Update

Things have been pretty hectic around here with the Thanksgiving holidays and some writing projects along with the Georgia Baptist Convention! Whew...that sentence already made me tired!

It has all been wonderful, but I will hopefully be able to wrote a little more in the coming days. I am now able to keep up with my blog by my phone...so maybe that will help me to stay up to date...who knows!

There are lots of things going on right now. I was honored to be brought in as the new president for the ministers' wives for the GBC. I look forward to a wonderful year of serving Georgia's ministers' wives!! Also, I had the great opportunity of writing an anchor article for the WMU magazine called Conversations. There are sure to be lots of great things in this magazine...I can't wait to read all of it!

Several retreats are scheduled for January and a few committee meetings too. God has opened some new doors and I am prayerfully walking through them. I ask that you pray with me also. I haven't updated in a while...so I wanted to let you all know what God has been up to.

I am closing in on the end of the book of Luke after one year in it. I can't wait for John! What are you studying? I pray you are savoring His Word each morning as you start your day. It restores your soul!!

Thrive!
Frances

Good Morning!

This morning as I was beginning the 22nd chapter of Luke, I was reminded of the amazing details God orchestrates for His glory. In Luke 22, we find Jesus sending Peter and John to prepare the passover meal. Here are Jesus' instructions to them:

"Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover."

"Where do you want us to prepare for it?" they asked.

He replied, "As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, 11and say to the owner of the house, 'The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' 12He will show you a large upper room, all furnished. Make preparations there."

They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. " Luke 22: 7-13

Jesus was very specific! This morning I was convicted by my own visions of God being quite vague. I seek God's counsel every morning through His Word and prayer. I lay the day before Him and I ask Him for guidance. But...many days...I don't ask Him HOW to go about the tasks of the day. Many days I seem to just want the "gist" of it and then walk it out myself. And if these passage didn't convince me of my error...then Charles Spurgeon (whom I read every morning after my time in the Word) wanted to prod a little further.

"We must carry out into practical actions that which we believe. If a person walks in Christ, then he acts as Christ would act. Since Christ is in him as his hope, his love, his job, his life, he is the reflection of the image of Jesus. There must be a perpetual abiding in Christ...

How many Christians think that in the morning and evening they ought to come into company of Jesus, but then they give their hearts to the world all day? But, this is poor living!" Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon (November 9)

Whew! Today, I am surrendering not only my morning and my evening to Him...but all the hows, wheres. and whens too! I want Him to be the one I go to in prayer about EVERYTHING without ceasing.

He is a detailed God! Look around at creation that constantly calls out His glory. I'm without excuse! My response to God's directions should always include waiting and walking out the details by which He wants it accomplished. Most times I'm halfway out the door busy about the task not having much of a clue how specific my Father wants to be about my life. He has a sovereign plan and I want to give my heart to that all day long...not just in the mornings and evenings!

What a good Word this morning! How about you? What did you learn this morning? Please share!

Thrive!
Frances

Upcoming Events!

Hi all! I know I have been a little slack on my blogging lately...Fall has me baking and playing with the girls outside:) Oh, how I love my ministry as a mom! It's my favorite.

But, I do have a few events coming up soon that I would love you to pray over with me:

November 3rd - Ladies Night Out at Church of the Hills; Johns Creek, GA

November 9th - Georgia Baptist Convention Minister's Wives dinner; Woodstock, GA

November 12th - Fall Luncheon at North Metro First Baptist Church; Lawrencevill, GA

Tuesday evenings - GED facilitator at Atlanta Union Mission (My Sister's House)

Thursday afternoons - Christian Women's Job Corps in Clarkston, GA

Thank you for continued support and prayers. Life is always an adventure and many days it just seems to fly by, but I pray that you are taking time to enjoy a hot cup of tea or coffee and curl up with God's Word!

Ahhhh...there's nothing finer...and you'll find me there every morning too!

Thrive!
Frances

Hands of Hope

I have had the joy of being a part of the ministry in Clarkston, Georgia for the past few months. Clarkston is a refugee resettlement area that houses thousands of refugees from all over the world. This past summer along over 1500 new refugees were settled in Clarkston from places like Nepal, Bhutan, Burma, the Congo, Sudan, Iraq, Afghanistan, and more. But, it seems that so many of us living right here...only miles away...have no idea this area exists!

About 3 months ago I met Terry who is a Missionary Service Corps worker with North American Mission Board and she began to share about Clarkston. We walked the apartment complexes and in one day I was able to visit in the homes of countries like Nepal, Sudan, Burma, the Congo, and Afghanistan...in ONE day! It's reaching the nations in one afternoon!

Recently, I have had the honor of being asked to serve on the Advisory board for Hands of Hope which will be the new ministry reaching the refugee women of Clarkston. We will work to provide job skills, life skills, mentorship, and Bible study weekly for these women. They come to this country with literally nothing and many can not speak English or drive! We want to help them to not only learn to survive in this new culture...but to meet Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

We had a meeting this past weekend and it was wonderful to see and hear all that God is doing! We enjoyed a time of fellowship and then we began to talk and dream about what God would allow us to do in His Name in Clarkston.

Continue to pray for God's work in Clarkston. Pray that He alone will be lifted up. If you are interested in working with refugee women in Clarkston...please let me know! Email me and we can discuss what all God is doing! Frances@desertflowerministries.com

Thrive!
Frances

Last week, my friend Paula and I got to help lead a conference for the new ministers' wives in Georgia. We had SO much fun (we had gotten to do another conference the week before too!). The ladies were so sweet and open.

Mary (in the red) is our Georgia Baptist Convention ministers' wives consultant and she is such a wonderful resource for all the wives in Georgia. I just love working with her! Katie ( in the cream) is the current President and Paula (in the green) is the upcoming secretary. I am so honored to work with these women! Amy (who could not be there) will be the upcoming Vice President. We all are looking forward to our year of leadership starting in November!

God continues to bless me with the opportunities to serve the women of Georgia...alongside some awesome wives! We talked about ministering in our spiritual gifts. We had lots of yummy goodies, enjoyed some get to know you games, and got some groovy bags. Mary ALWAYS gives out wonderful bags.

So, if you are a minister's wife in Georgia...let me know! We have an amazing retreat we are planning for you in January. Please let me know so that I can give you all the details.

PS...what's with me looking pregnant...do you think it's the adoption:

Appalachian Vision Trip...Recap

I wanted to take a moment to share about the wonderful time we had together on the Appalachian Vision trip with the Georgia Baptist Convention! This precious group of ladies were some of the most amazing women I had ever gotten to know! They love the Lord...and they LOVE their neighbors (no matter where they live, what they look like, or what they have done) as themselves!

We traveled many hours on the road each day. We traveled through West Virginia, Virginia, and Tennessee. The scenery was beautiful and we learned so much about the needs of this region. There is so much poverty and yet so many wonderful ministries truly reaching the needs of their communities.

I do not have all the photos from the week, as we mainly had one photographer in some of the areas where we visited. I know that shocks those who know me well...I'm always wanting to take my OWN photos. But, it was such a full week...I enjoyed just living it!

This was my roomie for the week...Stephanie! She was so cute and we loved talking each night until all hours about church life, being a minister's wife, and our passion for the lost. I miss you Stephanie!

The women on this trip were just awesome! We had a group of 11 women...and not for ONE moment was there ever a sense of disunity!!! I can honestly say I have NEVER been a trip with that many women...for that long...where there wasn't at least one crazy moment of hormones, lack of sleep, or fleshy stuff. Not ONCE I tell you! That is such a tribute to the way these women dive into the Word and allow the Spirit to lead them all. I LOVED it!

We also saw some amazing scenery. We spent so many hours in the van, that we had times where I could put on my ipod and enjoy looking out the windows and praising God! This was just a breath-taking view of this bridge that we actually got out and enjoyed seeing.

I will post more photos when I get them! I thank each of you who prayed over our trip and God truly answered those prayers. It was such an honor and a blessing to have met these women, those who are ministering in the cities we visited, and getting the opportunity to see God's work in Appalachia!

A New Journey!

Our family will be embarking on a new journey to adoption from Uganda! Please feel free to follow the adventure at our family blog:

www.theworthingtonjourney.blogspot.com

Thanks for lifting us up! We can't wait to see all God has in store...