(in)courage groups

Today is The Day!

Last Fall I signed up for my first (in)courage group. If you have never been in one I encourage every one to get over there today as spots are filling up fast. There are many groups and you will find that you can fit into more than one! I got carried away and joined 3! Here is the list of groups!

Bible Study Gals

Empty Nesters/Women Over 50

Fitness/Lifestyle

Marriage

Ministry

Motherhood

Single/Professional Women

Special Care

Students Educators

Creative

Each 'subject' has one or more groups listed for you to join. I hope you find something that fits you! They try to keep each group to 30 and set up a group on face book so that we can care and share with each other. 

Many times when the group ends? You have made some great friends. Our group stayed open until today when the new groups started forming. Please visit and see if there is something that grabs at your heart strings!

Love, Patty

Shhhh.... Be Still....

Verses I am studying today:

Psalm 46:10

"Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

My Humble View~

"Be still (uttering no sound : quiet, subdued, muted, calm, tranquil) and know (to understand something  to have a clear and complete idea of something) that I am God; (the perfect and all-powerful spirit or being that is worshiped especially by Christians, Jews, and Muslims as the one who created and rules the universe, a spirit or being that has great power, strength, knowledge, etc., and that can affect nature and the lives of people) I will be exalted (to raise to a higher level, to praise, glorify, elate, elevate) among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.

Numbers 6:25-26

25) The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; 

26) the Lord turns his face towards you and give you peace.

My Humble View~

25) The Lord (God, Jesus) make his face shine (to emit rays of light, to have a bright glowing appearance) upon you and be gracious (characterized by charm, good taste, generosity of spirit) to you;
26) the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace (a state of tranquility or quiet, a state of security, harmony).

This is my daily devotional from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young.  

I loved today's devotional as I have been repeating this verse over and over in my head this past month. Be still and  know that I am God. I need to be still so that I can listen to him. I have a very active mind that always has 4011 things going on. How can I expect to hear God's voice with that going on? :-)

God knows me. He knows my heart... but he also knows my mind and it's activity. So many times, infinite (extremely large or great) times (I am starting to think like this! Help!) he talks to me through the written word as he knows I am a reader. I love to read and I read anything (well almost anything... I draw the line at porn!) that is put in front of me. So he puts words in front of me!

Here is what happened this morning: copied and pasted from group as I am lazy and hate typing the same thing over and over unless it is Bible verses :-) (But that is so I can get them into and keep them in  my noggin!)

I just turned on my computer with the intention of heading to my (in)courage group (in)life after 50. I was going to ask for prayers. It is still my intention, after this.

When I turn on my computer it goes straight to my (in)box (LOL). Today? My (in)courage email, first one, right on top, saying: How can we pray for you? Isn’t that a blessing? God gives me such good care.

God knew I was going to ask for prayers. He knew my intention was to ask the group (again ~ we pray for each other all the time and it is awesome!) He first sent me to (in) courage so even more people would pray for me!

The first time I noticed this? My daughter was newly married and had a small concern. (It was so small I cannot even remember it now and when it comes to my kids I can remember a LOT). My issue was should I say something or should I keep my mouth shut.  From the time they were small children I had prayed not to be a meddling mother in law. I asked God. I prayed for him to talk to me and tell me what I needed to do.

He talked to me from a magazine cover. I was walking by and the words just jumped out at me. The message was to 'be still' and let them do it. God Rocks My World! Shortly thereafter? It was all taken care of and I told my daughter what had happened. She was happy that I had kept my thoughts to myself but I think she also was worried that God was talking to me from a magazine cover. LOL! That is ok.... this too shall pass. I remember thinking my mom was nuts :-)

I seemed to have wandered off the subject but that is okay. It is my blog and I guess that is what it is for!

I love you all, I hope God speaks to you today. My mom would say, "Sit still and pay attention but God is more gracious than that!!

Love to you and yours,
Patty

After Further Review...

God has been really busy, working over time actually, in my heart. I was not really paying attention at first... if you knew me you would understand. I am a computer nut and spend a lot of time here and do  not notice when things happen around me. Or even when they happen to me!

It started when I was on my 'hobby blog'. I don't know what else to call it. Business blog doesn't work as I seldom earn any money from it. This is okay as I DO notice that God is taking very good care of me and I have no money worries! My hobby blog is to keep me from going crazy. I live alone and my Chihuahua, Peanut, won't talk to me no matter how much we work on it :-)

I was on a web site to snag some DaySpring banners and a banner for bloom caught my eye! That reminded me of (in) courage, so I followed the URL. OH MY GOSH!! I found both of them! I had followed the (in) courage site a few years ago and dearly loved it! (I had searched for  it but I was looking for .com I guess and it is .me) 

When I had a son leave the family, instead of turning to (in) courage for comfort and love I turned away from it and everything else. Basically I just sat and stared at a wall for 3 months before I started to function again. By that time I had made myself ill and it took well over a year to nurse myself back to health..... excuses... excuses...

Sorry I got off track there but I did want you to know some of the background. I am back with (in) courage newsletter and read it faithfully. I signed up for it the first day. The next day I got my newsletter and it lead me back. I found out they were forming groups of 30 to help us really connect with each other and encourage each other :-) Love It! I think.... pretty sure.... I found it the first day you could sign up!

I joined (in)life after 50! How awesome to find my own age group. I mean I adore young mothers with  new babies and toddlers but we don't have much in common. I can't even pretend to be wise because even though I have been there, done that it was a different world! At least I am wise enough to know that! :-)

So! Back with (in) courage. In a group with 'my' kind of ladies! They introduced me to a book Jesus Calling, by Sarah Young, and I bought it for my Kindle and my head is spinning. I wake up with something on my mind and it is mentioned in group or on (in) courage that day. I read a devotion out of Jesus Calling and the message is repeated again and again through the day. THIS ROCK!!

God is talking to me from so very many directions! 

BUT

There is always a but... I live in fear that after further review they will discover I am a fraud... I know it is silly and I know it is not true but I fight with it. Every time it pops into my mind I fight. But it persists. 

I know many people feel this way. I think that they are so wrong. Why can't I 'get it' that I am wrong. 

You see... I did not grow up in a church. I do not go to church now. I am unable to quote most of the bible as it seems like other people can. I have not memorized the books of the Bible.... I am a fraud!

My mom studied the Bible. For hours on end. She taught me about God and the word. Some times for hours on end. I learned about God and how to wiggle and squirm at the same time. I knew she did not mean to carry on. She was just wanting to share her joy with me. But try telling that to a 6 year old.... or 10.... or a teen. 

We did go to church for awhile... I am thinking around 6 or 7 months (that is about how long my dad could stay sober if he really really tried). I loved that church. It was a tiny Baptist church that was like family. When it needed a new roof the men put it on. When it needed cleaning, mom took her vacuum up the hill and cleaned it. (Your could see that little white building from our home). My  brothers were in the teen group and I was so proud of their acting abilities LOL! They sang my type of Christian music. In The Garden was my favorite...

And then life must have happened and we quit. We traveled in the Summer. Mom and Dad would separate and get back together like regular clock work... we moved.

I have always believed in God. Bible verses and gospel songs run through my head and my heart. Even at  the worst times of my life, and there was some more often that not... I never forgot God or stopped talking to him. 

I know I really am not a fraud. I know my group will keep me and not cast me out. But I sure feel better after confessing :-)

Love to you all

Patty & Peanut

PS: See what I mean?? I just went to proof this and this is the verse of the day!

Verse of The Day: “Accept one another,
then, just as Christ accepted you, in order
to bring praise to God.”