Theme Badge Night

Theme Badge Night!
We started our Theme Badge night with learning our theme song and a devotional with the big group and then we went to our individual classrooms for the rest of the theme badge. Because we have 65 plus girls, we thought that we needed to work in our own groups for this theme badge as it lent itself well to small group work. Some groups did the prayer walk, some made prayer rocks as shown in the picture, along with the poem that goes with it (at the bottom of this post). Other groups brought in pillows and blankets to do their badge. It was a quiet evening!
Blessings on all of the clubs as they are awed at the power of prayer to our faithful and loving Saviour!


"I'm your little prayer rock and this is what I'll do

just put me on your pillow until the day is through.

Then turn back the covers and climb into your bed

and 'whack' your little prayer rock will bump you on the head!

Then you will remember as the day is through

to kneel and say your prayers as you intended to.

Then when you are finished dump me on the floor

I'll stay there through the nighttime to give you help once more

When you get up next morning, Clunk! I stub your toe

so that you will remember your prayers before you go.

Put me back upon your pillow when your bed is made

and your clever little prayer rock will continue in your aid

Because your Heavenly Father cares and loves you so!

our Prayer Teacher

Dear Sisters,
How are you? As we step into the last week of October 2010 I pray that you are secure in the Father’s love knowing that in Him we will never be shaken. My favorite blessing in Scripture that is also part of Grace and Colleen’s beautiful song, We Receive Your Blessing, is found in Numbers 6:24-26. Within her book, Faithful Hearts – The Adventure of Spiritual Mentoring, Jan Kempe transformed these verses into a beautiful prayer. Let’s pray it for one another, our families, and our area’s clubs together:

The LORD bless you and keep you;
Today I ask God to supply everything you need for life . . . breath, food, water, shelter.

The LORD make His face to shine upon you
May you believe in your heart that God looks on you with genuine love.

And be gracious to you
May you experience the grace that has chosen you, forgiven you, accepted you just as you are.

The LORD turn his face toward you
Just as a parent takes a child’s face in his hands and looks him right in the eyes.

And give you peace.
May you return His gaze and realize that you are safe in His love.

Shalom
OUR PRAYER TEACHER

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Mark 1:35

Recently I started using a slim-line pedometer. It tracks steps taken, miles walked, and calories burned. At day’s end, I check the progress. Some days I’m horrified by how stationary I’ve been. Other days, seemingly active days, I’m surprised that the numbers aren’t greater than I thought they’d be.

I wonder if the same could be said of our prayer life. If a meter tracked our prayer lives, would we be horrified by how prayer-less we’ve been? On seemingly active prayer days, would we be surprised that the number of prayers weren’t greater than we thought they’d be?

Need motivation or conviction to pray more? Look to Jesus, our prayer teacher!

Follow Jesus’ prayer disciplines. One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God (Luke 6:12). Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed (Mark 1:35). Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, ‘Pray that you will not fall into temptation” (Luke 22:39-40, emphasis mine).

Follow Jesus’ pattern for prayer.
Honor God’s name: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name (Matthew 6:9).

Acknowledge that He is the Sovereign King and we are His servants: Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).

Recognize that He is God our Provider and Sustainer: Give us today our daily bread (Matthew 6:11).

Forgive those who have wronged us: Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors (Matthew 6:12).

Pray against temptation: And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one (Matthew 6:13).

Anne Graham Lotz writes, Every time I reflect on the prayer life of Jesus, my mind wraps and rewraps around the question: If He felt the need to pray, how do I think I can go without it? What is my excuse for not praying?

Prayer Step: Do you have a prayer excuse(s)? Seek His forgiveness. Ask God to teach you to pray like Jesus.

When we walk in the Lord’s presence, everything we see, hear, touch, or taste reminds us of him. This is what is meant by a prayerful life. It is not a life in which we say many prayers, but a life in which nothing, absolutely nothing is done, said or understood independently of him who is the origin and purpose of our existence. Henri J. Nouwen

Grace and peace,
Lenae

Be Clear Minded

Dear Sisters,

Good morning! It’s my prayer that your week is off to a good start and in stride with God’s. What does that mean? In Oswald Chambers’ wise words, “Getting into God’s stride means nothing less than oneness with Him. It takes a long time to get there, but keep at it.” Together let’s persevere in prayer – encouraging one another to keep at it!

BE CLEAR MINDED

The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so you can pray. 1 Peter 4:7

Many things can fog the brain. After making a mistake in her transaction, a grocery store clerk told me that her brother-in-law passed away a week ago and she’s been struggling. “I start and end projects, but keep finding myself missing key steps in the middle.” Exhaustion, parenting, and yes, even the pregnancy that preludes parenting, also impact mental function and concentration. Older friends joke how they enter a room of their home, forget what they went in there to do, and turn around, clueless. We laugh at our shared experience and blame our fogged thinking to age and overload.

If you’re feeling a bit foggy upstairs, it’s time to clear the head. Not so you can figure things out, but so you can pray! Prayer requires a clear mind. The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so you can pray (1 Peter 4:7).

The end of all things is near. Jesus Christ died, rose, and ascended. The Holy Spirit was outpoured at Pentecost. Therefore Jesus could return at any time. Maybe today. 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 (Romans 13:11b-12a).

Understanding Jesus’ imminent arrival, we must be clear minded, be in a right state of mind, have sober judgment, and be self-controlled so that we can pray.

As a child when I kept replaying my thoughts aloud my mom would tell me I sounded like a broken record. Although broken records are a thing of the past, we’re all familiar with recurring thoughts – especially replaying worrisome circumstances in our minds.

King David prayed, Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind (Psalm 26:2). Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts (Psalm 139:23).

Examine us, O God! Where there is anxiety and worry, we ask for forgiveness. Where there is muddled thinking, clear the way to Your truth. Where there is fog due to grief, overload, and confusion, break it free with Your comfort, peace, and plan. Clear our minds and fix our thoughts directly on You so we can pray.

I love the thought of needing a clear mind to pray. So often people just get all wordy and religious. You don’t need a clear mind for that. But listening and putting together God’s Word in the ways He shows us – that takes some mental ability.
Jan Kempe

Grace and peace,
Lenae

The Amazing Race

Living Hope CRC Abbotsford GEMS leader Marlene Kammenos shares about their first meetings in this new GEMS Season:

We have had 2 meetings so far as we meet every other week. Our kick off night was a lot of fun. We staged our own mini "Amazing Race" for the girls - having them recieve clues, and run around and complete various tasks. There were "Road blocks" and "Detours" just like the real race! After the race, I sat them down and did a quick devotional, challenging the girls to think of following Jesus as the most amazing race EVER! (I got the devotional from the website www.dare2share.com

We are also having a "GEMS & Gents" night at the beginning of November, so stay tuned to see pictures and stories about that!

Praying Specifically

Dear Sisters,

Happy Thanksgiving, dear Canadian sisters! I so love the timing of your celebration – giving ample space between Thanksgiving and Christmas, not letting one blend right into the other. Your American sisters join you in giving thanks to our generous God, the Giver of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17)! Have a wonderful holiday! And to all of us –may we have a thank-filled week in all circumstances!

PRAYING SPECIFICALLY

Then he prayed, “O LORD, God of my master Abraham, give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. May it be that when I say to a girl, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too’ – let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.”

Genesis 24:12-13

Abraham’s chief servant could’ve went about the business of getting a wife for his master’s son in a number of different ways. He could’ve interviewed women as they came to draw water, he could’ve initiated a genealogy search for Abraham’s relatives, or he could’ve prayed, “Bless my search, O God!” Instead he prayed very specifically and before he finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder (Genesis 24:15)!

Does God still give specific answers to specific requests today?

Middle-daughter Stephanie called the day after I read and reflected on this servant’s prayer. Even though the hour was late, she was laying on her dorm room bunk bed wide-eyed, praying specifically. “God! I’m a sophomore in college and need to know if I’m pursuing the right major. Do you want me to be a Special Education teacher? Please make it clear that I’m doing what You want me to do!”

The next morning there was a card on her floor that someone had slid under the door overnight. It was from the quietest girl on the wing, a girl who prefers to be alone. It read, “Stephanie, thank you for being such a wonderful RA. You’re very patient and kind and I can tell you’re going to be a GREAT teacher. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Love, _____.”

He continues to give specific answers to specific requests!

Do you pray in generalities? Please bless my GEMS Club? Or do you pray by name and get specific . . . praying for counselor Yolanda who is distracted by many things, that she will better be able to focus on preparing her lessons and loving on the girls and for little Jenny who’s navigating a new way of family life after her parents’ divorce.

And how did Abraham’s servant respond to God’s specific answer? With specific praise! The man bowed down and worshiped the LORD, saying, “Praise be the LORD the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness to my master. As for me, the LORD has led me on the journey to the house of my master’s relatives” (Genesis 24:27).

Prayer Step: Are you looking for specific answers in prayer? Then give specific requests and specific praise!

[Abraham’s] servant teaches us by his example that when we pray for God to lead us to the person whose heart He has prepared, we need to be specific.

Anne Graham Lotz

Grace and peace,

Lenae

CONSIDER HOW YOU LISTEN

Dear Sisters,

Good morning and happy October! The landscape is changing for many of us – vibrant fall colors, crops being harvested, and cooler temps. Whether things feel status quo in your life or it’s filled with changes as well, we have a loving, sovereign God whose eye is on the sparrow – and on you and me, too. Have a glorious day and wonderful month getting to know Him more through His Word, Spirit, and prayer.

CONSIDER HOW YOU LISTEN

Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Luke 8:18a

How well do you and I listen to God? That’s not a random question. It’s the one Jesus poses to us within Luke’s gospel. Therefore consider carefully how you listen (Luke 8:18a).

Although listening begins with paying attention, it doesn’t end there. Within Jesus’ command to consider, the word, “listen” means to hear, to understand, and to obey.

Consider how you listen. Do you listen like King Asa? For his forty-one year reign, he listened most of the time. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, expelled the male shrine prostitutes from the land, got rid of all the idols, and even deposed his wicked grandmother as queen mother (1 Kings 15:9-13). Although he did not remove the high places [he didn’t entirely listen], Asa’s heart was fully committed to the LORD all his life (1 Kings 15:14).

Consider how you listen. Do you listen like Jonah? Jonah received God’s message to preach against Nineveh and ran away from the LORD (Jonah 1:1-3). He blatantly disobeyed God. Deliberate defiance came with consequences and for Jonah that included a violent storm at sea (Jonah 1:4), and three nights and days inside a great fish (Jonah 1:17).

Consider how you listen. Do you listen like Ananias and Sapphira? They pretended to listen. All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had (Acts 4:32). Ananias and his wife Sapphira pretended to be part of that group. They sold a piece of property, but kept back part of the money for themselves. The consequences of their feigned listening was deadly (Acts 5:5, 10).

Listen and hear God speak. Read your Bible every day. Moses said, “He is to read [the scriptures] all the days of his life so that he may learn how to revere the LORD his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees” (Deuteronomy 17:19).

Listen and understand God’s Word. Call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God (Proverbs 2:3-5).

Listen and obey God’s Word. For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous (Romans 2:13).

Prayer Step: Consider how you listen. Pay attention to the way you hear, understand, and obey God today.

The Word of God well understood and religiously obeyed is the shortest route to spiritual perfection. And we must not select a few favorite passages to the exclusion of others. Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian.
A.W. Tozer

Grace and peace,
Lenae