Friday, January 28, 2011

Link to the Ladies Weekend

Here is the link girls to the ladies retreat I mentioned.  Let me know if any of you are interested!

http://www.longhollow.com/events/details/244

Carrie

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Thirst

Alright, I know several of you were unable to come to the fabulous ladies luncheon so I thought I would bring it to you!   Okay first off it was an awesome lunch with fruit and chicken salad, drink of choice and pound cake! The entire Thirst team was working and serving, even the speakers were waiting on tables....talk about humility!!  Imagine being at a table surrounded by women of different seasons, some you know, some you don't.  There are linen tablecloths, candles, little dove chocolates.  Quiet music in the background.  Kids with their work and lunches whisked off to a safe and secure location. 
The Holy Spirit was there, I hope He is there with you as I describe. 
They talked about having a Cross-Centered life.  What that means and what that looks like.  It was powerful!  First off Mary Ann Loeving shared that through the power of the cross we are saved.  Praise God, nothing we have done or can boast about, but all Him! 
Second the cross gives us the power to obey the Word of God.  Scripture calls us to obey God.  To teach the Word of God to our children.  To honor our husbands and respect them and their role.  To choose our words carefully.  Ouch Ouch Ouch!  Of course several examples were given, but I am just given you a quick run down.
Third we are forgiven through the power of the cross.  I love in Romans where it says there is no condemnation in Christ.  I also love the verse in Colossians where it says we have been transferred from darkness into the kingdom of Christ.  I am so glad Satan can't remind Jesus of where He found me!
Fourth, Jennifer Slenk talked about the power of the cross to forgive others.  This is where I felt most convicted.  If someone has hurt me or my family it is so hard to let go and let God.  She used the example of holding on to hurts like holding on to broken pieces of glass.  It continues to hurt and you won't heal. 
Fifth, we have the power to love the unlovable.  Mrs. Slenk gave a powerful testimony of forgiving her husband and loving the unlovable.    We could relate it to a mother-in-law, a co-worker, or also maybe we have a spouse that needs forgiveness.  Even if it seems impossible or that we have the "right" to withhold.  God calls us in His word to "Bless those who persecute you.  Bless and curse not"

Lastly, we have the power to serve.  Children, husband, neighbors....etc.  Jesus made Himself nothing, to come and serve man.  This is so opposite of the world isn't it.  Everything we read, watch, listen to says take what you can, you must make yourself happy first.  That just isn't Biblical.  Hard stuff right? 

I hate you girls couldn't be there with me.  It was such a precious time of learning what the Bible says about living this life.  Of course I haven't done the time justice, or the speakers, or the lunch.  I have really felt God saying to me this week "Carrie, are we going to do this for real or not?"  My desire to go deeper with Him has intensified.  I don't want to have the world anymore.  I don't want to try to do both.  I want all of Him and none of me.  But so much of that means daily denying my wants, my needs, my comfort, my pleasures.  The devil wants us to think that this world, that what he offers is the best to this life.  But what I am finally seeing is that is a lie!  We must live fully engaged in this battle.  I want to squish his ugly head every day.  I want to carry my cross as well as He carried His.  I don't want to do it by myself.  We are stronger together.
Don't forget next Thursday is when we meet again.  Can't wait to spend some real time with you.
Carrie

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Do I smell a girls weekend????

Good Mornig!  I just recieved some info on a girls conference.  It looks fantastic.  Mary Kassian is one of the speakers at this event. I have been to something she has been apart of and loved her passion for God's word.  The weekend is February 11-12.  The cost of the conference is $45 plus a hotel and food.  It is located in Hendersonville, TN, just over 3 hours from here.  I wanted to put the info out there and see if any of you were interested in it.  You know how I feel about time away from husbands and babies, but this weekend would be beneficial to you and them.  This would be unlike anything you have ever heard before.  Not to mention how much fun we had last time when we were all together over night.  Spoons, anyone?  Let me know. 
Also wanted to remind you of the ladies prayer meeting tonight at church at 7.  I will be there. We will be praying for the Thirst event and also personal revival.  If you have any longing or desire to be different than who you are right now, for Christ to change your heart, your outlook or your circumstances come with me to invite Him back into our lives, our homes and our church!
Love you
Carrie

Monday, January 17, 2011

The Condition of our Hearts

Hey girls!  Hope all is well for you on this Monday.

Looking at the calendar I have decided to pick February 3 as our next meeting.  I had not planned on skipping January but coming out of the holidays and  the snow and now the thirst conference....well it just doesn't leave much room on the calendar.
Even though we haven't met I have been praying for you.  One thing that I have been thinking about lately is the condition of our hearts.  What is the condition of you heart?  of mine?  There have been moments in my life where it has been hard, cracked and dry.  In times like that I go and do as I please, giving little thought to God and His ways or to my spouse, children or friends in need.  I watch what I want, say what I want, listen to what I want, me, me, me!  Then there are other times when my heart feels like a piece of clay in our Father's hands.  Soft and pliable.  At those times it seems as if He is almost always pressing and molding me.  When our hearts are hard we don't feel much.  We don't feel sorry or conviction.  We don't feel anything really because of the scab we have allowed to grow over.  Sometimes our hearts get hard unintentional.  Life gets so jumbled up and busy and we just begin to go through the motions as the scab creeps up day by day like the ivy that has covered over my fence outside my kitchen window.  The fence is unrecognizable just like our hearts.  When our hearts are soft we constantly feel.  We feel true pain over the sin in our lives, even if it is considered small to the world's eyes it feels great on the Lord's scale.  We feel longing, deep focused longing.  Longing for the one who made us and calls us, when our hearts are hard we can't hear Him.  Sometimes when I wake up my longing for my first cup of coffee keeps me from focusing on anything else!  But this longing for Him goes much deeper.  When Terry and I are apart for any length of time I have a longing to be beside him again.  This longing intensifies with the years, doesn't fade.  And so our longing for time with Christ is deeper, when our hearts are soft.  When our hearts are hard we just do what we must to get through the day.  When our hearts are soft we take careful steps walking through the doors He has opened. Then we feel joy.  Real joy.  Dare I say "enjoyment".  Joy that comes from Him is present even in the most difficult of circumstances and mundane tasks.  So how is your heart?  What is your heart's spiritual diagnosis?  My prayer for you and me this week is that Christ would remove our scabs.  That He would do spiritual surgery.  Taking His Spirit and slicing through all the way to the soft flesh.  The part where we can feel conviction again, hear His prompting and have love towards others even when it is most difficult.  Father you have our hearts, please pour your Holy Spirit on us like oil.  Soothe the cracks and make them soft again. Give us an unquenchable passion and thirst to know you more.  Convict us of wrong thinking, and draw us to you.  Amen.
Love you,
Carrie