30 Day Give

Several people are participating in a challenge to give! How you’re probably asking!?! Giving each day of the month of November of yourself in one way or another – it doesn’t have to mean you spend any money – you could simply make sure each day you find someone (different people even) to encourage… giving a little of you… sharing God too!

WHO would think we could pull this off?!? Why God of course! He inspired 10 women to share this journey and challenge us along with ’em!

Do you have a heart for giving? I sure do

Do you want your giving to make a bigger impact this holiday season? I’d like to make an impact somewhere…

Would you like to be part of a larger giving effort to make a BIG difference? I’d love to be part to make a BIG difference!

So, now – you’d say, “Heather come on, stop pulling our chain! Where do I find out about getting on board?” Here’s the button!

So… while I’m excited to participate in this journey; I’m actually taking a fall break from blogging – So I will maintain the Challenge Calendar journal but I won’t be recording on the blog as I don’t want to sound a trumpet on what we do but I will post occasionally with encouragement and tips on giving. But please do hop on over here to join us and stay up-to-date by following the 30 Day Giving Challenge on Facebook and Twitter. You can also join us in the BlogFrog Community to connect with like-minded participants, ask questions, and grow in your faith.

A couple of ways I hope to contribute… and/or just some suggestions:

1. Sending an encouraging email to someone * who – could be you?!?
2. Spending time with a neighbor (maybe they don’t have family close by), grandparents, parents, aunts/uncles – cousins too, sisters/brothers – don’t forget the in-laws 😉
   Give of yourself… your time with others is precious & priceless.
3. Dinner with friends/Cookout & invite others over.
4. Operation Christmas Child (pack a shoe box & share the joy of Christ with children!)
5. Sharing other’s blog with each other & inspiring posts

Here is another friend sharing a great list of ideas! I love all these ideas & am thankful I came across this challenge! You don’t have to have a blog, twitter, join facebook or anything to join us – you don’t even have to comment to say you will; because we’re here to give for an audience of One – as He asks us to!

Be Blessed, HL

WFW-1 John 3:16

Original image: http://www.manywallpapers.com; I added the Scripture

This is how we know what love is:
Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.
And we ought to lay down our lives
for our brothers.

1 John 3:16

Today I share 1 John 3:16 with you for Word-Filled Wednesday & Women in the Word Wednesdays for several different reasons:

• This is the weeks challenge to memorize for GMG
• This Scripture has been laid on my heart lately
• When I came across this image…
• I felt greatly drawn to share it with you all today!

Unfortunately I think a lot of people today have forgotten that we’re to help each other out when needed. We need to be examples for others – as other points are shared for Women in the Word Wednesdays this week!  Families need to come together and support each other. We’re to love other’s as we love ourselves. We are to forgive as He forgave us. Are we doing this? Are we being who He ask’s us to be? Do we completely have the concept of His love for us – I really needed AmyDeanne’s WFW sharing today! How about how He takes on our burdens and protects us or even how He fills us with joy & commands that we share His Word… Do we remember how He’s reasoned with us… making our sins as white as snow? His Word reminds us … His Word Blesses us… take take to be with Him. Do we know Him, really?

(I’m so glad I’m chiming in late today… and get to share so many other’s Scripture graphics with you; as they all come together! God does that a lot around me! And I’m glad I can share it with you! … I haven’t checked them all out – so Please head on over, Click here to view the entire list of entered link)

Thanks for stopping today,

Hide It In Your Heart

Today I share with you “Hide It In Your Heart” from Chelsey over At The Well! She has created a Scripture graphic for one of my favorite verses… and I’m excited to work this week to memorize this Scripture as others do too! Join us, by clicking “Join us” or on the title graphic above!

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” Philippians 4:8 (KJV)

Here are a few things I do to help me memorize Scriptures:

• MemVerse.com – an Internet website that has several ways to help you recall Scriptures & keeps track of Scriptures memorized, etc!
• Write the Scripture on several index cards & put in different areas of home to read throughout each day until memorized! (Refrigerator, bathroom mirror, car dash)
• Write the Scripture several times
• Add a tune to the Scripture to sing

Guess What a Friend Found…

Debbie over at Heart Choices is having a give-a-way contest this week that helps in memorizing Scriptures! How cool is that?!? Run on over and check it out – don’t forget to leave her a comment on Her post: God’s Word from A to Z!

Please share…
How do you memorize Scriptures?

Please link up over at the well… to join us in this journey of memorizing His Word!

Thanks for joining me today,

WFW – Matthew 6:9-13 & SYATP

Welcome to Word-Filled Wednesday! Today… I’d like to share with you an international event that took place: See You at the Pole™!

⁹“This, then, is how you should pray:
” ‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
¹⁰your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹Give us today our daily bread.
¹²Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’

Matthew 6:9-13

See You at the Pole™, the global day of student prayer, began in 1990 as a grass roots movement with ten students praying at their school. Twenty years later, millions pray on their campuses on the fourth Wednesday in September.

See You at the Pole™ is simply a prayer rally where students meet at the school flagpole before school to lift up their friends, families, teachers, school, and nation to God. See You at the Pole™ is a student-initiated, student-organized, and student-led event.

Be clicking on the Scripture graphic above… you’ll be taken to http://www.SYATP.com where you can find more information about the event!

Join myself and some other wonderful ladies as we share at:

Thanks for joining me today!

WFW – Psalm 37:4 & New Study!

Hello everyone… as I continue on my journey I’m blessed to share His Word with you – as He continues to help me out of the state of depression (though some days still stumbling) and pressing on, persevering through and seeing the joy He surrounds me with!

Credit: Toia @ Designer's Original (NKJV)

Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4 (NIV)

Join myself and some other wonderful ladies as we share at:

I share this Scripture with you today because of many things going on in my life and new study that started Monday, September 13th! Join me and several other women for a journey to Makeover of the Heart at The Well with Tracy Berta video’s and her study guide that we can download each week!

Come experience a complete heart transplant, allowing God to take out your old heart full of its selfish desires and replace it with a new heart….

A Delightful Heart
A Healed Heart
A Committed Heart
A Prayerful Heart

This first week – Tracy requests for us to get our hearts ready!

1. God’s Word says that “when we delight ourselves in Him, He gives us the desires of our heart.”  Have you taken any time to ponder WHAT the desires of your heart are?  What are your dreams?  Aspirations? Hope against all hope?  What are your passions?  There is a wonderful song by Michael W. Smith called “Secret Ambition.” When I first heard this song, God awakened a desire in me to  bring a woman’s conference to our church for the first time.  He then drew me into a speaking ministry as He called ME to be the speaker at the conference.  I had no idea that this passion was inside me until God awakened it.  Ask God to awaken you to the secret desires of your heart…..the plans He has for you….the dreams He has given you.
2. Read Ezekiel 36:25-28 and write it in your own words what God is going to do.
3. Make a list of ways you would like to be transformed during this bible study.  How do you want God to change you?  What are your personal goals with this study? What are your personal expectations? Why are you reading this? What do you hope to accomplish?  What are things in your heart that you want God to remove?  What are things you want Him to place in your heart?  How do you see yourself changed at the end of the six weeks?  What drew you to the study in the first place?  What does this “Heart Makeover”mean to YOU?

– – – – – – –

I’m excited to share this journey & others with you all! (Check back later for my answers to Tracy’s questions) Word-Filled Wednesdays helps keep me digging into His Word creating Scripture graphics which is one of my greatest passions! I’m  involved with others to maintain accountability in many different areas of my life:

• Weekly meetings with my mentor & friend to complete a study we’re doing! Daily phone calls to pray together!
• Word-Filled Wednesdays
• Sunday School Devotions: Masterwork: Essential Messages from God’s Servants
• Occasionally I read through Charles Stanley’s Early Morning Devotions: http://www.intouch.org/magazine/daily-devotional
• At the Well Monday Bible Studies (Shared above), and
• Good Morning Girls accountability group through email; and Women in the Word Wednesday’s blog posts!

– – – – – – –

Additionally in my search for a Scripture graphic this morning, I came across another blogpost for Psalm 37 at DwellingintheWord.wordpress.com!

Thanks for sharing with me today,

WFW – Zephaniah 3:5, 17

^5b
Morning by morning he dispenses his justice,
and every new day he does not fail,
yet the unrighteous know no shame.

¹⁷ The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing.”

Zephaniah 3:5, 17

I’ve been wanting to share Zephaniah 3:17 for quite some time… but have not made a graphic myself — and today I came across this one! I just had to share with you all, as these Scriptures have been on my mind all week, off/on through the last year, and especially lately due to a song heard in service this past Sunday!

“When the Night is Falling”
written by: Dennis Jernigan

Zephaniah 3:17 keeps coming up around me everywhere… praying throughout this year to figure out exactly what it is God is trying to get me to learn. I’m thankful to continue to enjoy His presence and thankful for His saving grace, loving that He has a desire to take great delight in me… … taking the time (maybe this is it – not enough?) to get quiet and listen – receiving His Love, hearing His rejoicing over me.

Do you hear it? He loves you!!

Join myself and some other wonderful ladies as we share at:

WFW is not about books, authors, artists.. it’s about God and HIS WORD ONLY. WFW is about celebrating the gift of creativity through God’s Word.

Thanks for sharing with me today,

WFW – Psalm 27:5

Hello everyone,

Today I share AmyDeanne’s Word-Filled Wednesday & thank her for continuing to share her gift in placing Scripture’s with pictures! WFW originated with AmyDeanne and we’re blessed to share in this meme weekly over at the cafe!

For He will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble.

Psalm 27:5

I share AmyDeanne’s today as it is so fitting in my journey right now – needing His shelter… in depression & shelter from self… in insomnia. (Not that I’m in trouble, Thankfully & Praising God, I want no trouble here.)

Join myself and some other wonderful ladies as we share at:

WFW is not about books, authors, artists.. it’s about God and HIS WORD ONLY. WFW is about celebrating the gift of creativity through God’s Word.

Thanks for sharing with me today!

12 New Things – August

Sarah Mae decided to put out a challenge — for herself, then see who wanted to join her — to learn 12 new skills in a year! Sounds exciting and scary all at the same time! Have you already joined us? If not – it’s not too late to start 😉 It would be your choice completely: a) only learn 11 new skills, or b) learn 12 new skills beginning in September! Join us over here:

See Sarah Mae’s new skill learned in August & Link up with us: Homemade Bread!

My 12 New Things

New Skill, August – Working with others on Maximizing Your Mornings! Helping us to use our mornings for God! Scheduling Quiet time/Bible Study, Worship, Exercise, Daily to do’s, & Dinner!

I was inspired by Michelle at the beginning of August to join her for Kat’s Maximizing Your Mornings over at InspiredToAction!

I’m sure if you took the time to visit the links above… you can see I had LOTS of help to get me in gear! Michelle provided accountability through our blogs and twitter (using #HelloMornings – as our hashtag)! While Kat provided the inspiration with her e-book and continues to encourage with her blog, resources like prayer calendars, etc and even motivate us with prizes! Can I just say… I spent a lot of time over at Kat’s place – LOVE IT! (Thanks for sharing your talent’s Kat! I’m thanking God for you!!)

Soooooo… the last two weeks have been a little rough, YES – rough. I’m surprised and thankful for God’s support, strength, and deliverance of August! No, I’m not saying… I’m done – no more maximizing for me (teehee). I’m loving how even through depression, insomnia, and life over here: I kept plugging away, pressing on, persevering =-= as God would have us do! I did try to stop, but God wouldn’t let me!! He sent my mentor to call and come by for prayer daily & accountability, He gave me songs in the morning to awake and overcome negativity, He even had school start this week so I would HAVE to get up early, then… when I drove instead of walking to the bus stop thinking we’re going to miss the bus – He even gave me my precious dogs to take for a walk!

Goals:

1. Awake by: 8:30 (Week 1 & 2)
   8:00 (Week 3) 7:30 (Week 4)
   7:00 (Week 5)  6:45 (Week 6)
2. Quiet Time – Spend at least one hour daily
3. Worship & Praise – Listen to at least three songs & Dance (it’s exercise too!)
4. Exercise –  15 min (Week 1) 20 min (Week 2)
   25 min (Week 3) 30 min (Week 4)
   While this may look good… this is just the timing. Changing to show; I’m only half satisfied with my exercise routine! I made the time, but not the goal of exactly WHAT the exercise routine was going to be daily.
   Goal = Steps every other day; PraiseMoves the opposite days. Walk via treadmill or outside daily.  Still need to set a goal of WHY.
   I didn’t keep up with the PraiseMoves DVD’s; but do highly recommend them!
5. Accountability
   Here again… not completely satisfied because while continued with my mentor, I didn’t so much tweet.
6. To Do’s – Week 1 2 3  4
7. Bed Time:  By 11:30p   Week 1 2 3  4
   I went to bed … just couldn’t stay there all the time because of my insomnia, didn’t want to disturb my hubby. But I did reach my goal 3 out of the 4 weeks so far to go to bed before 11:30p – it helps to write it down!

COMPLETE!
FAIL 8^(

Maximizing my mornings has helped me with completing things!

I have shrunk the weekly overview to half a regular page, so it will fit in my day-planner and included sections for time awoke & time to bed; as well as this format giving me more room to list songs I want to check if I already have on my iPod or need to buy.

To help Maximize my day – mornings – I started using a suggestion (sorry I can’t currently remember from where) to plan daily chores with the letter of the day:

1. Monday – Menu & Planning/Prep (to include running errands)
2. Tuesday – Toilets, tub, towels (laundry)
3. Wednesday – Wash & Windows (windows only done once monthly – it’s the slider that needs weekly – sometimes daily – attention)
4. Thursday – Tables cleared & Dusting
5. Friday – Floors
6. Saturday – Shopping

I love how I can glance back at this overview and see quickly where I’ve been in Bible Study! Just to continue to remind me. One piece I look forward to add – as it’s currently on the back: our weekly memory verse we’re (my youngest son & I) are working on! Additionally, since there is a planning section daily – it helps me to remember to take out whats needed for dinner in the morning!

So, while I sit here reviewing my weeks – I think I still need some work here… but am excited by what I’ve learned. I was discouraged & didn’t post earlier b/c everything wasn’t completed. But – we can’t be perfect. AND we need to remember – it takes at least 21 days of doing the same thing over & over to make it a habit! Just keep trying, pressing on, and persevering! Remember – With God, all things are possible!

If you want to journey along, won’t you subscribe to Like a Warm Cup of Coffee so we can walk alongside one another as we learn 12 new things? (It’s free!)

Thanks for joining me today! And GREAT Thanks to Michelle & Kat!!