A little get-away

September 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Over the last several weeks I’ve been wanting to take a short road trip with our daughter Leah just to get away somewhere new. Yesterday we got in the car with no particular destination in mind just for fun. The rural, scenic drive, with K-LOVE playing in the background, was relaxing.  We winded up in Nevada, MO – nowhere special, but just someplace different.  We also stopped by Dairy Queen for an ice cream treat.  :)

While there, we didn’t see anything earth shattering.  But below are a few short videos of some interesting-looking buildings there. On the side of one of the buildings was a painting depicting Order No. 11. (If you aren’t familiar with this horrible tragedy in Kansas and Missouri during the American Civil War, click here to learn more.  Although we didn’t go in, the town also has the Bushwhacker Museum and the old jail, one of the few buildings not burned by fire when the town was burned in 1863 by federal militia. Tours of the museum and the jail are available.)

What about you? Do you need a little time away today? How about a get-away with God, just spending a few minutes with Him to be refilled and refreshed?

Vlog of Nevada, MO – see the little VW Beetle police car at the end? How cute!

Vlog of buildings with unique architecture

Vlog of painting with Order No. 11

Vlog of DQ ice cream treat

Filed Under: Blog, Faith, prayer, Travel

Ray back to Haiti and pastor Jay’s tent damage

September 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment

 Pastor Jay Threadgill- Fishers Of Men Ministries, Port-Au-Prince, Haiti

You may remember that after the earthquake hit Haiti, my husband Ray flew there to help our dear friend Pastor Jay Threadgill, pastor and founder of Fishers of Men Ministries in Port-Au-Prince, and started an urgent-care medical clinic. Ray was there for a month, treating 200 to 300 patients a day in the aftermath of the quake. You can listen to my podcast interview of Ray about his missions trip to Haiti here.

Ray and I felt that he was supposed to go back to Haiti earlier this year to continue running the clinic for pastor Jay, but we were unable to raise sufficient funds for this. We are still praying about this, as it may be a timing issue or God may be knitting together other necessary details that we don’t see yet.  If he is to go to stay there on a more permanent basis, it will be in God’s perfect timing. :)

Ray is flying back to Haiti this Sunday, October 3, for a week, because the medical clinic Ray started there is now going to become a permanent facility and pastor Jay wants Ray there for the dedication ceremony. Please keep Ray in prayer for traveling mercies, for provision of costs while he is there, and for protection.

The needs in Haiti are still great. Recently there was a tropical storm that damaged the donated tent where pastor Jay’s congregation has been gathering under as a temporary place for Sunday morning worship, Bible school, worship practice, and other meetings.  Pastor Jay is a man of amazing faith.  There are very few brave men like him, who just believe God for huge things and then obey. He has poured his heart and soul into Haiti to see this poorest of nations saved for Jesus.  Once again, despite the storm, he is just going forward, not letting another obstacle discourage him from what God has called him and his wife Linda to do.

From pastor Jay’s email newsletter, here are the details about the tent damage and the ministry’s needs, with Fishers Of Men Ministries’ donation link if you feel led to help. All donations are tax-deductible. Even a gift of $5 would help but please give generously if you can and if God puts this on your heart.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’

 37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

 40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters you were doing it to me!’ (Matthew 25: 34-40)

********Pastor Jay’s newsletter:
Late Friday afternoon, a powerful tropical microburst storm hit the city of Port
 Au Prince. At least 5 are confirmed dead, hundreds injured, electricity is out
due to damage to the electric plant, and thousands of temporary tents and shelters
have again made multitudes of Haitians homeless.

The storm hit fast and hard with winds of 100 MPH and torrential rains. Many said
they had never experienced anything like it!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Damage
Our tent is down and damaged!

As you know, we have been meeting in a tent that was gaciously donated to the ministry
after the January earthquake. This tent has served as the home for our church, morning
prayer meetings, bible school and all the other meetings associated with church
life (weddings, worship practice, etc.).

On Friday, our tent was severly damaged with huge tears in the fabric and much of
the hardware and poles destroyed. Our Bible school was meeting in the tent as the
storm hit and had to evacuate as the tent came down, running out into the fury of
the storm! These are the same men and women who were in our church building when
 it came down during the quake killing 30 students and church staff.
Thankfully, no one was hurt this time!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Determination
Clean up and set up!
Early the next day, we cleaned up the damge and set up what equipment that could
 be salvaged so that the church could meet on Sunday morning. Even in the midst
of another tragedy, we are determined to move forward! We know that there is only
one direction for us to go and back is not an option!

Sunday morning, close to 4000 faithful men, women and children gathered under the
sun to worship, pray and encourage one another! Pastor Jay, who had been out of
the country when the storm hit, was able to adress the church via cell phone broadcast
over loud speakers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Destiny
As of right now, we are flying in a team to see if the tent can be repaired and
set up so that we can move forward. At best though, this is a temporary soloution!
IT IS TIME TO BUILD!

Church meeting outdoors!
In February, just weeks after the quake, we laid our foundation for our new building.
This is the same foundation the tent was erected over.

In May we began a building campaign with the Haitian people that are part of Fishers
of Men. In just 4 months they have raised $60K in US dollars! This is no small feat
for one of the poorest nations in the word! We also challenged many of you to be
 part of this building campaign, to help build the new building by the one year
anniversary of the January quake.

Now we need you more than ever! We need churches, ministries, businesses and individuals
to take up the challenge to raise the funds needed to get our building! Will you
 help the people of Haiti fufill their destiny? You have never seen such a spirit
of determination as you will in this people! You can be a part of making this happen!

Our immediate need is to place the order for the steel…the cost of which is $500K.
We need 10 partners to give $50K. But that is not all we need! IT IS TIME TO BUILD!
The urgency of this need is now mare apparent than ever! We always knew the tent
 was a temporary fix. Now is the time to challenge your people, your church, to
challenge yourself to stretch your faith and be part of the soloution to this problem!

No gift is too small, but we need to move forward now! If all money was in hand
today we would still have months of building ahead of us. IT IS TIME TO BUILD!
Will you help? Will you help now? The people of Port Au Prince need you!
IT IS TIME TO BUILD!

Umbrellas to keep the sun off as we meet outdoors!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Determined to fill the nets!
Jay & Linda Threadgill
Fishers of Men Ministries

In This Issue

Damage
Determination
Destiny
Office Complete!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Office Complete!
Although Friday’s storm and the need for a permanent church building is the focus
of this edition of our newsletter, we do want to let you know about the completion
of our new admin office that sits right next to our downed tent.
Our staff and pastors have had no offices to work out of since the earthquake. Several
months ago we began a new office building for our pasors and staff which is made
 od a styrofoam building system. The building was undamaged by the storm!
This same material is being used to build our new medical clinic (almost complete)
and will be the material for our new housing program for families that lost homes
during the earthquake!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Quick Links

Our Relief Site http://www.fomrelief.com/?paged=3

 Home Site http://www.fomhaiti.org/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PLEASE FORWARD THIS NEWSLETTER TO FRIENDS, COWORKERS AND FAMILY! FILL IN THEIR EMAIL
ADDRESS IN THE SPACE BELOW!

Join Our Mailing List  http://www.fomhaiti.org/

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How To Give!

Giving to Fishers of Men is easy and all donations are tax deductible! Checks can
be made out to Fishers of Men and sent to the address below. Please indicate “building
fund” on your pledge.

You can also donate securely on PayPal by visiting our website
at fomrelief.com http://www.fomrelief.com/?page_id=13

OR the main site

http://www.fomhaiti.org/donatetoday.html

Checks to:   Fishers Of Men Ministries ~ PO Box 410953 ~ Melbourne, Fl 32941-0953

Filed Under: Blog, Faith, prayer, Travel

Postcards from God

September 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

 Postcards

This weekend I was browsing through an antique store and found a “writer’s paradise” - shelves full of old, blank postcards with pretty pictures. Postcards of Paris, rose gardens, Florida orange trees, tropical island beaches with clear, blue-green water and white sands, humorous ads, cute beagle puppies, women in 1950′s hats, you name it. There were boxes and boxes of these postcards.

I bought a handful to send to my family. What a great way to let someone you love know that you’re thinking about them.

A new favorite author of mine, Alexandra Stoddard, writes about postcards in her book, Living A Beautiful Life: 500 Ways to Add Elegance, Order, Beauty, and Joy to Every Day Of Your Life:

“A short, timely letter can enhance moments of your day: it can be a gem given or received. In my bedroom I have a small antique wicker desk that is uncluttered and neat and is all arranged so that I can sit down and dash off a note or a card to a friend. I’ve gathered dozens of postcards from trips to museums and have them there along with stationery and notepaper in letter racks, having the supplies attractively arranged where I can see them, be inspired and dash off that note. Make it a daily opportunity to communicate with a friend…Have a pretty cup to hold some colored pens so you can have plenty of variety when you sit down to write.”

Sending postcards and letter-writing is nearly a lost art today because of  rapidly changing technology and how busy we are.  But in this tech age, we can send emails, ecards, IM’s, and text messages “just because” to let our family and friends know that they are on our minds. We all need encouragement and prayers each day. :)

Who can you send a postcard to today, or some other form of written communication to say, “I’m thinking about you”?

**********

God lets us know each day that He is thinking of us through His word. The Psalms and Proverbs are especially His “postcards” to us, telling us how much He loves us.  Today for encouragement, meditate on a few scriptures such as Psalm 3:5-6, “I lay down and slept, yet I woke up in safety, for the Lord was watching over me. I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies who surround me on every side.”

Filed Under: Blog, Faith, prayer, Writing

5 tips when YOUR faith is being stretched!

September 25, 2010 By Leave a Comment

 Woman stretching

I wanted to quickly get out this exciting news out to everyone on my reader, listener, subscriber, and webinar sign-up lists, because the web page is ready now for my fourth upcoming webinar, Seasons Of Stretching: Shaped and Equipped For Your Great Purpose with Jane VanOsdol and Mary Kane of http://onlybyprayer.com. 

Jane, Mary, and I are SO excited about this and we can’t wait to see you there. It’s going to be fun, you’re going to learn a lot, and you’re going to walk away encouraged and inspired.

Will this webinar be the same as my last three webinars?  NO!  Each webinar I am doing has a different flavor – it is awesome how God orchestrates things and meets people’s needs and desires in such amazing and personal ways.  Jane and Mary are anointed women of God, who sit daily at Jesus’ feet, and they will have MUCH to impart to you in this particular webinar – you don’t want to miss it!

The link to sign up today is here. http://www.bethjones.net/seasofst.html

This may be my last webinar this year!

This is possibly my last webinar for this year, as I am flying to Phoenix, Arizona in October to speak, and will be taking a break sometime after that to pray and seek God for more year-end direction and the year 2011′s direction…so please take advantage of this webinar at no charge to you today! Also, there’s no pushy, very annoying ”snake oil” selling in these webinars; we are just women of God who love Him and want to encourage you, dear friend, to draw nearer to Him!

I want to leave you with five practical tips when YOUR faith is being tested and stretched.

Call out and stay close to Jesus.  When Peter realized he was sinking in the waves, he didn’t just shrug his shoulders and let himself drown. No, he immediately cried out for help to the Lord.  Acknowledge to God that you’re over your head here and you need Him to deliver you! God is just waiting to give you His love and His strength, and to demonstrate His great power to you and others for His glory!

“I am holding you by your right hand – I, the Lord your God – and I say to you, don’t be afraid; I am here to help you.” (Isaiah 41: 13-14).

Lose your mind! As my friend Norma Washington says in the front of her book Saturday Morning Sisterhood, you need to lose your mind so you can gain the mind of Christ! Renew your mind daily studying God’s eternal word. Get God’s thoughts on the matter and His eternal perspective on the situation.

Beat it —passivity, that is! (to the tune of the late Michael Jackson’s song!)   Get physical! Go for a walk, dance, run, do crunches or leg lifts, jump on the mini-trampoline, put in an exercise tape, join a gym, swim. I am walking now and just starting our daughter Heather’s zumba aerobics class when she is teaching it again in a couple of weeks. Exercise will help you to take loving care of yourself to be fit and healthy, so that you can do and be what God has created you to do and to become!  We can’t fulfill our destiny without our bodies!  When you are in a trial of faith, you’re often under a great deal of stress. Exercise will help you to de-stress and to re-energize.

Ditch the Eeyores and find the Tiggers!  Surround yourself with positive, faith-filled people who will encourage you in your faith and your walk with God,  and who will speak God’s words of life over you and your difficult situation. For those family and friends who are always critical, negative, and pessimistic, with a cloud of gloom over their heads like Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh, thank them kindly for their concern – then run the other way from them!  Find friends who will lift you up and give you hope through God’s truth.

Sing, girl! (or boy!). Yeah, right, I can just hear you saying, and rolling your eyes at me! The last thing you feel like doing when your faith is being stretched is singing!  It’s hard to worship and praise God in the middle of a battle, but worship and praise are powerful weapons of warfare!  Let the high praises of God be in your mouth!  (Psalm 149: 5-6)  They will cut down the enemy and bring you to victory through Christ.

These tips will help you when times are tough and your faith is being pushed to its limit. Want to learn more? You will learn effective and powerful prayer strategies in overwhelming times. You will also discover what to do when you are at the crossroads in life, wondering if God can still use you, and find out how to pursue your life’s passion and purpose, at our upcoming webinar, Seasons of Stretching: Shaped and Equipped for Your Great Purpose.You will love Jane VanOsdol and Mary Kane!

Again the link to sign up is  http://www.bethjones.net/seasofst.html.

Please email me if you have any comments or questions at elizabethdjones@gmail.com.  We can’t wait to see you there!

Filed Under: Blog, Faith, prayer, Speaking, Spiritual Gifts, Website news

New webinar coming up with Jane VanOsdol and Mary Kane!

September 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment

 Woman stretching

Has life been stretching your faith and trust in God?  Want to go from being overwhelmed to overcoming life’s challenges?  Conquer paralyzing fear?  From stressing out to pressing on? From a crossroad of uncertainty to crossing over with passion and your God-given purpose?

Then join me, and authors and speakers Jane VanOsdol and Mary Kane of http://onlybyprayer.com for my fourth webinar, Seasons of Stretching: Shaped and Equipped for Your Great Purpose.

This exciting webinar is approximately 1 1/2 hours long on Thursday, October 7, at 2:30 p.m. Central Time, at no cost to you!  Just think:

  • No fighting traffic!
  • No expensive seminar registration fee!
  • No expensive hotels!
  • No hunting for parking places!
  • No crowds!
  • No hassles!

You’ll be able to enjoy this online seminar from the comfort of your own home. You’ll make new friends and will be encouraged from God’s words of truth. You’ll walk away refreshed and inspired from the teachings of these anointed women of God – who also happen to be sisters!  You’ll love Jane and Mary!

To sign up today, click here.

Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Homeschooling, Marriage, prayer, Speaking, Spiritual Gifts, Travel, Writing

Wash Over Me ladies’ retreat a success!

September 21, 2010 By 2 Comments

 Sat. morning brunch at ladies’ retreat

Well, God did it!  The Wash Over Me ladies’ retreat was a great success!  God’s presence was there and the women were greatly encouraged, which is what I prayed for!  About 20 women came both days, enjoyed the fellowship, the relaxing neck and back massage Friday night and the delicious brunch Saturday, and were blessed by the anointed teachings. Thanks so much to all of you who prayed!

The retreat was a “Queen Esther” theme, so we decorated with purple tablecloths, small square mirrors on the tables with heart-shaped, crystal candle holders, purple votive candles and decorative stones on the mirrors.

Several weeks ago, one of my speakers, Patty Bartlett, had told me about some treasure chests she had seen at a store in Nevada, MO, and I knew immediately they’d be perfect decorations so I drove to Nevada and bought them.  On Friday night, I talked about these treasure chests in my presentation – we are God’s royal treasure chest. Within us is the person, Spirit, and power of Jesus Christ, a great treasure, and our precious spiritual gifts from Him that God wants us to use for His glory. (On Saturday Patty, who has an herb and essential oil home business, taught on essential oils and the Holy Spirit as THE essential oil. Diane Bishop taught on being empowered by God’s grace and on forgiveness. They both did an awesome job!)

 treasure chest with jewelry

After I got the treasure chests, I then called my friend Genevieve Burke to ask if we could use her Premier Designs jewelry to display on the treasure chests, and I could help promote her business in return. She thought it was a great idea and was very excited. The decorations looked beautiful on the tables with the purple tablecloths.  Genevieve also provided a drawing for someone to win free jewelry, and our daughter Heather won! (Yes, fairly!   She was so excited and ordered it yesterday.)

There is a lot of work to do for a ladies’ retreat that requires planning, organizing, decorating, and advertising. Diane and I went around town several weeks ahead of the retreat to ask the local businesses for donations for the ladies’ gift bags and door prizes, in exchange for us promoting the businesses at the retreat. God’s favor was with us, and the businesses were very generous with their donations. The ladies were excited and blessed over their prizes, and we were so grateful for our sponsors!

I was also thankful for our worship leader, Carolyn Bolinger, who led us in sincere worship and praise to God for both days. There is nothing like the presence of God!  She was an answered prayer for our retreat. She also prayed an anointed prayer of financial blessing over an attendee who needs a financial break-through and over everyone there, and she ministered in prayer to different women on Friday night after I taught. Carolyn, God bless you! You have such a humble, pure, beautiful heart!

 Worship leader Carolyn Bolinger

On Friday night, we prayed for the women after my teaching time, and it was just an incredible time of being in God’s presence. At the end of the retreat, I asked for everyone to write down their feedback about it, and one attendee, Frances, wrote:

“The meeting was exceptional – whatever need was present was no longer a need as we left. The Holy Spirit did a work that we know not of – blessings to those who helped make a special day and love to all.”

  Praying for attendee on Friday night

Something that was in my heart to do for the Friday night ”beautifying” session was for a masseuse for the ladies, so they could just relax after the teaching time. I wanted every woman to feel accepted, loved, and ministered to while there. Our daughter Heather had treated me once to an hour-long massage at Unwind Massage, and I called Bonnie who gave the wonderful massage, and asked if she ever did massages for retreats. To my delight, she agreed to come on Friday night. I had no idea she was a Butler girl, born and raised here, which I thought was so cool- but God knew!  He is amazing how He orchestrates things.

Here is a picture of Bonnie giving one of the ladies a massage on Friday night. The women LOVED it.  Bonnie even gave away two free massages as door prizes. One attendee said, “”I was most blessed getting away with other ladies, and just being pampered and taken care of. We were ministered to, blessed in the Word, and allowed just to receive.” 

 Bonnie giving massage to attendee

There is nothing like friends to help you out in a time of need, and I couldn’t have done this retreat without mine to prepare the food for the Saturday morning brunch and get everything ready – juices, hot herbal teas, hot coffee, bottled water, grapes, quiche, breakfast casseroles, coffee cake, chocolate cake, gourmet fruit muffins, spicy pita and tortilla chips, salsa, hummus, croissants and jam, deli meats and slices of  various cheeses, a veggie tray with ranch. It was all delicious!

 Ladies lovin’ the good food!

The week of the retreat, one day our daughter Heather’s lower back had bad pain suddenly in it as she sat down at her kitchen table. She was supposed to do a funny skit with me at the retreat Saturday and then break into zumba aerobics to entertain the attendees, so I was not surprised the enemy was attacking her. Patty, Diane, Carolyn, and I had been experiencing warfare all week prior to the retreat! Whenever you step out and do things for God, the enemy doesn’t like it! 

We prayed for Heather. She was still able to do the skit and the zumba, and everyone really enjoyed it and laughed. We actually had a technical difficulty with our cd player for the skit/zumba song and Heather and I were trying to wing it for a minute until it was fixed (someone had accidentally pulled the plug out of the wall), but everyone thought it was all planned as part of the skit, LOL!  I think God allows these kind of things to HUMBLE me and to deal with my perfectionism struggles!  :O  Heather’s back is now better, but please pray total healing for her as she still has some pain. She may have hurt it in zumba last week.  She tried to just take it easy last night teaching her zumba class. (Her version of easy isn’t mine! I was praying she wouldn’t overdo it!)

Heather also surprised me in the afternoon after we had given away the door prizes and gift bags by announcing, “We have one more door prize! It’s for my mom – happy birthday, mom!” She had bought me 3 beautiful, long-stemmed red roses and then the entire room sang Happy Birthday to me (it was yesterday).  I was embarrassed, but very touched. What an unexpected blessing!  I have a wonderful, thoughtful, precious, beautiful daughter!

 My birthday roses from Heather

We had teaching sessions Saturday afternoon. My “sister” friend Debbie Campbell-Nagel makes one strong, good cup of coffee. Thanks, Debbie, for keeping the coffee going all day for the ladies! And thanks, Theresa, Heather, Shawna, Hannah, Gen, Nina, Patty, Debbie, Herb, Diane, and Carolyn, for being such servants with the clean-up afterward – without you all, I would have  been there all night cleaning up!

Thanks especially to my speakers Patty Bartlett and Diane Bishop, who encouraged and blessed the women so much. I could NOT have done this without you!  The Lord bless you for your hearing ear and your faithful obedience to Him. I know the spiritual warfare in the weeks preceding the retreat was not fun, but thank God for the victory in Christ! 

 Patty teaching on essential oils & Holy Spirit as THE essential oil

Several women said they want me to do a retreat like this again. Here are the attendees’ encouraging feedback comments about the teaching sessions and the retreat:

“I liked the “realness” – the authenticity. This was not a show orchestrated for man’s glory, but a time with God orchestrated by women being obedient to Him.” ~ Jane Hulme, Raytown, MO

“Several times God used something to minister to my needs. In a prayer, in a message, and in personal ministry.” ~ Ruth Christian, Pecular, MO

“The best was allowing the Spirit to move through the women attending and the fellowship.”  ~ Marla Kash, Butler, MO

“I loved the speaking on oils (Patty Bartlett) because I believe in God giving us things to heal from nature. I liked that we were able to eat and pray together. I loved Diane’s talks – she was interesting, informative, funny. Everything Diane talked about spoke into my life experiences.  I felt God in the room.” ~ Shawna Raab, Kansas City, MO

 Diane teaching on “staying at the level of grace”

“What I liked most was Beth Jones’ teaching on Esther and the treasure, and Diane Bishop’s teaching on forgiveness and bitterness. Nothing could have been done better. I enjoyed the whole weekend. It was good to meet each woman. I received healing and blessing from it.” ~ Anne Pedersen, Kansas City, MO

“I was most moved by the teaching on forgiveness. There were people in my life that I was needing to forgive.” ~ anonymous attendee

“I loved everything! I loved the testimonies of each and every woman. I loved the talk on forgiveness and grace. I loved the food. I loved no judgment!” ~ Joanice Walker, Kansas City, MO

One woman sees this retreat happening again and growing bigger. She’d like us to include booths representing various women’s businesses.  “I would like to see this in the future as a 24 hour/over night with different events and booths that help women in healing.” ~ Nina Erickson, Butler, MO

“The time we took aside to pray for another’s need was the best. Everybody really came together and related then. Beth, you did a great job of putting this together. I had a great time.” ~ Genevieve Burke, Butler, MO

 Diane Bishop, Beth Jones, Patty Bartlett

If you missed the retreat, I sure wish you could have been there! I had so much fun at my own retreat.  :)  I stood back after the retreat, thinking about it all, in awe that God had put this into my heart and helped me and others pull it together beautifully- He showed up, and these women – some I knew and some I didn’t, and we were all incredibly blessed.  How thankful I am to Jesus for all He is and all He does.  All praise and glory go to Him! 

“Because Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify You.”  ~ Psalm 63:3

One of the songs I played on cd was How He Loves by the David Crowder band. Listen here at You Tube to the lyrics, and just enjoy God right now. Thanks again for praying for the retreat. The prayers worked!

Filed Under: Blog, Faith, prayer, Speaking, Spiritual Gifts

The value of your sistahs

September 15, 2010 By 8 Comments

 Me and my sister Maria last year in Florida

Many friends come and go, and there is no friend closer than Jesus. Among our human friends, though, some of the closest ones we can have are our husbands, our children, and our family members. One of my very best friends is my sister Maria.

There is five years’ difference between Maria and me.  When we were younger, we fought like cats over Barbie dolls and Baby Tender dolls. As the years passed, our jealous, selfish rivalries ceased and we grew closer in heart and mind. I moved to the midwest and the phone became our lifeline to each other, sometimes literally for both of us in very dark times when we just needed someone to tell us, “You are loved! You matter! Don’t give up!”

Throughout my adult years, I have written Maria literally hundreds of letters – some of them very long. Yes, the lost art of letter writing instead of emails, IMs, and texting.  When I say long, I mean ten to 25 pages long, some hand-written, some typed! Some include my famous “stick cartoons,” depicting stressful events in my life that I would cope with by drawing exaggerated, funny stick cartoons of me, my family, and others. Maria, “bless her heart” as they say in the south, has loyally read every single one of these letters – and laughed a lot over the cartoons with me.

Maria doesn’t write letters.  If I am lucky, I get one a year from her. When it comes, it’s a total shock and I prize it like Belgian fine chocolate. I’ve begged her for years to write me, but she doesn’t have time. (She actually has a life!) But she does call. A lot. A whole lot!  I write, she phones. We are borderline co-dependent on each other.  We talk, we cry, we laugh, we pray for each other. 

We don’t always have an answer for each other.We’ve watched as each other has gone through troubled relationships, career transitions, fnancial crises, problems with rebellious kids, identity crises, church transitions, radical hair color and haircut changes, weight gain, and inevitable aging – as well as incredible joys and happiness, achievements of lifelong goals, and great successes. We are always there to cheer each other on to the finish line – and to confront and challenge each other, “What are you doing? Knock it off!”

We don’t always agree with each other. We even get on each other’s nerves sometimes. But we tell each other the truth. We see the best in each other. We believe in each other. We’d fight to the death for each other.  And only my sister can really get my warped sense of humor!

We are sisters. But best of all, we are friends.  And not just here – but for all of eternity.

My sister Maria. I love her – and I don’t know what I’d do without her!

Do you have such a sister and friend? Who are your best sistahs?   Tell them today that you love them and what a difference they make in your life! Some of the best sistahs and friends I’ve met are online!

***Quotes on sisters from http://www.quotegarden.com/sisters.html

“You can kid the world, but not your sister.” ~ Charlotte Gray

“A sister is a forever friend.” ~ Author unknown 

“How do people make it through life without a sister?” ~ Linda Corpening

“It was nice growing up with someone like you – someone to lean on, someone to count on… someone to tell on!” ~Author Unknown

“Sister to sister we’ll always be, A couple of nutts off the family tree.” ~ Author unknown

My sister taught me everything that I needed to know, and she was only in sixth grade at the time.” ~ Linda Sunshine

“In the cookies of life, sisters are the chocolate chips.” ~ Author unknown

Filed Under: Blog, Faith

God and your big dreams

September 12, 2010 By 4 Comments

Veggie Tales – Larry the Cucumber and Bob the Tomato

How has your week been?  I have been reading lately, when I’ve been able to have a few spare moments before bedtime, and one great book that I just finished is Me, Myself, and Bob by Phil Vischer, founder of Big Idea Productions (the man who started Veggie Tales). My sweet friend Kimberly Ehlers told me about the book, and as I finally read the last 3 chapters, tears poured down my face.  As I shared with a few family members and friends this week, this book has just demolished me.

In Me, Myself, and Bob, Phil shares the story of the big dream that began in his heart when he was just a young man, to become the “Christian” Walt Disney, to build a new media empire for God – teaching children funny, touching stories using the talking, colorful vegetables (Bob the Tomato, Larry the Cucumber and other characters) and using the truth of God’s word…unapologetically including God and His word. Phil wanted to change the world with his big idea.

As Big Idea Productions grew bigger, so did its budget – and its enormous debt.  Veggie Tales sold more than six million Veggie Tales videos in 1998. Between 1996 and 1998, its revenue grew by 3, 300 percent – from $1.3 million to $44 million. Between 1996 to 1998, their marketing department grew from 1 person to 30 people. Big Ideas had grown from an original staff of two creative, enthused college guys to 315 people.

Yet by the time Big Ideas produced its first feature film, Jonah-A Veggie Tales movie, Big Ideas was in serious financial trouble. The company eventually went bankrupt and was auctioned to Classic Media, at $19.6 million in 2003. 

Phil wrote on pages 227-228:

“…I entered adulthood (1) absolutely committed to spending my life to doing things for Christ, and (2) determined  not to be a “parked car.”  I had to get going. I had to get busy. But busy with what?…Eventually, I found a place where my storytelling gifts seemed to line up with a need that was tugging at my heart – a need to express God’s word through popular media. And that would be my work for Christ.”

“That issue resolved, I got busy. I built, and built, and built. Even when I wasn’t building, I was thinking about building, dreaming up the things I would build next. And in the midst of it all, God showed up, blessing my efforts. Great! I thought. Look at all the good I’m doing! But I was just getting started…And so, I got busier. …”

“…And then, in the midst of my great goodness, everything started to go wrong…Good thing I was the good guy, I thought, because the good guy never falls off the cliff. Except that I did. My dream and I fell all the way to bankruptcy court, where a gaggle of lawyers picked through the wreckage, packed up all the good parts, and mailed them to Franklin, Tennessee, leaving me alone, with nothing. Nothing but my old Big Idea office chair, my thoughts, and the God who had watched me bounce down the stairs without raising a finger.”

Nothing left but him and God. Ultimately it’s where we all end up. :)  

Phil also quotes an old family friend, pastor Richard Porter:  “If God gives you a dream, and the dream comes to life and God shows up in it, and then the dream dies, it may be that God wants to see what is more important to you – the dream or God.”

What matters more to you – God or your big dream?

Phil also shared from  Henry Blackaby, author of the devotional study Experiencing God, who wrote a book studying the life of Samuel.

“If you start something and it does not seem to go well, consider carefully that God, on purpose, may not be authenticating what you told the people because it did not come from Him, but from your own head.” (p. 239)

This is where I couldn’t stop crying. The thought that I may have been doing many things over the last year (such as writing, speaking, blogging, podcasting, creating information products, writing a bi-monthly ezine, forming relationships through social media), the possibility that these things may not have come from God, but came from myself, was devastating. Only God knows if this is true and that is what I am praying about this week, for clarity and wisdom.

I don’t want to do anything that God doesn’t authenticate or authorize. I don’t want to be like Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu, offering unauthorized fire (Leviticus 10: 1), or to be like the foolish man who built his house on the sand, instead of the Rock of Christ, and when the rain, wind, and floods came, it collapsed and was destroyed. (Matthew 7: 24-29)  Anything apart from Jesus will not bear fruit and won’t last.

As a result of this book, I have taken some time this week to pray and seek God on His will, His purposes, His vision for my life. I am still thinking things through, asking for Him to speak to me clearly. My dear sister Maria said God may have used this book as a warning to me about future success – to not let my dreams become an idol.

 Yes, there are dreams in my heart, big, big dreams!  I don’t want to live a medicore, boring life and want to do great things for God!   I believe God is the one who put those dreams there in my heart, because He’s a big God and has big plans for His glory.  :)    The Bible says nothing is impossible with God. (Luke 1:37)  God is the Dream-Giver and the Dream-Fulfiller.

But I never want my dreams to mean more to me than God does. I only want to please Him and do His will, not my own. (Luke 22: 42) While I desire to do great things for God in this lifetime and to make an eternal, significant mark on the timeline of history, influencing and impacting others’ lives, most of all what I want is an intimate relationship with God. For every part of my life to glorify Jesus Christ.

As Phil writes on page 251, “The impact God has planned for us doesn’t occur when we’re pursuing impact. It occurs when we’re pursuing God.” 

“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.”  (Psalm 42: 1)

I encourage you today, pursue God, not the dream. Because He alone satisfies. And when we pursue God, then He will make sure the dreams that HE has for us come true. Even beyond our wildest expectations! (1 Corinthians 2: 9)

***What are your thoughts on all this? I invite you to comment below.

Filed Under: Blog, Faith, prayer, Speaking, Spiritual Gifts, Website news Tagged With: , , ,

Endurance for the race

September 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

  Heather Denney, her first 5K run

This weekend our oldest daughter Heather did her first 5K run. She even beat her best timing in training by four minutes!  At one point during the run, though, she wanted to quit. What about you? Do you  feel like giving up?  Do you need endurance for the long haul?  Join Beth Jones as she shares encouragement that God will give you the daily strength and endurance you need in this race of life.

Filed Under: Podcast

Recipes for a happy home

September 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment

 

Photo taken by Kathryn Bechen of her master bedroom. Copyright Kathryn Bechen Ink; please do not copy this photo without the written permission of Kathryn Bechen Ink.

Recently my husband Ray was asked to be the one to walk our friend Debbie’s daughter Amber down the aisle when she marries her fiance’ Ricky this coming October. We have known this family for years, sharing together the fun, good memories, as well as the hard times – including when this family’s beloved husband and father, Alan, died suddenly several years ago. Ray was honored that Amber asked him to escort her. Our prayers are that Amber and Ricky will have a happy, forever marriage which is a glory to God.

It is often said that the honeymoon doesn’t last long. Creating a happy home isn’t always easy as you are finally getting to know the real person of your mate, living every day with them. Suddenly there are verbal spars over the thermostat, the finances, even the vacation spot!  Yet it is possible to have a happy, fulfilling marriage.

The Bible gives us the wisdom and tools that we need for the best marriage. It also tells us what not to do! 

I recently discovered Kathryn Bechen’s beautiful website with her encouraging marriage article, Creating a Happy Home. This article gives a recipe for both wives and husbands to have that fulfilling, passionate marriage.

I emailed Kathryn to ask permission to use her marriage article as a guest post here for Tablet Of My Heart, and to my surprise, she asked me to call her.  I did, and we had a lengthy, enjoyable conversation.  It was an honor to speak with her.  She is a warm, lovely person, who generously poured into me her wisdom and knowledge for almost an hour!

One of the first things I asked her, after seeing her gorgeous, all-white bedroom on her blog, was, “You don’t have any kids still at home, do you?”  (I envisioned our kids’ dirty handprints all over those perfect white linens!  She laughed in response and said she had been asked that question before. The answer is no, they don’t have any children.)

Get to know Kathryn. I feel that one reason God may have brought her across my own path is to encourage me to write more – and to write better.  I came away refreshed, inspired, and uplifted, as you will be visiting her site. I was also blessed that Kathryn mentioned me at her blog this week on this post.

Kathryn walks her talk about marriage, as she and her husband Steve Bechen have been happily married 30+ years and are best friends.  He is her business partner in her writing and speaking business.  Steve handles her accounting and computer systems, and is her “mastermind” buddy for new business strategies and ideas.

Kathryn’s website, enhanced by beautiful graphics, is a wealth of  encouraging blogs, articles, and ebooks that you will just love!  She offers a variety of  practical, professional services. You’ll also be inspired by her bed and breakfast blog. She and her husband Steve have stayed in over 60 B & B’s in 17 states since 1987.

Her writing credentials are impressive and substantial, including:

You will discover more of Kathryn’s incredible accomplishments at her blog.  I was simply amazed at all she has done and is doing!

I encourage you to read her story here of how God has been using her writing since she was a little girl to now being published across the world. She feels that her writing is the vehicle through which she serves Jesus best.  I so agree! 

Pour yourself a cup of hot tea or a cold drink, and take some time to draw from the well of Jesus’ living waters there. While you’re there, be sure to check out her humorous poem, Decorating Without Divorcing.  This poem was picked up by over 50 global media outlets, as it appears couples from Timbuktu to New York City have trouble agreeing on house decor!

And please share her marriage articles with others, Creating a Happy Home. It will be such a blessing.

Filed Under: Blog, Faith, Marriage, prayer, Travel, Writing
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