it! You are such a blessing to me! Thank you for joining me in this quest for security. God is teaching us some wonderful truths in His Word and He loves us so very much! He is not finished with us! Continue to look to Him. He is telling you that you are worth pursuing, loving, fighting for and keeping!

"Being confident of this, that HE who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus!" ~ Philippians 1:6

I love you,
Elisabeth

Digging Up Roots!

2010-03-01T16:25:00.000-06:00

Journey Girls,

I hope this finds you in the middle of a blessed day with our Lord! I am writing after a long weekend of much prayer and seeking about next steps. God is so faithful and so good! I can hardly wait to see what HE has just around the corner. I am also very anxious to see my boy! Actually, I just purchased plane tickets for him to come home for Spring break! YAY!! I can't wait to hug his neck and give him a big ole "Momma kiss!" (For those of you who are Moms, you know exactly what I mean.) I am thankful for technology though. It has been such a blessing to be able to Skype with Andrew. It does me so much good to see his sweet face each week.

Enough about me, how are you girls doing? How is your reading coming along? How is your time with Jesus? I am really enjoying this book study. If you have just joined us, don't worry, you just follow along at your own pace. Let me just encourage you to be persistent and continue on! This book gets better and better!

This week we are reading Chapters 5 and 6 of Beth Moore's book, "So Long Insecurity." We are looking at some of the deep roots of insecurity. Have you ever tried to dig up roots? It is not an easy task! Sometimes we have to dig very deep to get to the root of a matter! That is exactly what we have been doing this past week. One thing that I discovered is that sometimes these roots are intertwined and they work to threaten or "choke out" our security.

As we continue to study some of these deep seated roots and begin to dig them up together, don't be afraid! Isaiah 41: 9-10 says, "I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God." Our God is with us and He loves us so very much! He desires to heal us from our deep wounds. I love what Beth wrote in Chapter 5. "God knows exactly what happened and what a toll it took. He knows the number it played on your mind. Let Him bring you peace. Let him tell you you're worth wanting, loving, even liking, pursuing, fighting for, and yes, beloved, keeping. Whatever you do, don't reject the only One wholly incapable of rejecting you." (pg. 77). God knows us, He knows our circumstances and He loves us! He is the only One who can bring complete healing and wholeness to our lives. Let's allow Him to help us dig up the old roots and plant something new in the soil of our souls. Thank you Abba (Daddy) for what You are teaching us through Your Word and through this study.

I am so excited to hear what He is doing in and through your life! Please continue to comment, even if you are not as far along in the reading. I love hearing from you and it is such an encouragement to me. I love each of you and I am praying for you!

Doing Some Digging with my Daddy,
Elisabeth

So Long Insecurity - Week Three

2010-02-25T12:06:00.003-06:00

I hope this finds each of you in the middle of a blessed week with the Lord! PRAISE GOD the sun is shining today! That always makes me feel better! I am excited about what God is teaching us and what great things He has in store for us over the next few weeks.

I continue to pray for each of you and cling to our challenge: "to let the healthy, utterly whole, and completely secure part of us increasingly overtake our earthen vessels until it drives our every emotion, reaction and relationship. When we allow God's truth to eclipse every false positive and let our eyes spring open to the treasure we have, there in His glorious reflection we'll also see the treasure we are." (pg. 43 - So Long Insecurity)

Here is the assignment for this week. Read chapters 5 and 6 in "So Long Insecurity," and answer the following questions:

1. After reading these two chapters, what do you believe to be the TWO primary roots of your struggle with insecurity? Keep in mind that more may apply but try to lock in on two that you believe to be most impactful.

2. What, if any, insight did you gain about the roots of insecurity and did you sense that God was trying to speak to you in any specific way through it? (This answer does not need to be limited to the two roots you identified in the previous response.)

This week we will search and dig deep to discover eight deep roots of insecurity. Let's ask Jesus to open our eyes, our ears and our hearts to what He wants to share with us. He loves us so very much and desires for us to live a life of freedom from insecurity! I love what Beth Moore shared on her site. She said, "God is pursuing us. He’s setting us up to get sick and tired of our insecurity and to do anything we must in order to find wholeness in Him. Let’s not stop Him in any way."

Beloved, know that GOD is pursuing YOU! He desires for you to find wholeness and completeness in Him. He loves you with an everlasting love! He always has our best interest in mind and His ways are higher than our ways. Trust God! Open up your heart and allow Him to be the One who brings healing and wholeness.

Beth also initiated a "NO INTIMIDATION ZONE" on her site. I absolutely love this idea! I hope that none of you will feel intimidated in any way to comment on this site or on the LPM site. Please know that you are amongst girls who love you and are praying for you! Please do not feel intimidated in any way to be transparent and open about what God lays upon your heart. Let's not judge one another or try to measure up to one another. Let's love each other and allow this to be a "safe" place. I know that I have been very transparent over the past couple of months and God has brought about much healing. I pray that you can know this too. I don't want to pressure you in any way to comment, but just commit to pray about allowing God to open up these places in your heart. Don't let the enemy rob you of this joy.

We can determine to share our struggles and victories about insercurity together. We can treat each other with respect and love and pray for each other daily. Continue to stay in God's Word and practice hiding it in your heart.

Even as I type this, the enemy wants me to feel insecure and defeated. This morning I woke up feeling hopeful and found out that something I had been praying for is not going to work out - another door closed. My first feelings were insecurity and frustration, but I am determined to PRAISE GOD each day!! I am going to continue to seek His face and allow my sweet Savior to speak to my heart. I am believing GOD and placing my complete trust in Him. I know that HE has a greater plan and His ways are higher than our ways. I opened my Bible and read this precious promise:

"Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you!" (Psalm 9:10)

Thank you LORD that you have not forsaken me! Thank you for your love, grace, healing and hope! I love you so very much!! I continue to pray for you to minister this week to each of the girls in this study. Speak to the hearts of my sweet Journey Girls. Begin to bring wholeness and healing. If there is one that does not know you as Savior, then I pray that this would be the week that they come into a personal relationship with you. Speak through Beth Moore and bless her and her household. Do what only you can do, Jesus! I am believing YOU and praising you in advance for answered prayer. Thank you LORD!

I love, love, love you girls and I am here for you. You are glorious and I am so proud of what GOD is doing in your lives! To Him be all glory, honor and praise!

Praising God,
Elisabeth

So Long Insecurity Discussion - Week Two

2010-02-24T14:22:00.000-06:00

"May the LORD answer you when you are in trouble; may the God of Jacob make you secure!" (Psalm 20:1 NET) What a wonderful time this week in God's Word and in our book study together. I don't know about you, but I used my highlighter a lot this week! So much of what Beth Moore wrote about this week resonated with my spirit. Let's get right to our homework and see what God revealed to our hearts this week.

We were to read Chapters 3 and 4 of "So Long Insecurity," and answer the following questions:

1. Based on Chapter Three, what tends to be your own "Prominent False Positive"? (pg. 38)

2. What is the challenge stated at the very end of Chapter Three? (pg. 43)

3. Based on Chapter Four, what Biblical figure (or statement about him/her) resonated with you most and why?

My answers to the above questions are the following:

1) I have numerous false positives in my life, but probably the two most prominent false positives, at this stage in my life, would be "Recapturing youthfulness and Beauty." I feel as though I am too young to be an "Empty nester." (I absolutely despise that word) Most couples that are the same age as my husband and I still have small children at home. Because we got married young, had our baby young and were unable to have any more children, then we find ourselves in this new phase of life much earlier than we had planned. It makes me feel insecure in my circles. I feel as though I've suddenly been thrown into an "older" group of people. Also, at this phase in life, you begin to reevaluate all that you have been to this point. You think of things that you wish you had done differently or that you could do over and do better. I feel as though I am looking older as well. I sure wish this didn't bother me so much! I must say that I am one of those that often looks in the mirror and says, "Bless your heart!" I am constantly trying new facial creams, anti wrinkle serums and new makeup and hairstyles to help to improve my looks and make me look younger! I wish it didn't bother me, but unfortunately I cannot seem to get past this. The funny thing is that I have felt this way even since I was a much younger person.

2) "This, beloved, is our challenge. To let the healthy, utterly whole, and completely secure part of us increasingly overtake our earthen vessels until it drives our every emotion, reaction, and relationship. When we allow God's truth to eclipse every false positive and let our eyes spring open to the treasure we have, there in His glorious reflection we'll also see the treasure we are. And the beauty of the LORD will be upon us!"

3) I believe that I most resonated with Moses when he said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it." Being a pastor's wife, often forces me to be in situations that I feel are beyond my capability and/or beyond my knowlege level. I long to know Christ and His Word more and I don't want to do anything that would hinder others spiritually. I have never felt as though I was capable of filling the "shoes" of a pastor's wife. I was beginning to get victory in this area of my life, until the last couple of years when my husband and I received much criticism. This made me "retreat," so to speak, and made me want to go into hiding. Probably one of the most hurtful things that I heard was that my husband and I began to think that the ministry was "all about us!" These words were so wounding because we had tried so hard to make it known that it was all about GOD! Nothing could have been farther from the truth, however when one hears criticism, it should be evaluated. We (my husband and I) have searched our hearts to see if there was any truth to what was said.We have always wanted it to be clear that anything that comes from a ministry that we are apart of is because of GOD and not us! I must admit that I took this criticism very personally and have felt as though I never wanted to try again. I know now that this stems from a deep rooted insecurity of feeling like someone else could do it better and like I was not capable of doing what the Lord called me to do.

Okay, now it's your turn. You can answer your questions in the comment section below. If this is too personal, please do not feel any pressure to answer. I do hope that you will write out or journal your answers somewhere though. This helps to bring reality to the issue and is also critical in our journey to security. Thank you for your faithfulness. Thank you for reading with me and staying in God's Word. Thank you for your continued prayers and support. I love each of you so very much! You are in my prayers!

Remember, "Human flesh and blood have no weakness so strong that God's strength is made weak. He's got what we need. It's up to us whether or not we're going to let the worst of us get the best of us!" (pg. 58 - So Long Insecurity)

Clinging to the strength of the LORD,
Elisabeth

To Honor the King

2010-02-22T16:06:00.000-06:00

Praise God, His strength is made perfect in our weakness!! I am determined to continue to cling to Jesus during this time of transition and continue to give Him praise!! Jesus brings clarity to a situation when we seek His face. My husband and I continue to pray and fast about next steps and seek the face of God. Please continue to keep us in your prayers! Thank you!

I am enjoying our book study together. It comes at a time in my life when I am feeling most insecure! I must admit, after the past couple of years, I am feeling more insecure than ever! I loved the challenge that Beth Moore posted on page 43 of "So Long Insecurity."

"To let the healthy, utterly whole, and completely secure part of us increasingly overtake our earthen vessels until it drives our every emotion, reaction, and relationship. When we allow God's truth to eclipse every false postitive and let our eyes spring open to the treasure we have, there in His glorious reflection we'll also see the treasure we are. And the beauty of the Lord our God will be upon us. (Psalm 90:17)"

My prayer for you this week is that you will allow the Holy Spirit to consume every part of your being. I pray that we will be controlled by His Spirit that dwells within us and not by the sinful nature of our flesh. Jesus is perfect and in Him is no darkness at all. Let the beauty of the Lord be upon us!

Whatever insecurities you are dealing with, remember that our security is in the LORD. He desires for us to see ourselves as He sees us. I love each of you and I am praying for you as you spend time with the Savior. One of my favorite passages that the Lord brought to my mind comes from Psalm 45:11. Read the following passage and imagine Jesus speaking these words directly to your heart.

"The king is entralled by your beauty; honor Him for He is your Lord."

As we continue our study together, know that the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is entralled by your beauty. He loves you so very much! Let's honor Him this week in everything that we say and do. Ask Jesus to help you to be honest about your feelings of insecurity. Ask Him to help you see yourself as He sees you. You are a treasure! Honor Christ!

I love you and you are in my daily prayers!

All Glory, Honor and Praise to the King,
Elisabeth

So Long Insecurity - Week Two

2010-02-18T11:32:00.001-06:00

"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Mechizedek." (Hebrews 6:19-20)

Praise GOD we have a hope! Jesus Christ is our hope and anchors us like a ship anchor holding it safely in position. He is our security! I pray that as we continue our study together, we hold fast to Jesus and allow Him to reveal His Word to our hearts. Sweet Ones, we have a hope! Let's cling to the anchor of our souls and be open to what He wants us to learn this week.

Beth Moore's Instructions for week two:

"OK, so let's get to our discussions for Week Two. Read or thoroughly review CHAPTERS THREE and FOUR then answer the questions that follow this paragraph.

1. Based on Chapter Three, what tends to be your own "Prominent False Positive"?

2. What is the challenge stated at the very end of Chapter Three? (I want us to see this restated in our comments hundreds of times so it breaks into our belief systems. It is critical to our journey. SO, I don't care how many times you've seen it written on this post, write it again for yourself. That's your mama talking.)

3. Based on Chapter Four, what Biblical figure (or statement about him/her) resonated with you most and why?

That's it for this week! I can't wait to see your answers. Remember, you have until next Thursday morning to answer your questions. I care so much, Ladies. You are a tremendous inspiration to me. May Christ meet you in your tasks and concerns today. He loves you lavishly."

Journey Girls, I am praying for you this week. If you just got your book or just started this study, don't worry! You will be able to catch up quickly. I am so blessed to be in this study with you and I love each of you so very much!! I can't wait to hear from you this week!

Love you,
Elisabeth

So Long Insecurity - Discussion Week One

2010-02-17T13:27:00.006-06:00

Journey Girls,
What a blessed week in the LORD!! I just have to tell you that the LORD continues to make Himself known to me in mighty ways this week! GOD is SO good! Still no news on the church front, but Tom and I continue to pray and seek God's face. I am so anxious to be a part of our next ministry, but I must say that I am enjoying having so much time to spend with my Savior each day. It has been wonderful! I am also so excited to be in this book study with each of you! I ask for your patience, as I have never done an "online" book study. We will learn together! (with Beth Moore, of course!) I know that God has awesome insights for us to learn.

I just wanted to share a quick note of "family talk!" I want to encourage you to continue to stay in God's Word each day, even as we continue in a book study together. Beth will bring God's Word in her book, but this in no way is a substitute for our time in His Word. Continue to stay in the Word and spend time in prayer and commution with Jesus each day! Also, remember that our JG Prayer Closet is still open. Use it whenever you have a prayer need or praise to share with the rest of the Journey Girls! Let's keep on praying for each other and encouraging each other as we journey on in our spiritual walk with Christ. I love you girls so much and appreciate your continued support and prayers! YOU ARE AWESOME!

Let's review our homework questions from our first week's assignment that Beth gave us. Please feel free to comment below. I would love to hear how God spoke to your heart this week. Remember that you can click on Beth's book to the right to go directly to her blog site and read comments from others doing this book study.

Homework from week #1 of "So Long Insecurity": We were asked to read the first two chapters of "So Long Insecurity" and answer the following questions. . .

Question 1: When was the last time you came face-to-face with our gender's massive struggle with insecurity? Describe the setting.

Question 2: What part of the definition or description of insecurity resonated most with you and why?

Okay, I am going to be the first to answer these questions as open and honest as I know how. I must admit that some of what I read this past week was stingingly painful and eye opening for me! Here it goes. . .

1) I came face-to-face with insecurity recently when I went to visit my little sister last month. I went to church with her and her sweet husband on Sunday. I have to admit that I was already feeling gross about myself. As I told you before, turning 40 has made me very aware of my age, each time I look in the mirror! I am 12 1/2 years older than my little sister. At church that day, someone asked if I was her mother!!! I must say, this did nothing for my self esteem. I was already feeling like I looked "old" and this statement did not help matters! Why must people always feel the need to say what is on their mind? Why does society always put pressure on us to look a certain way? Why do we feel as though we can age, but our looks must stay the same as they were when we were 18? Ugh! Anyway, I have to tell you that the enemy continues to remind me of this statement daily. Every time I look in the mirror, I am reminded that someone thought I was old enough to be my sister's mother! I desperately want to get past this and get rid of insecurity all together!

Lord, help me to cling to 1 Samuel 16:7b, "The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." Create in me a clean, pure heart. Help me to seek your face and to not let words of those around me hinder me. Help me to see myself as a daughter of the Most High! I love you Jesus!

2) I am ashamed to admit that the definition of insecurity resonated with every part of my being! I struggle with self-doubt, worth, and self-consciousness. Yes, I am one insecure girl! I used to laugh with my Women's Ministry Team, when I would have to speak or pray in front of our congregation. I told them that people did not know that when I was a little girl, I was shy and did not want to be in the lime light. I clung to my Momma's leg and hid behind her each week as she greeted people at church. I was a pastor's daughter, but despised being the center of attention. I didn't even want my picture taken. Wow, did God ever push me out of my comfort zone! Little did I know, that He would call me to marry a pastor and I would be in the lime light, whether I wanted to or not. A pastor's family in many ways, lives in a "fishbowl" and they are always being looked at and evaluated. As I grew in my relationship with the LORD, He began to do a work in my life. He began to use me to facilitate small groups, speak to women and to pray on Sunday mornings at church. I remember telling our Administrative Pastor that I would pray, if he would allow me to have a microphone at my seat. I didn't want to have to be up front. He agreed and I began to pray. Well, 2 1/2 years ago, we moved to another church and I was asked to pray by the worship pastor. I said I would because I wanted to be obedient to the Holy Spirit. Later, my husband and I received much criticism. One of the things we were criticized for was how he preached and how I prayed. I was so deeply wounded. This is an area that I already felt insecure, and this just magnified the point. I have not prayed in front of a group of people since that time. I desperately want to put this behind me. Please pray with me. I just want to be used of God, whenever and wherever HE sees fit to use me.

Thanks for your patience and understanding with me. Thank you for allowing me to share my heart. Now, it's your turn. Please do not feel like you have to comment, but I would love to hear your heart. Sometimes, when we open our hearts and share with honesty, we allow GOD to pour some healing balm on our wounds.

I am praying for you and praying for God to open our hearts and reveal the things that HE desires to speak to us during this study. Allow Him to open our eyes, ears and heart to what He wants to show us. I will post tomorrow's assignment in the morning, after Beth has posted the instructions.

I love, love, love you Journey Girls!
Elisabeth

Ready to Change

2010-02-15T13:14:00.000-06:00

One thing that I can definately identify with lately is the subject of change! In the first chapter of "So Long Insecurity," Beth speaks of change. She says, "Circumstances abruptly change, and setbacks happen. Relationships unexpectedly end. Or, just as cataclysmically begin. Schools change. Jobs change. Offenses happen. Betrayals happen. Tragedies happen. Engagements end. Marriages begin. Kids come. Kids go. Health wanes. Seasons change. An old situation creeping up in a new season of our life can be more complicated than ever." (pg. 10). "As if the battle isn't hard enough, we sabotage ourselves, submerging ourselves with self-condemnation like a submarine filling with water." (pg. 11).

Can anyone relate? I know that this resonated with me more than I cared to admit. As I began to read these chapters, I didn't realize just how much I had battled insecurity. Sure, I knew that I struggled with the way I looked. Forty has come with a few more lines and a few more pounds than I want to have! I am desperately trying to figure out how to take off the extra weight and make my face look younger! I assumned those worries just came from being a woman! What I wasn't prepared for was how these words of change, rejection and betrayal would open up a new place in my heart that I had tried to close off. A place that the Lord has begun to heal during the last 40 days.

The enemy wants to keep us in a place of idleness and defeat. His goal is for us to ultimately quit. He wants us to stay in a state of hopelessness. "Listen carefully: the enemy of our souls has more to gain by our setbacks than by our succumbing to an initial assault. The former is infinitely more demoralizing. Far more liable to make us feel hopeless and tempt us to quit." (pg. 12).

Praise God, no matter what our past or current situation, we have a hope in Jesus Christ! We have power through the Holy Spirit to break this stronghold of insecurity in our lives! We all have insecurities. How are they affecting our lives? Are they paralizing us with fear? Do they have us contemplating quitting or deciding never to step out on faith again? The bottom line is insecurity will make us miserable! I don't know about you, but I'm ready for a change! Ready to put the bad friend of insecurity behind me once and for all. Let's journey on this quest together, with Beth, to find real, lasting, soul changing security!

If you haven't been able to read your first two chapters, do not worry. You still have plenty of time. Also, we have two questions to answer before Thursday morning. You can answer by posting in the comment section below. You can also click on the photo of Beth's book to the right of the page to go directly to her LPM blog. You can read other comments from women all over the nation who are on this quest as well. I will post my comments to this site, as well as Beth's site. Please do not feel pressured to comment. I know that sometimes you may be dealing with something very personal. As you feel led, you can make comments. We will learn together and pray for each other as we journey on.

I love you Journey Girls and you continue to be in my prayers. Pray for each other and pray for Beth Moore as we continue to study together.

Praising Jesus for you,
Elisabeth

How Sweet It Is!

2010-02-14T17:59:00.000-06:00

Sweet Journey Girls,

Okay, I miss ya'll already! I just had to drop you a quick note to tell you once again how much I love and appreciate each one of you! I must say, Jesus brought to my mind early this morning! I imagined each of you savoring the taste of what you had sacrificed for the past 40 days. :) I must admit that I woke up early, got ready and went through McDonald's drive-thru on my way to church. I got a Large Diet Coke and then my sweet husband stopped and got me a white iced long john donut to go with my drink! Aaaahhhhh! It was amazing! The first drink of that Diet Coke was even better than I had remembered! It was so strong that it made my eyes water. I grinned as I imagined what each of you was having for your special treat today too.

As you enjoy your sweets today, remember to review your Scriptures that you have put to memory. If you are still working on them, no worries! You can do it! I love God's Word! "How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" (Psalm 119:103) Allow His sweet words to refresh your spirit today! When we put our hope in God, HE "richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment!" (1 Timothy 6:17b) So, as you enjoy your special treat today, remember that I am so proud of each of you! I am so thankful for our amazing 40 day journey together. I have already started reading chapter one of "So Long Insecurity," and I know it is going to be an awesome study!

Happy Valentine's Day my sweet Journey Girls! I simply adore each of you and I am praying for you today. Ah, how sweet is the love of Jesus! He loves you so very much! "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness." (Jeremiah 31:3) Have a sweet, blessed day!

Savoring the Sweetness of our Savior,
Elisabeth

So Long Insecurity - Week One

2010-02-13T18:48:00.004-06:00

Journey Girls,

The following are the instructions that Beth Moore has written on her LPM blog for the "So Long Insecurity" study. I will be posting to you on Mondays and Thursdays. You can comment on this site whenever you feel led. You can also comment on Beth's site at http://livingproofministries.blogspot.com/. This will be an amazing nine weeks and I am so happy to be along with you on this adventure! Beth said that the following was her goal in this study: "the goal is for an insecure woman to open the book and a secure woman to close it." Praise GOD!! Through Him all things are possible for those who believe!! If you do not have a book yet, you can purchase one at a Lifeway Christian Bookstore, Borders or Walmart. You can also order them online. It's not too late! :)

Week One:

1. Write a journal-type entry on the inside cover of your book describing this present season of your life and why you’ve chosen to read a book like this. If you already have a relationship with God, write it in the form of a prayer. I do this almost every time I begin a book that I think could have a considerable impact on my life. When I finish the book, I always go back and read it and it ends up meaning so much to me. Listen, Sister, if you expect little, that’s probably what you’ll get. But if you expect something big from God when you start a journey and you posture yourself to receive from Him, even when frail human beings are thrown in the mix, you’ll end up with something huge. Something life altering.

2. Read the Introduction, Chapter One, and Chapter Two. Our first question is based on Chapter One: When was the last time you came face-to-face with our gender’s massive struggle with insecurity? Describe the setting.

3. This question is based on Chapter Two: what part of the definition or description of insecurity resonated most with you and why?

To stay on schedule, you will have until next Thursday morning, February 18th, to answer this week’s questions so don’t feel that you need to rush. You have plenty of time.

I will faithfully post on Servant Girl's Heart site on Mondays and Thursdays. (I may also post on other days, as the Spirit leads) I will post Beth Moore's instructions each week (Thursday morning) and you can also view them on her site. This will be an opportunity for us to be accountable to each other and share what God is speaking in and through us during this study. I can't wait!! I have my signed book ready (Still giddy!) and I am going to Walmart to get a notebook (journal) today.

I love you girls and I am praying for each of you!! Invite others to join the study! Be sure they sign up on Beth's site at least once, so that she has an accurate count of all who are taking part. Pray for Beth Moore and her ministry. Pray for all those who are joining this study. Pray for each other, Journey Girls! God wants to speak specifically to each one of you. Thank you so much!! It's going to be an amazing nine weeks!! :)

Also, anyone that may be able to join me for the simulcast in April, please let me know. This will be a wonderful time of worship, sharing and reunion for us, Journey Girls!

Love ya'll!
Elisabeth

A Blessed Journey

2010-02-13T12:07:00.008-06:00

My Sweet Journey Girls,

WE MADE IT!!! 40 days of fasting, prayer, spending time in God's Word, memorizing His Word and serving others - I am SO proud of you! My emotions are so mixed this morning as I begin to write to you. I have been praying and spending some time with my precious Savior. I am listening to my praise and worship music and tears are streaming down my cheeks as I think of you. I love you so much! You cannot imagine how much you mean to me. God has placed each of you in my life. Some of you I have only met through this 40 days and some of you have been through so much with me. How wonderful that the LORD would place us together for this journey. You have made my 40th Birthday the best one yet! I was so dreading it and because of you, it has been a blessing. Thank you!

As I was praying about what to share with you on this last day of our journey, God just prompted me to share my heart. The last 2 1/2 years in my family's life has been the most difficult season that I have ever endured. It has been so painful, yet I know that God has been with us. Right before this season started, I had to have a total hysterectomy. To some this may seem like no big deal, but to me it was closure to something that I had prayed for many years. I had desperately wanted another child. I wanted Andrew to have a brother or sister. Tom and I had battled infertility for many years and shared this with very few people. That day, as I was about to enter surgery, I had my tatered scripture index cards that I had prayed for many years in my hands. My heart was sad, but I knew God must have a greater plan. I kept praising Him for giving me Andrew, oh what a blessing! GOD IS FAITHFUL!

Not too long after that, my husband became ill. He battled pneumonia and continued to struggle. Things at our home church were in a difficult season. The enemy had gotten a foothold and was trying to destroy us and our precious congregation. The elders gave my husband a 6 week sabbatical to heal. For the first 3 weeks, he was so sick. He laid in bed and slept a lot. I prayed for God to heal him and to make our path clear to us. We had been called 6 months earlier by another congregation to be their pastor. Our first response was "no." We loved our church and wanted to spend our life and ministry there. We had no desire to leave. After a series of events, and God opening doors, we found ourselves as a crossroads on our journey. GOD IS FAITHFUL!

We begged God to turn things around, to show us what to do, to lead and direct us. Our son was a junior in high school. I had always prayed that the Lord would allow Andrew to be able to have friends, live in a community where he could call home and have a church family that he knew from a young boy until he grew into a young man. I wanted him to be able to graduate from this same community that we had grown to love. Oh, how I loved this church! I had never opened my heart to a group of people like I did to this one. We had been through so much together. We had seen God do a GOD thing like never before! HE was the reason, it had nothing to do with my husband and I, it was all JESUS!! GOD IS FAITHFUL!

One night, we found ourselves in the midst of a horrible meeting. My husband was the one who the enemy was seeking to destroy. My husband is not perfect and neither am I, but what happened that night was not deserved. I watched and prayed as I heard the most hurtful things being said. It was awful. I wish I could erase it from my memory. After that evening, we were so beaten down that we felt we had nothing left. We resigned and moved. I feel as though we went from the fire into an oubliette (place of torture). GOD IS FAITHFUL!

God called us to the desert. We went through an extremely difficult year. I can't even bring myself to write about all that we endured. We received much criticism. I believe the hardest part was the fact that we were unable to grieve the loss of the church family that we loved more than anything. We broke contact with them for this period, so that they would embrace their new pastor and love him as they had loved us. It was the hardest thing ever and was so painful. We felt so alone and so beat down. My husband resigned after one year to be there for his family. It was the bravest thing he has ever done. He sacrificed his career, what others thought of him and finances, all for his family. I love you Tom, more than ever! Thank you for loving us more than the church. Thank you for loving Jesus with all your heart! Thank you for being a man of God's Word and for never compromising your values. Thank you for not watering down God's Word, but standing on truth!! Thank you for being the best husband to me and father to Andrew! I LOVE YOU FOR ALWAYS! GOD IS FAITHFUL!

Andrew graduated from high school and we left him in Southern California at Azusa Pacific University for his freshman year of college. I felt as though my heart was being ripped out of my chest! Oh, how I love my boy and I am so proud of him. Andrew, you cannot imagine how much your Momma loves you!! You have been so gracious through this difficult season of life.You did not turn away from your First Love. Thank you LORD! You are the best son a Mom could ever hope for and you have blessed my heart more than you will ever know. Thank you for loving your parents in spite of our shortcomings! Thank you for being sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Your heart for God is so amazing! You are an awesome man of God! I love you SO much! (ttmab!). GOD IS FAITHFUL!

I know that God has plans to prosper Andrew and not to harm him, plans to give him hope and a future. Andrew had felt his call to ministry right before our move across country. I was so worried that because of all we went through, that he would doubt. I prayed fervently that GOD would continue to clarify His call upon Andrew's life. Sure, there were times of questioning and doubt and we have had many tears together, but PRAISE GOD, He saw Andrew through this desert experience! He has continued to clarify His calling upon Andrew's life! GOD IS FAITHFUL!

As most of you know, in August of last year, we moved to my parents home in Illinois. We lost our savings, had to short sale our home, and felt as though we had lost our church and our friends. We had been in a vast desert, but our GOD had remained faithful. Andrew was able to go to the college that God had called him to and we were able to get a loan for the amount his scholarship did not cover. We have not missed a meal, we have paid every bill and we have our health. Most of all, God has began to restore relationships with those who mean so much to us! Oh, what a mighty GOD we serve! He is wonderful, merciful, gracious and full of love! GOD IS FAITHFUL!

I am not telling you all of this to feel sorry for me or to think I am some kind of martyr. Please hear my heart! I just want you to know where God has brought me and my family. I want to give Him ALL the glory, honor and praise! I am SO blessed! I had been battling depression the days leading up to my 40th birthday. There were times in the desert that I didn't want to get out of bed. I cried all day long. As I poured my heart out to Jesus, he begin to lay this journey upon my heart. Through much prayer and time with Jesus, a Servant Girl's heart began. I prayed for those who would join me on a 40 day journey and God brought you along with me. You have been such a blessing! I hope that this past 40 days has brought you a little encouragement and drawn you closer to JESUS. I love you and thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing this with me.

God has brought amazing healing to my life through this journey with you! HE continues to renew me and make me stronger. I know He has a plan, and even though I still have no idea where our next ministry will be, I know GOD is working. I know HE is real, alive and active in me! HE has a plan and HE desires to prosper us, not to harm us, to give us hope and a future! (Jeremiah 29:11) GOD IS FAITHFUL!

This is the verse the LORD gave to me this morning:

"The LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast desert. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything." - Deuteronomy 2:7

PRAISE GOD!! He has blessed me with 40 years of life, and not just any life but an abundant life! He has been my Creator, My Redeemer, My Savior, My Daddy, My Friend, My Healer, My Strength, My Shepherd, My Life Sustainer, My Comforter, My LORD and My King! He is the great I AM! GOD IS FAITHFUL!

Sweet ones, wherever you are at on your journey in life, know that I AM is with you. He cares for you and loves you with an everlasting love. Trust HIM! Completely surrender your life to Jesus and allow Him to lead you. His words are true and faithful. He will make all things new. He did not promise that we would not go through trials in this world, but He did promise never to leave us or forsake us! Praise God when we go through the fire, He is there. When we pass through the waters, they will not overtake us! When we go through the desert, HE provides a way to the promised land! God is faithful! One day, we will join the King and He will take us by the hand and say, "Well done good and faithful servant!" We will see our Father face to face. The One who has had His hand on us throughout our lives, will take our hand in His and bless us with eternal life! Thank you LORD! I love my Savior so much and I just praise Him for His hand upon my life these past 40 years. I love you Jesus with ALL my heart, soul, mind and strength! Praise YOU Father, YOU ARE FAITHFUL!

I would love to know how God has spoken to you throughout these last 40 days! Let me know! Please post in the comments what this journey has meant to you. I would also like to send you a small gift, if I can get your address. You can email me at eapelt@gmail.com. Please continue to check back with me. I will be posting on Mondays and Thursdays. I will continue to pray for each of you and the Journey Girl prayer closet will always be open. Directions for the "So Long InSecurity" book study will be posted later today. I love my Journey Girls! You are a blessing! Thank you again from the bottom of my heart! Praise GOD who deserves all glory, honor and praise!

Praising Him for a Blessed Journey,
Elisabeth

Finish Strong!

2010-02-12T15:12:00.000-06:00

Oh my sweet Journey Girls, I can't believe that in just 24 hours our 40 day journey together will come to an end! My heart aches as this time has been so precious to me! I have grown to love you girls even more than I did before, if that is possible. You have helped to be a part of my healing and spiritual growth during this difficult season in my life. From the bottom of my heart, I thank each one of you! You are loved!!

I am reminded of the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:24-25. "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever!"

Even though this 40 day journey will end tomorrow, our spiritual journey with Jesus, on this earth, will continue until we see Him face to face! Oh what a glorious day that will be, dear friends! The day we can say, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is on store for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day- and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing." (2 Timothy 4:7-8).

Let us finish strong! The original word for fight, in the Greek, is "agonizomai" meaning, "to contend for victory in the public games. . . to wrestle." Sometimes we run to the finish line and other times we wrestle are way there. Wherever you are on the journey, continue on and refuse to give up the fight. Wrestle through if you have to, but keep the faith and believe God until you cross the finish line!

Remember who your Coach is in this race. Know that God loves you and wants to guide you throughout your journey. "I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. When you walk, you will not be hampered and when you run, you will not stumble." (Proverbs 4:11-12)

The last hours on a journey are sometimes the most difficult, just like the last leg of a race. I was thinking of this last night as my husband and I were in Franklin, TN. We stayed at a hotel right by a Krispy Kreme doughnut shop!! Oh, how I wanted a "hot" krispy kreme and a diet coke!! After all, this 40 days is almost over and I haven't cheated. Surely it would be okay and my journey girls would understand! :) I know you would understand and so would my sweet Jesus, but I resisted the temptation and stayed strong!

I remembered a very important passage of scripture. Jesus, after fasting for 40 days, was very hungry and was led into the desert to be tempted. (Matthew 4:1-2). Journey Girls, sometimes after when have been on a spiritual journey and God has taken us to a mountaintop experience, the enemy is waiting to tempt us in the desert valley. Stay strong and stay in God's Word! Fix your eyes on Him and stay focused! Finish strong!!

Run with perseverance and continue to victory! Press on toward the goal for which God has called you. (Philippians 3:14).

I love you so very much and I am praying for each one of you this afternoon. Don't forget that our 40 days ends tomorrow, however those who want to continue on the "So Long Insecurity" book study together, we will continue on, beginning Sunday, February 14. Our 40 day fast will end tomorrow at midnight.

I cannot wait for the next exciting adventure!! Instructions for the book study will be posted tomorrow.

I Love my Journey Girls,
Elisabeth

Our God Remembers Us

2010-02-11T16:36:00.002-06:00

I was reading about castles in Nichole Johnson's book, "Keeping a Princess Heart in a Not-So-Fairy-Tale World." Castles are so beautiful and have such a mysterious essence about them. However, there are some parts that aren't so beautiful! I was reminded of the oubliette. In the dungeon of a castle, there were usually stairs that led down to an underground pit called the oubliette. Oubliette means an ugly, deep, dark hole where one is abandoned and forgotten for good. It was a place where no one sees you and no one cares for you. It was a place of torture and abandonment.

I believe one of the greatest fears among women is abandonment. A feeling of being totally alone and forgotten. Have you ever felt as though you have been forgotten? Have you felt like no one cared for you? Have you felt as though you were all alone? Have you been in a pit?

Beloved, our God remembers us! He remembers us when we have failed. He remembers us when we are mistreated. He remembers us when we feel all alone. He remembers us when we are hurting. He remembers us even in our low places. Psalm 136:23 says, "to the One who remembered us in our low estate, His love endures forever." Praise Jesus, we serve a God who not only remembers us, but also loves us with an everlasting love!

When a prisoner was going to be thrown into the oubliette, they were first tortured. A metal harness was placed upon their head and he or she was led around the city while others shouted insults. Their crimes would be called out. Whether they were guilty or the crimes were just accusations, they would be punnished. Then they would be thrown into the pit and hung by chains until death. How horrific this must have been!

Sweet Ones, no matter what you've done or where you've been, God loves you and wants to redeem your life from the pit! He desires to break the chains that bind you and free you from strongholds. He endured torture and accusations for us and went to the cross on our behalf. He made atonement for our sins. When we give our hearts to Him, we are not left alone to die, but given eternal life! You are loved by the Most High! He wants you to be free from your past and He wants to free you from your enemies. (Psalm 136:24). "But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." (Matthew 5:44) Ask God for His continuing work of sanctification in your life.

Maybe you are living as a dungeon dweller on your own. Self punnishment is no way to live! How many times do we choose to stay in the pit? Give your hurt, your fears and your all to Jesus and allow Him to lift you up.

"Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits- who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion." (Psalm 103:1-4)

We serve a God who has been there all along life's journey. He is omnipresent! He was there even before we knew Him as Savior. Take some time to remember how He has loved and cared for you. "I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember Your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all Your works and consider Your mighty deeds." (Psalm 77:11-12)

Read Malachi 3:16-18 and journal your scroll of remembrance and your prayer to Jesus. You are His treasured possesion! You are not forgotten! You are not abandoned! Just close your eyes and imagine Almighty God reaching His hand to yours and lifting you out of the pit. Get out of the oubliette and on to greater things for His glory!

I love you Journey Girls and you are in my prayers!

Praising God for Victory,
Elisabeth

You are a Princess!

2010-02-10T16:56:00.001-06:00

How many of us would admit that from the time we were little girls, we dreamed of being a princess? We have read the fairytales, heard the stories, watched tv as real life princesses were married in real life castes and we dreamed. . . Aaahhhh, what a life! We imagine and dream about what our lives will become.

One of my all time favorite books is called, "Keeping a Princess Heart In a Not-So-Fairy-Tale World," by Nichole Johnson. In the book, she talks about how we dream of what our life will be when we are little girls. However, sometimes, when the struggles, trials and realities set in; we find ourselves living in a world that is not at all like we had imagined. It is anything, but a fairytale.

How many times do we look in the mirror and think we are anything, but the fairest of them all? We feel more like the wicked stepmother than Cinderella! I know that recently I have been looking in the mirror and realizing that my once youthful exterior is quickly changing. I am noticing wrinkles (I prefer to call them laugh & joy lines) that used to not be there, gray hairs that are in need of color and I must say that gravity is not a sweet friend.

Journey girls, let me gently remind us that what is more important than outward beauty is to keep a princess heart. It doesn't matter what the world tells us we must look like outwardly, it matters what God"s Word tells us to look like inwardly. 1Samuel 16:7b says, "The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

I was reading in Nichole's book that "The word 'cosmetic' is defined as something used or done to cover up defects." I wonder how often we try to cover up our outward defects that others can see instead of working on our inward defects that they cannot see. "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts." (Psalm 139:23) The most beautiul women are those who have lived their lives by God's Word. The women who love Jesus with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. Women who ask God to create in them a pure heart and spend time communing with Him will radiate a Christ-like beauty.

Sweet friends, let me just encourage you and tell you that you are BEAUTIFUL! You are a daughter of the King! You have been recognized by the Creator of the Universe! You are loved by the King of Kings! He has called you by name!

Isaiah 45:4 says, "I have called you by name; I I have named you, though you have not known me." (NKJV)

"I summon you by name and bestow a title of honor, though you do not acknowledge me." (NIV)

No one loves us like Jesus! He bestows a title of honor on us! Isn't that incredible? 1 John 3:1 says, "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!. ." We are His daughters! Our Heavenly Father calls us by name - Princess!

He takes delight in you and He created you BEAUTIFUL! "The King is enthralled by your beauty; honor Him for He is your Lord!" (Psalm 45:11)

So tonight before you go to bed, as you are brushing your teeth, putting on anti-wrinkle cream and brushing your hair . . . Look into the mirror and know, YOU are the fairest of them all because you are a Daughter of the Most High!

I love you Beautiful JG's!
Elisabeth

So Long Insecurity!

2010-02-09T15:53:00.001-06:00

My Sweet Journey Girls,
I wanted to tell you about an awesome opportunity to continue to study together. Beth Moore is offering an online book study from her newest book, "So Long, Insecurity!" The roll call, for those interested in participating, is today. You can go to her blog by using the Living Proof Ministries link on the right of this page. Click on the LPM blog and sign up to leave a comment. This will enroll you in the online study. If you are signed in to this site, then you will automatically be able to comment on her site. Just leave your name, city and state, age and married or single in the comment section; then type in the code at the bottom and hit enter. It's simple! Whether or not you ever comment on the LPM site throughout the study, Beth would still like you to sign up one time, so that she has an accurate count of the book study. The study will officially start on February 11, 2010. (Our 40 day journey ends February 13.)

Beth will give a reading assignment each week of approximately two chapters. Then you can post comments on her LPM blog site if you choose to do so, or you can just comment on this site, as we will be studying this book together. I will be posting throughout the nine weeks on Servant Girl's Heart site, so that the Journey Girls can discuss what God is speaking in and through us. This will be so much fun!! You can pick up Beth's new book at Lifeway Christian Bookstores. You can also order it online @ http://www.lifewaychristianstores.com/. For more information go to Living Proof Ministries website.

Lifeway says, "So Long, Insecurity will strike a chord with women everywhere, as Beth speaks truth into the lives of readers, showing them how to deal with their innermost fears, rediscover their God-given dignity, and develop a whole new perspective- a stonger sense of self. Women of all ages and backgrounds will resonate with this message of security and discover truths that will free them emotionally and spiritually and lead them to a better life as they walk with God."

This will be a nine week book study and will end one week prior to the Beth Moore simulcast, which will take place on April 24, 2010. Look for a church in your area that will be taking part in this exciting event. I plan on attending this event in Mt. Sterling, KY at the First Church of God. I would LOVE for you to join me! It can be a Journey Girls reunion! :) We will have a blast!!

Please pray about this amazing opportunity! Sign up at the LPM blog and go out and purchase your book. Please be sure to leave me a comment as well, so that I know who will be along for the ride! I am so excited and cannot wait to do a book study with you!

"I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God." ~ Isaiah 41:9-10

Beloved, we serve a God who has chosen us! He loves us and he has redeemed us. He has summoned us by name. We are HIS! (Isaiah 43:1) Let's dig deep into God's Word and learn together how to put insecurities behind us.

"It's time we girls help each other out so we can be the best wives, mothers, sisters, daughters, and friends that we can possible be." - Beth Moore

I love you Journey Girls and I am so proud of you!! I cannot wait to hear from each one of you!

Praying for you,
Elisabeth

Cords of Human Kindness

2010-02-08T20:37:00.000-06:00

I have spent most of my day preparing a "Care Package" for my sweet boy who is at school at Azusa Pacific University in California. I always get him a Valentine's prize and this year will be no different. I wish I could send each one of you girls a care package! Please know how much I love and appreciate each one of you and I am so thankful for your participation in this journey!

I began to think about caring and kindness. Kindness is one of the characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit and is important in the life of any Christian.The word kindness is chrestotes, in Greek and means "tender concern for others." Kindness comes from a tender heart. The only way we can manifest kindness is through yielding to the Father and allowing His Spirit to flow through us. We serve a God who has a tender heart. When we surrender full control of our heart and life to Him, we will show kindness to others.

Acts 9:36-41 tells a story of a woman who showed kindness. Her name was Tabitha (or Dorcus) and she lived in Joppa. Tabitha "was always doing good and helping the poor." (vs. 36). She gave to those in need and was known for sewing clothes for the poor and the widows. When Tabitha became sick and died, all the widows stood around crying and showing the robes and clothing that she had made them. They sent an appeal to Peter in nearby Lydda to come. We see in verse 40 and 41, that Peter sent everyone out of the room and got down on his knees and prayed. He then said, "Tabitha, get up!" She opened her eyes and sat up. Peter took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. "Then he called the believers and the widows and presented her to them alive. This became known all over Joppa and many people believed in the Lord." (vs. 43).

Have you ever known someone who always showed kindness? Someone who was always doing good and helping others? How have you shown kindness to others in the past? Is the Lord prompting you to show kindness to someone that He has placed upon your heart?

Tabitha was constantly showing kindness to those who did not have much. When we allow the Holy Spirit to work through us, we begin to see others through the eyes of a tenderhearted Savior. We begin to realize the needs of those around us. We begin to get our eyes off of our situation and look at those who are hurting all around us each day. There are so many who are hurting. There are so many who need clothed. (physically and spiritually) There are so many who are hoping for something greater. When we surrender to His Spirit, we are able to give a kindness that comes straight from the heart of the Father.

We notice that when Tabitha became ill and had died, the widows and believers appealed to Peter on her behalf. Peter appealed to the Father by bowing on his knees and praying for healing for Tabitha. Maybe there is someone that the Lord has impressed upon your heart who is in need of healing. It may be a spiritual, emotional, or physical healing. Whatever the nature, have you been down on your knees for them? Are you fervently praying for God to work a miracle in their life? Sometimes, when we are experiencing our darkest night, we feel as though we can do nothing. Sometimes, we feel as though a part of us has died. What a blessing to have friends who come alongside us and pray for our healing. It is a blessing to have those who will appeal to the Father on our behalf. Intercessory prayers are just as powerful today as they were in the Bible. God restored life to Tabitha and I believe that God can and will restore your life to an abundant life, as well.

We also see that "took her by the hand and helped her to her feet." (vs.41). Sometimes we need to take someone by the hand and help them to their feet. There are those who have fallen spiritually that are in need of some kindness. Maybe it's that person that you used to see in church all the time. They used to come regularly, then not so often and now it's been awhile since you've seen them. Have you taken the time to call or send them a note of encouragement? Sometimes we just need to take our neighbors by the hand and help them back up to their feet. Offer to give them a ride to church or invite them over for dinner. Let them know that you care about them and they are missed. If they have fallen spiritually, then restore them gently with kindness and love.

Jesus Christ is alive and active and His Spirit resides in us! He presents us "alive" to others every day! When we are at home, when we go to work, church and throughout our communities we are living proof that God is alive! We are to be vessels outpouring His kindness to our families, our church and our community around us. I am confident, that when we live as Christ, HE will become known all over Joppa (your city) and many people will believe in the Lord.

"I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love." (Hosea 11:4) God loves us and wants to heal us and use our healed vessels in the lives of others. Let's allow Him to tie us together with His love and lead us with His kindness. Let the church be unified and work together so that JESUS CHRIST will become known throughout the world.

Lord, help me to be an extension of Your kindness and tenderness towards others. Help me not to miss a single opportunity to help those in need around me. Help them to see You and not me. I love you Lord!

I love you Journey Girls and I am praying for you this evening. Pray for opportunities to show kindness this week. Keep us posted on the GOD stops along the way. You are a blessing! Thank you for showing me your kindness and love.

Loving Christ and loving others,
Elisabeth

Refiner's Fire

2010-02-07T19:08:00.001-06:00

What a blessed Sunday! Let me first begin with a GOD stop. This weekend, my parents church hosted a Youth Xplosion. There were approximately 150 in attendance each evening and many decisions for Jesus Christ were made. Lives were forever changes and there was a freedom that came from complete obedience to Christ. It was so wonderful to see the Lord working in and through the lives of young people. I love their passion to serve Jesus!! I don't want to ever lose that passion! The altars were full this morning as the Holy Spirit moved throughout this place. Thank you LORD! You will never guess the closing scripture the evangelist used. Isaiah 43:18-19, "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland."

What blessed confirmation as we enter into our last week of this 40 day journey together. We started out believing God for a new thing this new year. Believing God for a new start, new blessings and new opportunities to serve Him in 2010. We continue to ask Him to search our hearts and draw us close as we continue this amazing journey together.

As my husband and I have entered into this new phase in our lives, the LORD has been doing a new work in our hearts. Sometimes we when go through the "fires" of life, we tend to feel as though the heat is more than we can take. It becomes so intense at times, that we feel as though we have been burned. It causes us to be fearful to step out in faith again. It causes a hard hit to our self esteem and the enemy tries to bring us down and defeat us.

Sometimes, we are going through a refining process. God is preparing us for something greater. A new thing for His glory! He is removing the impurities from our lives and refining us. He is drawing us in a deeper relationship with Him. He longs for us to live by faith and to give Him our ALL. He wants us to trust Him completely and live by His Holy Word.

When I am feeling down or like I have had a tough season in life, I often turn to read the life of Job. For many years of my spiritual walk, I avoided this passage of scripture because it scared me. I thought. . . here is a man of God who loved God with all his heart, yet God allowed him to go through a tremendous time of testing. How many times do we allow fear to keep us from a blessing? As I studied this book, I learned that God was faithful. Job had lost everything. He lost his family, his crops, his livestock, yet he praised God. Job 1:20b says, "Then he fell to the ground in worship. . "

Job was even rejected by his friends and family that remained. However, we see in Job 19:25 that he says, "I know that my Redeemer lives and that in the end He will stand upon the earth." Oh Father, strengthen my faith! Help others to see that even in the desert times, you remain faithful! Beloved, our Redeemer lives! PRAISE GOD!!

I love the book Fresh Faith by Jim Cymbala. In one part of his book, he talks about the purging process. Silver and gold mining is a very extensive process. When ore is mined and brought to the surface, there is still much work to be done. Did you know that silver does not melt until it reaches 960.5 degrees Celsius? It has to become that hot to begin to yield up its impurities. When God begins the process of purging us, His goal is to purify our hearts and lives for His glory. Proverbs 25:4-5 says, "Remove the dross from the silver and out comes material for the silversmith; remove the wicked from the king's presence, and his throne will be established through righteousnes."

Sweet ones, allow the Holy Spirit to remove the impurities and melt away your dross. Change is never easy, but it is necessary to live the life that God has called us to live. We must embrace change in order to enjoy the fullness of the life God has for us. "I will turn my hand against you; I will thoroughly purge away your dross and remove all your impurities." (Isaiah 1:25) We must let nothing quench our passion for serving God!

We must decide that our relationship with Jesus Christ is more important than anything else this world has to offer. I love what Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego said to King Nebuchadnezzar when he wanted them to worship the image of gold that he had set up. "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and He will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if He does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." (Daniel 3:17-18)

Even when we go through the difficult seasons of life, God will be with us if we put our complete trust in Him. Be passionate as you serve Him. Let nothing or no one keep you from praising God and proclaiming the truth of His Word! He will rescue you! However, let us have the same spirit as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. . . "but even if He does not. . " WE WILL SERVE THE LORD!!

We see that when these men were thrown into the fire, there was a fourth man in the fire! (Daniel 3:25). Beloved, we serve a God who is with us! He protects us and He provides for us! He also purges and refines us, yet praise be to God, He also goes through the fire with us! Isaiah 43:2 says, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you wil not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze."

My heart's cry is "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." (Psalm 51:10) We must allow God to refine us and we must remain steadfast in Him. Don't lose heart, God is working on a greater plan! Stay passionate and remain steadfast, my friends! Hebrews 12:29 says that "Our God is a consuming fire!" Others should be able to see that we are on fire for Jesus Christ! Even when we are going through the tough seasons of life, let us not forsake falling to the ground and worshiping our LORD! We can testify, as Job did, that "He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold. My feet have closely followed His steps; I have kept to His way without turning aside." (Job 23:10-11).

I praise God for my Journey Girls and I am so very proud of you. Continue to keep a holy passion for serving Jesus! Allow Him to remove any impurities and melt the dross from your hearts and lives. Ask Him to cleanse and purify you and seek Him with your whole heart. ". . Then the Almighy will be your gold, the choicest silver for you." (Job 22:23a)

Continuing to Praise Him,
Elisabeth

Beautiful Feet!

2010-02-06T15:25:00.128-06:00

Journey Girls,
We are officially beginning our last week of this journey together. I just want you to know that I love each one of you so very much and you will never know how you have blessed my life! Thank you for reading and sharing your hearts. Thank you for your obedience to God's Word! You are beautiful women of God and I am absolutely crazy about you!

I continue to fast and pray for God's direction and blessing upon your lives. I must say, I am not looking forward to the 40 day journey being over. I am, however, ecstatic about having a Large Diet Coke and something sweet next Sunday! :) I signed up for my husband and I up to help out with Angel Food Ministries the last Saturday of this month. It is an organization that feeds the homeless and those struggling financially in this area. I continue to look forward to going to Atlanta and spending some volunteer time at Celebrate Life International. I am super excited about taking a road trip next weekend with my husband. We are going to the Nashville area to a Beth Moore book signing! I can't wait!! Oh, how I hope and pray that I get the opportunity to meet her and speak to her in person. It is a dream that I have had for quite some time and I can't think of a better way to end my 40 day journey! Please be praying about this opportunity with me!

My heart and mind has been racing with all the thoughts and things that I deeply desire to say to you with only a week left on the journey. I am just going to continue to pray for God to lay upon my heart what He would have me to share with you this week. Let's put our hand to the plow and continue on full speed ahead! Stay in God's Word and pray fervently this week! Continue to listen as He speaks to you and remember to look for the GOD stops along the way.

Easter is probably my favorite time of year. I love the springtime. I love the flowers, birds chirping and green grass. I love the sunshine! I love seeing children dressed in their Easter clothes. I love remembering what Christ did on the cross. I love celebrating a risen Savior!

One of my favorite services is foot washing and communion. Our church practices the ordinance of foot washing and it is something that I have come to cherish. This has always been so dear to my heart every since I was a little girl. We celebrate this time each year on Maundy Thursday before Easter Sunday. When we served at our church in Ashland, KY, this was a service that I had the privilege to plan. Oh, what sweet memories I have from my time with these precious women. I will never forget them as long as I live.

John 13:1-17 is the portion of scripture where Jesus washed His Disciples' feet. "It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father." (vs.1) Jesus wanted to show them the full extent of His love.

Can you imagine being at that dinner? Let's just imagine dining with our Savior for the next few moments. Pull up to the table and allow the Bread of Life and Living Water to fill you. (John 6:35, John 7:28). As the disciples were eating, Jesus got up from the meal took off His outer clothing and wrapped a towel around His waist. He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him.

Foot washing was normally a task that was performed by a servant. Jesus was giving a lesson in humility. He was setting forth the principle of selfless service that was soon to be exemplified in the cross. Jesus life of service would culminate at this crucial point on the cross, changing our lives forever. Read what Jesus told them in verse 7. "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." I can sure relate to that statement! How many times have I not understood what Christ was doing, but later could look back and see how He was working in my life.

The Lord told them, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you." (vs. 10). He was referring to Judas, who would betray Him. I'm sure the disciples' feet were dirty, calloused and worn. They had followed Christ. They had witnessed miracles. They had left their families and homes to walk in His footsteps. They had led many to follow Him. They had been many places with the Lord. Their feet had now brought them to what would be their Last Supper with their Savior. Romans 10:15b says, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" Beloved, the most beautiful feet are those whose journey reflects Christ. The feet that have been through the valleys, they have been on the mountaintops and they continue to walk with Jesus Christ.

Jesus told them, "Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you." (vs. 14-15). Jesus set the ultimate example of being a faithful servant. He was humble in spirit and was obedient to the Father. He was perfect, without sin. He was about to show the ultimate sacrifice by death on a cross for our sins. Jesus humbled himself and washed His disciples' feet that day and told us to do the same.

I love what verse 17 says. "Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." That word blessed in greek is "makarios." It means blessed and happy. When we are obedient to Christ, we will be happy and blessed!

Philippians 2:1-11 is a wonderful passage describing Christ's nature. "But made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death- even death on a cross." (vs. 7-8). Our Lord and Savior, our Creator, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords took on the very nature of a servant. His love is made complete when in us when we are obedient to God. We are to walk as Jesus did and follow His example. (1 John 2:5-6) Oh, how beautiful are the nail scarred feet of our Savior!

Oh how I wish I could be sitting with my Journey Girls today. If I could be with you physically, I would pour some water into a basin, wrap a towel around my waist and kneel before each one of you and wash your feet. I would give you a big hug and tell you how much Jesus loves you and how much I love you. Journey girls, I am so humbled and blessed to have been able to serve you these past few weeks. I am so blessed to have you in my life. Thank you for your sweet servant's heart! Continue to serve Jesus and serve others through His love. Share the good news of Christ to all you come in contact with. Sweet ones, you have beautiful feet!

Walking with Jesus,
Elisabeth

A Merciful Servant

2010-02-05T22:08:00.000-06:00

Okay Journey Girls, remember when we packed for our 40 day journey? Do you remember what we packed to wear? Colossians 3:12-13, "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you."

Webster's definition of forgive is
to give up resentment of or claim to revenge for or to relieve a debtor of the duty to repay. The Biblical definition comes from the Greek word for forgive, "aphiemi." It means "to let go from one's power, possesion, to let go free, let escape."

I love the reunion of Jacob and Esau that we find in Genesis 33. Jacob had just wrestled through with God and was about to meet his brother for the first time face to face since he had stolen his inheritance and blessing. Esau had been so devastated and so angry at the fact that he was wronged. He had held a grudge against his brother and planned to kill him. (Genesis 28:41). However, we see in Genesis 33:4 that when Esau saw him, he "ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him." Esau no longer held a grudge against Jacob. He had forgiven him and shown him mercy.

Grace is getting what we don't deserve and mercy is not getting what we do deserve. Jacob had received both.

Another wonderful example in scripture is that of the unmerciful servant. (Matthew 18:21-35). Jesus tells a story of two servants who both owed debts. The one servant begged his master to be patient with him and his master cancelled his debt. (vs.26). He then went out and demanded payment from his fellow servant for a debt he owed him. No mercy! He even had him thrown into prison until he could pay back his debt. Because of his actions, his master also threw him in prison and had him tortured. (vs.34). We are given a very direct message from our Father in verse 35. Beloved, we must forgive our brothers and sisters from our hearts!

How many times do we think we have the "right" to be angry? We feel as though we have the "right" to hold a grudge because of the way we have been wronged.

Sweet ones, please allow me to lovingly share from God's Word. Ephesians 4:30-32 says, "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind an compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

Let me be the first one to admit that I have failed miserably in this area. I have been there. Do not give the enemy get a foothold by holding on to hurt.

Many times, when we have been falsely wronged, we feel as though we have a right to hold on to that hurt. We say we have forgiven, but in reality, we hold on to the hurt and begin to become bitter. Trust me when I tell you that this is no way to live!

Living with unresolved hurt and an unforgiving heart is torture. Just as the unmerciful servant was tortured, we are tortured. We allow the enemy to take advantage of the situation and stir up bitterness and resentment. We become miserably paralized.

Maybe you were unjustly wronged and you feel as though you shouldn't be the one to ask forgiveness. Sisters, let it go! Christ wants to do something glorious in your life! He has a purpose in the pain you have suffered and He wants to use it for your ultimate good.

There is freedom from bitterness, anger and hurt! Allow the Holy Spirit to bring healing to your heart and be FREE!! Be the one that is merciful. Forgive as Christ forgave you! It is a glorious feeling when you let go and let God work in the situation.

Jesus intends for us to forgive everyone. He understands what you have gone through. He understands that there will be scars. By forgiving, it doesn't mean that what happened to you was right, but it does allow you to be all right.

Lord, help me to be a merciful servant! I want to be like you Lord! Thank you for Your love and forgiveness. Help me to share that same spirit of love and forgiveness with others. I love you Lord!

Praising God for His Mercy,
Elisabeth

Wrestle Through!

2010-02-04T17:36:00.002-06:00

I love the Word of God! There is so much to be found in His Word and each time you read it, you receive something new. I have been spending a lot of time studying lately and learning to use commentaries. (It helps to be living with my Daddy and using his library of resources!) I have been reading and studying in Genesis yesterday and today. Each time I begin to study God's Word, I ask the LORD to speak directly to me. Let's begin our time together today by asking God to give us a Word from Him. Ask Him to speak directly to our hearts and our situations. Let's get into His Word together! We have much to cover today.

Genesis 25-27, 32

We begin by learning of the first recorded twin baby boys, Jacob and Esau. These babies fought with each other since the time they were in their mother's womb. (Genesis 25:22). Can you imagine what Rebekah must of felt as these two jostled in her womb? The LORD told Rebekah that two nations were in her womb and the older one would serve the younger. When it came time for the boys to be born, the younger baby (Jacob) came out grasping the old brother's (Esau) heel.

As the boys grew, Jacob made a deal with Esau to sell his birthright to him and at the end of Genesis 25 we read that Esau despised his birthright. The birthright included the rights of the firstborn. At the heart of this birthright were the covenant promises that Isaac had inherited from Abraham.

Let's fast forward to Genesis 27. Isaac was old and his eyesight was so weak that he could no longer see. Isaac told Esau to go hunt some wild game and prepare it for them to eat together. He wanted to eat with his son, so that he could give him his blessing before he died. Rebekah overheard this and told it to her son Jacob. Jacob was her favorite son. She prepared a tasty meal for Issac and Jacob put on Esau's clothes, pretending to be him. He covered his hands and neck with goatskins, so that he was hairy like his brother and would fool their father. Oh, the things we do and the places we go when we allow sin to be a part of our lives!

Isaac asked him how he was able to find the wild game so quickly and Esau told him that "The LORD your God gave me success." (vs. 20). Then, when Isaac asked him to come near so he could touch him, Jacob went close to his father and let him feel his hands that were covered with goatskin. Isaac questioned because he said that the voice of his son sounded like Jacob, yet his hands felt like Esau's. He asked, "Are you really my son Esau?" and Jacob replied, "I am." When Jacob went and kissed his father, Issac smelled Jacob and caught the smell of Esau (because of his clothes). He then gave Jacob Esau's blessing.

I find it interesting that Issac had doubts, "red flags" so to speak, that he was speaking with his firstborn. However, when he smelled the scent of his firstborn, he ignored the other doubts. Sometimes when we are unable to see clearly (whether it is spiritual, physical or emotional), we often ignore "red flags" if we think the situation "smells" okay. Let me tell you from personal experience, something can "smell" right, yet be totally wrong. Make sure you listen to your gut instincts and don't ignore them. Stay in the Word and take it to the LORD in prayer. Seek wise counsel from those who love the Lord. Ask the Lord to help you to discern the situation correctly. Make sure the aroma you smell is the aroma of Christ!

We pick up the story in Genesis 32:24. "Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak ." The man had even touched Jacob's hip and dislodged it and when the sun rose, he was limping. Jacob wrestled with the man and would not let go unless he blessed him. He begged Him for mercy. (vs. 26). We find out later in this passage that Jacob was wrestling with God. Jacob called the place Peniel, which means, "The face of God." I read many commentaries and differing opinions of this passage. Most felt as though this was an angel of God. However, as we read the following scriptures, we can know that God had spoken directly to Jacob. He told him that his name would no longer be Jacob, but Israel. He told him "you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome." (vs. 28).

Have you ever wrestled with God about something? Have you spent time fasting, praying and seeking His face until you received the answer? I believe that we sometimes wrestle with God until we get the answer we want and we do not wrestle through until the blessing comes. We serve a sovereign, loving God who has a perfect plan for our lives. Sometimes, we may choose to take what seems like an easier path, when what we need to do is wrestle through the tough path until the blessing comes! I remember studying this in Beth Moore's "The Patriarchs." She said, "God wants to bless us, but sometimes He has to injure us to get us to submit to Him." That is a very powerful, true statement!

What is your relationship with God when you are all alone? Sometimes in the dark seasons of life, we must struggle and wrestle through until the light comes. Beloved, God doesn't invite us to wrestle with Him because He is against us. He sometimes allows us to wrestle with him so that He can refine us and make us overcomers. "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31b).

We must put on our armor (Ephesians 6) and fight the good fight of faith! (1 Timothy 1:18). Praise God, He that is in us is greater than he that is in the world! (1 John 4:4). 1 John 5:3-5 says, "This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God."

Journey Girls, remember that no matter what you are up against, you are born of God and He has overcome this world! You can wrestle through the crisis until the blessing comes! You will be gloriously refined when you go through the struggle and submit yourself totally to God. Be an overcomer and hang on. . . .The best is yet to come!

Waiting on His Blessing,
Elisabeth

Don't Ask For Just A Few!

2010-02-03T15:35:00.001-06:00

I am so proud of you Journey Girls! We are just days away from completing our 40 day journey together. You are such a blessing to me! I am so thankful for each one of you. I attempted to email each of you, however, I do not think it worked. I am still trying to figure out this site. Just please know that I am praying for each of you individually and I am so honored that you have been alongside me on this journey. I love you!

2 Kings 4:1-7

I was reading this passage this morning and remembered a sermon that my husband once preached on this story. It is a story of a widow who had nothing. She cried out to the prophet Elisha for help. She was about to lose her two boys as slaves because she could not pay her debts. All she had in her house was a little oil. She was desperate for a miracle.

Elisha told her to, "Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don't ask for just a few. Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side." (vs.3-4).

The widow did not hesitate to do as she had been told. She immediately left and got the empty jars. She went home, closed the door and began to pour the oil into the empty jars. The oil kept flowing, as long as there were jars. When all the jars were full and there was not a jar left, "then the oil stopped flowing."(vs.6). She was able to sell the oil and pay her debts. Her and her sons were able to live on what was left.

I love that this widow did not hesitate and demonstrated much faith. She believed God to perform a miracle on her behalf. She was shown tremendous mercy and grace because of her faith and obedience. God provided for her needs.

We see another example of God's provision and miracles in 1 Kings 17:7-24. God once again provided flour and oil for the widow at Zarephath and the oil did not run dry. (vs. 16). He provided for her physical needs. He not only provided for her physically, but emotionally and spiritually as well. He raised her son from the dead! It is the first time we see the miracle of raising the dead recorded in scripture. She believed God. She knew that His Word was true. She had experienced God's Word alive and active in her own life. What a blessing!

God still performs miracles today! He provides for our needs. He often steps in, at just the right moment, and makes Himself known on our behalf. I remember one such instance when He did just this in my own life. Tom and I had not been married very long. We were desperately trying to make it paycheck to paycheck and we had no food in the house. We only had a few dollars to last until the next payday. That Sunday morning, we debated on whether or not to spend the money in gas to go to church. We decided to put gas in our car and off we headed to worship in Nicholasville, KY. Tom was helping at a church plant there and we needed to be there early to help set up for worship. After church and tearing down all the equipment, we went out to our litte Chevette and there on the steering wheel was taped a twenty dollar bill. Not only that, but the back of our car was also full of groceries! We had not told a soul about our situation. We had only taken it to the LORD in prayer. Tears began to flow down both of our faces as we suddenly realized that our God was our Provider. Jehovah Jireh! He did not let the oil run dry. He stepped in, at just the right moment and performed a miracle on our behalf. He blessed us, even beyond what we needed for that day. Thank you Lord!

Beloved, we serve a God who loves us and desires to take care of us. He also wants to bless us and pour out His favor upon our lives. 2 Corinthians 6:2 says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you. I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation."

God means for us to cast our total dependency on Him. He is sovereign and we must trust His sovereignty! He works all things together for our good. (Romans 8:28). How much faith do you have in your current situation for God's provision? Do you, like the widow, believe God for much blessing or are you just allowing Him to fill a few jars?

I believe that God wants to bless His children. Pray for God's favor upon your life. Be obedient to His Word and believe Him to continue working in and through your life for His glory! Pour out your heart to Him and tell him your deepest concerns. Ask Him to fill your cup to overflowing! Ask Him to pour out the oil of His Spirit into the empty places of your life. Ask Him for a miracle. Ask Him for His blessings. Don't ask for just a few.

Asking and Believing,
Elisabeth

Your Grace Still Amazes Me

2010-02-02T20:54:00.001-06:00

Are you ever just in awe of God's amazing grace? I have been praying all day today, soaking in God's Word and one word keeps flooding my soul. . . grace. Oh, how God's grace amazes me. I am so thankful for His wonderful grace. Grace is getting what we do not deserve. I've heard it said that grace is "God's Riches at Christ's Expense!"

One of my favorite stories of grace in God's Word is that of a prostitute named Rahab. You can read her story in Joshua 2. Joshua sent out two spies to go and check out the land. The spies went into Jericho and met a woman named Rahab. They entered her home and she hid them. The King found out about the Israelite spies and sent word to Rahab to "Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land." (vs.3). Rahab told the messenger that the men had left, but she was hiding them on her roof.

Rahab realized that the LORD had given the land to the Israelites. She told this to the spies and asked them to show her kindness. She asked them to spare her life and the lives of her family. The spies assured her that if she kept quiet, she would be treated kindly and faithfully when they inherited the land. (vs. 14).

Rahab was told to place a scarlet cord in her window. The spies told her that when the city was destroyed she and her family would be saved. She gathered her family in her home and tied the scarlet cord from her window.

We read in Joshua 6:20-25, that when the trumpets sounded and the walls of Jericho collapsed, the Israelites charged in and destroyed the city. Every living thing was destoyed except the prostitute and her household. Rahab had believed in God and put her faith in Him. She was obedient and God's grace prevailed. She was saved because of the scarlet cord that hung from her window. Her story is one of God's amazing grace!

I am reminded of the Passover. The plagues had struck the Egyptians because Pharaoh had hardened his heart. Nothing was getting through to him. The final plague was the plague on the firstborn. Every firstborn son in Egypt would die. (Exodus 11:5). The Israelites were told to place the scarlet blood of a lamb above the doorframes of their houses, in order for their firstborn sons to be spared. (Exodus 12:7,13). At midnight, the firstborn of Pharaoh and all the Egyptians were struck down. Can you imagine being an Israelite Mother that night? I'm sure they were hearing the wailing and despair, clinging to their firstborn baby boys and praying that they would be saved. The Israelites were spared death that night because of the scarlet blood that was over their doorframes.

Beloved, our LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ went to the cross on our behalf. Matthew 27:28-50 tells us that they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. They placed a crown of thorns on His head. They mocked Him, spit on Him and struck Him again and again. They gave Him a cross to bear. They nailed Him to the cross.They crucified Him. He was perfect, yet He died for our sins, so that we might have life. We did not deserve it, but God lovingly gave His One and Only Son, so that we could have eternal life! (John 3:16). Sweet ones, it is because of the scarlet blood of Christ, that was shed on the cross, that we are saved!

Isaiah 1:18 tells us that "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. ." Grace, grace, God's grace, grace that will pardon and cleanse within! Grace, grace, God's grace, grace that is greater than all my sin ! Thank you LORD for your amazing grace! Thank you for your grace that has covered me. It is something that I do not deserve, yet you saved me anyway. Thank you LORD! I am overwhelmed by Your amazing love and grace! I love Jesus so much and I want everyone that I come in contact with to know Him too. I want them to experience His love and His saving grace!

Lord, help me to show this same grace to others, through your Holy Spirit that resides in me! Help me to be a vessel for the outpouring of your love! I love you Jesus!

His grace still amazes me! I love you Journey Girls! You are in my prayers this evening.

Overwhelmed by His Grace,
Elisabeth

Let the Roosters Crow!

2010-02-01T12:36:00.000-06:00

Journey Girls,
I can't hardly believe that we have come this far on our journey together already! Only 12 days remaining! It is bittersweet for me, because I have come to love and anticipate this time with you each day. Alright, it's time for some updates! I need to know what scriptures you are memorizing, how your time in the Word is going, what prayers have been answered, how your fasting is going and how you are planning on spending your hours in community service. It's accountability day! :)

I believe that it is vital for growing christians to have accountability in their lives. Accountability must be intentional! We must take the initiative to protect ourselves from the enemy's attacks. Proverbs 15:22 says, "Plans fail for lack of counsel but with many advisers they succeed." Sometimes, we choose to opt out of accountability because we don't want to be vunerable. We have been hurt before and we are to afraid to trust again. Please don't allow a previous bad experience to keep you from the growth God has for you through Biblical accountability! Accountability in your life helps to keep you healthy spiritually. The goal is to keep you focused and strong in your relationship with the Lord and with others. This helps us to maximize our effectiveness in our lives and ministry.

We see many examples of warnings and accountability in scripture. The Lord often placed warning signs in people's lives when He was trying to get their attention. How many times do we have warning signs in our lives that we ignore. Accountability partners help us to see more clearly when the warning signs are being missed. They help us to avoid pitfalls in life.

Read Ezekial 3:16-19. This was a warning to Israel. God had made Ezekial a watchman for the people. He was not only to warn them, but to teach them that God would hold them responsible for their behavior. I believe that many times we need some "watchwomen" in our lives. Godly women who will lovingly come alongside us and help to keep us strong in the Lord. They need to be women who love God's Word and are led by His Spirit. Women who are trustworthy, committed and have a servant's heart. Pray for God to place names on your heart and pray about intentional accountability.

I recommend Lori Salierno's book, "When Roosters Crow," as a place to start. It is a fresh approach to Biblical accountability and integrity. Lori talks about her "Roosters." She uses this term for her accountability group and it comes from Luke 22:31-34, 54-61. You remember the story. The Lord told Peter that before the rooster crowed, he would deny Him three times. Peter replied, "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death." (vs. 33) And then, we see later after he denied knowing Christ for the third time, the rooster crowed. "The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him. . ." (vs. 61). The rooster crowing was Peter's wake up call. Many times we have warnings in our Christian walk, but we ignore them. We all need wake up calls and it is much better when they come from a group of Christian girls who love you, instead of something that brings devastation.

I will be the first to admit that the times in my life that I implemented accountability, I grew spiritually and avoided many pitfalls. However, the times in my life that I avoided accountability, I have had pitfalls and struggled in my walk with Jesus. Don't be afraid to be accountable to others. Sometimes they see clearer when our vision is clouded by circumstance. I have a couple of lifetime roosters in my life who always tell me the truth, even when I don't want to hear what they have to say. They are honest, loving and always encouraging me in my walk with Christ. My one rooster always knows when I need to hear her crow! She let's me know when I am beginning to live in defeat, instead of victory! She can tell me things when no one else can. I am so thankful to have a rooster in my life who loves me no matter how ugly I am. She always keeps me in line and helps me to dig deep into the Word of God. I love you Rooster! (you know who you are!)

Accountability partners also act as an encouragement, a support and even sometimes a "cheerleader" on our behalf. We can pour our hearts out to them, pray with them, and help hold them up when they are weak. We can help to bear their burdens. Galatians 6:2 says, "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." I love this example in Exodus 17:12. Moses was tired and Aaron and Hur held his hands up for him. They came alongside him and helped him to remain steady during the battle. They stayed on each side until the victory came.

Many times, some of our deepest prayer needs are shared with our accountability partners. They can serve as prayer warriors on our behalf. Luke 15:8-10 tells of a woman who had lost a coin. When she found it, the first ones she called was her friends. This word in greek is "tas philas" and means "female friends." How wonderful that she had a group she could call upon when she had a praise report! She called her girlfriends! I like to imagine that they were her accountability partners.

Sweet ones, we all need roosters in our lives. Those who can come alongside us during the battles and help to hold us. Those who will lovingly tell us when we are missing the warning signs that the Lord is sending us. Those who can encourage us (Hebrews 10:23-25), those who can help to restore us when we have fallen. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10) and those who can rejoice with us when we have reports of praise. Please pray about enlisting accountability partners in your life. Your journey will be so much better when you allow others to be a part of it with you.

So, we are back to where we started. How are you doing on your journey? Don't feel bad if you haven't gotten as far as you had hoped. Just start today and allow the Journey Girls to come alongside you and help get you back on the right track. You are so precious to me and I love each one of you so very much! I am so proud of your progress! I am praying for you and I cannot wait to hear from you.

Today, in the comments, please let me know where you are at in God's Word. Tell me what scriptures you are putting to memory. Tell me where God is leading you to spend some time in service to others. Let's stay accountable and encourage each other as we head towards the end of our journey together.

I love you,
Elisabeth

I Love You More!

2010-01-31T18:48:00.002-06:00

As I begin to write today, I have just been on my knees praying, worshiping and thinking about God's amazing grace, His incomprehensible love and His mercy that is beyond measure. Thank you LORD! Thank you Journey Girls for staying on the journey! I am so proud of you! I know that it has not always been easy and I am so grateful to have each of you in my life.

I love the words to Nichole Nordeman's song, "How Deep the Father's Love For Us." The first verse says,
How deep the Father's love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That he would give His only Son
To make a wretch his treasure
How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns his face away
As wounds which mar he Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory

Oh, the love of Jesus! 1 John 3:1a says, "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" He goes on to tell us in verse 7 that love comes from God! Psalm 36:5 says, "Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies." I am so thankful for the love of God!

Oh, how He loves you dear one. His love is beyond our comprehension. Have you ever just basked in His Love? That is exactly what I've been doing this afternoon. I am sitting in a small church library and the church is empty. Just me and the Lord. I have been pouring out my heart to Him. Today, I miss my boy like crazy! I miss my husband. (He is at Woodriver IL preaching today.) I miss my friends. I miss my church. I am feeling pretty lonely today. Have you ever felt this way?

As I was on my knees, pouring out my heart, the Holy Spirit's presence came upon me so mightily. Oh the love of Jesus! I love my Savior so much! I am falling more and more in love with Him each day! I love what Romans 8:38-39 says. "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Praise GOD for His love!

I remember when Andrew was a little boy. We had a game that we would often play together. It was a game of "I love you more." We might be riding in the car, eating dinner, or I would be tucking him into bed, and I would tell him that I loved him soooo much! He would say, "I love you more!" I would respond with, "No, I love you more!" This would go on and on, until finally I would say, "I love you to the moon and back." This was the title of a book that I often read to him before bedtime. He knew what that meant. It meant that I loved him more than he could possibly imagine. I loved him all the way up to the moon and all the way back. . . and that was a lot for his little mind to comprehend. However, what he did not know was that he would never comprehend the amount of love that I truly had in my heart for him.

I will never forget the first time the nurse placed him into my arms. The tears began to flow! I had never felt that kind of love before. Somewhere, deep within, a place in my heart that I had never known, was opened up; and out came a love that was so amazing! Ahhhh! My sweet baby boy! The Lord had loaned this precious gift to me and I have been forever grateful! He was so precious, so tiny, so beautiful. He was perfect! I loved everything about him. I was so completely overwhelmed. I was speechless. I loved him so much! I couldn't believe that I had the opportunity to be his Mommy. I couldn't wait to tell him about the love of Jesus!

One day, a few years later, when we were playing our little "I love you more" game. It was time for bed and Andrew was trying everything in his power to stay up longer. I was so tired. I quickly said, "I love you to the moon and back," thinking that this would quiet him. In a few seconds, I heard a little voice say, "Mommy, I love you to Jesus!" What precious words from a child! My heart melted. I stopped suddenly in my footsteps and asked the Lord to help me to slow down and enjoy that very moment. I asked Him to help me to be a better Mommy. I asked Him to help me to hide God's Word in Andrew's heart. My heart's cry has always been that I will leave Andrew a legacy of faith. I pray that I have taught him more than anything else, to love Jesus with all his heart, all his soul, all his mind and all his strength. I pray that he knows that nothing can separate him from the love of God!

We have a Father who loves us so much! It is beyond our comprehension. His grace amazes me and His love is a mystery to me. His love is perfect! He loved us all the way to the cross. I often think of those words Andrew spoke as a child. Am I loving others to Jesus? Am I showing them His love and grace? Am I just quickly going through the motions because I am tired? Am I focused on myself or am I focused on those who are in need of a loving Savior? Am I forgiving as Jesus Christ forgave me?

2 Corinthians 5:14 says, "For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again."

What is Christ's love compelling you to do? What is He speaking to your heart? Is He laying someone on your heart to share Christ's love with them? Is He telling you to ask someone's forgiveness? Is He telling you to let go of bitterness? Is He telling you to give of your time and talents? Is He impressing you to give to someone in need? Is He impressing you to give above the tithe? Is He telling you to encourage someone who is hurting? Is He asking you to remember your First Love? Is He asking you to spend more time with Him?

Beloved, abandon yourself to the greatest romance of your life! Allow Jesus to lavish His amazing love upon your life and open up places in your heart that you never knew existed. It is through His Spirit and His power at work within us that allows us to love others as Christ loved us!

I love you Journey Girls, from the bottom of my heart! Thank you for reading. Thank you for continuing on this journey with me. I am so humbled to serve Jesus through serving you. As you go to bed tonight, listen as the Father tucks you in and says, "I love you more!"

So Thankful for His Love,
Elisabeth

A Glorious Crown

2010-01-30T13:44:00.004-06:00

It's that time of year once again. Tonight we will hear those famous words that we have heard since we were little girls. . . . "There she is, Miss America." We will watch as a lovely young woman's dream comes true. They will place a crown upon her head, give her a cascade of beautiful flowers. They will give her a crystal scepter to hold and she will take center stage. She will take her walk down the isle and as she takes everything in, she will realize that she is the girl who will represent America for this next year.

Okay, Journey Girls admit it, at some time or another you have dreamed of wearing a crown. We all dream of being a princess. We grow up with fairytales such as Cinderella, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. We imagine what it would be like to be the fairest of them all, a beautiful princess, or even Miss America.

I have always enjoyed watching the Miss America pageant. I remember watching as a little girl and wondering what it was like to wear that crown. My Mom, my sister and I, have always had "Miss America parties," and enjoyed watching the pageant together. I had the privilege of watching my little sister compete in the Miss Tennessee and Miss Colorado pageants. I remember when she won her first local pageant that led to her competing at Miss Tennessee. It was so exciting to watch as she was crowned! She was beautiful and I was so proud!! I must confess, I got to try on and wear her beautiful crown. I danced around the room with that beautiful crown on my head. It was so much fun! Thank you Hannah, for sharing.

The word crown is referred to many times in God's Word. The Old Testament uses different words that we translate as "crown." The crown worn by the Hebrew Queen Esther was a kether, which is a high cap or tiara. This word refers to ornaments worn at marriages, feasts and festivals. However, most of the Old Testament references to crowns come from the Hebrew word atarah, which means "to encircle," as an army would encircle a city. These were worn by kings from many nations. This word is used in the book of Proverbs to describe crowns available to godly men and women.

Beloved, we too can wear many crowns in life, as daughters of the Most High. I love the book Heavenly Crowns, by Heather Whitestone McCallum. She is a former Miss America who loves Jesus. She writes of many crowns that God has in store for those who love and follow Him.

One of the crowns we can wear is a garland of grace. Proverbs 4:9 says, "She will set a garland of grace on your head and present you with a crown of slendor." King Solomon was sharing something valuable here. We too, can have wisdom as a garland of grace on our heads. We must seek wisdom from the Lord and His Word. We can also seek wisdom through godly counsel. Ask the Lord for wisdom to understand His Word better.

Another crown that we can wear is a crown of blessing. Proverbs 10:6a says, "Blessings crown the head of the righteous. ." In other words, if we want our lives to be crowned with blessings we must choose to live a righteous life. We can do this by living by the Word of God. We choose to be obediant to Christ and follow His example. We must keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, (Hebrews 12:2) and live by His Spirit.

We can also be blessed with a crown of splendor. Proverbs 16:31 tells us that "Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life." Now, whether you choose to let your crown of splendor show or not is up to you! I prefer a blonde crown of splendor! (Just making sure you are still remembering to laugh.) All kidding aside, I do value those who have gone before us. Those who have paved the way for us. Those who have given us a heritage of faith. I love our senior saints. They have so much strength, wisdom and beauty. I am very thankful for my Grandmothers who both have lived their lives for Jesus Christ! They are beautiful women of God and they behold beautiful crowns of splendor upon their heads.

Did you know that if you are married, you have the opportunity to be a crown? Provers 12:4 says, "A wife of noble character is her husband's crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones." Are you encouraging your husband? Is your character one that reflects Christ? Proverbs 31 tells us more about being a wife of noble character. (We will go there on another day.)

If you are not married, pray for your future mate. Pray for God to keep you both pure. Pray for God to be preparing your hearts for Him and for each other. Maybe you are single, divorced or widowed; you too can wear crowns of blessings. Christ crowns each of us with forgiveness of our sins, mercy and wonderful grace. One of the crowns we can wear is the crown of salvation. "For the LORD takes delight in His people; he crowns the humble with salvation." (Psalm 149:4) Praise God for our salvation that He bestows upon us! We are blessed by a Father who sent His One and Only Son to wear a crown of thorns on our behalf. To die for our sins, so that we might have life! Thank you LORD!

Thankfully, we do not have to stand before a panel of judges like in a pageant, but we will stand before the Judge one day. He will be the One to present the crown of righteousness. 2 Timothy 4:8 says, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day- and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing."

1 Thessalonians 2:19 says, "For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when He comes?" Can you even imagine that glorious day? Dream with me for a moment. . . . in a twinkling of an eye, the heavens will part and we will stand on the stage of a lifetime. We will see our LORD face to face! "And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away." (1 Peter 5:4) "Blessed is the man who persevers under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him." (James 1:12). Just imagine, we will receive our crown from our Savior, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

One thing that I know for sure, when we look upon our Savior's face with tears flowing down our faces, we will fall to our knees and give Him all glory, honor and praise! We will cast our crowns at the feet of Jesus because He alone is worthy! I want to leave you with of my favorite worship songs that the Wildwood Women's Praise Team used to sing, that spoke to me so sweetly. Just imagine what a precious moment that will be.

We fall down
We lay our crowns
At the feet of Jesus

The greatness of
Mercy and love
At the feet of Jesus

We cry holy, holy, holy
We cry holy, holy, holy
We cry holy, holy, holy
Is the lamb

We serve an awesome, holy God! He alone is worthy to be crowned with praise, yet He crowns us! He "who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion." (Psalm 103:4) Spend some time thanking God for His wonderful blessings and crowns. Journey Girl, take center stage and receive your crown! Represent Jesus Christ and reflect His Glory for the rest of your days!

Wearing my Crown for His Glory,
Elisabeth

Laugh out Loud!

2010-01-29T20:11:00.000-06:00

Have you ever laughed so hard that it brought you to tears? You know the kind of "belly laugh" that hardly allows you to get your breath? I remember many instances along life's journey when I have laughed until I cried, laughed until I did a "spit take" or laughed until I had to run to the bathroom to keep from embarrassing myself! I love laughter and I think it is a vital part of a healthy life. My favorite is hearing the laughter of children. I love laughing with my boy! My best friend has her children laughing on her voicemail when you call to leave her a message and it always makes me smile!

Lori Salierno says that we should find something to laugh about each day. She says, we should take time each week and throw ourselves a mini vacation (a party!). Take time each day to enjoy this blessed journey that we are on with Jesus. I looked up the definition of laughter and found the following: "Laughter is an audible expression or appearance of happiness, or an inward feeling of joy (laughing on the inside)."

Ecclesiastes 3 tells us that there is a time for everything, and in verse 4 it says, "a time to weep and a time to laugh." Luke 6:21b says, "Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh." Psalm 126:2a says, "Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy," and Job 8:21 says, "He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy."

Proverbs 17:22 says, "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." It is true that laughter is good medicine. WebMD says, "We change physiologically when we laugh. We stretch muscles throughout our face and body, our pulse and blood pressure go up, and we breathe faster, sending more oxygen to our tissues. According to WebMD, a medical professor at the University of California Irvine has found that laughter plays a role in helping to fight viruses and bacteria, and possibly cancer and heart disease. Laughter reduces the secretion of stress hormones."

I love the story of Abraham and Sarah found in Genesis. Abraham and Sarah were very old and past childbearing years. In Genesis 17:16-17 we see where God told Abraham that he was going to bless him and Sarah, by giving them a son in their old age. What was Abraham's response in verse 17? "Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himslef, 'Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear me a child at the age of ninety?" We see in the following chapter that as Sarah was in a nearby tent, she overheard the Lord tell her husband, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son." (Genesis 18:10) How did Sarah respond to the news, in verse 12? You guessed it, she laughed! I can just picture what that scene was like. Sarah laughed and then denied that she had laughed. (vs. 15) I love what verse 14 says, "Is anything too hard for the LORD?"

Many times, when we feel as though circumstances are far too difficult to laugh, remember this: Is anything too hard for the LORD? Sweet ones, we can laugh from deep within because we serve a Sovereign God who is in control of every detail of our lives. We serve a God who is on our side! (Romans 8:38). He desires for us to be happy! 1 Timothy 6:17 tells us to put our hope in God, "who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment." Christians should be the happiest people on the face of the earth! We should radiate with the joy of the Lord. Beth Moore says, "There is no high like the Most High!"

Take some time this week and LOL!! (Laugh out loud!) Laugh with your husband, laugh with your children, laugh with your girlfriends and laugh at yourself! Throw yourself a party! Whether it's a few minutes at Starbucks, a bubble bath, or a cup of coffee and a good book. . . take some time to enjoy this precious life that God has given you. Savor every moment! My husband and I decided that our motto would be to "Laugh Again in 2010!"

Look to Him and your face will be radiant! (Psalm 34:5) Our countenance should reflect God in our lives. SMILE, Journey Girls, and spend some time laughing your heads off with Jesus! I am crazy about you and you make me smile! : )

Giggling with my Journey Girls,
Elisabeth

Take Captive Every Thought!

2010-01-28T19:42:00.003-06:00

Sweet Journey Girls,
How are you doing? Are you staying with me? Are you in the Word? Are you spending time in your closets of prayer? Are you memorizing scripture? How is the journey going for you? I love y'all so very much and you continue to be in my daily prayers. Let me know how you are doing.

I have been feeling a little under the weather the past couple of days, so I am writing late today. I praise God for keeping His hand on me! God is so good. I must admit, I am missing my boy like crazy!! Some days, it is so difficult. My heart actually aches. Do you know the feeling?

I don't know about you, but when I am not feeling well physically, it seems as though the enemy comes at me full force. When we are feeling weak physically, he often tries to pull us down emotionally and spiritually as well. That is just how satan works.

I was not feeling well yesterday and I begin to think about all that has happened the last few years. I cannot hardly grasp it all. I thought about where we had been. I thought about how quickly time had passed and I thought about where I am today. Have you ever just felt like you were trapped? Like you had been taken captive and had no way out? Maybe you had regrets or maybe you were just sad that a certain time in your life was over. Have you ever felt this way? Maybe you lost your job or maybe your marriage ended in divorce. Maybe you lost a loved one. Do you ever feel as though you just want to turn back time?

Many times in life, when we find ourselves in a valley, our mind will wreak havoc with us if we allow it to. We often focus on the "what ifs," and the "if onlys," instead of focusing on God's Word. We often spend our time looking back, instead of pressing forward to see what God has for us next. Remember the passage we shared together at the beginning of our journey? (Isaiah 43:18-19) We often miss the excitement and adventure of the journey! Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 tell us, "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." We must take captive every though and not allow our thoughts to hold us captive! We must make every thought obedient to Christ!

How do we do this? We hide God's Word in our hearts. (Psalm 119:11). I can't emphasize enough the importance of scripture memorization. If you have a difficult time with this, ask God to help you. Ask Him to put His Words in your mind. Ask Him to help you to retain His Word. Ask Him to bless your memory. Write down a passage on an index card and keep it with you.When times of doubt and negative thoughts come, replace them with God's Word. I often put scriptures in my car, on my mirror, on the refridgerator, and by my bed. There are times, such as today, they are held tightly in my hands so that I can read them over and over.

We started this journey believing God for a new thing! We vowed to put the past behind and look ahead to the future. Let's help each other to continue forward. I am reminded of the story of Lot in Genesis 19. Sodom and Gomorrah was about to be destroyed because the sin in the city had been so grievous. (Genesis 18:20). The Lord spared Abraham and his family and Lot and his family. He rescued them and they were told as they left the city, "Flee for your lives! Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!" (Genesis 19:17). Then, we see in verse 26, that Lot's wife looked back. Because of her disobedience and hesitation, she became a pillar of salt. Why is it, that as women, we must always know what is going on? Why do we always look back instead of forward?

Beloved, let's praise God for our memories. . . the good ones and the bad ones. God has given us our life, our physical bodies and our minds. He created us so intricately and so amazing! Our memories allow us to savor sweet moments with our Lord, family and friends. Our memories also are important for learning and retaining the Word of God. Even sorrowful memories are part of our journey. We cling to the promise that "weeping will remain for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning!" (Psalm 30:5) We learn from past failures and hurts. It is vital that we take captive the negative thoughts and give them to Christ - being obedient to Him without hesitation.

Please understand when I tell you sweet ones, that I am in no way trying to minimize the hurt in your life. I know that many have endured deep heartache that I have never known. I am not saying that you will not grieve. I don't know all that you have gone through and I don't know all you are dealing with, but I do know we serve an Omniscient God. He is all knowing. He knows everything about you. His Word tell us that He has engraved you on the palms of His hands and He remembers us! Isaiah 49:15b-16 says, "I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands. ." Whenever you are hurting or feeling alone, tell Jesus your worries, fears, and hurts. Allow Him to minister to your heart and mind. Ask Him to transform you and renew your mind (Romans 12:2) so that "you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will."

Isaiah 26:3 says, "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you." The Hebrew word for "keep" is "nasar," meaning to guard, protect, to keep. Beloved, Christ is the watchman over your mind! He is there to guard and protect you. Allow Him to bring you peace as you lay your head down tonight. He is watching over you!

I love my Journey Girls!
Elisabeth

A Walk Through the Vineyard

2010-01-27T16:34:00.002-06:00

I am a hopeless romantic! I love watching chic flicks and old love stories that make your heart swoon. I remember one such movie, A Walk in the Clouds which told a story of a young girl who was pregnant out of wedlock. She did not want to go home and face her family. She met a man who went with her and pretended to be her husband, so that she could gently brake the news to her family. Her Father was the owner of a large vineyard and much of the story takes place in this beautiful vineyard. Towards the end of the movie the vineyard catches on fire and the entire crop burns to the ground. Only one vine survived the fire and was planted and cared for, resulting in a new vineyard and a new harvest. The young girl's Father forgave her and she marries the man who had stood by her and everyone lives happily ever after. Aahhh!

Let's walk through another vineyard today. It is found in John 15: 1-13. Jesus was speaking to His disciples in the Kidron Valley by an olive grove just before He was arrested and betrayed. Jesus tells them that He is the "True Vine" and His Father is the Gardener. (vs. 1) Have you ever allowed this portion of scripture to sink deeply into your soul? The vine is the deep root, the trunk of the plant that holds everything together. The gardener, or vinedresser, is the one who tends to the vineyard. He waters, protects, prunes and cares for each vine so that it will bear much fruit. The branches, are the off shoots from the vine, which produces the fruit. (John 15:5, 8,16)

Jesus Christ is the Vine, His Father God is the Vinedresser and we are the branches. How do we bear fruit? We must remain in Christ and obey His commands. (John 15:7-12) Many times we hear controversy regarding grace and works. Let us take just a moment to clear up this issue. Let's get God's Word on the subject. "For it is by grace, you have been saved, through faith- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:8-10) Praise God we cannot "earn" our salvation. It is a free gift that our loving Father gives to those who ask and believe! When we give our hearts to Jesus, our desire is to do good works out of our love for the Savior. We want others to see Christ in us the hope of glory!! (Colossians 1:27).

We must remain in Him in order to bear fruit. (vs. 5) 1 John 2:5 says, "But if anyone obeys His word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did." To walk as Jesus did, we must keep in step with the Spirit. (Galatians 5:25) As we live by the Spirit, our lives will produce fruit that comes from within (Galatians 5:22-23), and that will produce outer fruit, as we share our testimony with others. To God be the glory!

Don't you just love the Word of God? I remember reading a story about the caretaker of a vineyard in Bruce Wilkinson's book, Secrets of The Vine. He told about meeting a vineyard caretaker who described taking care of the vines. He said that many times a new vine will fall to the ground where it has no possibility of bearing fruit. It gets rained on, gathers mildew and becomes dirty. The branch becomes sick. The vinedresser will go throughout the vineyard with a bucket of water. He will look for these branches. He will pick them up, wash them off and tie them up near the branches that are bearing fruit. He said that in a short amount of time, they are thriving once again.

How wonderful that we too have a Vinedresser that will pick us up when we have fallen, cleanse us, hold us and place us near those who are bearing fruit. He loves us, nurtures us and prunes us, so that in time we will be thriving once again! He cares for us individually. He desires for us to thrive spiritually, emotionally and physically and bear fruit for His glory.

Beloved, are you feeling as though you have been through a dry season? Do you feel like you are not bearing much fruit? Do you feel as though you have fallen to the ground and become useless? Are you feeling down and all alone? Sweet ones, our God is the lifter of our head. (Psalm 3:3) He wants to fill any void in your life and bring complete healing. Open up your heart to Him. Allow Him to come alongside you and hold you and wrap His loving arms around you.

Sometimes, because of His great love for us, He prunes us. This can be a painful process, but if we allow Him to prune us and perge some things from our lives, we will flourish. Pruning produces fruitfulness! Maybe you have unconfessed sin in your life that makes you feel as though you are mildewed and dirty. I love that we serve a Savior that we can go to and confess our sin. He washes away our iniquity and cleanses us from our sin. (Psalm 51:1-2)

Praise God! When we are down, He lifts us up and places us with those who are bearing much fruit! I believe this is why God's Word tells us to "spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together. . . " (Hebrews 10:24-25a) It is so important to surround yourself with those who are bearing fruit. Corporate worship and fellowship with other believers is necessary to encourage us as we grow in Christ. I am so thankful for the family of God!

I am thankful for my Journey Girls. Your love and encouragement has been amazing! You are such a blessing to me and I love you so! Just take some time today and evaluate your own heart. Are you bearing much fruit? Are you allowing the Vinedresser to prune your life? Are you surrounding yourself with others who are flourishing in Christ? Are you allowing your Daddy to be the lifter of your pretty little head? He loves you so much and it is His desire to see you grow in Him. Don't give up when the journey gets tough. Continue on and cling to the One True Vine!

Walking with you,
Elisabeth

A Beautiful Thing

2010-01-26T17:33:00.001-06:00

Read John 12:1-11

As we continue to sit at the feet of Jesus and marvel at His goodness, what has He been speaking to you? How have you felt His presence this week as you have spent time communing with Him? Have you been captured by His holiness?

I have enjoyed studying God's Word so much this week. One thing that has been a blessing during this time of transition, is the amount of time that I have to devote to Bible study. Since I am currently unemployed, I am blessed to be full time employed by the Holy Spirit! He is teaching me so much on this journey with you! Let's continue to pray for wisdom and clarity as we study His Word together.

Have you ever been to a dinner party? You know, the kind with fine china, flowers and many guests? This is what I imagine when I read this portion of scripture. Jesus had gone to Bethany to visit friends and was the guest of honor at dinner. As he was reclining at the table, "Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume." (John 12:3)

Mary received much criticism from this action. The disciples questioned her and Judas, who later betrayed Christ, objected the loudest. He felt as though this was ridiculous since the perfume was worth a whole year's wages. He felt as though it was wasted. However, Mary did as she felt led in her heart. She washed the feet of her Savior as an act of devotion to Him. This act also showed her humility, because it was customary in that day for a servant to attend the feet. Mary did not care what they thought. She did not care that it was not "custom," and she did not care that it cost her an entire year's wages. At that moment, she was at the Savior's feet and she was fully surrendered to Him.

What was the Lord's response? Jesus replied, "Leave her alone!" (vs. 7). Don't you love it when our Daddy, Abba comes to our rescue? I remember as a little girl thinking my Daddy was the strongest person in the world and no matter what the situation, he could save me. Well, as I grew up, I realized that my Dad was strong and he would always do whatever he could to help me, but he could not save me. There was only one person who could save me and that was Jesus Christ, my Heavenly Father. I am sure that Mary was delighted when Jesus came to her rescue. For this was not the first time He had rescued her, he had rescued her from her sin.

I love the passage as recorded in Mark 14:1-10. It says that she came with "an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume" (Mark 14:3). Jesus said, "She has done a beautiful thing to me." (Mark 14:6) Isn't it ironic that the Most High, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords said that what she did for Him was beautiful? I can't imagine what she must have felt that day. How the tears must have flown as she listened to their whispers, their criticism. But she didn't let it stop her. She stayed focused on the Savior and poured herself out. She knew deep inside the true cost of her alabaster box. It was much more than expensive perfume, it represented her sin that He had taken away. Praise God!! HE was the beautiful One!

What is in your alabaster box? What price did Jesus pay for your soul? My sweet ones, Your Daddy came to rescue you and He deserves all the praise! He is worthy! I love the words to the song Alabaster Box by Cece Winans. Read the lyrics below and allow the Holy Spirit to speak directly to your heart. Pour out your praise and love to Him. Allow your offering to be a sweet aroma that fills the room. O what a beautiful thing!

Alabaster Box

The room grew still
As she made her way to Jesus
She stumbles through the tears that made her blind
She felt such pain
Some spoke in anger
Heard folks whisper
There's no place here for her kind

Still on she came
Through the shame that flushed her face
Until at last, she knelt before his feet
And though she spoke no words
Everything she said was heard
As she poured her love for the Master
From her box of alabaster

And I've come to pour
My praise on Him
Like oil from Mary's alabaster box
Don't be angry if I wash his feet with my tears
And I dry them with my hair
You weren't there the night He found me
You did not feel what I felt
When he wrapped his love all around me and
You don't know the cost of the oil
In my alabaster box

I can't forget the way life used to be
I was a prisoner to the sin that had me bound
And I spent my days
Poured my life without measure
Into a little treasure box
I'd thought I'd found

Until the day when Jesus came to me
And healed my soul
With the wonder of His touch
So now I'm giving back to Him
All the praise He's worthy of
I've been forgiven
And that's why
I love Him so much

And I've come to pour
My praise on Him
Like oil from Mary's alabaster box
Don't be angry if I wash his feet with my tears
And dry them with my hair
You weren't there the night Jesus found me
You did not feel what I felt
When He wrapped his loving arms around me and
You don't know the cost of the oil
Oh, you don't know the cost of my praise
You don't know the cost of the oil
In my alabaster box

I am so thankful that Jesus saved my soul! I am thankful that He wrapped His loving arms around me. O how I love Jesus and O how I love my Journey Girls! You, sweet ones, are BEAUTIFUL

Humbled by His Grace,
Elisabeth

Our Prayer Closet

2010-01-25T15:25:00.001-06:00

"But you, when you pray, go into your room , close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." (Matthew 6:6) The King James Version of this passage says, "But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet. . ."

Beloved, I have been most blessed to know the power of prayer! I love that we, as children of the Most High, can enter His throne room and have direct access to the Father. Under the old covenant, the Most Holy Place could not be entered by the people. Only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies once a year. (Hebrews 9:7-15) When Christ died for us and drew His last breath on the cross, the temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom. This inner curtain separated the Holy Place from the most Holy Place in the temple. This tearing signified Christ's making it possible for all believers to enter directly into His presence. We can come to the throne of grace, at any time, because the perfect One has offered His One and Only Son as the perfect sacrifice, atoning for our sin. (Hebrews 10:19-23, Mark 15:37-38, Matthew 27:50-51) PRAISE GOD!! We can enter the Holy of Holies!

Prayer has always been an essential part of my life. I remember as a little girl starting a tradition that I have always kept, my closet of prayer. I love spending sweet time with my Savior, pouring out my heart to Him and allowing Him to speak. I loved singing praises to my Lord and feeling His presence so mightily.

One of my dearest childhood memories is seeing my Momma sitting at the kitchen table every morning with her cup of coffee, reading the Word of God and spending time in prayer. I remember going with my Daddy, on many occasions, to peoples homes, to have prayer with them. I cherish the many times I have been able to be with my husband as we have gathered with our church family and layed hands on those who wanted prayer. I cherish our prayer times together as a family. I love the memories of tucking my baby boy in at night and saying bedtime prayers with him. I love sweet memories of praying with friends and having them pray for me. My favorite prayer is that of a lost soul giving their heart to Jesus.

Prayer is essential, powerful and commanded in the Word of God. It is how we talk to our Savior and commune with Him. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." We are to "pray for those who persecute you," (Matthew 5:44), "pray for those who mistreat you" (Luke 6:28), pray as Christ taught us (Luke 11:1-4), "pray that you will not fall into temptation." (Luke 22:40), pray when you are in trouble (James 5:13), pray when you are sick (James 5:14), and "pray continually." (1 Thessalonians 5:17). "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." (James 5:16)

We can pray from anywhere, anytime and in any situation. We see many examples of this in scripture. Jesus often went off to a solitary place to pray. (Mark 1:35, Matthew 14:23, Mark 6:46, Luke 6;12) Jonah prayed from the belly of a fish (Jonah 2:1) and Anna prayed in the temple (Luke 2:37-38). My friends, we can come to Jesus at anytime, anywhere and talk to Him just as we talk to our friends. (Exodus 33:11, James 2:23).

Are we spending time in prayer? Do we have a quiet, solitary place that we can go to and spend time with Jesus? (a closet of prayer) Are we praying for others and believing God for the answers? I remember hearing a story of a busy mom who did just this very thing. She had 19 children and I am quite sure she had her hands full. Where in the world did she find time to spend in a quiet place with the Lord? She would often pull her apron over head and spend time praying. Her children knew that when her apron was over her head, their Momma was spending some much needed time with the Savior. This famous Mom was Susanna Wesley, the Mother of John Wesley. By simply pulling an apron over her head, she was entering her closet of prayer.

Let's make time to spend time in prayer. I love having the opportunity to pray for my Journey Girls! It is such an honor and priveledge. I want us to be able to pray for specific requests in each others lives. You will notice a new button to the right of the page called "JG Prayer Closet." This will be our place where we can go to and post specific prayer requests. Then, we can take them into our own closets of prayer and pray for each other daily. We can go to the Lord and intercede for each other. My prayer is 1 Samuel 12:23 that says, "As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you and teach you the way that is good and right." I promise to pray with you and believe God for the answers.

"Now then, stand still and see this great thing the LORD is about to do before your eyes!" (1 Samuel 12:16)We will see His hand at work, when we fervantly pray and seek Him. One thing that I know for sure, God answers prayers! He is waiting and listening. . . Let us enter into the throne room and sit at His feet.

Praying for you,
Elisabeth

Dream BIG!

2010-01-24T20:20:00.003-06:00

Sweet Journey Girls,

I just want to first of all THANK YOU for your patience with me. Thank you for your encouragement and prayers! Thank you for coming alongside me and laying facedown at the feet of our wonderful Savior. This weekend, God has been renewing my strength. He continues to speak and I am listening intently to what He says. There is no other place that I would rather be than at His feet. I praise Him every day for each one of you! You bless my heart so much and I am so honored to serve Jesus through serving you! I love y'all from the bottom of my heart!

This morning was confirmation to my spirit, as I sat and listened to my Daddy preach from 2 Corinthians 4. I was reminded once again the scripture we shared together recently. "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." (2 Corinthians 4:8-9) "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." (2 Corinthians 4:17). I love this passage and each of us should tuck it away in our hearts. Remember, we must keep an eternal perspective and not lose heart!

This afternoon, as I lay facedown, I begin reading the Psalms. I receive so much encouragement from this portion of scripture. Sometimes, we see the psalmist crying out to God in distress and this helps us give voice to our cries for help. Other times, we read of them praising God for His goodness and we too can relate. I love how God's Word is as true now as it was then!

I began to read Psalm 126. I am a dreamer. Every since I was a little girl, I have always loved fairytales and dreaming. I remember dreaming that I had a secret staircase in the corner of my bedroom that went up to a magnicficent castle. Needless to say, I had a big imagination. This, however, is not the kind of dreaming I am talking about. I love to dream about the endless possibilities that GOD can do when we fully surrender our lives to Him. Complete submission to our Savior! It fills my soul with joy!

The psalmist is decribing a time when it felt as though they were dreaming. The wonder and joy of what God had done was so marvelous, they could hardly believe it! Their mouths were filled with laughter and shouts of joy! (vs. 2) "The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy." (vs. 3) God has done great things for us, Journey Girls and we are filled with joy! I praise Him for His grace, mercy and love that He has lavished on us! We serve a wonderful God!

Even when we go through valleys, we can look back and remember how far He has brought us. We can remember all the God things He has done. No one can ever take those from us. They are precious memories from our Savior and O how we can cherish them. However, the psalmist does not stop here. In verse 4, we read, "Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like streams in the Negev." I love how The Message version of that verse reads. "And now, GOD, do it again- bring rains to our drought stricken lives."

We have journeyed this far together and had some wonderful times of remembrance. We have laughed, cried and lay alongside each other with our faces to the LORD. Now, let's pray for God to DO IT AGAIN!! Pray for Him to rain down showers of blessing. Ezekial 34:26 says, "I will bless them and the places surrounding my hill. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing." Pray for God to use you to be a blessing to someone else this week. Share your testimony of how God has blessed your life. God blesses us on the mountaintops and He blesses us in the valleys. We just have to keep our eyes focused on Him.

The last couple of verses of Psalm 126 says, "Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him." Beloved, hold to the promise that when you cling to Jesus; what you sow in tears, you will reap with songs of joy!! He will bestow on you a crown of beauty instead of ashes, oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. (Isaiah 61:3)

God still works miracles and He continues to give us times that seem almost too good to be true. It feels as though we are dreaming! There is a joy unspeakable that we just cannot contain. God desires to do something glorious in your life! I love what Habakkuk 3:2-3 says. "LORD, I have heard of Your fame; I stand in awe of Your deeds, O LORD. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy." The same God who performed blessings and miracles then, is the same God who performs blessings and miracles today. We must believe God! John 14:12-13 says, "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."

Ask God to do greater things through you for His glory! Ask Him to rain down upon your life. Pray for opportunities to bless others and shower them with the love of Jesus. Renew them in our day, O LORD! Do it again!! I cannot wait to hear how He works in and through you. I love you girls and I am praying for our Daddy to do something glorious in your life!

Still Dreaming,
Elisabeth

Facedown before the LORD

2010-01-23T16:00:00.000-06:00

Journey Girls,
I am having a difficult time writing today. As we went to the Word yesterday and camped out at Gilgal, I must admit. . . it was painful for me. Many times, as we go through the healing process, the cleansing of a deep wound is quite painful.

I love each of you so very much and I continue to pray for you as you go throughout this journey. Please continue to pray for me as well. This morning as I prayed, I was at a loss for words. (this doesn't happen very often ) I remembered a precious promise from the Word of God in Romans. Romans 8:26 says, "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." Thank you LORD for interceding on our behalf! Thank you that in our weakness, YOU are strong!

I am having to continue to camp at my Gilgal this weekend. I am seeking God and a healing that can only come from Him. I find myself in the same spot as Joshua was at the end of chapter 5. "Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, "What message does my Lord have for his servant?"

As I lay facedown today, that is my cry. I do not want to miss a single message from the Lord. I want to learn from past failures and mistakes. I want to be all that God has created me to be. I want to lay still before my LORD and listen.

1 Samuel 3:9-11, "So Eli told Samuel, 'Go and lie down, and if He calls you, say, 'Speak LORD, for your servant is listening.' So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, 'Samuel! Samuel! Then Samuel said, 'Speak, for your servant is listening.' And the LORD said to Samuel: 'See I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle."

God desires to do something amazing in and through your life. Something that will make the ears of those who hear it tingle. They will know that you have been in the presence of the Most High. He will receive all glory, honor and praise!

Sweet Journey Girls, I don't know what the LORD is speaking to you today, but I do know that He has told me to lay facedown before Him and listen. Maybe you could join me. Find a quiet place and lay facedown. Cry out to the LORD. Tell Him your worries, hurts, weaknesses and desires. Pour out your heart to Him. Then, let's just listen.

"Speak LORD, for your servant is listening. . . "

Elisabeth

Camping at Gilgal

2010-01-22T16:21:00.005-06:00

I just want to start today by praising GOD!! Father, I praise you for who you are. You are the Alpha, Omega, the Beginning and the End. You are our Redeemer, our Savior, our Counselor and Friend. You are the Mighty One, our Creator, our Deliverer, the Great I AM! You are the Chosen One, Adonai, the Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace! You are Wonderful, All-powerful, the Lord of Lords, the King of Kings, our Healer, our Father, Abba. You are Holy, Perfect and You are worthy to receive all glory, honor and praise! I love you LORD!

We serve an awesome God! I love the way He is making Himself know to us during this journey. Yesterday was such a blessing to me as I remembered where my family had been and how God had taken care of us. Stones of Remembrance are so important and I hope that you have found your stone and have placed it somewhere that you can see it every day. I am enjoying studying God's Word with you ladies so much! I love how God is working in and through your lives! Thank you for encouraging me along the way. I love you!

I was reading today in Joshua 5 about Gilgal. I remembered studying this place before. (Believing God - Beth Moore). Gilgal was the place where God had the Israelites camp after crossing over the Jordan. Gilgal means "circle." It was a place where God brought them full circle and started a new lifecycle, breaking the old one. It was a place of circumcision. (Joshua 5:2-3) Circumcision was the sign that they were in covenant with God. It was a consecration to the Lord's service. Gilgal was a place of new beginning. It was a place that they could "start over," so to speak.

I love the fact that we serve a God who, if we allow Him, will "cut off" the old. He is a God of new beginnings! Today, God circumcises our hearts. When we come to Him with a sincere heart and confess our sins, turning from them, He cleanses us. Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 10:9 says, "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." THANK YOU LORD!! He gives us new life! 2 Corinthian 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

The Israelites stayed at the camp until they were healed. (Joshua 5:8). The word "healed" is "hayah" meaning "to live, exist, enjoy life, to live anew, recover, be well and to refresh." Sisters, many times we go through a desert time in our lives. It seems as though we will never reach our promised land. We go through a time of wounding, which requires a time of healing. We must be healed in order to experience the abundant life God has for us. He desires for us to be well, refreshed and to enjoy life! He wants us to enjoy all of His promises. He desires that we be a blessing to others and share His goodness and love. I love what Beth Moore says, "Often a wounding precedes our full reception of God's promises, but healing always follows."

Have you been wounded? Are you hurting? Sweet one, maybe God desires for you to camp at your Gilgal and receive a healing from Him. Maybe He has brought you full circle to have complete healing once and for all. Allow Him to cut off the old and give you a fresh, new start. Isaiah 53:5 tells us that "by His wounds, we are healed." Jesus is the Great Physician! He is Jehovah Rapha - the LORD who heals.

Finally, in verse 9, we read that the LORD rolled away the reproach of Egypt. Reproach is a term meaning "mild rebuke, criticisim, disgrace, blame or shame." Aren't you thankful that Almighty God can roll away the reproach in our lives? I know I am! Sometimes we bring this on ourselves and sometimes we are falsely accused, but whatever the circumstance. . . the LORD rolls away our reproach! We do not have to carry it or wear it anymore! We can finally put our own "Egypts" behind us!

I have shared some of my story with you. I want each of you to know that God is using this journey in my life right now to bring about healing. I have been deeply wounded. I have been to the bottom of the pit and I have been exhausted. I know what it is like to be criticized, blamed, falsely accused and rejected. I know what it is like to watch your family go through suffering that is not deserved. Sometimes the pains of leadership and ministry are almost too much to bear. Praise be to God that HE gives us the strength we need to face each day. He loves us and He understands! I am living testimony to the fact that God does heal! I have not arrived yet, but He continues to heal my spirit a little more each day. He is applying the precious balm of Gilead to my soul and He will do it for you too. When we allow Him to circumcise our hearts and roll away our reproach, victory comes! When we surrender ourselves completely to Him and believe Him by faith, He heals. He renews our joy and gives us a new hope, new strength and a new passion to serve Him through serving others.

Please know that I am here for you. I love you and I want you to have true healing and joy that comes only from our Father. I am praying for each of you. Pray for me, and my family, as we continue to camp at Gilgal and receive healing.

Praising God,
Elisabeth

Stones of Remembrance

2010-01-21T12:27:00.006-06:00

My precious Journey Girls,

Can I just tell you how crazy I am about each one of you? You are such a blessing and encouragement to me and I love each of you so very much! God is so good and I am so thankful that He has allowed our paths to cross. I am praying for you daily! I would love to hear from you! I know there has been some issues with posting comments, but please keep trying. This is the only way that I know you are still doing well. If you have stumbled or had to stop to rest along the way, I want to encourage you. Matthew 11:28 says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Allow Jesus to refresh your spirit! Continue on, sweet friends; we are in this together and God has something awesome planned for you! Also, it is not to late to invite others to join the journey! I would love to have more come with us! Allow God to use your life to be an encouragement to others. We can pick them up along the way. There is plenty of room! :) I love ya'll so very much!

Well, our journey yesterday took us to the Jordan, and we will pick up in that same spot today. Let's read together Joshua chapter 4. I love God's Word and I cannot wait to hear how He speaks to us today!

The whole nation had safely crossed the Jordan and the LORD had spared them. Once they were on dry ground, the LORD told Joshua to "Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle (the deepest part, remember?) of the Jordan from right where the priests stood and to carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight." (Joshua 4:2-3) Joshua did this very thing. He told the twelve men that these stones would serve as a sign among them. Lets pick up in verse 6. "To serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' Tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever." So the Israelites did this and carried them over with them to the campsite where they laid them down.

God wanted this to be a reminder to the people of where they had been and how HE had seen them through. He had brought them through the desert and stopped the Jordan from flowing to allow them to cross over. He is all powerful! This was to be a memorial to remind future generations of what had happend. They were purposeful in leaving a legacy of faith to their children. They did not want to forget what they had been through because this was just a reminder of the faithfulness of God! Isn't that incredible? I love God's Word!

After the people had done just as the LORD had commanded, they hurried over (vs. 10) and crossed onto dry land. The priests, carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD, followed. "No sooner had they set their feet on the dry ground than the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and ran at flood stage as before." (vs 18) At just the right time, when they had all crossed over, God allowed the waters to flow again. God had protected them and led them to safety.

We are to remember and leave a legacy of faith to our children. I love the part of verse 6 that says, "In the future, when your children ask you. . " Are you telling your children about Jesus each day? Are you testifying His goodness to them? This can be as simple as praising Him for working out their homework or schedule. I remember praising Jesus for a good parking place one day when Andrew was little. (It was pouring down rain and I had no umbrella!) He said, "Praise Jesus for this spot Mommy, right?" I smiled and said, "Right!" They learn from us. Let's leave them stones of remembrance along the way so that they will never forget our great God!

Can you relate to the Israelites? Has there been a time in your life when you felt as though you were in the middle of the Jordan? Maybe you felt as though instead of passing on dry ground, you were just treading water. You were trying to get to safety. Maybe you are in that very place on this journey. I've been there. Beloved, that is when you must rest in Jesus. Believe God for who He is and what He, and only He, can do! Allow Him to part the waters and set your feet on dry ground.

I will never forget when God did just this very thing in my life. We had only lived in Ashland, KY for less than a year. My family had just moved to a new church and a new home and we were trying to get established and settled. My husband had been struggling and not feeling well since we made the move. We kept shrugging it off to change in the weather and being busy. One Sunday morning, as he was getting up to preach, I noticed he did not look well at all! He got up and apologized to the congregation, saying that he was too ill to preach. I knew he had to feel bad because this was so out of character for him. Just a few short hours later, I found myself in the hospital with my husband who was very ill. The doctor said he had Acute Pancreatitis, which can be life threatening. I was in shock! Here we were at a new place with no family, my husband was laying in the hospital very ill and there was nothing I could do, but trust God. I didn't leave his side that week. I prayed fervently and waited for the LORD to work a miracle. Praise God, He healed my husband and I will never forget!

Two weeks later, my son woke up with a rash that covered his entire body. He had a very high fever and was lethargic. I immediately took him to the doctor and I will never forget what he said that day. "This is very serious. I want to run some tests. His spleen is enlarged and this is not a rash." I felt as though I was going to pass out. I got sick in the pit of my stomach. "Dear God," I prayed, "Please touch my baby and give me strength." I knew with my nursing background that he suspected leukemia. A series of tests followed and I continued to pray. My husband prayed, my family prayed, our friends prayed and my new church family prayed. I had to take Andrew in twce a week for 6 weeks to be checked. PRAISE GOD, he was completely healed!! The doctor was amazed and could not explain what had happened or why he was healed. I knew exactly what had happened. Jehovah Rapha - our healer - had touched my baby boy! Praise God, He healed my boy and I will never forget!

As I read the story of the Israelites in Joshua, I can only imagine that they felt this same kind of joy. Praise God! He had rescued them! He had been their Provider! He had been their Protector! He had been faithful! He was to be praised! They would never forget. This is why God ordered them to take stones from the middle of the Jordan. "He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful. . " (Joshua 4:24a) We serve a powerful, mighty GOD!! Let us not forget that He is in control!

I challenge you today to look once again at your Jordan. What is it that God has saved you from? What river are you currently facing? How has His power been at work in your life? We can testify to the fact that HE saved us! He spared our life from eternal death. He lavished us with mercy, grace and love. He died on a cross for our sins, He rose again and is now preparing our eternal home. PRAISE be to GOD!

1 Peter 2:4-5 says, "As you come to Him, the Living Stone- rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to Him- you also like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." We are living stones! We are a chip off THE ROCK! I love that!

Take some time today and find a stone. Maybe you can find one in your backyard or as you walk along the road. Write this scripture passage (1 Peter 2:4-5) on it and place it somewhere that you will see it everyday. Every time you look at it, it can be your stone of remembrance. Remember that the LORD is our Living Stone! Remember all HE has done for you and all that HE is doing in your life right now. Remember not only what He has done, but more importantly, remember who HE is! We serve an amazing, omnipotent, sovereign, holy, loving God. He is taking us through our Jordan to cross over to dry ground. He has stopped the waters from overtaking us! "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you." (Isaish 43:2a)

Let's campout tonight and savor His goodness and love. Let us sit around the campfire together, take some time and just remember. . .

Remembering,
Elisabeth

Crossing your Jordan

2010-01-20T17:42:00.002-06:00

Read Joshua 3:1-17

Joshua was a servant of the LORD. (Joshua 24:29) He was known for his deep trust in God and he was "a man in whom is the spirit." (Numbers 27:18) He knew the bitter realities of slavery and he had also witnessed the miracles of God. He led the Israelites into the promised land after many years of slavery and 40 years in the desert.

God told Joshua that He would give him every place where he set his foot. (Joshua 1:3) He promised to never leave or forsake him. (Joshua 1:5) He commanded him to "Be strong and courageous" and to meditate on His Word day and night. (Joshua 1:7-8) Joshua obeyed God and we pick up the story in chapter 3.

I love the first verse of chapter 3; it says that they set out early in the morning. Now, I must admit that I am not a morning person. However, when I make time to wake up early and spend time in God's Word, it is always rewarding. There is just something about those first few moments of the day spent with the Savior. This verse also says that they had "camped before crossing over." I believe that many times we need to campout, so to speak, with Jesus. Spend some intense alone time with Him before stepping out in faith. This allows us to hear Him more clearly and clarify our direction.

Next, the people had to MOVE! This sounds easy enough, but many times when it comes our turn, we want to stand our ground. We do not want to follow, we want to lead. We want to do things our own way. We don't mind moving, as long as it is at our own pace. . . s l o w l y! Yet, in this story we see that the orders had been clearly given by the leaders. When they saw the ark of the covenant of the LORD God (this signified the Lord's presence), and the priests carrying it going ahead of them. . . they were "to move out from their positions and follow!" (Joshua 3:3) I believe that God calls pastors, leaders, to lead. God gives the directions and vision through the leader and we are to follow. This seems so simple, yet we often make it so difficult.

I am humbled and honored to be a pastor's wife. I do NOT take this position lightly. I feel as though it is a blessed calling and I just desire to have a heart of a servant. I trust my husband. He is the leader of our home and as he surrenders to the Holy Spirit, God gives the direction on where we should go. The same goes in the church. As God gives the spiritual leader that He has placed in leadership the vision, we as a people are to follow.

Let's get back to our story. We studied just a couple of days ago about "pala." This was the charge that Joshua gave the people. Remember? "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing (pala) things among you." (Joshua 3:5) He knew that God was going to do something marvelous, extaordinary and wonderful; something surpassing and amazing that only God could do, if they were obedient. It was going to be a GOD thing! What has God done that could only be explained as "pala" in your life?

We pick up in verse 7, where they reached the waters edge. Wow, have I ever been there. Have you ever been at a place, on the water's edge, where the anticipation of what was to come was so great? Can you imagine how the Israelites must have been feeling that day? They had been in slavery and in the desert for 40 years. The day of crossing over had finally come. I am confident that the anticipation of what was to come was so overwhelming. I'm sure they were overcome with excitement.I am also sure that some were afraid. I know I have been at this very position before. It is so exciting when a group of believers are obedient to the Holy Spirit!! God moves in such a miraculous way and His Spirit is like a whoosing mighty wind that stirs excitement and anticipation of what is to come! I can remember such a time in one of our previous congregations. It was SO exciting to see how God was at work among His people. I couldn't wait to go to worship each week. People were getting saved and baptized weekly and the Spirit was so amazing. Outsiders would come in and say, "I've never felt the presence of the Holy Spirit this way. It is so strong and inviting." The church continued to grow and the enthusiasm was contagious! This had nothing to do with me or my husband, it was simply a GOD thing!!

I also think it is important to realize that the Holy Spirit went before them (vs. 11) and the leaders were required to step in first! As leaders, we are to maintain a high level of accountability. Where much is given, much is required. (Luke 12:48b) Isn't it reassuring to know that we are not alone? The Holy Spirit works within us and He goes before us. Isaiah 52:12 says, "But you will not leave in haste or go in flight; for the LORD will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard." He goes before us and He has our backs!

The leaders had to lead by faith! The Jordan did not stop flowing until their feet touched the water's edge. (vs. 13-16). This was very significant since the Jordan was at floodstage. They had to take a risk and step into the DEEP! Once they obeyed God and followed Him the water from upstream stopped flowing and the people were able to cross over on dry ground.The promised land! Praise be to God!!

Do you have a Jordan that you are facing? Are you afraid to step into the deep? Move out of your position, in faith, and trust God. We must get in the deep with God. Dive deep into His Word and allow His Spirit to control every area of our lives. As we move forward, pray about what God wants to speak specifically to your heart. Let us spend some time listening (camping out) and then get ready to MOVE!! Be strong and courageous! I have tasted the pala and let me tell you, it is like nothing you could ever imagine.

Father, I pray that each one of us will soak in your Word and apply it to our lives. Help us to step out into the deep by faith, trusting in You. Thank you for going before us, no matter what our Jordan may be, and staying in the middle with us until we get through. Thank you for your protecion, love, provision and example of holiness. I love you Jesus! Thank you for speaking to me this morning and for allowing me the wonderful memories of a God thing that was all because of you. Thank you for the promise of the God thing that is to come! Draw me closer to you; help me to be obedient and to allow your Holy Spirit to fill me once again. Help me to follow you and to not be afraid to cross over my Jordan. I give You all the glory, honor and praise! Amen

I love you Journey Girls and you are in my prayers!

At the water's edge,
Elisabeth

Wait for the LORD!

2010-01-19T23:32:00.000-06:00

Psalm 27:14 ~ "Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD."

Okay, I am the first to admit that patience is not one of my strengths! I am a very focused, type A personality and usually want things done in a organized, timely manner. I am a detailed person. I love things done with excellence, yet I want them as quickly as possible. I do not like to wait! Can anyone else relate?

I love the story of my namesake, Elisabeth, in the Bible. She was a woman who definately knew what it was like to "Wait for the LORD." Elisabeth and her husband, Zechariah, had prayed for a child for many years. She was barren and past childbearing age. One day, while her husband was working at the temple; an angel of the Lord appeared to him and told him they were going to have a son. This son would be a joy and delight to them and he would be filled with the Spirit and prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. (Luke 1:1-25)

Can you imagine how Elisabeth must have felt? I'm sure she was happy, however I'm sure she must have wondered why now? She had prayed for so many years. Why did God wait to answer her request? She was an old woman and she was going to have a baby! How could this be the best plan?

I love Jim Cymbala's book "Fresh Faith." In it he says, "Many times in life, God waits while a situation goes from bad to worse. He appears to let it slip over the edge, so that you and I say, 'There's no way now for this to ever work out.' But that is the point when the omnipotent God intervenes in our hopelessness and says, 'Oh really? Watch this. . . !'"

We serve an awesome God! His timing is perfect! He knows our hearts desires and hears our prayers. We want Him to answer them now, but He has a greater plan. His desire is to step in, at just the right time, and perform a miracle on our behalf. He wants to do something great! He wants to receive all the glory, honor and praise. He is all powerful! When we face the impossible, we must trust in Him. "For nothing is impossible with God." (Luke 1:37)

I can relate to my namesake, Elisabeth. I understand what it feels like to pray for something and have to wait for an answer. I understand facing infertility. I understand feeling as though you are a "disgrace among people" (Luke 1:25). I understand the feeling of hopeless. I am sure that some of you can relate to some of these feelings as well.

Even now, in my current situation, I have been praying so hard for a specific request. The enemy wants me to feel as though the Lord has forgotten and is uninterested. Maybe you have felt this way too. My sweet friends, the enemy is a liar and deceiver! God has not forgotten! He cares about every detail of our lives!

Continue to pray fervently (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and trust Him. He has a greater plan! He wants the very best for our lives. We must wait for the Lord. He will step in and do something amazing on our behalf and we will testify and give Him glory! He still works miracles. We serve an awesome God!

"I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand." (Psalm 40:1-2)

God hears our cries! He does the impossible! He is all powerful and He is faithful. He is always on time. My sweet friends, trust Him! Believe Him and know His Word is true. His faithfulness continues for all generations. (Psalm 89:1) He is going to do something all-glorious . . . . Just wait and see!

Believing God,
Elisabeth

Wonderful Peace

2010-01-18T18:46:00.001-06:00

As I write, I have been praying for a dear family in our previous church who had a loved one in surgery today. I know it has been a long day for all of them. The Lord continued to bring their sweet faces to my mind all day. I wanted to be there with them so bad, but I could only be there in spirit.

My son also called awhile ago from college with a lot on his mind. He has so much to do and feels as though there is not enough time to get it all done.

As I prayed for my boy and this precious family, the Lord kept bringing a word to my mind. . . peace. Oh dear one, how each of us at different moments in our lives need peace. A peace that transcends all understanding. (Philippians 4:7) A peace that calms our fears. (John 14:27) A peace that that comes from the LORD! (Psalm 29:11)

Ephesians 2:11a says, "For He himself is our peace." Jesus Christ is our Prince of Peace! (Isaiah 9:6) Through His death on the cross, we were given the peace of God.

One of my favorite scriptures is Isaiah 26:3 ~ "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you." The Hebrew word for "keep" is "nasar" meaning, "to guard, protect, keep." In essence, Christ is the watchman or guard over your mind. Isn't that comforting?

Many times we hold on to worry and fear instead of allowing the watchman over our heart and mind to provide peace. Peace is a characteristic of the fruit of the Spirit. The more we allow His Spirit to permeate our being, the more God's peace can be released within our lives.

I remember studying John 6:1-15 in a previous Beth Moore study. It is the story of the feeding of five thousand. She made me aware of a very important point in this passage. In verse 10, Jesus told the disciples to have the people "sit down." Sometimes, we need to have a "sitting down" posture in order to receive what God has for us. He knows what we need even before we ask. (Matthew 6:8) Sweet Journey Girls, are you at peace? Is there something that is worrying you?Sit down at the feet of Jesus. Read Matthew 6:25-34 and allow the Prince of Peace to minister to your spirit.

As I pray for each of you, for my boy and for this precious one who had surgery today, the words to an old hymn come to mind. My Daddy used to always sing this to me when I was little girl. Journey Girls, sit down and allow our Heavenly Father, our Daddy, Abba to sing this chorus to you. . .

"Peace, peace, wonderful peace
Coming down from the Father above
Sweep over my spirit
Forever I pray
In fathomless billows of love."

I love each one of you and I am praying God's peace in your lives today.

Thanking Him for Peace,
Elisabeth

"Pala" Praise!

2010-01-17T21:53:00.001-06:00

Psalm 118:23 - "The LORD has done this and it is marvelous in our eyes."

That word "marvelous" or "wonderful" is "pala" in Hebrew meaning surpassing, extraordinary, separate by distinguishing action. We see this word in Joshua 3:5 and Psalm 139:14 as well.

I love Joshua 3:5! It says, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you."Do you remember a time the LORD did something amazing in your life? My friend, the mere fact that we breathe and have life is amazing! The God of the universe created you and you are fearfully and wonderfully (pala) made.

I remember the night I gave my heart to Jesus! I was only 6 years old. I remember listening to my Daddy preach and feeling the conviction of the Holy Spirit for the first time in my life. I wanted Jesus to come into my heart. At the close of the service, I went to the altar and prayed a simple prayer of salvation. That day Jesus performed "pala" in my life! He did something wonderful, marvellous, extraordinary, and surpassing! Jesus came into my heart and saved my soul. Thank you Lord!

I am so thankful that God still does amazing things. Nothing is impossible for Him. (Luke 1:37) When we consecrate ourselves to the Lord and allow His Spirit to work in and through us, we will see amazing things.

My challenge to you, my sweet Journey Girls: surrender everything to Jesus this week! Consecrate yourselves to Him. Give Him first place in your heart and life and watch for the "pala."

I want to hear your story! Maybe it's how you came to Jesus or maybe it is something amazing that He has done this week. Share your story and give Him praise! "Pala Praise!"

I love each one of you and God is using your story to encourage me and others on this journey. Thank you so much for sharing! I cannot wait to see what God does tomorrow!

Praising Jesus,
Elisabeth

Headed Home. . .

2010-01-16T13:27:00.000-06:00

Journey Girls,
I am at the Denver airport & I am headed home. It sounds strange to say that going to Illinois is home. However, right now it is my home. My Grandma Hall always said, "Home is wherever you are." So, I am homeward bound and I must say I cannot wait to see my man!! :)

This reminded me of a song, by Carrie Underwood, that I absolutely love. It's called "Temporary Home."

Temporary Home

Little boy, six years old
A little too used to being alone
Another new mom and dad, another school
Another house that'll never be home

When people ask him how he likes this place
He looks up and says with a smile upon his face

This is my temporary home
It's not where I belong
Windows and rooms that I'm passing through
This is just a stop on the way to where I'm going
I'm not afraid because I know
This is my temporary home

A young mom on her own
She needs a little help, got no where to go
She's looking for a job, looking for a way out
'Cause a half-way house will never be a home

At night she whispers to her baby girl
Someday we'll find our place here in this world

This is our temporary home
It's not where we belong
Windows and rooms that we're passing through
This is just a stop on the way to where we're going
I'm not afraid because I know
This is our temporary home

Old man, hospital bed
The room is filled with people he loves
And he whispers, "don't cry for me,
I'll see you all someday"

He looks up and says,
"I can see God's face"

This is my temporary home
It's not where I belong
Windows and rooms that I'm passing through
This was just a stop on the way to where I'm going
I'm not afraid because I know
This was my temporary home

This is our temporary home

My beloved, this is our temporary home! We are just passing through- Praise Jesus!
John 14:1-4 says, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going."

No matter what your situation, or where you are at on this journey, remember this is our temporary home. Let's keep an eternal perspective in all that we do. Let's seek to make an impact for Jesus Christ! Let us fix our eyes on Jesus!

2 Corinthians 4:17-18, "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

Hebrews 12:2 says, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning it's shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

I cannot wait to hear how God is working in and through you! By the way, how's the scripture memory coming along? I am praying for each of you! Let's keep our eyes on Jesus and keep our perspective eternal!

Love my Journey Girls,
Elisabeth

Great is Your Faithfulness!

2010-01-14T23:21:00.004-06:00

"Because of the LORD'S great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." ~Lamentations 3:22-23

"For great is His love toward us and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. ~Psalm 117:2

Praise the Lord! We serve a God whose faithfulness will endure forever! His compassions are new every morning! His Word is true and He is faithful in all He does! (Psalm 33:4)

We must learn to trust His faithfulness. Even though sometimes we may not understand all God is doing, we can trust His heart. His heart is loving and good. Psalm 100:5 says, "For the LORD is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations." We can trust God! He is faithful and He has given us Jesus Christ as a guarentee of His faithfulness. He gives us His Spirit, which dwells within us, to lead us each day.

We journey by faith and not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7) Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." As Christians (believers), we are called to be faithful. The word believer means "the faithful," or "those who believe God." Hebrews 11:6 says, "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." We must Believe God! Even though we may not always understand our circumstances, we can trust God and know that He works all things for our good (Romans 8:28) and His actions will always flow from His loving heart.

I was reading through a previous Beth Moore study, "Living Beyond Yourself" and this quote stood out to me regarding faith. "Do you ever tire of riding the roller coster of faith? Of being up one day and down the next? We can exercise our faith in God in one of two ways. One leaves us at the mercy of life's constant ups and downs. The other is the key to steadfast faith- the way off the roller coaster to begin walking with God and practicing a faith that can't be 'greatly moved' (Psalm 62:2 KJV). Every believer falls into one of these two categories on the basis of her answer to one simple question: do you base your faith on what God does or who He is?"

Beloved, how is your faith? Do you believe God for who He is? Are you walking steadfastly or riding the roller coster of faith?

Lord, I pray for each of your sweet journey girls this morning. Help them to know in whom they have believed. That YOU are a faithful, loving, good God who desires to walk with us through this journey of faith. You designed us for your pleasure. To commune with you, share our hearts with you and to give you glory. Help us to walk by faith and not by sight. My desire is to have a genuine, steadfast faith based on who YOU are, O Lord. I love you Jesus and praise you for your faithfulness. Thank you for this journey and for these girls who have blessed my life! To YOU be all the glory, honor and praise! Amen

Walking by Faith,
Elisabeth

Wake Up!

2010-01-14T20:17:00.002-06:00

My heart is hurting today as I see news clips and read the headlines of Haiti. I am praying for those precious people. I can't keep my thoughts off of them. I cannot imagine what they are going through. It made me reflect back to September 11, 2001. What a tragedy our nation faced that day. It is one I will never forget. I remember where I was when the news broke about the first plane hitting the first tower. I was on my way to a nursing class in Southern IL. I had so much to do that day. I had a test in one of my classes, I had to work and I was finishing up last minute preparations because we were to canidate that next weekend at a church in Kentucky. My heart almost stopped as I listened to the radio. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I just wanted to get home to my husband and son. I wanted to call all my family. I couldn't understand what was happening. I remember the eeriness of that day.

I remember my husband calling the search committee chairman to see if they wanted to postpone our canidacy, but they did not. I will never forget that next weekend. My husband preached a sermon entitled, "Awake the Sleeping Giant." He read from Romans13:10-12 and Revelation 3:1-4. The Holy Spirit moved in a mighty way that Sunday morning.

I also remember hearing our US Congress sing "God Bless America" on the front steps of our nation's capitol. I remember churches holding prayer meetings all across our nation. People turned to God. It grieves my heart when I think of how far we've come in just 8 short years. How quickly we have forgotten. Lord, turn our nation back to you. Help us to seek your heart.

I must admit, sweet Journey Girls, that I have really been struggling last night and today. I can't go into much detail, but I can tell you that I was struggling with our current life situation. I was questioning whether or not the Lord had forgotten about us. I was having my own little pity party. Can anyone relate? As I have shared before, this desert experience has been very difficult for my family. We continue to seek God's perfect plan for our future. Last August, we packed up all of our belongings, took all of our savings and moved to my parents home in Effingham, IL. My husband is currently an interim pastor for a small church in Woodriver IL and I am currently unemployed. We are waiting for our next assignment and it seems as though every door seems to be closing. I know that God has a plan and we just have to wait until He opens the door.

Then, I was reminded of the Haiti tragedy. I felt so convicted for how I had been feeling. I felt as though the Lord was shouting,"Elisabeth, WAKE UP!!" Lord, forgive me for worrying, for doubting and for focusing on my own problems instead of others. I want to have a heart like YOURS! I am just going to continue to trust in you, knowing that your timing is perfect. I love you Lord! Thank you for your many blessings. Thank you for my freedom. Thank you for your loving kindness. Thank you Lord for never leaving or forsaking us. Thank you for your unconditional love. Heal the people of Haiti.

Romans 13:10-12 ~ "Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light."

I just wanted to tell you girls how much you mean to me! I am so thankful that the Lord has placed you in my life. Thank you for going with me on this journey. I would love to hear how God is moving in and through you. :)

Praying for those who are hurting,
Elisabeth

Power to Journey On!

2010-01-13T13:22:00.005-06:00

Journey Girls,
"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and the incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come." ~ Ephesians 1:16-21

Praise God for His power, wisdom, and hope for those who believe! Each time I read that passage of scripture I get excited about the extraordinary power of the Holy Spirit that is at work within us! The same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead is alive and active in us!

As we continue our journey, let us not forget the power of Christ that is within us! It is so easy to get discouraged along the way. Maybe you feel as though you have gotten behind or you just can't keep up. The enemy whispers to just quit. You can't do it. Don't allow the lies of the enemy to get you down. I know these same feelings. Feelings of inadequacy, feelings that you will never get through your current situation, and feelings of discouragement. I am living proof that God will see you through! He is the lifter of your head. (Psalm 3:3) Look to Jesus!

I know that on any journey, there are potholes, forks in the road & struggles along the way, but we can overcome these obstacles with power of the Holy Spirit. John 16:33 says, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." We serve a God who has already overcome on our behalf! We are more than conquerors through Him. (Romans 8:37)

Are you are struggling on the journey? Are you getting weary? Remember to cling to the life map you have been given -God's Holy Word. 2 Corinthians 4:7-9 says this, "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."

My beloved sisters, with the power of the Most High within you, journey on! Stand up! You CAN do it!! Today is a new day and we serve a God who has overcome on our behalf. He loves us and desires for us to know Him more throughout our journey with Him. There is victory in Jesus!

I am praying for you today. Stay encouraged! I know you can make it! I love you!!

Through His power,
Elisabeth

A Divine Love

2010-01-12T13:22:00.002-06:00

Congratulations Journey Girls! We have been on our journey together for a whole week! We have already seen God work in so many ways!! I am so blessed to be on this journey with you. As I pray for you each day, I feel as though I'm getting to know you better. I am crazy about you girls! :)

Have you ever been in love? You know the kind that makes you weak in the knees? I will never forget the first time I saw my husband. I had seen a previous picture of him in a college magazine before I ever went to school. I thought he was so dreamy! ;) Tom & I dated for almost 3 months before we first kissed. I will never forget that kiss! I tingled all the way down to my toes! Aaahhhh, how sweet love is. . . .I am still crazy about my man! I am so blessed to be in love with a man who loves Jesus with all his heart, soul, mind & strength. He is a godly, passionate man of God who is not afraid to stand for truth!! I LOVE that about him. I might also add that he is VERY handsome! :)

However, as amazing as this love can be, there is a greater love than this. It is a Divine love that flows from what is right and best. It is not a feeling. It is Agape, the love of God. Agape comes straight from the heart of God! 1 John 3:16 says, "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us." and 1 John 4:9-10 says, "This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might have life through Him. This is love: not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." Agape love is a sacrificial love. God's love is greater than our hearts.(1 John 3:20)

In order to be a vessel of this love, we must belong to Christ. (1 John 4:7-21) Isn't it incredible to think that as we allow the Holy Spirit to fill our entire being, that Agape love will flow from us? I want to draw so close to Jesus, that I ooze Agape!! How about you?

We are commanded to love one another. (John 13:34-35, Mark 12:31) Sometimes this comes easy, and sometimes not so much. That is why we need the love of our Savior. I am so thankful that He does not treat me as I deserve! (Psalm 103:10-14) God loves us so much and wants us to be His vessel for the outpouring of His Agape love to others. Ephesians 5:1-2 says, "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children, and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

As you continue your journey, love others with Agape! Allow His Spirit to reach out to others through you. Show them the grace that has been shown to you. Be a vessel for His glory! Let's journey on!!

Loving you,
Elisabeth

Impress on Purpose!

2010-01-11T23:00:00.005-06:00

Take a few moments to read Deuteromomy 6:1-9. This is one of my favorite passages of scripture. I used to have it painted above the doorframe at our home in Ashland, Kentucky. I always wanted to remember the importance of impressing Jesus Christ to all who entered our home. It was my desire that all who entered would feel the presence of the Most High and know that as for me and my house, we served the Lord! (Joshua 24:15)

I felt as though my biggest priority in life was to impress God's Word on my son Andrew. Deuteronomy 6:7 says, "Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." Basically, as you go throughout your day, IMPRESS JESUS!! My goal was for Andrew to know that I loved JESUS with all my heart, soul, mind and strength! (Mark 12:30)

This is what I still strive for today. I learned very early in my parenting years that Andrew was watching everything Tom (my husband) and I did. He was following our example. My priorities began to change. I started to closely examine what I listened to, what I watched, and the words that came from my mouth. I am the first to admit that I have failed miserably many times. (my family would testify to this!) I continue to ask Jesus to fill me with more of His Spirit each day.

How are you impressing Jesus and His Word on your children, husband, friends or coworkers? Let's pray together that the Lord will give us opportunities to impress Him on others!

Begin by focusing on your mind."Finally, brothers, (my sweet Journey Girls) whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things."(Philippians 4:8) The apostle Paul knew the power of influence of one's thoughts on one's life. Whatever you allow to influence your mind will ultimately determine your speech and actions. Ask someone to help keep you accountable in this area. Stay positive and 4:8 your thoughts. (Philippians 4:8 that is!)

I am so proud of each one of you! You are doing great!! I am so happy that we are on this journey together. Praying for each one of you daily. I love my Journey Girls! :)

Impress for Jesus,
Elisabeth

Savoring His Presence

2010-01-10T21:22:00.004-06:00

As we continue our 40 day spiritual journey together, I am in Denver Colorado visiting my sister and brother-in-law for the week. My sweet boy gave me a ticket to Colorado as a Christmas present. He thought that if I left on a trip the same day he left to go back to school, my mind would be on something other than leaving him. :) I just love that boy! Thank you Andrew!

I apologize for posting late today. I got in late last night after my flight was delayed. This is my first opportunity to get on a computer. It has been a wonderful day! I enjoyed getting to sit by my little sister in church this morning and worshipping the Lord together. I was also able to talk to my son this afternoon and listen to the excitment in his voice, as he told me about his church service today. And then, this evening, I talked to my husband and he shared that two people gave their hearts to Jesus this morning in the worship service at Woodriver. PRAISE GOD!! He is so good! I love that we serve a God who is omnipresent. We serve a God who can be in more than one place, working on more than one heart at a time.

As we left church this morning, I just savored the beauty of God's creation. The Colorado mountains are absolutely breathtaking! Psalm 47:2 says, "How awesome is the LORD Most High, the great King over all the earth!" It reminded me of a song I sang at church camp as a child, "I'll shout it from the mountaintops. . . PRAISE GOD, I want the world to know, the Lord of love, has come to me and I want to pass it on!"

I thought of something that we could share together. In my first Beth Moore Bible study, a few years ago(Believing God), I learned a new concept. It's called "God Stop." This means Savoring the Observable Presence of God. When our great God makes Himself observable, then we should STOP and take notice. We should stop and savor the moment. What are some Godstops in your life? I would love to hear how He is making Himself known to you. Take time to savor each and every moment. Let's give God praise together!!

My Godstop today came in church. I felt the presence of the LORD so strong during worship. We learned a new worship song and I have been singing it all day long. It talks about how God gives us strength to do all things. Nothing is impossible with Him. Through Him, blind eyes are open and strongholds are broken. Then, as the pastor spoke, he talked about how his family had just recently moved to begin this new church plant. He began to share about how God had a plan for each of our lives. (Jeremiah 29:11-13) He prayed specifically for those who had been through a difficult season in life and I felt like the Lord was speaking directly to me. I immediately stopped and thanked Jesus for taking the time to speak to me and for giving me the opportunity to be here.

God wants to speak to you too. He often goes out of His way to make Himself known to us. Let's not miss a single blessing. Keep your eyes and ears open. Watch for a Godstop in your life this week. I can't wait to hear your testimonies! I love each of you and I am praying for you.

Savoring His Presence,
Elisabeth

Prayer at the Cross

2010-01-09T07:44:00.001-06:00

As I write this, we are headed to the airport to send our son back to college for his spring semester. I am so thankful for these past 3 weeks! It has been wonderful having my little family back together. It just feels complete. It is so hard to let Him go, however, I know that this is what we raised him for - to follow God's calling on his life. I just never knew this time would come so quickly. It has been so difficult for me!

As we were leaving, my husband suggested that we have prayer together. I was so thankful! It was exactly what I needed. We held hands together to pray, we looked up and saw the cross. Literally, there was a 198 foot white cross at the intersection of interstate 57 and 70. It was so beautiful!

Tears began to flow as I thought of how blessed I am. I am blessed with the redeeming love of my Savior. I am blessed with a godly husband who has always been the spiritual leader of our home. And 18 years ago, I was most blessed with the opportunity to be Andrew's mom! Thank you Lord!

The words to one of my favorite songs came to my mind, "At the Foot of the Cross." (Kathryn Scott)

At the foot of the cross
Where grace and suffering meet
You have shown me Your love
Through the judgment You received
And You've won my heart
Yes You've won my heart
Now I can
Trade these ashes in for beauty
And wear forgiveness like a crown
Coming to kiss the feet of mercy
I lay every burden down
At the foot of the cross
At the foot of the cross
Where I am made complete
You have given me life
Through the death You bore for me
I'm laying every burden down
I'm laying every burden down

Lord, I'm laying every burden down at the foot of the cross this morning. My worries, fears, and struggles . . . I'm leaving them all. Thank you for being my comfort and strength. Thank you for bearing my burdens. You've won my heart and I love you Lord!

Do you have any burdens you need to lay down? Surrender them all to Jesus. Psalm 68:19 says, "Praise be to the Lord, to God, our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. I am praying for each of you and love my Journey Girls!

Remembering the Cross,
Elisabeth

Joy in the Journey!

2010-01-08T15:38:00.013-06:00

"Rejoice in the LORD always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" ~ Philippians 4:4

"Be joyful always." ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16

As I began to pray about what the Lord wanted me to share with you today, the word JOY kept echoing in my spirit. I tried to ignore it at first, but then decided that the Lord was whispering it to the deepest part of my soul. Sometimes when you have been in the desert, it is difficult to choose joy. However, I believe that as Christians, it is not optional. We were created for God's pleasure - His joy! Lori Salierno, one of my favorite speakers, states, "Joy is the evidence of His presence in your life." This statement is so true. For you see, when Christ takes up residency in your heart and you allow His Spirit to flow through you, joy will come! Joy is one of the character qualities of the fruit of the Spirit. (Galations 5:22-23) This is a deep seated, incredible, unbelievable, unspeakabe joy! It is a confidence in knowing that God is in control of our lives. He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8) He is all knowing (omniscient), all powerful (omnipotent), and ever present (omnipresent). We can trust Him with every detail of our lives. We can conquer every situation through Christ who gives us strength (Philippians 4:13) and do so with joy!

The Greek word for joy is Chara meaning, "joy, rejoicing, gladness, enjoyment, bliss." It is a word that means "to celebrate!" Now I know what you are thinking, how can I be joyful in the midst of such pain? The joy I am talking about we can only have through Jesus Christ. It is a deep, abiding joy that we have in knowing that no matter what life gives us, we belong to Jesus. His Spirit is in us and we have hope. We know that His ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:9) and that He is working all things for our good (Romans 8:28).We have joy in Jesus Christ! The joy of the LORD is our strength! (Nehemiah 8:10b) Because of God's saving grace and presence in our life we have every reason to celebrate!

I understand that sometimes we feel as though we have lost our joy. I know because I have been in this very place. But sweet sisters, do not let the enemy deceive you with this lie. Sometimes we feel no joy because we are weary from the journey. We have poured out more than we have taken in. Remember, Jesus is our joy! His presence in our lives is where our joy comes from.

I mentioned Lori earlier and her ministry (Celebrate Life International). I will never forget a message she shared on this at a women's conference that I attended in 2006. She read the passage in 1 Kings 19:1-9 when Elijah was exhausted and afraid. He ran from the Lord, hid under a broom tree and prayed to die. He was running from his circumstances instead of running to God. She also shared from Habakkuk 3:17-18. I love verse 18 which says, "yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior." I will always remember this important point. . . the "yet & in!" No matter what the situation or circumstance, we will "yet" rejoice "in" the LORD! It doesn't mean that we won't grieve, hurt, or question, but we can rejoice in the fact that we know Christ. He understands our hurts, our loneliness, our grief and our weariness. Tell him what you are struggling with today. (Hebrews 4:14-16) Allow Christ to lift your burden and renew your joy.

Christians should be the most joyful people in the world. A quote that truly convicted my heart was this, "Cold and dead saints who do not enjoy this life lead people to hell, because people turn away from God when they see no joy in those who claim to walk with Him."(Tony Campolo). Lord, forgive me when I have not reflected your joy to those around me. My desire is to radiate with joy, regardless of my circumstance. I pray that others will know there is a difference in the Spirit-filled life. Help my face to illuminate this deep seated, incredible joy that I have because of you!

What about you? Do you feel as though you have lost your joy? Spend some time today and allow His presence to permeate your being and search for that deep seated joy. I love you and I am praying for you.

Remembering the "yet" & "in" with you,

Elisabeth

Pressing On!

2010-01-07T12:39:00.002-06:00

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Journey girls (Elisabeth's version), I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." ~ Philippians 3:12-14

I woke up to snow this morning and a lot of it! I'm not the biggest fan of winter, but today I am praising God for the snow. As I sit and watch it through the window, I am reminded of how each one of us are created uniquely to bring God pleasure and glory. Know that YOU bring Him pleasure today! I just wanted to encourage each one of you as we continue on our journey. Do not be discouraged and do not let the enemy use guilt to make you feel as though you aren't going to make it through this journey! Remember what our goal is during this 40 days, to draw closer to Jesus! It's not about what we are sacrificing or "giving up" as much as it is about how we are becoming more intimate with our Savior. There will be some bumps in the road along the way. If your foot slips or if you stumble, look to Jesus. Psalm 94:18-19 says, "When I said, 'My foot is slipping, your love, O LORD, suppported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul." No worries! Get up and press on!! He loves you so much!

I have to admit that I was struggling in this area as well. I was feeling insecure, inadequate and unable to do what He has called me to. I was struggling with past hurts, failures, loneliness and feeling as though the Lord was finished with me. You will learn more about my journey throughout this 40 days, but for now lets just say that I have been in the desert for the past 2 1/2 years and I now feel as though I'm in the wilderness. "In a desert land he found him, in a barren and howling waste. He shielded him and cared for him; He guarded him as the apple of His eye." (Deuteronomy 32:10) Thank you Lord! I praise God that He never leaves or forsakes us. He is our guard and shield. He keeps us in the shadow of His wings, as the apple of His eye! (Psalm 17:8)

I am so thankful for family and christian friends who have encouraged me along the way. Even last night as I was doubting, one of my "Roosters" (accountability partners) reminded me of God's promises! I'm opening my heart to you ladies. I want you to know that even as a pastor's wife, I feel these same emotions. We are all human, we will all have shortcomings and failures and we all are in need of a Savior! Praise God for His saving grace, His mercy, and His unfailing love! If you know Christ personally then you have the power to stand up against the enemy!! Don't allow him to get you down! God has purpose for your life! He intends you to live an abundant and effective life for His glory! (John 15:8, John 10:10).

I am so thankful that we have each other as well. I am praying for each one of you each day. Isn't it awesome that we can come together from all over and share what God is doing in our lives? Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says, "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!" So if you are feeling lonely, insecure, inadequate or like you have already failed. . .cling to God's Word my sweet sisters and know that you have over 50 Journey Girls who are right beside you on this path. To encourage you when you fall, to help you to stand and pray with you along the way. But most importantly, you have a Savior who loves you more than you could ever imagine! His love does not come as a result of our doing, but is bestowed on us as a free gift. My sweet friend, you are LOVED by the King of Kings, the LORD of Lords, the Most High God!! Be encouraged! Stand up and PRESS ON! I love you!

Pressing On,
Elisabeth

A Promise to Come!

2010-01-06T14:09:00.004-06:00

Journey Girls,
You cannot imagine how you have encouraged my heart and blessed my soul! We are just 24 hours into our journey together and I have already been so very blessed! Yesterday was AMAZING!! The outpouring of your love, support and encouragement brought me to tears serveral times throughout the day. I realized that I needed this journey more than anyone and I am so humbled that our sweet Jesus is allowing me to experiance it with you. You are truly a blessing to me and I want to thank each one of you. I love you all so very much!! Thank you for sharing in this journey with me from the bottom of my heart!

Remember "pinky promises" as little girls? Have you ever made a promise that you didn't keep? I am sure that I have failed miserably in this area many times. I know when my son Andrew was little, he never forgot a single promise that I made him and would always make sure that I followed through. I can hear his little voice ringing in my head, "but Mommy, you promised!" How could I pass up that adorable little boy? He always required me to follow through.

I was reminded yesterday how difficult it can sometimes be to keep a promise or a covenant so to speak. I wanted a diet coke so bad I could taste it! :) I imagined pulling through McDonald's drive thru and ordering a large diet coke with extra ice (my usual) and taking that first sip. I could almost feel the burning sensation as it went down. Aaaah! How refreshing! After all, it was my birthday! But then, I was quickly brought back to reality, remembering my promise. My promise to the Lord and my promise to my Journey Girls. "No diet coke and no sweets for 40 days!" I would like to say that I immediately went to the Lord in prayer, but my first thoughts went to BIRTHDAY CAKE!!!! (haha) I realized that I would not be partaking in that either. Then, I began to pray. . .

Praise God, He always keeps His promises! God is so faithful and so good. I love the passage in 2 Peter 1:3-4 which reads, "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." Praise God! He has given us everything we need for this journey! It is through His power and His Holy Spirit working in us that allows us to do what He has called us to do.

Sunday my husband preached on "The Promise of God." I learned a new word, a Hebrew word "Yom Habikkurim" which means "A Promise to Come." This came from the Old Testament concept of the firstfruits.(Leviticus 23:9-14; Exodus 23:19) The Israelites, on the day of Firstfruits (Yom Habikkurim) would bring the very firstfruits of their harvest before God to acknowlege the land He had given them and to celebrate. The Bible records many miracles that would happen on this special day. Jesus became our firstfruits! (1 Corinthians 15:20-23) He was the sacrificial Lamb. He died for our sins so that we might have life. He became our promise to come! We serve a risen Savior who gave His all for us! Thank you Lord!

He has many promises for us in His Word. 2 Corinthians 1:20 says, "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ. And so through Him the 'Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God." Let's cling to His promises this new year! He wants to give you new hope, new life, new joy & a new passion for serving Him through serving others. No matter where you are on your journey with Him, rest in Him today. Know that we serve a a loving God who gave His life for you. His steadfast love never ceases. He loves you so very much and He has the very best ahead! Enjoy your time with Him today and know that I love you and I have prayed over each one of you.

Clinging to His promises,
Elisabeth

Let the Journey begin!

2010-01-05T09:34:00.003-06:00

GoodMorning sweet Journey Girls! I am so excited to see this day come. I couldn’tsleep last night!! I can hardly believe I am saying this, but it’s true. Todayis the day. . . My 40^th Birthday!!! However, I’m actually still 39until 3:40 this afternoon. J I have a few hours left and I amcherishing each and every one of them. YOU have made this day so much betterfor me!! I am overwhelmed by the quick response & it blesses me to knowthat so many women desire to know Christ more. Thirty six (36!) of you havecontacted me to date letting me know that you are going on this journey! PRAISETHE LORD!!!! Isn’t that amazing? I am positive that we will pick more girls upalong the way. My heart is so full of joy and anticipation about what God isgoing to do in and through us over the next 40 days. I can’t wait to hear howHe is working in and through your life.

So, aswe begin our first day, let’s review a few items. Remember that we are gettinginto God’s Word each day. You can begin anywhere you would like. God’s Word isso vast and so awesome. He desires to speak personally to you through your timewith Him. If you are new to God’s Word, I would suggest starting in 1John. Read1,2^nd, & 3^rd John. Ephesians is also a good place tostart. If you want to go deeper, start with Romans. You might also want to do a study to help youalong the way. I recommend Beth Moore Bible studies. They are absolutelyamazing and you can pick up a workbook to any study at your Christian bookstoreor online. I will put her link on my site. Some of you may be reading the Biblethrough in a year and that will be your daily time. Just make sure you set timeaside each day for just you and the Lord. No interruptions. Find a quiet place.I have always had a prayer closet where I spend my time in the Word &prayer. As a little girl, I actually moved my Holly Hobby desk into my closet.Those are sweet memories with my Savior that I will cherish forever. I know it’shard in our busy lives, but make time and room for Him. (Get in the closet ifyou have to)

MemorizeHis Word! As you journey through the next 40 days, pick scriptures that arespecific for you & begin to memorize them. I bought index cards last night.I keep a few in my Bible so that when I read a scripture that stands out to me,I can write it down and begin putting it to memory. Review them each day withthe reference, so that you can put them to memory.

We willalso spend time in prayer and praise. Take time in prayer. Begin with praisingGod for who He is. Pray God’s Word. I love going through the Psalms and prayingHis Word over my life. We will share more in this together throughout thejourney. Most of all pray continually. (1 Thessalonians 5:17) Pray throughoutyour day. Be in constant conversation with Jesus as He walks with you througheach day.

I willpost where I have been in the Word daily and you can comment as well. Some haveasked how to comment on the postings. All you have to do is click on the pink “comments”at the bottom of each post. It will be so encouraging to hear how God isspeaking to each one individually and how He is answering prayer in each life!You can also post specific prayer requests. I will be praying for each one ofyou every day.

Next, weare going to fast, allowing us to focus more clearly on Jesus. Have you decidedwhat you are going to give up? I prayed and wrestled with God on this one untillate last night. I have decided to give up sweets and Diet Coke. For those ofyou who know me personally, you know this is HUGE for me. I love Diet Coke!!!!I drink it constantly, so needless to say, my prayer time is going to be amazing!J Each time I crave one of these items, my prayer isfor Jesus to make my spirit sweeter and to allow Him to be what quenches mythirst. This is going to be hard for me. I need your prayers.

Finally,be praying about the areas that you can give in community service. Remember youhave all year to complete this one, but it would be great if you could startsometime during this 40 days. I am going to give my time to Celebrate LifeInternational in Atlanta, GA. I am also going to give time to help a friend whois starting a new nonprofit organization. You can give to others every day. Let’sstart by having a servant spirit. Ask God to give you Divine opportunities toserve Him through serving others.

Myreading this morning came from Psalm 139. I love that the LORD knows mecompletely. He knows every detail! He created me and I praise Him that I am fearfullyand wonderfully made. I want Him to search my heart. (vs. 23) Let’s begin eachday asking God to search our hearts, to give us a mind like Christ (Philippians2:5). Ask Him to help you to comprehend His Word and go deeper with Him. We can’timagine what He has prepared for us. (1 Corinthians 2:9-10)

Whatabout you? What has God began to speak to your heart? Where are you at in HisWord? What are you giving up during these 40 days? Where do you want Him totake you on this journey? Seek Him first and let Him lead. I’m not sure wherethis journey is going to take us, but one thing I know for sure. . . “I havedecided to follow Jesus and I’m not turning back!”

I Lovemy Journey Girls!

Elisabeth

Packing for the Journey. . .

2010-01-04T17:42:00.002-06:00

Okay girls, who is ready for our journey tomorrow?? If you are like me, you are still preparing & packing way too much! After all, we are girls, right? I always seem to take too much “stuff” on trips with me. Thankfully, this is a different type of journey. This 40 day journey will take us deep into God’s Word & draw us closer to Him. I believe that our Daddy, Abba Father is pleased. As I was praying this morning for each of you, this is the scripture that HE brought to mind. Judges 18:5-6 ~“Then they said to him, ‘Please inquire of God to learn whether our journey will be successful.’ The priest answered them, ‘Go in peace. Your journey has the LORD’s approval.” Praise God, I believe the same is true today. The Lord desires for us to draw close to Him and He wants to teach us so much along the way.

Let’s remember to leave behind the old baggage! He has a “New thing” for us, remember? All you will need for this journey is God’s Word. You could pick up a few note cards for scripture memory, and maybe even a notebook to journal. The best part is you don’t have to worry about what to wear! Colossians 3:12-14 says, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” Let’s also remember to put on our armor! (Ephesians 6:10-20) There may be some bumps in the road throughout our journey and we want to be prepared!

As we continue to prepare for our time together, let’s first prepare our hearts. Pray for where the Lord wants to take us and what He wants us to learn along the way. “Search me, O God and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.” Psalm 139:23

Please know that I am praying with you. This is a journey that I deeply need and desire. I am so blessed to have each of you along for the ride! It is going to be so much fun as we dive into His Word and share insights and praises of how we have observed His presence throughout this time.

Well, I better go. . . I have much preparation to do even yet this evening! I can’t wait until tomorrow!! Thank you so much for sharing this time with me. You will never know what it means. I am already so crazy about you and I am praying for each of you every day. I love my “Journey Girls!” It is my honor to be your servant!

Get Packing!

Elisabeth

Just Imagine 2010!

2010-01-02T21:03:00.006-06:00

Isaiah 43:10says, “You are my witnesses, declares the LORD, and my servant whom I havechosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he.Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.”

I absolutelyLOVE the Word of God! It amazes me how every time you read it, you findsomething new. I love it when the Holy Spirit speaks through HisWord. God is so good! There isnothing that I desire more than to make an impact for Jesus Christ. I want tobe His witness, a vessel for the outpouring of His love to others! This leadsme to something that the Lord has laid upon my heart. Just imagine a 40 dayjourney to draw closer to Jesus! As my 40^thbirthday quickly approaches, I am looking for 40 women to join with me on a 40day journey. Okay girls, ready for a challenge?

Here are theguidelines:

Starting January 5, 2010-February 13, 2010 (40days) we will commit together to do the following:

1) Spend time each day in God’s Word ~Commit to setting time aside each day to get into the Word. Spend time reading& studying. Dig deep into His Word. Set a goal to memorize 4 scripturesduring this challenge. Listen to Jesus and allow Him to speak to your heart.“Be still & know that I am God.” – Psalm 46:10a

2) Spend time each day in Prayer & Praise~ pray for God to open your eyes & ears to what He has for you. Pray forHis guidance and wisdom in your lives. Pray for opportunities to share Jesuswith those around you. Pray for leaders in our communities and in our nation. And above all, PRAISE HIM!! Praise God forwho He is and for all His many blessings!

3) Fast & focus ~Fast (go without)something during this time in order to focus more on Jesus & others.Whether it is giving up sweets or soft drinks or something else, each time youwould normally partake of that item, pray instead. This will allow us to focuson Christ and others, before ourselves.

4) Serve Christ through serving others ~Commit to give 40 hours of community service (during 2010) to an individual inneed or a Bible based, nonprofit organization that God lays on your heart. Givewith excellence and with a humble heart. I can promise you, that whileattempting to be a blessing to others, you will be blessed!

We can keepeach other accountable as we go throughout our journey. We will learn togetherto savor His presence in our lives! I believe there is so much He wants to dothrough us this year, if we will surrender our hearts to Him & allow HisSpirit to lead us. We can share and blog our testimonies along the way. We willhave a blast together and I can’t wait!! J

Ephesians 3: 20-21

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurablymore that all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work withinus, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout allgenerations, forever and ever! Amen.”

Just imagine 2010as we seek God’s heart more than anything else! 40 women, 40 days, 40 hours 4Jesus Christ! I am praying with youabout this opportunity and believing God for an amazing journey. I look forwardto hearing from each of you!

Just imagine,

Elisabeth J

“Bring on the New Thing!”

2010-01-01T22:09:00.000-06:00

Welcome, blessings & Happy New Year!! I am so very thankful that you have taken the time to view my blog. This is a new venture for me, so bear with me as I take on this endeavor. This New Year marks a turning point in my life. 2009 was a year of huge transition. My family moved across the country, my only son started college, (yes . . . I’m officially a “College Mom.”) and we are in between ministries at present. It was a difficult year. Needless to say, a part of me was excited to see the “new” year. God’s word says to “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” ~Isaiah 43:18-19

2010 ushers in a new phase of my life and I believe God is going to do a “new thing.”January is my birthday month. J We celebrated birthdays big when I was growing up. As you can tell, that tradition has stayed with me. Bless my husband’s heart! Well, this year marks a pretty big birthday. I will turn 40 in just a few days!! I can hardly believe it, but it is true. As I have been reflecting on the last 40 years, I have had some laughter, some tears and many blessings to praise the Lord for in my life. I feel as though I am the richest girl in the world. Not in financial means, but in my heritage of faith, my family, my friends, and most of all my relationship with Jesus Christ. Thank you Lord for giving me life! Life to the full! (John 10:10)

I am excited to see what God has in store for each of us in 2010. It is a New Year with new hope, new blessings and new opportunities to serve Him. I have many faults and have had many failures. I am so thankful for the love and grace that Jesus has shown me. I love you Lord! There is one thing that I am confident of. . . . . “Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you (& me) will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6) He is not finished with me yet and I still have so much to learn. My desire is to be more like Christ. I want to have a servant’s heart; serving Jesus and sharing His love with others.

Believing God for an amazing New Year!

Elisabeth J

Journey Girl's Prayer Closet

2010-01-01T11:57:00.001-06:00