Girlfriends in God

[Judy Harder]

December 25, 2012
Happy Birthday, Jesus!
Mary Southerland

Today's Truth
Luke 2:8-12 "Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be the sign to you:  You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger" (NKJV).

Friend to Friend
Happy Birthday to You!
Happy Birthday to You!
Happy Birthday, dear Jesus!
Happy Birthday to You!

Christmas is the birthday of Jesus Christ. I have always wondered why we typically celebrate His birth by giving gifts to everyone but Him. What gifts does He want from us?  What gifts are fit for the King? To answer that question, let's go back to that first Christmas and see what gifts He received that holy night.

The gift of trust
Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."

Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, was a teenage girl, probably fourteen or fifteen years old, engaged to Joseph when an angel appeared to her with the startling message that she would have a baby, a son named Jesus. Since she was still a virgin, Mary did not understand the message but she knew the One who had sent it – and that was enough.  Trust is a gift fit for the King.

The gift of obedience
John 14:15 "If you love me, you will obey what I command."

Joseph's engagement to Mary was legally binding. Imagine his shock and confusion when he learned that Mary was pregnant. Knowing that he could not possibly be the baby's father, Joseph's first reaction was to quietly divorce Mary. An angel from God appeared and told Joseph to "keep her but do not sleep with her!" Now Joseph's response could have been many things - but he chose obedience.

A small child riding in the car wanted to stand in the front seat by his father. The dad explained the importance of a seat belt and told the little boy to sit down. He refused, crossing his little arms in defiance. The father physically sat his son down and buckled him into the seat, bragging on the little boy for his obedience. With a defiant glare, his son said, "I may be sitting down on the outside, but I'm still standing up on the inside." Obedience is an active choice to do what God wants us to do. Obedience is not just an outward motion – it is also an inward attitude – and a gift fit for the King.

The gift of praise
Psalm 50:6 "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord."

When the shepherds heard the angels' news, they went to see Jesus for themselves. After they saw the baby, they left praising God! Anytime we are in the presence of God, praise will result. Praise is also a continual choice that we make again and again until it becomes a habit. Don't let anyone or any circumstance keep you from praising God. Praise keeps us kneeling before the manger and is a gift fit for the King.

The gift of sacrifice
The Wise Men came; bringing gifts that required sacrifice because they knew that true worship always involves sacrifice. Gold, a precious metal, Incense, a rare and expensive product used in worship, and Myrrh, an expensive perfume, were the gifts they brought to Jesus. Sacrifice goes beyond what is required or expected. The best gift - the most expensive and extravagant gift - should go to the one whose birthday we celebrate.  Gifts of trust, obedience, praise and sacrifice please God and are gifts fit for the King.

In other words, the best gift that we can give God at Christmas is US! May the words of this children's song be the prayer of our hearts this Christmas season:

"I'm gonna wrap up myself for Christmas
And tie me with a big red bow.
That's what I'm giving to Jesus.
It's a present He'll like I know."

Let's Pray                     
Lord, today I celebrate Your birth. Thank You for the gift of life and love I find in knowing You. My Christmas gift to You is everything I am, everything I have, and everything I hope to be. I love You, Lord.
In Jesus's name, amen.

Now It's Your Turn
Have a birthday party for Jesus. Bake a cake, sing "Happy Birthday," and worship Him by surrendering to His plan and provision for your life.

Leave one Christmas decoration out this year as a reminder of His birth and what His presence means every single day.

Consider the following questions:

What is the meaning of Christmas in your life?
How can you lead your family to celebrate the birth of Jesus?
What has been the most meaningful part of this Christmas season so far? Why?
More from the Girlfriends
I pray that this Christmas season is a true celebration of Jesus Christ in your life. Carve out time today to spend alone with Him. Praise and worship Him. He is Friend of the wounded heart and the Great Physician. He is our everything and He is Emmanuel, God with us.

Sharon, Gwen and I want to wish you a merry Christmas and look forward to doing life with you in 2013. During the holidays, you can send your prayer request to our prayer team at gjmeador@comcast.net. We love you!

Seeking God?
Click here to find out more about
how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.


Girlfriends in God
P.O. Box 725
Matthews, NC 28106
info@girlfriendsingod.com
www.girlfriendsingod.com

[Judy Harder]

December 26, 2012
Be Still and Know
Sharon Jaynes

Today's Truth
In him we live and move and have our being, (Acts 17:28 NIV).

Friend to Friend
(I posted this devotion a few months ago, but wanted to post it again as you head into the crazy holiday season. Here we go!)

I pressed the send button on my latest manuscript, What God Really Thinks about Women. For twelve months I had spent night and day with Jesus and the women he encountered while he walked the earth. I was going to miss them. Miss walking in their sandals. Miss breathing their air. Miss crying their tears. Miss carrying their water jugs. And while I wasn't going to be in their lives and in their business every day, their imagined faces were etched in my mind and they had become part of me for eternity. But it was time to move on.

I grabbed a cup of coffee, snuggled up in my favorite overstuffed den chair, and opened my Bible in my lap. "OK, God," I began, "that project is finished and tied securely with a bow. So what do you want me to do now?"

I wondered if I should get into a Bible study group, take a class at the local seminary, or finally write those magazine articles I had been putting off. Should I start a small group, volunteer at a charity, or start a new book project? I asked the question and waited.

God surprised me. Acts 17:28 came to my mind. I believed He put it there. In him we live and move and have our being. Learn what that means, He seemed to say. Let's just spend time together. No agenda.  No goal. No deadlines. I want to rekindle the romance. Will you let me?

His answer startled me. I hadn't even realized the fire had died down. Wasn't I working for Him? Wasn't I doing God's will? Wasn't I busy about my Father's business? And then I began to see what He meant. He began turning the lens of my mind's camera and the fuzzy image grew clear. I wondered how I had missed it before. In the middle of all my busyness for God, I had neglected my relationship with God.

I was made for goals, or so I thought. Sitting still wasn't in my nature, and perhaps that was what God was trying to tell me. My "nature" or natural bent of work was standing in the way of worship. My natural bent of activity for God was getting in the way of my communion with God. My daily routine of sanctioned quiet times was getting in the way of divine romance in which He wanted me to engage.

Like the men caught on the stormy Sea of Galilee, I felt I had been reeling in the waves for years – never in danger of truly sinking – just reeling from one rolling wave of work and deadlines to the next. But on this particular morning, I began to see the cast of characters in this Galilean scene in a different light. I was definitely in the scene, but I wasn't in the boat at all. I was the storm.

I love how Eugene Peterson describes Jesus' words to the wind and the waves as his friend stirred him from his sleep to calm the squall: "'Quiet!  Settle down!'" The wind ran out of breath; the sea became smooth as glass."(Mark 5:39 The Message).

What does God really want from me? I've pondered that question since the day I first came to Christ. It was one of the two questions Saul asked when he met Jesus on the road to Damascus: "Who are you? What shall I do? (Acts 22:8,10).

I think I've made my relationship with Jesus far too difficult. I have spent so much time striving to get closer to the heart of God. And all the while God has been whispering to me, "Cease striving and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10 NASB). "It's not that hard. Settle down. Be quiet."

And that is what Jesus was telling me that frosty January morning. But I realized I didn't really know how to be quiet and settle down. I had never mastered the idea of "be still and know." I knew that God was God.  It was the "be still" part that stumped me every time.  Now don't get me wrong. I can be still for a few minutes, maybe even an hour if need be. But much longer than that and I'm undone. Restless spirit syndrome begins to shake my soul, and the urge to get up and get moving wrestles me from worship.

So on this January morning, as I share this with you, I'm asking...will you be still and know that He is God with me? For a moment?

God had a lot to show me in the year that followed that frosty morning. I've shared a lot of what I learned as we've gone through the year together. As we head into the next few busy weeks of the holiday, I just wanted to remind you once again...be still.

Let's Pray
Dear Lord, Help me to learn what it means to live and move and have my being in You. Thank You for a New Year. I am excited to see what You have in store.
In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Now It's Your Turn
How good are you at "be still and know that I am God?"

Have you ever felt God say those words to you?

Easy? Hard? What do you think stands in the way?

Click over to my blog page at www.sharonjaynes.com and tell me your favorite place to "be still." I'd even love to see a picture!

More from the Girlfriends
Is it hard for you to be still? When is the last time you practiced "cease striving?" Your faith journey is not about what God wants FROM you, but what God wants FOR you...the abundant life to the full!  And you can discover the key to experiencing that abundant life in A Sudden Glory: God's Lavish Response to Your Ache for Something More. Check it out on my website. And while you're there, sign up for my blog posts to be eligible for the many free give-aways I do every month.

[Judy Harder]

December 27, 2012
God – Our Source
Mary Southerland

Today's Truth
Psalm 23:1-6 (GWT) "The Lord is my shepherd.I am never in need. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside peaceful waters. He renews my soul. He guides me along the paths of righteousness for the sake of his name. Even though I walk through the dark valley of death, because you are with me, I fear no harm. Your rod and your staff give me courage. You prepare a banquet for me while my enemies watch. You anoint my head with oil. My cup overflows. Certainly, goodness and mercy will stay close to me all the days of my life, and I will remain in the Lord's house for days without end."

Friend to Friend
Christmas is my favorite time of the year! One of my favorite family traditions is the buying of our Christmas tree.  It must be purchased on the day after Thanksgiving and it must be purchased from the nice man who runs a tree lot just down the street from our house because he has the best Frasier Firs in town.  The whole process is something to see and steeped in Southerland tradition.

We all pile into "Old Blue," my husband's well-worn truck, and head for the tree lot two minutes away from our house. When we arrive, my husband and our children fan out in search of "the tree." Yes, I believe there is one particular tree just waiting for us to claim it. Over the years, many people have tried to change that opinion, but I am standing firm. As tradition demands, my husband, Dan, immediately begins muttering, "Bah, humbug" under his breath, but just loud enough for us all to hear. That is the cue for our daughter, Danna, to begin rolling her eyes and correcting her Scrooge father. Our son, Jered, ignores them both and carries out his steady search in quiet contemplation. He usually spots "the tree" first. "Found it!" he will shout, which is another verbal tree-finding tradition. We all gather to inspect Jered's find, immediately dismiss it as unworthy, and spread out once again in search of our tree.

The owners of the tree lot now recognize us, understand that there is a non-negotiable Southerland step-by-step process and stand back, waiting for the curtain to fall on the tree drama, content in the knowledge that we will eventually buy a tree from them. I consider and dismiss almost every tree on the lot before going back to the first tree Jered picked. Afraid of losing it to another customer, Jered diligently stands guard over his tree until we come to our senses and realize that he, once again, has found the perfect tree. After what we consider a respectable search time, we once again gather at Jered's tree, looking for "holes" in the branches, evaluating each side to make sure it will display well and finally, examining the top of the tree to make sure our angel tree-topper will be comfortable there.

The moment of truth arrives when Dan, Danna and Jered all look at me and ask, "Well, what do you think, Mom? Is this the one?" Savoring the moment, I take my time. My husband and children know that, at this point, their only job is to remain silent. Finally, I turn to them and say, "Let's get it!" I am almost certain I hear applause at this moment, from my family, from other customers and certainly from the tree man. My husband writes the check as Jered loads the tree in Old Blue and we head home where the Christmas tree stand is ready and waiting. Jered, the hulk football player, unloads the tree, cuts off an inch of the trunk, places it in the stand and transports the tree to its new home for the holidays.

The smell is delicious. The needles are green and fresh ... for about a month, and then, every year, the same sad process begins. Although I faithfully water the tree, the needles grow more brittle with each passing day, the smell is less powerful and eventually, the limbs begin to wither, dry out and turn brown. Why? The tree has been separated from its source. The same is true in our lives.   

God is our source and there is no life if we are separated from Him. He will meet our every need, and not just material needs. God meets every emotional need, every physical need, and every mental need. A loving Father meets the needs of His kids. He is our source! Our mate is not our source. Our job is not our source. Our children are not our source. God alone is our source.

As you celebrate the Christmas holiday, don't allow anyone or anything divert your heart and mind from the eternal truth that no matter what you did or did not receive this year, no matter what you gave or were unable to give this year – God is your source. And that truth is not seasonal – it is eternal.

Let's Pray
Father, I come to You today with a heart full of thanksgiving and praise. I am in awe of Your perfect plan that sent Your Son to earth for me. He took my sin. He paid the price I was supposed to pay for my imperfection. I don't understand that kind of Love, God, but today I celebrate that love and the fact that You are all I need. In Jesus's name, amen.

Now It's Your Turn
It is easy to be wrapped up in serving God instead of being wrapped up in Him. We keep doing "the next thing" until one day we look around to discover that we have built a life on the wrong foundation. We have been depending on the wrong source. Yet, the Father stands waiting, arms open wide, ready to be all that we need. Consider the following questions and record your answers in your journal.

As I examine my life in light of Psalm 23, who or what am I depending on to be my source?
What "wants" have ruled my life?
Am I ready to believe and live out the truth that, as a child of God, I lack nothing? 
Revisit the day and time when you surrendered your life to God. 
What needs did He meet in your life?
What needs is He meeting in your life today? 
More from the Girlfriends
One of the most powerful ways to learn and saturate your life with the truth that God is your source is through consistent Bible Study and prayer. That's why I began my weekly online Bible Study. I want you to be able to get in God's Word, understand it and apply it so you can live the life of victory God wants you to live. So check out my weekly online bible study, Light for the Journey, for practical ways to tap into the power of God's Word. The first study of 2013 is Power Up With Proverbs and begins January 14, 2013.

FREE MP3s on Mary's website in the Freebies Section!

Do you or someone you love struggle with depression? Mary's book, Hope in the Midst of Depression, offers practical steps you can take to get out and stay out of that pit. You can alsoconnect with me on Facebook or through email.

Seeking God?
Click here to find out more about
how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.


Girlfriends in God
P.O. Box 725
Matthews, NC 28106
info@girlfriendsingod.com

[Judy Harder]

December 28, 2012
"Don't Miss the Beautiful"
Gwen Smith

Today's Truth
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2, NIV).

Friend to Friend
A few years ago I went on a trip to minister in Tennessee at a women's event and, to my delight, my daughter Kennedy was able to join me. The two of us are all about "mommy-daughter time" so we were giddy with happy as we started off on the three and a half hour drive.

Prior to the trip, I had given Kennedy permission to use my iPad to watch a movie. So once we hit the highway, she got cozy with her pillow, her headphones went on, and her attention became fixed on the rectangular screen in front of her. Random giggles floated in the air from the movie-watcher as I drove and prayed through the talk that I was to give later that afternoon.

Just off the Northern parts of the Carolina highway – past the congestion of traffic and the hullaballoo of the suburbs – I was freshly smitten by the splendor of God through traces of red, yellow, orange, and brown leaves that were dancing in the breeze under brilliant blue skies. The trees continued to boast of more and more glory as I neared Virginia... and then they were joined by the mountains. Oh, the mountains! They puffed their chests with the majesty of color and power! My heart was captured by the glory of it all, so I tapped Kennedy and pointed out the window, encouraging her to look around... to lift her eyes and soak in the wonder.

"Don't miss the beautiful!" I urged.

"Don't miss the beautiful!"

She paused her movie and joined the beauty moment, agreeing that God was indeed showing off with His creation. Minutes later, she went back to watching her movie as I drove on undone. Wrung out by glory. Overwhelmed by the sacred sanctuary I'd stumbled upon. I stayed in the moment and celebrated the beautiful as the psalmist did in Psalm 96:

1 Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth.

2 Sing to the LORD, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day.

3 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

4 For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods.

5 For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but the LORD made the heavens.

6 Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and glory are in his sanctuary.

7 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
bring an offering and come into his courts.

9 Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness;
tremble before him, all the earth.

10 Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns."
The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.

11 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let the sea resound, and all that is in it;

12 let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them.
Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy;

13 they will sing before the LORD, for he comes,
he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples in his truth.

Worship poured from my heart. I thanked God for the beauty show. As praise and adoration continued to rise, a God-thought settled on my heart. Tell them, Gwen.

"Tell them what, Lord?" I wondered.

Tell the women what you told Kennedy. Tell them not to miss the beautiful.

Ahhhh, yes! I would tell them, and I would chew on that challenge for days to come. Convicted by questions like:  How often do I drive right through the busyness of my days and miss the beautiful? How many moments of glory do I not even see because my eyes are on the mundane? Do I even look for it?

As we head into this busy holiday season and dance between the days of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years - as we decorate the doors and the hearths of our homes and communities, let's be intentional to decorate the doors and the hearths of our hearts with ribbons of God's grace. Let's live with eyes lifted to the Gift of gifts, Jesus Christ.

When we face the stresses of our lists, and our tasks, and our activities, and our heart burdens, let's commit to remembering that the best present is His presence. He's our Hope, our Peace, our Joy... our Beautiful.

Don't miss the beautiful.

Let's Pray
Dear Lord, You are glorious and worthy of all praise! Please help me to fix my eyes on You each day so I can walk in your hope, peace, joy and beauty.
In Jesus's name I pray, amen.

Now It's Your Turn
Additional Scripture reading: Colossians 3:1-17

Have you paused to spend time with God one-on-one yet today? This week? Prioritize prayer. Spend time in personal worship. Just you and Him. Then click to my Facebook page (www.facebook.com/GwenSmithMusic) and allow the songs that I've posted today lead you in further adoration and praise!

More from the Girlfriends
Friend, don't be discouraged if your calendar seems off-the-charts crazy.  I know what that's like. Let's choose the best together and clear a space every day to sit and worship at the feet of Jesus. Uncluttered is a CD filled with songs that sweep you away from excess 'life-noise', this music focuses your heart and mind on the one thing that matters: your relationship with Jesus Christ. Order your copy today from iTunes or from www.GwenSmith.net.

[Judy Harder]

December 31, 2012
How to Deal with Stress
Mary Southerland

Today's Truth

Hebrews 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be satisfied with what you have. God has said, "I will never leave you; I will never forget you" (NIV).

Friend to Friend

Here I am, writing about stress. It seems that I always have to re-live a topic before I write about it. (I think my next book will be "How to Become a Millionaire and Lose 20 Pounds in Six Short Weeks." Interestingly enough, I have had several offers to co-author.) Recently, stress has been camping out on my doorstep. Admittedly, it seems that a helicopter is always landing somewhere in my life, but these last several months have exceeded my wildest stress-filled expectations.

We learned that both of my husband's parents have cancer. His mom and dad both had major surgery and his mom had chemotherapy. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and have been having trigger point injections for some lovely muscles spasms in my back. My husband was hospitalized with a massive sinus infection. One of our grandsons has developed a severe allergy to all dairy products, nuts and red dye – which is in 99.9% of everything in the entire world and has had several severe reactions. Gwen, Sharon and I had a manuscript due. I could go on, but you get the picture.

We cannot negotiate the existence of stress. We simply have to learn how to manage it, and one of the most important steps in managing stress is learning how to be still and rest. As parents, how many times have we issued the command to "be still"? Our children have been the recipients of that decree more often than I care to remember. The truth is, they take after their mother when it comes to being still – or should I say not being still. Furthermore, I have inadvertently conveyed the message that to be still is to be useless and unproductive, a truth that was brought home to me by our daughter, Danna.

To say that I spend a great deal of time at my computer is like saying that the sun usually comes up each morning. In my defense, a great deal of my job and ministry responsibilities are done through our home office. Every writing assignment and bible study is done on my computer. Online Bible studies, newsletters, resource orders, prayer requests, responses to emails and website updates make up a great deal of the day-to-day management of Journey Ministry and are all orchestrated from my desk.

One of the things that I love most about Danna is her desire to share the minute details of her life with me.  When she hits the door, she always has a story to tell and heads straight to the sofa in my office to find her audience. I am usually there. However, last week, the walls of the office began to close in and I began to whine. "I am never writing another book!" I promised God and myself. "I am sick and tired of putting words together in sentences!" I moaned. "My back hurts from sitting at this ridiculous desk." Enough! I needed a break and headed to the back porch to soak in some sunshine and get some fresh air.

I heard Danna come in and knew exactly where she was going - to the study. Silence – followed by the sound of footsteps across the living room, through the kitchen, through my bedroom and into my bathroom. More silence. I wondered how long it would take her to find me. I then realized just how sad it was that the first two places my daughter thought to look for her mom were the study and the bathroom. As I pondered that pathetic realization, Danna burst through the door, a look of relief on her beautiful face. "Mom, are you OK?" she gasped. The look of concern on her face drove home a fresh realization. My life obviously preached the loud message that rest is sin and that if I am sitting still, something must be wrong. I tried to dress that realization up and make it look and sound better, but the ugly truth blatantly remained. Obviously, I am not an expert when it comes to the subject of rest. In fact, I have met few people who are. It's time for us to surrender, sit at His feet and rest.

A friend recently told me the story of a young mother attending church with her five-year-old daughter. As the congregation stood to sing the chorus, "I exalt thee, oh Lord..." the mother glanced down at her daughter standing beside her to see her little arms up in the air as she sang, "I'm exhausted, oh Lord..." I can relate! I am terrible at this "rest" thing, forever walking the thin line between being productive and my life spiraling out of control. When I asked friends and prayer warriors to pray for me as I worked on a manuscript entitled "Escaping the Stress Trap", they would invariably burst into laughter. I did not appreciate their attitudes!

I have repeatedly tried to defy my God-given need for rest, thinking I am somehow "above" both the occurrence and consequences of exhaustion. Some urgent task will always call my name as will that person whose life will absolutely disintegrate before my eyes if I do not do something right now! Stress seems to shout, "Get busy! There is so much to do!" Stress applauds and dances with delight as I keep on "doing" instead of "being."

Stress can make us sick and, according to medical experts, is deadly. Between 60-90% of all medical patients complain of stress-related symptoms. My doctor tells me that stress can be good or bad, but either way, stress takes its toll. The psalmist writes, "He lets me rest." Do not allow that gentle statement to fool you. The Revised Standard Version of the Bible says it this way, "He makes me lie down in green pastures."  I can personally testify to the fact that the word "makes" holds a world of possibilities from God's hand in our lives and have come to the conclusion that, make no mistake, we will rest - one way or another. Through the years, God has gently grabbed my attention with an illness that drove me to bed or a crisis that drove me to my knees. He is a persistent, loving Father and is well aware of just how much we need to rest and how much rest we need.

Rest is part of a Godly character. Interesting truth, isn't it? We sometimes equate rest with weakness when, in reality, rest is spiritual obedience. I pray that as you live out this week, you will do so from a life at rest in Him.

Let's Pray

Father, I am so tired of constantly running. Please show me how to stop and rest in You. Give me the strength to say "no" to those things that are not part of Your plan for me. Help me remember that You alone are my audience. In Jesus's name, amen.

Now It's Your Turn

Get honest and consider the following questions:

What has been my attitude concerning rest?
How has that attitude affected my work, my family and my own journey? 
What is the first step I need to take in the application of the principle that I need to rest? 
Set aside time each day to rest. Take "mini-vacations" by carving out time for solitude. Build some "stops" into your daily schedule during which you can focus on God and leave your cares and concerns with Him. 

More from the Girlfriends

One of the greatest ways to start the New Year is with a commitment to pray and study the Bible more in 2013. That's why I began my weekly online Bible Study. I want you to be able to get in God's Word, understand it and apply it so you can live the life of victory God wants you to live. So check out my weekly online bible study, Light for the Journey, for practical ways to tap into the power of God's Word and learn to pray. The first study of 2013 is Power Up With Proverbs and begins January 14, 2013.

FREE MP3s on Mary's website in the Freebies Section!

Do you or someone you love struggle with depression? Mary's book, Hope in the Midst of Depression, offers practical steps you can take to get out and stay out of that pit. You can alsoconnect with me on Facebook or through email.

[Judy Harder]

January 1, 2013
When the Earth Drops Out Beneath Your Feet: Part 1
Sharon Jaynes

Today's Truth

His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts,(Isaiah 55:9 NIV).

Friend to Friend

Steve and I got married when we were both still in college. He was entering his fourth year of dental school, and I was just a few hours shy of completing my degree. The last year of school held many important decisions for us, such as where (move the next sentence up) Steve would set up his practice. Dentists don't tend to move about, so this was an important, probably life-long decision for both of us.

All year we prayed, researched, and weighed various opportunities and options. Finally, in April of that year, we felt God calling us to Pineville, North Carolina, right outside of Charlotte. A dentist there was looking for a young associate and the pieces of the puzzle began falling into place. We had prayed. We had fasted. We had listened. We felt that this was God's answer for our lives. It was a big deal.

So after graduation, we packed our meager belongings and moved to Charlotte. After setting up house in our tiny apartment, Steve went to meet with the doctor to finalize the work schedule and management particulars.

"Steve," I've been thinking about it," the doctor began, "and I don't think this is such a good idea after all. I've changed my mind."

He extended his hand to my twenty-five-year-old stunned husband and said, "Good luck to you, son."

I was surprised when Steve came home much earlier than I expected. "What are you doing home?" I asked.

"Sit down," he managed, "You're not going to believe this."

Steve told me the story and I was shocked. I was disappointed. A host of raw emotions collided with questions for God. How could You do this? How could we have been so wrong? Didn't we hear You correctly? We prayed. We fasted. We wanted nothing more than to do what You wanted us to do, where You wanted us to do it. Now here we sit in a big city, with a big student loan, and no job. Now what are we supposed to do?

This was a lover's quarrel between me and God, my friend, and guess whose voice was the loudest? I felt as though I had kept my part of the bargain by following all the right steps and saying all the right words, but God had not kept His.

Somehow, we've come up with the absurd idea that God owes us. That He is obliged to reveal Himself in a way that is acceptable...that fosters belief. If we do A and B, then He is obliged to do C. He's not. One glance at Job chapters 38-41 puts my silly demands in proper perspective. "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?" God questioned Job. "Who marked off its dimensions? Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness? Have you ever given orders to the morning or shown the dawn its place? (Job 38:4, 8-9, 12).  (If you haven't read those chapters lately, they are a great reminder of God's magnificent glory.)

This career setback seems rather petty now as I hear of the tragic losses from hundreds of women who write to me every day. But I have discovered that the accumulations of petty disappointments tend to undermine our faith like little termites gnawing away at the foundation of our lives. They can leave us doubting whether or not God is really concerned about the everyday details of our lives. A lava flow of doubt covers over our faith and we wonder, why should I pray at all?

Our limited vision doesn't allow us to see how God is working behind the scenes in our lives. But we must believe that He is.

Each and every trial is an opportunity to trust Him more. Jean-Pierre de Caussade said it well:  "You would be very ashamed if you knew what experiences you call setbacks, upheavals, pointless disturbances, and tedious annoyances really are. You would realize that your complaints about them are nothing more nor less than blasphemies—though that never occurs to you. Nothing happens to you except by the will of God, and yet beloved children curse it because they do not know it for what it is." His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:9).

Join me tomorrow as I share what happened in the months following what we felt was a setback.

Let's Pray

Lord, help me to remember that You always have a plan. When life takes an unexpected turn, help me to remember that it is not unexpected to You. I'm holding on to Your hand, and going around the next corner with You.

In Jesus' Name,

Amen.

Now It's Your Turn

Today, read Job 38-41 and sum up what You learn about God in one word or one sentence.

Let's compare notes. Log onto my blog page at www.sharonjaynes.com or my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sharonjaynes and share your answer.

More from the Girlfriends

Today's devotion was taken from my newest book, A Sudden Glory: God's Lavish Response to Your Ache for Something More. Disappointments are chock full of miracle moments...or at least they can be. If you need to have your eyes open to glory moments where God makes His presence known, then this book will help open your eyes to see Him, your ears to hear Him, and your heart to experience His love... even in life's most disappointing times. And if you need a boost trusting God during those dark times, see our Girlfriends in God devotion book, Trusting God– a 12-week devotional that will strengthen your faith.

[Judy Harder]

January 2, 2013
When the Earth Drops Out Beneath Your Feet: Part 2
Sharon Jaynes

Today's Truth

His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts,(Isaiah 55:9 NIV).

Friend to Friend

If it were up to me, I would have written some stories differently. I would have a little girl who would be twenty-one years old this year. Carol's son would not be in prison. Linda's twenty-year-old daughter would not be a quadriplegic because of a car crash at a tollbooth when she was a toddler.  Barbara's daughter would not be bipolar. Patty's twenty-one-year-old daughter would not have died in a car accident. Jennifer's husband would not have died of a brain tumor. If I had been writing the story.

But I'm so glad I'm not the author of those stories. Each and every one of these friends have ministries that impact thousands upon thousands of women all over the world. God has turned their pain into purpose, the misery into ministry, and their devastation into anointed messages of hope and restoration. Sudden glories fill and spill from each of these women's lives. Their love journeys of living and moving and having their being in Christ have led them through dark valleys and back out into the light on the other side. They practically glow with radiant wonder.

Difficult times are pregnant with glory moments just waiting to be birthed in the lives of those willing to labor through the pain. The key is to not allow bitterness and anger to make our hearts infertile to God's gifts. One way to avoid the darkening of the soul is by constant communication seasoned with thanksgiving—a continual acknowledgement of His presence.

Glory moments in difficult times are not dependent on our circumstances, but on our focus. Focus on the difficulty and God is difficult to see. Focus on God and glory seeps through the broken places. Difficulties become the bass notes of our life's song, adding a depth and beauty not found in a life that hovers about middle C.

I hope you read my last devotion...part one of this story. If not, you might want to go back and catch up.

Steve and I were terribly disappointed when we felt stranded in a new city with no job and no income. However, after the doctor changed his mind about Steve joining his practice, we never went hungry. I worked six days a week in various dental offices, and Steve filled in where he could. Then three months later, a situation opened up in a very desirable part of town with one of the city's most respected doctors. Steve was offered a wonderful situation in which to begin his career. If we had written out the best-case scenario ourselves, it would not have come close to what God provided. It was Ephesians 3:20 in lab-coat white: "Now to him who is able to do immeasurable more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us..."

After a few years, the part of town in which we originally planned to set up Steve's practice became a rundown thoroughfare, and that doctor faded away. However, Steve's practice continued to grow and grow and grow, until we had to move out on our own to expand. We experienced God's provision and protection through the twists and turns of uncertainty.

Well, why didn't God do that in the first place? Why didn't He lead us to that second opportunity when we did all that praying and seeking? He could have. But He is far more interested in developing our character than doling out a life of comfort and ease. C. S. Lewis notes:  "If you think of this world as a place intended simply for our happiness, you find it quite intolerable: think of it as a place of training and correction and it's not so bad."  We are ever the students. He is the teacher still. Trials rip away the flimsy fabric of self-sufficiency and become the raw material for God's miracles in our lives. And those miracles are a sudden glory.

A year later, I sat thanking God for His provision, and I was ashamed of myself. Ashamed that I had doubted God. Ashamed that I had fussed at Him. Ashamed that I had thrown a temper tantrum when I didn't get what I wanted when I wanted it...and I'm so glad I didn't.

"I'm so sorry God," I prayed. "Please forgive me."

That's O.K, He seemed to say. Happens all the time. Now, I want this to be a lesson for you. You've got to trust me.

Someone once said, "Faith means believing in advance what will only make sense in reverse."  Oh that we would trust Him even if the twists and turns never make sense this side of heaven. That's what trusting God is all about. As we live and move and have our being in Him, the dark places are simply opportunities to trust that He knows the way—and the perfect time to hold on tight.

Let's Pray

Lord, I'll admit that sometimes I don't like how the story of my life is going. There are some chapters I would love to go back and edit. But the reality is, You use it all. Even fairy tales have villains, darks forests, and big bad wolves. But I know, oh I know, how my story ends. "And she lived happily in the hereafter with the Prince of Peace." I thank You for the storyline that gets me there.

In Jesus' Name,

Amen.

Now It's Your Turn

Can you think of a time when it looked like the earth fell out from beneath your feet, and later you realized it was all in God's perfect plan for your better good?

What did Joseph say to his brothers who sold him into slavery and told their father he was dead? Check it out at Genesis 50:19-23.

What does that tell you about Joseph's perspective on the bad things that happened in his life?

More from the Girlfriends

Today's devotion was taken from my newest book, A Sudden Glory: God's Lavish Response to Your Ache for Something More. Disappointments are chock full of miracle moments...or at least they can be. If you need to have your eyes open to glory moments where God makes His presence known, then this book will help open your eyes to see Him, your ears to hear Him, and your heart to experience His love... even in life's most disappointing times. And if you need a boost trusting God during those dark times, see our Girlfriends in God devotion book, Trusting God – a 12-week devotional that will strengthen your faith.

[Judy Harder]

January 3, 2013
Facing the Giants
Mary Southerland

Today's Truth

2 Timothy 1:7 (NCV) "God did not give us a spirit that makes us afraid but a spirit of power and love and self-control."

Friend to Friend

A cloud of terror hung over the Valley of Elah as snarling threats and vile promises spewed from his mouth. The intimidator strutted along grassy slopes, swinging an enormous club, his mammoth, ironclad feet pawing the ground like an irate bull, ready to attack. The huge, ugly monster was Goliath, a nine-foot giant and the pride of Philistia. He wore massive armor; a bronze coat weighing 200 pounds, a solid iron spear, a heavy bronze helmet. The target of his ranting and raving was a frightened, helpless group of Israelites, cowering in their tents. For forty agonizing days, Goliath had come, taunting them, promising certain destruction and doom. The Israelites, paralyzed with fear, had given up all hope of escape, resigned to their tortured fate at the hand of this Philistine monster.

Then came day forty-one! I am certain, as the sun inched its way over the mountains that morning, that neither Goliath nor the Israelites had any idea just how different this day would be. A young handsome teenager stepped into the valley of fear, fresh from the presence of God. David, the youngest in a family of eight boys could not believe his eyes. Tossing the giant's threats and obvious advantage aside, David refused to accept what he saw. Instead, he chose to believe what he knew in his heart; this giant was going down! With simple but certain faith and unreserved confidence in God, David stepped through the fear, ushering in the mighty presence and power of God. Goliath not only met David that day, He met the Lord of Heaven and Earth. And the giant fell! Giants always fall in the presence of God!

We stand on the threshold of a new year – a new beginning. If you are like me, you face 2012 with mixed emotions. Personally, I am thrilled that I survived 2012! There were certainly moments when I wondered if I would survive at all. I am so excited about a fresh start, a brand new set of days overflowing with new dreams and unmarked possibilities. But I also know that this year is crammed full of the unknown as well as a giant or two.  And if I am brutally honest, I have to admit that the unknown fashions a pocket of fear in my heart where questions and doubts thrive.

The good news is that what lies ahead is no surprise to God. In fact, He has already been where we are going. That reason alone empowers us to face every tomorrow with hope, knowing that whatever touches us passes through His hands, with His permission. It is not God's plan for us to dwell in fear or for fear to rule our lives.  He has already set in motion the defeat and fall of every giant that we will ever face. Our responsibility is to step through our fear, facing every giant in God's power and with His promises. The Holy Spirit will guide the path of His truth to its destined mark, taking down the giants lurking in each tomorrow.

Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. Determine right now to face each day with the memory of Goliath's fall and trust in Almighty God, the Giant Killer. So then, my friend, I ask you, what is there to fear? Happy New Year!

Let's Pray

Father, I want to thank You for Your goodness to me this past year. I confess that there were times when I focused on the storm instead of on You. I allowed fear to overpower my faith. Please help me begin this New Year in faith, with my eyes on You and my glance on the circumstances. I want to face every giant in Your power alone, walking straight through my fear in faith. Right now, Father, I surrender to You and the plan You have for me in 2013.

In Jesus's name,

Amen.

Now It's Your Turn

Take time to review the past year and consider the following questions:

What giants have you faced this year? 
Was your response to these giants right or wrong? 
How do you typically handle fear?
What giants are you facing today?
What has been your natural response to giants of the past?
How do the birth, life and death of Jesus Christ affect those responses?
Read Luke 2:8-14. Examine your life in light of this passage.
More from the Girlfriends

Can you believe that the clean slate of 2013 is just ahead? A new beginning and a fresh start! However, what did we learn in 2012 that will make a difference in the weeks and months ahead? As the holiday season winds down, I pray that your heart and mind will look ahead to all that this year holds. Guard your heart and mind against darkness. Stand firm in God's power and presence. He is faithful and He is sufficient for whatever tomorrow brings.

Mary's message, Strength for the Storm, is available in DVD, CD, MP3 and E-Bible Study.

A daily time alone with God in prayer and Bible study will strengthen you to face whatever life throws at you. Check out my weekly online Bible study, Light for the Journey, for practical ways to tap into the power of God's Word. The first study of 2013 is Power Up With Proverbs and begins January 14.

FREE MP3son Mary's website in the Freebies Section! And connect with Mary on Facebook or through email.

Seeking God?
Click here to find out more about
how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.


Girlfriends in God
P.O. Box 725
Matthews, NC 28106
info@girlfriendsingod.com
www.girlfriendsingod.com

[Judy Harder]

January 4, 2013
A Fresh Brewed Faith
Gwen Smith

Today's Truth

"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint" (Isaiah 40:29-31, NIV).

Friend To Friend

Every morning I walk straight to the coffee pot and push the ON button. I'm a total coffee girl. I like a piping-hot, extra dark roast with half and half, and I struggle to function without my first cup of coffee. I crave that first sip and relish the warmth of the mug in my hands. I jokingly call it my "warm, happy friend." My mornings just wouldn't be the same without coffee!

We should have the same attitude about our faith.  We should wake up each morning bursting at the seams to be with God, to be in His presence, to listen for His still small voice, to savor Him. A faith that is brewed fresh daily strengthens us, renews us, and enables us to mount up with wings like eagles, to experience the power of God in our lives, to run and not grow weary, to walk and not faint.

This energizing, percolated faith is readily available to all who ask, seek and knock (Matthew 7:7-8). How can you experience this power in your life? By getting alone with God, reading the Bible, and listening for His voice each day. "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17, ESV).

Like a morning with no coffee, there are times when we are sluggish in our faith. Times when trusting Him doesn't come easily. Times when we need a shot of God-caffeine in our day, a spiritual espresso. What can we do at these times? Are there things in the Scriptures that tell us how can we strengthen our trust-muscles and jump-start our faith? Absolutely!

One practical way to build your faith is by remembrance. When David was just a shepherd boy, he had courage to face a giant partly because he remembered the previous victories the Lord allowed him to experience. He approached King Saul with great confidence, saying: The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine (1 Sam 17:36, NIV). His past victories fueled his faith and helped him to trust God for his present deliverances. Ours do the same. We can face our giants with equal confidence when we pause to remember how God has worked in our past.

Corrie Ten Boom said, "Faith sees the invisible, believes the unbelievable, and receives the impossible."

What has God brought you through in the past? Think on these things, and choose to trust Him to bring you through all you face today and tomorrow. When you trust God with a fresh brewed faith, He will be your Strength, your Sustainer, and your Hiding Place so you can run and not grow weary, walk and not be faint. Fill up your faith cup right now.

Let's Pray

Dear God, You have brought me through so many challenging times. Please remind me of Your faithfulness in the past so that I may have a fresh shot of faith that equips me to live today in Your strength. Help me to trust You, and keep me from leaning on my own understanding. In Jesus's name, amen.

Now It's Your Turn

Read 1 Samuel 17.

Consider a specific time that God has moved in your life. Grab a journal and write about it, or swing by my Facebook pageand tell me about it!

Pray for God to increase your faith and give you the strength you need for today.

More From The Girlfriends

Ready for a fresh brewed faith? In the Old Testament, the Israelites used to head into battle lead by the singers. Worship went before them and paved the way to victory. My latest CD, Uncluttered, is purposed to sweep you away from life-noise and to focus your heart and mind on the one thing that matters: your relationship with Jesus Christ. We are running a great CD Special now, so swing by www.GwenSmith.net... or you can download the songs from iTunes or Amazon.

If you are struggling to see how you can get your faith from sluggish to fresh brewed, be sure to get a copy of our GiG book, Trusting God, A Girlfriends in God Faith Adventure.  (Today's devotion is an excerpt from Trusting God by Sharon Jaynes, Gwen Smith and Mary Southerland.)

[Judy Harder]

January 7, 2013
Coming Out of the Dark
Mary Southerland

Today's Truth

I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD (Psalm 40:1-3, NIV).

Friend to Friend

Florida is famous for its sinkholes. I personally find them fascinating since I grew up in Texas where most holes are made intentionally. As I studied these overnight wonders, an interesting explanation emerged. Scientists assert that sinkholes occur when the underground resources gradually dry up, causing the surface soil to lose its underlying support. Everything simply caves in - forming an ugly pit.

Depression and sinkholes have a lot in common. Depression seems to overwhelm with a vicious suddenness when it is actually the result of a malignant and constant process. Inner resources are slowly depleted until one day there is nothing left. The world caves in and darkness reigns.

Depression is America's number one health problem. Someone once called it "a dark tunnel without a ray of light" while some cartoonists often describe depression as a "little black cloud hovering overhead." I have a friend who says, "Some days you're the bug. Some days you're the windshield." Many believe depression is simply a spiritual problem while others insist it is an emotional and physical disorder. I think they are all right. Studies indicate that over half of all women and one out of three men struggle with depression on a regular basis. Because no one is immune to the darkness, we must learn to face it honestly, with emotional integrity.

That moment came for me in the spring of 1995 when I realized that something was drastically wrong. I was empty and completely exhausted. It seemed as if I had been living in the fast and furious lane forever. Overwhelmed, I mentally listed the demands on my life:

Serving as pastor's wife in a large and fast-growing church
Raising two young children
Maintaining a hectic speaking schedule
Directing the Women's Ministry of our church
Teaching a weekly and monthly Bible study
Counseling women in crisis
Playing the piano for three worship services
Teaching twenty piano and voice students
No wonder I was struggling. I was just plain tired. Being a perfectionist, I had always been very strong, driven to excel with little sympathy for weak people. Now I, the strong one, couldn't get out of bed. Getting dressed by the time my children returned from school meant it was a good day. The simplest decisions sent me into a panic and the thought of facing crowds was overwhelming. Many times, I walked to the front door of our church building but couldn't go in. I felt guilty missing services but couldn't handle the sympathetic looks and questioning stares as I stood, weeping uncontrollably. I was paralyzed, imprisoned in a bottomless pit where loneliness and despair reigned, wreaking emotional havoc from their throne of darkness. I had no idea how I had gotten there and what was even more frightening was the fact that I had no idea how to escape. I did the only thing I could do. I cried out to God. 

"I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry.  He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand." (Psalm 40:1-2, NIV)

With that single heart cry, my journey from darkness into light began. The first step was to recognize the factors that can trigger depression; a lack of replenishing relationships, various chemical imbalances, and a poor self-image, just to name a few. One of the most common and deadly factors is failure to deal with the past. The "mire" mentioned in Psalm 40:2 means "sediment at the bottom." When our children were small, we frequented the beach. Wading out into the ocean, they took turns pushing a beach ball under the water and counting to see who could hold the ball down for the longest time. Eventually their arms would tire, or the ball would escape their control, popping to the surface. The "mire" in our lives is like that beach ball. The "sediment" or "junk" that we have never dealt with settles at the bottom of our souls, randomly popping up until we run out of energy to keep it submerged. Eventually, this mire works its way to the surface, spilling ugliness and darkness into every part of life.

"Mire" comes in all shapes and sizes -- buried pain, unresolved anger, hidden sin or a devastating loss. I had never really dealt with my mother's death or faced some very painful parts of my past. As I looked back over my life, a startling realization came -- I had painted a picture in my heart and mind of how I wanted my childhood to be, not how it really was. I had spent my whole life running from the past by filling the present with frenzied activity. In the following weeks and months, the Lord and I sifted through the enormous pile of "mire" that had settled into my spirit and life. Together we faced experiences that I had carefully locked away until they slammed into my heart and mind with breathtaking force and fresh pain; an alcoholic father, the trusted family doctor who molested me, times of loneliness and rejection, haunting failures, unreasonable fears that were never spoken. It seemed as if the flood of polluted memories would never end!

But God is good -- providing a defense mechanism for those experiences that are beyond our ability to face. He gently tucks them away until we are ready. When we bury pain alive, it keeps popping up at unexpected moments. Pain must be dealt with and buried ... dead! Freedom from the pit of darkness demands a confrontation of our past, straining every experience through the truth that "all" things work together for our good. The will of God admits no defeat and penalizes no one. We can allow our past to defeat us or empower us. Harnessing the power of the past is a compelling weapon in the war against darkness.

Let's Pray

Father, I am so tired and so afraid of the darkness in my life. Right now, I cry out to You. Please help me deal with the mud and mire in my past. Heal my heart and soul and mind. I want to trust You, Lord. I am no longer willing to be a prisoner of my past. Show me the sins I need to confess and turn away from. Heal the wounds that have hurt for so long. I lay my past at Your feet and ask You to make it a cornerstone for the new life I can have in You. I choose to believe You will work it all together for Your glory and my good.

In Jesus' name,

Amen.

Now It's Your Turn

Take a few minutes to think back over your life. Make a list of the "mire" that has settled in your heart and soul. Be specific. It may be a sin you need to confess or the pain of a broken relationship that needs to be healed.  Ask God to show you the things in your past that have become footholds of darkness in your life today. Face each one. Deal with it and let it go.

Read Romans 8:28  What good things has God brought out of the pain in your past? Is your faith stronger? Have you been able to encourage others who have experienced that same pain?

More from the Girlfriends

Now is a great time to establish the habit of a daily quiet time. Let us help you get started. Get your copy of the Girlfriends in God new 12-week devotion book, Trusting God. You can use it for your personal study or why not form a GiG group and work through the book together?

Check out Mary's Weekly Online Bible Study, Light for the Journey and explore the book of Proverbs in Mary's new study, Power Up With Proverbs beginning January 14. Connect with Mary on Facebook or through email.