I know it's been awhile since I've been in touch- I've been a busy girl this summer with organizing our outreach and now with getting our homeschool schedule set for the first half of the year but things should balance out here in the next few days and I might be able to get to that point where I don't feel like I am having to remind myself to breathe! Ever been there?

For some ladies being over busy has just become a way of life, just as today's devotion speaks about. But,is what we're doing in all our busyness having an eternal purpose for others or ourselves? A while back we had a speaker at one of our ladies breakfasts who talked about how as women we have a tendancy to always put ourselves last. We wait until others are served food before we fill our plates, we use gift money intended us for our husbands or kids, we sacrifice our own needs to meet the needs of others and most times we are either the last on our own prayer list,that is if we even include ourselves at all. Any of this sounding familiar?

I don't want to imply that we are to be self absorbed my any means, we are nurturers by creation and God has called all of us to sacrifice in this life for others. But as women I believe we can go so far to the left on this giving of ourselves that we often feel drained of heart and our giving becomes robotic and we lose sight of the importance of our own nurturing, our own spirits being revewed and restored. It is in these times of renewal we are at our very best, yet we put so many other things in front of our own restoration. We spend more time emptying out than we do refilling and just as in our automobiles, if we never stop to fill that tank at some point no matter how hard you push on that pedal, your car just isn't going to go anywhere!

So ladies, it's time to refuel!! The sign up table will soon be going up for new Connect Groups at Compelled Church. The Friendships of Women Groups will be re-organizing and hopfully adding even more groups. If your not in a group or if you think it's time that you might like to join in another group to meet other women, now is the time to sign up!! We currently have evening groups for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday and morning groups for Monday,Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday as well as a Sunday afternoon group. Or, if you'd like to host your own group, give me a call!

Ladies, our time learning, connecting, and growing with the Lord is so very important. We put so many things before our own spiritual lives, our husbands, our kids, jobs, dishes, dirty floors, and even laundry many times takes priority over growing close to God and others,and our lives begin to look just like this devotion is speaking about. We might look like it's ll okay on the outside, but inside, we just become a jumbled mess! So get "Compelled" to sign up,and get connected, and grow!

Love you all, Cheryl

The Truth is in the Handbag

25 Aug 2010

Shari Braendel

"Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me." Psalm 31:3 (NIV)

I recently watched as a frazzled shopper fumbled around in her bag trying to find her allusive keys. As she dug through her overstuffed purse, multiple items spilled out, landing on the counter and falling to the floor. Quickly, she began collecting her items.

I thought about her pretty purse, beautiful on the outside but hiding an unruly mess on the inside. And then I started thinking about how alike women and purses can be.

Maybe you're like a small purse that only has the capacity to hold a few things. Yet you try stuffing more into your life than you can hold, only to get frustrated. Perhaps one of those things is God: He's been cramm ed into a tiny space in your world and you don't give Him much room to rule because you feel more comfortable when you are in control.

Perhaps you're like a big purse, carrying all kinds of things. You're involving yourself in so many activities just because you can; with no real purpose to why you're doing it. You end up flustered like the shopper digging for her keys because you haven't spent the time needed to organize your spiritual life.

I know you're not a handbag, but when applying biblical truth and application, what kind of purse are you most like?

It's not God's desire for our inside to be out of sync with our outside. He desires for us to have our hearts turned toward Him and have our very pulse in beat with what He is doing in us.

Where should we start to curb the chaos, release our controlling tendencies and lighten the busyness to fall in step with God?

Start by being still. For some, that will go against every fiber of your being, but try it. Perhaps you abide in chaos because it's masking what is really going on with you, just like your pretty purse hides the unorganized mess within. Sit quietly and pray for God to help you be keenly aware of Him. Nothing that you are going through is a surprise to God.

Next, relax and trust the Lord. Sometimes feeling out of control causes you to hyper-control everything around you. Let go of your fears, doubts and worries and make room for God in your life.

Finally, clear your calendar. We overbook and over-schedule out of habit and now busy feels normal. Is your fast pace driven by fear, or does it define your value or identity? If so, re-evaluate where your time and energy are being spent and why.

Making a change doesn't come easily, but it can be done. Although seeking out time with God, learning to trust Him, and reorganizing your priorities can feel uncomfortable and difficult at first, I know for sure that it's not nearly as hard as living overcommitt ed and out of control.

Together, let's commit to cleaning out our "purses!"

Dear Father, will You please meet me right here, right now and quiet my heart so that I can rest and regroup? Thank You for the comfort of knowing that while I sometimes get waylaid, You never take Your eyes from me. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

I just love the devotions from the ladies at Proverb 31 Ministries!!