Masks

Ministry women, whether it is a pastor’s wife or woman in ministry, often feel not just alone but have deep feelings of loneliness. Ever been there? What an unhealthy way to live!

Why are we afraid to admit that we are not perfect? Why do we hesitate to admit to our girlfriends that we have shortcomings and fail at times? Why are we so determined not to be transparent with our closest friends? If we would only realize that there isn’t a ministry woman on the face of this earth that has it all together 24/7!

When we begin to share our flawed life with our friends we give them permission to remove their masks. It isn’t an easy task but necessary in order to develop close relationships. Solid friendships are built on a foundation of authenticity, trust and commitment. Obviously this process takes time but if we refuse to never step out and attempt to remove our masks the relationship may never happen.

If you are lonely and feel like you don’t have a friend you can share the struggles of life with over a cup of coffee, I encourage you to seek God’s face and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in finding that person or persons. Ministry is a lonely place full of obstacles and discouragement at times but we must be a friend in order to find a friend. I don’t believe that God ever intended for us to travel this journey alone. That is why my passion is so strong for developing pastor’s wives/ministry women growth groups in our district. We definitely need one another. Relationships are crucial and it is a process that takes time to cultivate.

The Chocolate and Coffee Ministry groups I have created on FB also serve as a great source for ministry women to encourage one another. If you have never participated in the discussions I encourage you to check it out. There has been some great insight share during many of the discussion topics.

Have a great week friends. May the Lord continue to bless you and your ministry in an awesome and powerful way! Be a friend and begin to remove those masks………………………..

Live For the King

Good Morning Precious Girlfriends,

Well, this is it! One week from Christmas!  Gifts bought and wrapped, shopping completed for the Christmas meal and all the baking is finished right??????  Well, for me that is a BIG NO!! lol


Sheri Rose Shepherd wrote an awesome book called, My Prince Will Come. I want to encourage you during this busy time of the year with some great thoughts from her book.

We have been crowned with forgiveness, salvation, and acceptance into God’s kingdom. Because His Spirit is in us, we are now adorned with his Beauty. Now is the time to shine for Him – let’s not miss a moment of what He has for us to do! Remember, just as God placed Queen Esther in the court of King Xerxes so that she could save her people, our heavenly King has put us in a particular place in order to save people who don’t yet know him. We are appointed to be His princesses for such a time as this. Our reign is now! Put on your God-appointed crown and take your royal position.

This royal call is not about our accomplishments. Our King has done it all. He died on the cross for our sins so that we can begin our eternal reign while we are here. Our reign is about our confidence in our King, and about investing our time and God-given talents in eternity. We have come into this world with nothing, and we will leave with nothing except the legacy of those we lead to the Lord. The only significant thing we will leave behind us is our witness for Jesus and the memory of a life lived in faith in Him. So don’t let the devil distract you for another moment with all the busyness we face during this time of the year. Choose to make your life matter for all eternity. Don’t allow anything or anyone to keep you from your calling! And remember that it was not the crown on her head that made Esther a great queen. It was her heart for her God and her people and her willingness to serve Him. So live for your King, and He will crown you in His glory for all to see you are His!

Merry Christmas beautiful ladies! May God continue to bless you in mighty ways.

Love you,
Debbie

Good Morning Sweet Friends,

Here we are, two weeks from Christmas!! I bet your shopping is done, gifts are wrapped and cookies are baked right………….? Well I can tell you that isn’t the case in my life. So much to do and so little time to accomplish all the tasks on our plates. I love Christmas but every year is such a challenge for me to get it all finished by Christmas morning.

Monday evening our church is hosting the District Christmas party. We usually have between 65-75 guests attend this event. It is a great time and our folks from church are looking forward to being servants for the evening. Tuesday and Thursday evening I am hosting a fellowship at my home for my mentoring groups.  Busy week but exciting times!

Persistence definitely has its rewards. We all have a zillion things to accomplish before Christmas morning and we will continue to work at it until it is all done. We have a responsibility to our spouse, families and our church family. But what about our persistence regarding what God has called us to do?

The lady with the issue of blood in the Bible was amazing. Have you ever really thought about how difficult it was for her to forge her way through the crowd just to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment? Jesus was on his way to Jairus’s house and people were all around him. Multitudes were surrounding him virtually making it impossible to get through. But one woman was persistent and determined to reach Him. Her faith was so strong that she knew if she could just touch the hem of his garment she would be healed. That friend is amazing faith!

I want that kind of faith in my life. When I am faced with overwhelming challenges I want to demonstrate faith that has no doubt . I want to demonstrate that same faith in my life when everything around me looks dark and hopeless. That level of faith will take us places we never dreamed were possible in our lives.

So, what will it be for you? We are quickly approaching a brand new year filled with many joys, doubts, challenges, and most likely some times of heartache. Our faith and trust in Jesus Christ will definitely carry us through to the end if we determine in our own hearts that no matter how difficult the journey to the hem of the garment – it will be worth it.

Be blessed friend. I pray for God’s amazing power to penetrate your services today. I pray for a special touch from God today for you and your family. God loves you so much. No matter what lies the enemy whispers in your ears, God’s plan is amazing and He longs to use you to further the Kingdom.

Love and appreciate you,
Debbie

Seeing God's Hand In Our Circumstances

I was reading recently that the book of Esther is the only book in the Bible where God is never mentioned. In fact, many people over the years questioned whether it should even be included as one of the books of the Bible for that reason.

Esther is the story of how God used one woman to change the fate of an entire nation. Although God's name is not mentioned in this book you can certainly recognize His fingerprints on every page! The book of Esther shows the choice we make between seeing His hand in our circumstances in life and seeing things as merely coincidence. God's plans are never moved by the actions of evil men and women in our society. The silent love language our Father often uses to communicate directly to our spirit is illustrated in this book.

Esther proved to mirror a Godly and teachable character that exhibited incredible strength and awesome obedience. Esther was unique and this caused her to be elevated into the position of Queen. She certainly demonstrates to us that remaining respectful and humble even in difficult if not humanly impossible circumstances often set us up to be the vessel of untold blessing for both ourselves and others. She is a positive role model that can influence us with her repeated Godly attitudes in difficult positions. You won't read of any complaints or bad behavior on her part in this book. She often won the favor of those around her. That favor is what ultimately saved her people.

By utilizing Esther's example of maintaining a positive attitude, united with humility and the determination of leaning on God and seeking His will and favor in our circumstances, we will recognize that God is absolutely amazing. I rejoice today in knowing that God walks with me through the pit of the valley and high on the mountain top. No matter what it is I will face this week, God will be with me. His encouragement, peace and strength is just a prayer away.

If you are struggling today with difficult circumstances just seek Him. He has all the answers ............

Blessings!

God's Plan

Good Morning Beautiful Girlfriends!

I hope everyone had an awesome Thanksgiving. I prepared a Thanksgiving feast for our family and it was wonderful spending time with our children, their spouses and our grandchildren.  This  year I elected not to be one of those crazy shoppers that ended up at Wal-Mart fighting 1000 other shoppers for bargains!!! But I did manage to get up very early the day after and take advantage of a few after Thanksgiving bargains............  And, I am tired of eating warm ups!

Our church participated in collecting food for families in our community and it was a joy to distribute Thanksgiving meals.  On Thanksgiving morning my friend and I delivered a cooked meal to someone in our community that didn't have an oven.  Even now as I talk about it tears come to my eyes.  She was so appreciative and so excited when she saw the pies!  She told us that she loved pies....  I have so much to be thankful for.........


We are quickly approaching the end of 2011. I don’t know about you but it is hard for me to believe that we have almost completed another year. It seems like time zooms by these days. But with that I find myself thinking often about what I have or have not accomplished in my life this year and also a lot about God’s destiny for Debbie Shank. Can anyone relate?

God has a plan and destiny for each of us but the enemy loves to fill our minds with doubt and confusion. Destiny is a tough word to define by our culture’s standards. We often look at someone who is extremely talented and immediately assume that they will go places in life. Our destiny as Christians is not so easily defined or short-lived. Our journey with Christ is a process which requires unending perseverance, commitment, patience and obedience. For me personally my dreams and ambitions have certainly changed a number of times over the years. As I walk through this season of my life I often wonder what God has in store for me next.

God continues to work a change in our hearts so we can see his hand in all the circumstances of our lives. That is God’s gift to us and sometimes all we see is fog. God has chosen us and he loves us. Our future, no matter how it may look at the present, is safe and secure with Jesus Christ. Even though we may not feel like God is in control that does not change the truth that he is.

Life is full of opportunities. God continues to use each of us daily in ways we cannot fathom. Continue to trust the Lord with every detail of your life. Even though our destiny is often times not clear, God knows what he is doing.

Have an awesome week dear friends. May you be blessed abundantly throughout this holiday season!  Take a moment each day and thank God for ALL that He has done for you...............

Love and appreciate you,
Debbie

Thankfulness

Good Morning Girlfriends!

This is it! Thanksgiving week!!! Many of you will be traveling to be with family for the holiday and many, like me, will be cooking Thanksgiving dinner. Nonetheless we will be busy!!

We will be celebrating the first birthday of our youngest grandson Cayden on Wednesday.  Cannot believe how quickly time goes by.

I just want to take this opportunity to remind you again how much you are appreciated and loved. I know many of you are virtual friends who I may never meet until we get to heaven but you are such a support to me and I feel as though I have known you forever. I love your emails throughout the week and your sweet and kind words of encouragement. This ministry was birthed from a passion to encourage ministry women who are struggling and God has been amazing! I never dreamed God would use this resource to touch so many women. Thank you for your faithfulness and friendship.

This is certainly a week to be thankful for all God has done for us but as Christians, everyday is a day to be thankful to our Lord Jesus Christ for the magnificent price He paid on the cross for you and me. His continued blessings and faithfulness in my own life is often beyond comprehension.

From now until Christmas most of us will be running on empty as we try to do a zillion things for the holidays. May God’s peace surround you every step of the way. Let’s not get so overwhelmed in all the busyness that we lose sight of the real meaning of Christmas. It is truly a celebration of life. God certainly did make a way for us when He said that, “It is done”.

Happy Thanksgiving friends! You are awesome and you are loved. Have a wonderful time with your families and if you are one of those crazy ladies who get up at 4am on the Friday after Thanksgiving, like me - be careful out there!! Those people are serious about their shopping!

Many hugs,
Debbie

God is Our Constant

Well it is official! Christmas is a little over 5 weeks away…… Oh my goodness!! If you are like me that tends to place a little panic in our lives. Put up and decorated two of my Christmas trees this weekend! But first we celebrate Thanksgiving which is right around the corner. Our youngest grandson celebrates his first birthday the day before Thanksgiving. Very busy time of the year........


Just want to encourage you today friends. As I look around I constantly see people struggling with life issues. Some are losing their homes, some are dealing with devastating news about their health, some have lost their jobs or have been informed that they will be taking a pay cut this year. Some are dealing with major issues in their marriages and the list goes on. Life is a constant challenge. But, God is our constant.

We truly do have so much to be thankful for and for me; I often take that for granted. I am so thankful that I serve a God who will never fail me or leave me. I am so thankful that even when life’s challenges seem bigger than anything I have ever imagined, my God is on the throne and He walks with me through those deep waters. Life often brings pain but God is always there to bring comfort and peace.

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed (Proverbs 16:3). Sometimes we fail unintentionally to commit our struggles and challenges to God. Yes we do and I am guilty of this as well. How many times have we given God temporary control of things in our lives only to take back control when things stop gong the way we expect. And sometimes we commit a task fully to the Lord, but put forth no effort ourselves in praying about this situation. We must maintain a delicate balance: trusting God as if everything depended on him, while working as if everything depended on us. By working I mean praying daily for this situation. Think of a specific situation you are walking through right now. Have you fully committed it to the Lord? Are you fully trusting God for the answer?

At the cross I bow my knee,
Where Your blood was shed for me.
There’s no greater love than this.
You have overcome the grave.
Your glory fills the highest place.
What can separate me now?
Song - At the Cross by Hillsong

God loves his children so much and he cares about everything we walk through in this life. Whether it is a small challenge or something that is overwhelming,..,,. He cares. Lay the burden at the cross today and then trust God with the results. He has overcome the grave. His glory fills the highest place. Friends, what can separate us now?


Many blessings!

Self-Confidence vs. God-Confidence

Good Morning Beautiful Girlfriends!

Praying that you have an amazing Sunday filled to overflowing with God's abundant blessings. And I also pray that your week will be awesome! 

I was reading recently in a Bible study called Confidence, Six Secrets of a Confident Woman by Carol Kent and Karen Lee-Thorp some awesome encouraging words.  Great study!!

Self-confidence will get you nowhere in the Kingdom of God. Self-confidence is the belief in ourselves that we have what it takes to conquer whatever we may be facing in this life. What a joke!!!

God-confidence reminds us that in ourselves we do have enormous limitations, but God doesn't! We seriously control very little in our lives but God rules ALL. God--confidence is the belief that we can do anything God gives us to do. Amen!! Without Him – I am nothing! With Him – who knows what will happen!!

I encourage you to seek God's face this week with an open mind and open heart about what it is He is calling you to do. Many times ministry women find themselves doing what no one else will do. Where does that leave us? What about our talents and gifts? And even greater than that.... what about what God is asking us to do? What truly is our purpose in God's magnificent plan?

For many of us, as pastor's wives, I think we sometimes think we don't have a purpose other than being the "pastor's wife" in the church. This, my friend is not true. Our husband has a definite calling on his life but God also is calling us to step up to the plate and out of our comfort zone. Our life was never meant to be a cookie cutter imitation of someone else. God has a plan!!!!

Appreciate your emails and words of encouragement throughout the week.

Love you,
Debbie

The Enemy is a Whimp!

Good Morning Beautiful Girlfriends!

It was great seeing some of you yesterday in Manassas, VA at the District Equipping Conference. I love it when I have the opportunity to meet the women who are part of Chocolate and Coffee!!! Thank you for taking the time to introduce yourselves and give me an awesome word of encouragement!

Do you want to impact lives like Jesus did? Maybe you just walked through the driest desert in your life this week and you really are not interested in impacting lives but it happens when we least expect it!!! The enemy is slick and if he can do anything to manipulate our lives so that we demonstrate frustration, anger, bitterness and worry to those around us. He thinks he has won. But we have news for him don’t we friends? He hasn’t won and he won’t win because we serve a mighty God who is all powerful!!!

Influence is a personal indirect power over people, events, or things, not through the exercise of physical force or formal authority, but by force of character or wisdom. Jesus modeled how to be in influential leader who by force of character, wisdom, and example influenced others’ thinking and choices. He practiced life habits that help me live an authentic Christian life so that I can impact the lives of others as he did. Six Essentials of Spiritual Authenticity by Carol Kent & Karen Lee-Thorp

Influence is powerful and this week we are going to influence everyone in our paths in a negative or positive way. Our body language, our speech, our facial expressions…. We are impacting lives and I want to make sure that my life is a positive influence for those God brings into my life.

Life can be challenging but I remind you today the enemy is a wimp and he will not win.There is always something positive about what we are walking through. Sometimes we need to dig really dip to find it, but it is always there.

Dear friends, I am praying for you today. May God bless you abundantly in your own life, your family and ministry. May the presence of God be mighty and powerful in your services today?

You are awesome women of God!

Love and appreciate YOU,
Debbie

Rejoice and Be Glad in It!!

Good Morning Beautiful Girlfriends!

This is the day that the Lord hath made. I will REJOICE and be glad in it!!!!!
I know for many it is challenging to rejoice this morning because of everything happening around you in your ministry and life. Just remember today that God is still on the throne and is as powerful as He was yesterday and will still reign tomorrow! He loves you and cares about every detail of your life including the discouragement and disappointments you may be dealing with today.

Just want to encourage you this morning with a simple thought. No matter what you are walking through at this moment, God will help you be a positive influence in a negative situation. Be encouraged – what you have to offer is the life of Jesus, not your own expertise. Encouragement cannot harm people – a loving word from you will always help somehow, if even a little, if only for a moment. As ministry wives and ministry women, our skills and callings are varied, but we can be unceasing encourager's. We are greatly needed!

I am praying for you today that God’s power and presence will be overwhelming in your services. You are amazing women of God!

Love and appreciate you!

Hugs,
Debbie

Loving Those Not Easy To Love

"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." I Corinthians 13: 4-7 (NKJV)

When I think about this scripture the first thing that comes to my mind is the responsibility we have as pastor's wives and ministry women. In the early church, leaders modeled love to their churches. They lived by these words in the scripture. Love was the foundation and motive for the leaders' action.

As a pastor's wife and a woman in ministry I have repeatedly experienced everything but love from some folks throughout our 30 years of ministry. I know many of you reading this blog today can relate. I am thankful today that God has taught me how to love those who don't love others. I realize that if I were not able to love those who demonstrate a cold heart that I would not be an effective leader. When we dwell on the hurts and pains of life we become very bitter and indifferent.

God's love is directed outward toward others, not inward toward ourselves. It is utterly unselfish. This love is not natural. It is possible only if God supernaturally helps us set aside our own desires and instincts. The closer we come to Christ, the more love we will express to others.

Is it easy to love those who come against our families and criticize everything we do in the ministry? Absolutely not but I remind myself that I need to demonstrate God's love to these people anyway. It isn't about me and what I might want. It would be easy to totally write them off and avoid those who constantly inflict pain and suffering on our lives but that isn't what God has called us to do. These people are also hurting and dealing with some very deep wounds from life. God can heal them also and he may be calling you and I to be the resource he chooses to use in their healing process.

Listen for God's voice today as you allow him to direct your steps in your ministry. He may open doors of opportunity for you today that may be calling you out of your comfort zone but can also be very rewarding.

Blessings!

Pastor's Wives - The Impossibility of Pleasing People

Many years ago, as a very young, inexperienced, and untrained pastor's wife, my mission was to please everyone. Why? Because that is what I thought ministry was all about. I was constantly trying to figure out if my makeup was acceptable, my clothes, my jewelry, etc. I made every effort to be everything for everyone all the time. Desperately attempting to make everyone happy so the complainers would be satisfied. Of course we all know that is short lived! I came to the place of discouragement, frustration and not wanting to be involved in the ministry with my husband at all. These people were ridiculous and I didn't want any part of it!

Our Heavenly Father did not place you and I on this earth to please people. That isn't our mission girlfriends. We are to please Him by representing a Christ-like life and being examples everywhere we go of our Lord and Savior. I discovered many years ago that life is too short to spend it trying to make everyone happy. Some people will never be satisfied no matter what you do. Jesus could walk down the aisle of the church and they would find fault with Him!

I do what I do because I love the Lord with my entire being. People must accept me for who I am. I am an original and I don't want to be a copy of anyone else! I am not going to try to be someone different so I can please those who don't like what I do or what I represent. I am not in the business of intentionally hurting people and ignoring them but I also will not change who I am to please some so they won't complain. Some people need to grow up and start thinking about others instead of always focusing on what they want in this life.

Have you noticed that those who complain the loudest do less in the church than anyone else? And no matter what is done in the church, they gripe about it. They always have a better way of doing whatever it is you are doing but they never volunteer to help with the project.

The folks who chronically complain can absolutely steal our joy and make our lives miserable IF WE ALLOW THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL. I have found over the years that only those I permit can intimidate me or make my life miserable. I am in control of this situation. You and I are the deciding factor as to the result of what these people attempt to do with our lives. When we are overwhelmed by their criticism and whiny complaints our focus isn't on God and what He can do for us. We are allowing the situation to overpower our emotions. We then become discouraged and frustrated because those are tools of the enemy.

I am in no way advocating being rude or uncaring. What I am advocating is that we are not to be people pleaser's and if that is our mission in this life, we will be miserable. Jesus wasn't a people pleaser. Many became very upset with Him but He had a mission while He was here on this earth and He didn't allow anyone or anything to stop Him.

God created you and I differently. He knew us when we were in the womb. He has a unique plan for each of us. I can't be you and you can't be me. We can't be like someone else and accomplish God's will for our life. By reading our Bibles and seeking God's face daily we can be assured that God will lead and direct us. He will open doors we thought were never possible.

Focus on pleasing God - not people.  His plan is unfailing.

Blessings!

Take Advantage of God Opportunities!

Good Morning Beautiful Girlfriends!

Do you ever feel like you are being pulled by the hand through a wind tunnel? It is as though we are living our lives in a fast-forward mode and life is passing by at a record speed!

Our lives are a vapor and a tiny blip on the world’s radar screen. We are attempting to make a difference in the lives of those around us. But there are times in our lives when we feel as though nothing we are doing counts for anything.

God has placed many women in our paths that we can influence. Everyday there are multiple opportunities for kingdom advancement all around us. When we allow those opportunities to pass us by it is tragic. If Jesus tarries and we graduate to retirement, will we have peace in our hearts as we reflect upon our lives, knowing that we took advantage of the opportunities God presented and used our time wisely?

What type of legacy will we leave as a ministry wife or ministry woman? Are we truly redeeming the time God has given to us to do all we can to further the Kingdom of God? Or are we allowing discouragement and depression to overwhelm our lives and keep us from making the positive influence on those God places in our paths?

Let’s pray together that God will afford opportunities for our ministries to be effective. Pray that God will continue to place women in our paths that we can influence and encourage in a positive way. Seek God daily and ask Him to quicken our hearts and spirits so that we are sensitive to the needs of those around us. Ask God to help us take our eyes off of SELF and look to others who are suffering and struggling in their walk with Christ.

God wants to use YOU in an awesome way. Don’t allow the enemy to steal your joy and the wonderful blessings God has for your life.

Love and appreciate you,
Debbie

Stand Firm and See the Deliverance the Lord Will Bring!

Good Morning Girlfriends!

Pumpkins, Mums, Fall Colors and Pumpkin Spice Latte!!!!! It is such a joy to connect with you each week!

The Potomac District Ministers' Retreat kicks off tomorrow evening and the past several weeks have been incredibly busy with all the prep work.  I am introducing a brand new ministry for Spousal Support on Tuesday morning and am so excited about this new oppportunity.  Please pray for our team this week as we step out to minister to pastor's wives in our district with some great new ideas.


Even ministry women experience times when we feel fear about things in our lives. When we face fear we must stand FIRM against it, with confidence that God will help us.

Exodus 14:13, 14 – Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.

The people were hostile and despairing, but Moses encouraged them to watch the wonderful way God would rescue them. Moses had a positive attitude! When it looked as if they were trapped, Moses called upon God to intervene. We may not be chased by an army, but we may still feel trapped. Instead of giving in to despair, we should adopt Moses’ attitude to “stand firm and … see the deliverance the Lord will bring.”

God is so good and no matter how heavy the challenges are in our lives, He still reigns! My life is in His hands. Nothing happens in my life that God is not aware of. I know that there will be times of great challenge but I also am confident that God will walk through those times with me.

Be encouraged today friends! God loves you and He is aware of everything you are dealing with. He is your strength, your source and your protector!

May the Love of God surround you today and His mighty presence fill your services with great power!

Love and appreciate you,
Debbie

Exhausted!

Good Morning Beautiful Girlfriends!

Well I must be honest with you this morning..... I Am Exhausted!!!!  Outside of my job this has been a week full of appointments, counseling, wedding rehearsal and wedding, and the list goes on.  I am so tired today and this will be a full day of responsibilities at our church through this evening.  At work, we are prepping for Ministers' Retreat so my plate is full and overflowing next week as well.  There are obligations every night next week regarding church.  Oh Lord, give me strength!!!

Have you ever been in that place when you are physically exhausted and cried out to God for strength because you honestly felt like you just could not accomplish all the tasks facing you the next day or week? 

Since I was a little girl I have loved music. Music soothes the soul and relaxes the spirit. Many times I will awake in the middle of the night with a song in my heart. How Great Is Our God is an awesome song!  Our God is so incredibly great and powerful! Our God can overcome any bend in the road that we may be struggling through this morning. There is power in the name of Jesus! Our God is bigger than any church board that may be fighting against the pastor today. Our God can be in control of every situation in our lives. He is great….. greater than anything!!!!

Name above all names.
Worthy of all praise, my heart will sing
How Great is Our God!!!!

Everyone of us are facing challenges in our lives today.  Maybe it is church related.  Maybe it is health related. It could be family, financial or just simply exhaustion.  God is perfectly aware of what is going on with us today.  He understands.  He loves us and is there to help us. 

Is our hearts singing this morning, How Great is Our God? Will our attitude today reflect the greatness of the One we serve? Will our words today be words of encouragement? Will those who come to us today truly know that we believe that our God is greater than anything?

Psalm 139:23, 24, Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

How great is our God, sing with me how great is our God; and all will see how great, how great is our God!! Yes Lord, You are truly great…………………….

I pray blessings upon you today. May God’s anointing be powerful upon your ministry. May the love of God shine through you this week! May His Word revive you!

Love and appreciate you,
Debbie

Good Morning Beautiful Girlfriends!!

Praying that your services today will be off the charts and that God's presence will be felt in a mighty way!

The past month has been unbelievably busy.  Can anyone relate to those feelings of never being able to see the light at the end of the tunnel? Do you know that even WE need to rest occasionally? As pastor's wives and ministry women, we need to take time to recover physically, emotionally, and spiritually from the demands of our lives. We need time to evaluate where we've been, where we are, and where we're headed. We need to take the time to be a friend, a parent, a wife, a child of God. (God's Little Devotional Book for the Workplace)

Girlfriends, we need "down time" in our lives in order to gather the energy to run the next miles with Him and toward Him. I never realized that more than the past month!  When we are constantly running and giving, we become tired and weary and honestly we are not going to make a difference anywhere when we are worn out and exhausted!  Believe me, I am speaking to myself this morning also.  Life and ministry is hectic!!

May God's fingerprints be upon your lives this week.  May His power be amazing in your services today.  May His presence be mighty and His anointing be obvious.

Be energized for the Kingdom! God has a great work for you!!

Appreciate you!

Love ya,
Debbie

Break Through!

Good Morning Beautiful Girlfriends!

Another Sunday morning and another week full of busyness. Does this apply to any of you this morning?

As a worship leader, music is an integral part of my life. Many times when life seems super heavy and overwhelming I listen to music and meditate on God’s Word. Music is soothing to my soul and truly ministers to my spirit in a powerful way.

As I prepared the music schedule this weekend I thought about how many times I have been guilty of leading a beautiful worship song but my actions certainly did not demonstrate the truth in those songs. I may have been dealing with an overwhelming battle in my own life and instead of trusting God to take care of the situation, I worried and lacked the faith I needed for a break through.

There is a song that has been around for awhile, Break Through. Break through all my fears. Break through all my doubts. Break through that I may worship you. Break through all my pain. Break through all my guilt and my shame. Break through like only You can do………… Powerful words aren’t they? But it even gets better. You are brighter than my darkest night;  Stronger than my toughest fight. Just one touch from You; my King, my Friend, and I’ll never be the same again. Break Through!!

We all know people who are struggling with cancer and some of you are even dealing with this in your own families. Many are suffering with depression and hopelessness. Marriages are being challenged and families are crumbling. God is brighter than our darkest night and stronger than our toughest fight! Declare that today! God is our strength, our peace, our comforter and healer.

Friends, I challenge you today to step up to the plate with a faith that cannot waver when the wind blows and the ship is being tossed back and forth. Our God reigns and He is always in control even when life seems hopeless and we are walking through what may seem like an absolute impossible journey. We must be the light to those around us so they can also experience the beautiful love from our Savior. Break through oh God…… we are praying for a break through…………………………..

My prayer for you this morning is that you will see that Break Through TODAY! Trust Him no matter how hard the storm is raging around you. Nothing is too big for our God......... NOTHING!

Love and appreciate you,
Debbie

Refuel and Recharge

Good Morning Beautiful Girlfriends!

My prayer for you today is that you and your family will be blessed beyond measure.  May God's presence and power be amazing in your services today!!!

Aren't you thankful today that God doesn't get stressed or tired? He never wakes up sleepy or has restless nights. His body doesn't ache from being overworked. He doesn't need to take Advil or Tums. What did God do after a big project? He rested. He actually took the time to step back, cease whatever it was he was doing and relax. Should we take a lesson?  I know personally that I need to take a serious lesson from this.............

My week has been anything but relaxing.  Busy, busy and then busy. Life can be exhausting. If you continually give out and don't refuel, recharge, spend quality time with God, you are doomed! Running on empty will not produce positive results.

It is important that we take time to recharge physically, emotionally and spiritually from the demands of life. We need to take time to evaluate where we have been, where we are and where we are going. We need to take the time to be a friend, a mom, a loving wife and Christian.

Studies show that people who fail to recharge their mental and physical batteries are more susceptible to illness and mistakes on the job. When my brother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer a number of years ago at age 42, the doctors told him that stress promotes cancer. He held a management position and daily was forced to deal with high level stress in his position. Just remember that high level activity doesn't equal a quality life.

I love to walk. The challenge is finding the time for those 20-30 minutes of relaxation each day. It is such a stress release for me to breathe the fresh air, listen to my IPod and clear my mind. We all need to find something that will offer that stress relief to us and apply it to our lives. If not we can become irritable women........ Of course, I am sure none of us can possibly relate to that!

In addition to rest we must take time daily to sit at the feet of Jesus. Reading our Bible and spending quality time with our Lord will rejuvenate our spirit and life. Cultivating that relationship with Him will carry us through the mud and fog of this life.

I pray that you will find time to rest in Jesus today. Refuel and Recharge!!

Blessings Girlfriends!

Sunday Morning Encouragement

Good Morning Girlfriends!! I pray that you are safe from Hurricane Irene, rested and excited about what God has planned in the HOUSE today!!!

It seems everywhere I turned this week God was speaking to my heart about busyness. Hmmmmmmm....... Ministry as we all know can certainly be a busy place. Sometimes that busyness can bring overwhelming discouragement and unbelievable stress into our lives. Ever been there?

An article by Jill Briscoe emphasized being so busy  that we find ourselves in a place where there is no time to spend in the Word. Her relationship with God had grown thin because she had not spent time in prayer, like she knew she needed to. Her one statement was awesome, "I felt like a flat camel! The nourishment that should have been stored in my hump was gone!! Keep fresh in ministry. I was busy with ministry stuff, but it was all output and no intake. The inevitable result was a desert experience."

How are you doing today? Are you feeling like a flat camel? Has the nourishment stored in your hump disappeared?

Ladies, we are very busy creatures but we cannot give out what we don't have. We must be intentional about spending quality time with our Lord daily. A flat camel is not going to be very productive for the Kingdom.

I pray that your week will be filled with "special" time with God. Let's face it friends....... Our soul is more important than anything. If we are not careful and intentional, busyness can deplete us spiritually.

Have a wonderful week! You are appreciated!!

Love you,
Debbie

Sunday Morning Encouragement

Good Morning Beautiful Girlfriends!!!

Can you believe another week has passed? Where has the summer gone? It won't be long until we are sipping hot chocolate, digging out our winter clothing and shoveling snow!!!!! No, no, no!!!!!


Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith (Hebrews 13:7). The Word of God is telling our congregations to look at you and me - to see how we are living our lives. These people watch our relationship with God, our husbands and family, and with our churches. They observe the way we respond to and raise our children and they watch the way we negotiate relationships - the good, the bad and even the ugly.


These people also watch to see what we give priority to in our lives. If something is not important to you as a leader, it is not going to be important to them. If we come in late to church, they’ll more than likely come in late. If we choose to sit down during the worship, are easily distracted and don't enter in, more than likely they will have that same attitude.

One of my biggest fears is that I will do something on a "bad hair day" to lead someone astray. My prayer for each of us today is that God will help us to be a Godly example for our congregations and our family. I realize how demanding our lives can be and many of us are multi-tasking daily but God is our strength and our source. May His love and peace surround you today. May His sweet spirit shine in and through our lives.

Have a wonderful day in the House and have a wonderful week filled to overflowing with God's abundant blessings! You are special and God loves you!!

Love and appreciate you,
Debbie