Thoughts...

On my Google homepage, I have My Utmost for His Highest on there and it updates me every morning so that I can read it. Over the weekend, I did not read over the passages so I took a few quiet moments this morning to read them.

I have to tell you that BOTH of them were amazing! If you have never read this book, I highly suggest that you go to this site and read a passage each day. They are convicting and really hit home each day for me. I have my daily time alone with God in His Word (still in the book of Mark!), but I love reading Oswald Chambers and the challenges he gives to our daily lives.

Check out his bio below and then take a few moments to read the past few days passages. I pray that you will find a fresh conviction and challenge from God's Word and the exhortation of Chambers...I know I sure have!!!

Here is the link for daily devotions:

http://www.rbc.org/utmost/index.php


Oswald Chambers Story

Oswald Chambers (1874-1917) was born July 24, 1874, in Aberdeen, Scotland. Converted in his teen years under the ministry of Charles Haddon Spurgeon, he studied art and archaeology at the University of Edinburgh before answering a call from God to the Christian ministry. He then studied theology at Dunoon College. From 1906-1910 he conducted an itinerant Bible-teaching ministry in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan.

In 1910, Chambers married Gertrude Hobbs. They had one daughter, Kathleen.
In 1911 he founded and became principal of the Bible Training College in Clapham, London, where he lectured until the school was closed in 1915 because of World War I. In October 1915 he sailed for Zeitoun, Egypt (near Cairo), where he ministered to troops from Australia and New Zealand as a YMCA chaplain. He died there November 15, 1917, following surgery for a ruptured appendix.

Although Oswald Chambers wrote only one book, Baffled to Fight Better, more than thirty titles bear his name. With this one exception, published works were compiled by Mrs. Chambers, a court stenographer, from her verbatim shorthand notes of his messages taken during their seven years of marriage. For half a century following her husband's death she labored to give his words to the world.

My Utmost For His Highest, his best-known book, has been continuously in print in the United States since 1935 and remains in the top ten titles of the religious book bestseller list with millions of copies in print. It has become a Christian classic.

More thoughts...

Last night in bed, God brought more insight about yesterday's passage. He reminded me that in the times He seems to turning over the tables of procrastination, pride, self-centeredness, doubt, worry, and laziness and running out the judgemental thoughts, careless words, and impatience in my "temple"...He is teaching me more about Himself. He is reminding me that I am to focus on Him alone through prayer and His Word.

Last night, it was a wonderful reminder that discipline is good for my soul. He is not in a fit of rage and righteous anger (as I always imagined in my mind when reading this passage). He is purposeful and He is teaching. What an awesome example for myself. What a great reminder about discipline!

So, even if today it seems like the tables of your life are being turned over, that Jesus is running out the sin that so easily entangles, and He is blocking those thoughts, actions, and words that do not glorify Him in your life today. Take heart! Be encouraged! He is teaching us more about Himself...and ourselves. He is pointing us to Himself and teaching us how to be a people of the Word and of prayer.

That you Jesus for that reminder last night. Thank you for your Word and reminding me to be a woman of both your Word and prayer. When those things are first in my life...those strongholds must break down and evil will flee. Thank you for loving me enough to turn over a few tables in my heart today!

Mark 10:15-19

"And as he taught them..."

This is the story of Jesus reaching Jerusalem with his disciples and seeing the moneychangers and those selling doves in the temple courts. He drives them out and turns over tables and benches! I had read all of that and knew it well as I read over these passages. But, since I take the Word of God very slowly and meditate on each part of the passage, I saw something that I had never seen before today.

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As he turned over tables and benches and blocked people from carrying their merchandise into the temple courts...it says he taught them. That really made me think and meditate today. I had always thought of this time as Jesus really getting angry. In my mind I saw Him full of righteous anger...but very emotional and definitely NOT teaching these people. Oh, what a wonderful little insight I got today into my Lord Jesus.

Though He is disciplining...He is teaching. I need this lesson today! My life is a teaching lesson...in everything I do. Those around me (my children, friends, the lost world) should not see my life as simply an emotional reaction to life! As Jesus entered this situation, He took action to discipline and rebuke...but He was teaching them through scripture WHY He was doing this.

I had never seen that little phrase before and it really challenges me - especially with my own children. Lord, may I use each moment of discipline and rebuke as chance to teach my girls more about you through scripture. May I follow your example of teaching today. May I not simply live a reactive life...but a life rooted in your word that uses every situation to point people to You alone. Thank you for your Word today...it is my life!

Central Asia Summit!

On Thursday and Friday of this week, some friends and I headed to the Central Asia Summit offerend at Eastside Baptist Church. It was AWESOME! We had an amazing time of learning, interacting, sharing...and more learning! We each were challenged in many ways and encouraged to continue to reach out to those around us with the love of Christ.

This was a representation of a mosque. It has lots of facts about Islam. It was very informative. We had the opportunity to go to a session by an Iranian man who was a Muslim. He is not a believer and he came to share his story and all about Islam. It was great to hear from someone who was raised in that religion and who still ministers to those in Central Asia. It was a powerful time.They had several "snapshots"of Central Asia all over the buildingwhere we could learn all about life in the countires found there. This is a yurt and I decided that I could SO live in a yurt! I could so dig the nomadic lifestyle.This was a room that impacted me the most. We entered this room and there were walls filled with black squares. On those squares where people groups all over Central Asia. They told the population and the number of believers. Most of the had populations of around 1 million with 0 believers. It made me cry as I walked to each square and prayed over them.

This was in the center of the room. It symbolized the thousands of people...with only one light glowing. The rest of the candles are waiting to be lit. It was a powerful symbol to me. That night Paula, Rhonda and I went to a Muslim tea. It was for all the women to attend and it allowed us to learn about Muslim women and how we can love them. We each got to have a scarf to cover our heads as we entered. We took off our shoes and found a table (on the floor) where we sat and met with a woman who lives in Central Asia. Our hostess ministered to the Afghan people. She shared tea and life with us.

This was an amazing event and I can't wait to have one of my own very soon! I love tea and it reminded me that as I share tea...I can share LIFE with ladies. I am praying that God will show me those in my apartment complex and neighborhood and community that I can share LIFE!

It was a great Summit and I am challenged again to reach out daily with the love of Christ. Right now I am memorizing and trying to apply Mark 10:43-45:

"If any among you would be first, (s)he must be a servant. If any among you would be great, she must be a slave to all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many."

For the past 2 weeks, I have asked God to make this true in my life EVERY day. Moment by moment He is putting this question in my mind:

"How can I serve ____ today?"

This is asked about my husband, my children, my family, my church, my friends, and those I come into contact with each day. It is a HUGE challenge! I am finding how much I desire to be served each day. But, God's Word is refining that part of my life day by day. I have been on that verse for 2 weeks and I am still working on making it an active part of my life. I love the Word of God!!!

Thanks Shannon, Paula, and Rhonda for sharing this awesome weekend! It wouldn't have been the same without you guys. What a blessing you are to me!

Central Asia Summit

Today I am headed with 3 other ladies to the Central Asia Summit. This is going to be a wonderful time of focused time learning about the Muslim influences in that area. We will have the opportunity to meet many people in that region and also attend several Equipping Tracks. We choose 4 tracks that will help us to learn about the roles of women in that region and ways we can become Kingdom Women.

I am thrilled to be going with some wonderful friends and hearing from Paula Hemphill as she and her daughter are a big part of the women's track they are offering. They also have an amazing Muslim Women's Tea experience tonight! This is a way that we can focus our prayers on the Muslim world as we pray for Jesus Christ to become a treasure to them. We ask that the veil of unbelief be lifted from their lives as we focus on ways to interact and share with Muslim women. We want to "Share Tea & Share Life" with them!

Please keep us in your prayers as we attend this summit. We desire that God speaks personally to each of us. We know that God's heart is for the nations and we want to be a part of that heart this weekend...and every day!

Mark 10:43-45

"But, whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be a bondservant to all. For even the Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and be a ransom for many." Mark 10:43-45

Am I more concerned with being served today or serving others?

Am I truly a bondservant to all?

Do I truly seek to serve in every area of my life?

Is my service motivated out of a love of Christ and a joyful response to His death for my sins on the cross to pay my ransom?

Am I humble enough to serve even when I am not served?

Do I seek first to serve in my marriage...or to be served first?

Am I a servant in parenting my children?

Am I serving others in my job out of an overflow of a gratitude for the way Christ chose to serve the world by His death and Resurrection?

How am I being a bondservant to all...those around me today that I come into contact with all around me?

Take time to confess the areas of your life where you desire more to be served than to serve. Confess pride and selfishness. Allow God to penetrate your heart and life with His Word today. Enjoy applying His Word to your life and meditate on it all day today! May you be satisfied in His Word this morning in order to truly become a servant to all!

Thrive!
Frances

Georgia Baptist Convention

Today was a great time of fellowship as a friend and I attended the annual Georgia Baptist Convention Ministers' Wives luncheon! We enjoyed a wonderful lunch and a table full of ministers' wives that we were able to meet. We also had a great music group from Hebron Baptist Church called By Design that shared in song and Anne Wright brought a message of God's provision in suffering.

Please keep me in prayer as I was presented as president-elect for the GBC Ministers' Wives for 2009 and will become president in 2010. It is a privilege to serve the ladies of Georgia and begin to mobilize them for missions! I also got a special treat by getting to see Barabara Curnutt again today at the luncheon. She was there to represent WMU and Women's Enrichment Ministries. I just love her and her heart for women in missions!

Thank you for constantly supporting this ministry in prayer. God is connecting so many women to dive into His Word and to minister to the world! I am so thrilled to know these women and to serve them. It was a wonderful luncheon and completely sold out attendance was awesome!

Great Meeting!

Today I had the amazing opportunity to meet with Paula Hemphill, Beth Ann Williams, and Barbara Curnutt from the WMU and Women's Enrichment today. Paula had set up this meeting and we had the best time sharing and brainstorming how to mobilize and minister to the women of Georgia...and the world! These women are leaders in women's ministry for the Georgia Baptist Convention and work passionately to love women.

It was awesome to sit and share with these ladies for over 2 hours! We had Bibles out sharing verses that God had placed on our hearts, shared our stories and passions, looked at the hard facts about where women are in our country and world are right now and how we can minister and mobilize them for Kingdom growth!

I look forward to what God is up to in 2009 and 2010 through these partnerships. We will be working on a few things that are in the "embryo" stage right now to truly give women a place to minister to other women personally. I am very excited and honored to be among such passionate women!

Barbara was truly a gift! She and I connected in an instant and I look forward to working and learning with her. She already has blessed my life!! It was wonderful to meet Beth Ann and we have 2 girls about the same age. It was wonderful to talk openly about women our age and how to encourage and exhort them! As always, it was great see Paula and reconnect after our recent trip to Poland. Happy Birthday, Paula!

Please continue to pray for me and Desert Flower Ministries as we see where and what God has for us in the coming years. He is placing me in new areas among awesome women that I will glean so much from. I just pray that I can be a servant in some way to these ladies as they share with me the needs of Georgia.

Have a great weekend!
Frances

James 3: A Story

This video was produced by Desiring God Ministries for a conference called "The Power of Words and the Wonder of God." My friend Chad placed this on his blog and I was blown away! I was convicted of my own use of words and my worship of God. I pray that this will touch you as it did me today.

Rejoicing on election day!

I sent out a wonderful God-centered article on voting last week to several of my friends. I will share it below. It conveys the exact discussion Jay and I had last night together on our home date night. Today, some will be happy and some will be disappointed in our new president. But, this is a wonderful opportunity to show the world that God is our true King and He is in control! We can trust in His plan...not one of a president.

Our job is to be faithful in our freedom to vote in a way that we believe lines up with God's Word, and then place all our faith and trust in God alone! So REJOICE today! Rejoice and be glad even if those you voted for do not win this election. God is seated on His throne, high and lifted up!

Take time today to read 1 Samuel if you get a chance. Take notice of how David responds to Saul and the attitude of his heart. It's an amazing challenge to us right now! God's Word is so very relevant, isn't it? I am SOOO grateful that we have been walking through these passages in our LIFE group for the past month, and our group of ladies are ready to rejoice in God alone today! We know that God is the one who orders our steps and our lives. What a peace that passes all understanding!

Take the chance today to share that joy with someone...trust me everyone will be talking about it today:) Be a little salt in an uncertain and fearful world. Walk in faith...because that alone pleases God. Enjoy today and take time to share the Prince of Peace, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords with someone else today. What a great God we serve!

Please take a moment to read this article:
http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/TasteAndSee/ByDate/2008/3347/

Rejoicing on election day,
Frances

Prayer Item

Please keep me in your prayers this week as I am honored to meet with the WMU executives on Friday with Paula Hemphill. I know it will be an amazing time of encouragement as I hear how God is moving among the women of Georgia! I know that God has a unique plan for women reaching women both in this country and across the world. I am so grateful that God has allowed me to be a part of that vision.

So, keep me in your prayers as I meet with these wonderful women and that God would show us direction in mobilizing women for kingdom growth! Thanks to all of you who intercede for me and this ministry. You are a blessing!

Thrive!
Frances