One of my very favorite speakers came to Club Mom and Girlfriends tonight: Karen Ehman. Karen is a writer and speaker from St. Johns. I love having her come to our group!!
Tonight, she spoke to us about her own Extreme Makeover in which she lost over 100 lbs--you go girl--by more exercise and less eating, but in the process, realized that God gave her a make-over of the heart.
So much of her life, she always thought life was greener in someone else's yard...her neighbor who only had one child compared to her three, or her friend who just got a new car...when in reality, God taught her that comparison is the killer of contentment.
She realized that when she stopped comparing her life to others, and worked on enjoying her life and her family, that she was very happy with her not so perfect family God gave her and that God gave her the husband and children she had to help shape her into who God planned her to be.
She encouraged us to let go of bitter feelings we may have towards others in our past, to shower them in kindness.
She left us with the thought "Being a genuine you is better than being a cheap imitation of someone else."
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Everyone has the ability to be creative!
Don Perini came from Cornerstone University to talk to us about "How to develop a Creative Life." He told us that everyone had the ability to be creative. We were made by a creative God. Our Father had an idea to create the world and since we are made in His image, we are creative and can come up with ideas.
He gave us 10 places that most people have creative ideas:
10) Taking a shower
9) Driving
8) Sitting on the toilet
7) Falling asleep or waking up
6) During a boring meeting
5) Reading
4) Exercising
3) Waking up in the middle of the night
2) Listening to a church sermon
1) Manual Labor
During these times, our brain is in an Alpha state and we are able to organize our thoughts and that is when our most creative thoughts happen. He challenged us to think about when our best creative time is and to be intentional about using that time to capture our thoughts.
He talked about how God's son, Jesus came to earth from heaven...this was an activity and when we have a creative idea, we need to see an idea come to fruition. He encouraged us to look at our environment where we are creative, to change routines, let an idea "marinate", observe, brainstorm, make a prodotype and implent our ideas.
He encouraged us to not just have 10-20 ideas but go beyond that and have 100 ideas!
He then went to talk about how the Holy Spirit gave us power and how we can use our ideas in a powerful way.
Thank you, Don for encouraging us to dig into our creative side and bringing it out in a purposeful way to glorify God.
Make plans to bring a friend next week as we listen to Karen Ehman talk about Contentment.
He gave us 10 places that most people have creative ideas:
10) Taking a shower
9) Driving
8) Sitting on the toilet
7) Falling asleep or waking up
6) During a boring meeting
5) Reading
4) Exercising
3) Waking up in the middle of the night
2) Listening to a church sermon
1) Manual Labor
During these times, our brain is in an Alpha state and we are able to organize our thoughts and that is when our most creative thoughts happen. He challenged us to think about when our best creative time is and to be intentional about using that time to capture our thoughts.
He talked about how God's son, Jesus came to earth from heaven...this was an activity and when we have a creative idea, we need to see an idea come to fruition. He encouraged us to look at our environment where we are creative, to change routines, let an idea "marinate", observe, brainstorm, make a prodotype and implent our ideas.
He encouraged us to not just have 10-20 ideas but go beyond that and have 100 ideas!
He then went to talk about how the Holy Spirit gave us power and how we can use our ideas in a powerful way.
Thank you, Don for encouraging us to dig into our creative side and bringing it out in a purposeful way to glorify God.
Make plans to bring a friend next week as we listen to Karen Ehman talk about Contentment.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
No Soup for you!
Tonight we had a wonderful speaker, Lorilee Cracker. She talked to us about Maternal Gatekeeping, which means when we need help, we don't allow our husbands to help us because we don't like the way they do it and we constantly correct or nag.
She compared our controlling ways of wanting things done just so to the Soup Nazi on Seinfeld. But when we are so controlling, we don't allow our husbands to be who they are and be a true partner in our marriage.
She gave us 3 ways to open the Maternal Gate and let our husbands be a true partner:
1) Quit hogging and hovering: We have a system of how we do things and just because we have found a way that works best for us, that does not mean we need to hover over our husbands and take things away from them because we think we can do it better.
2) Watch how we ask for help: Not making a honey do list or be condesending but ask for help using encouraging words. For example, "I would consider it the best thing in the world if you would..."
3) Your husband has something for your kids that you don't: Let Dad be Dad
She encouraged us to let go of the little things like wiping the counter or picking up the toys to see the big picture of allowing valuable time your husband is spending with you or your children.
Thank you so much, Lorilee!
Next week, we look forward to hearing Don Perini talk to us about "How to Develop a Creative Life"
She compared our controlling ways of wanting things done just so to the Soup Nazi on Seinfeld. But when we are so controlling, we don't allow our husbands to be who they are and be a true partner in our marriage.
She gave us 3 ways to open the Maternal Gate and let our husbands be a true partner:
1) Quit hogging and hovering: We have a system of how we do things and just because we have found a way that works best for us, that does not mean we need to hover over our husbands and take things away from them because we think we can do it better.
2) Watch how we ask for help: Not making a honey do list or be condesending but ask for help using encouraging words. For example, "I would consider it the best thing in the world if you would..."
3) Your husband has something for your kids that you don't: Let Dad be Dad
She encouraged us to let go of the little things like wiping the counter or picking up the toys to see the big picture of allowing valuable time your husband is spending with you or your children.
Thank you so much, Lorilee!
Next week, we look forward to hearing Don Perini talk to us about "How to Develop a Creative Life"
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Layettes anyone??
What a fun evening we had putting together layettes for Lansing Christian Services/Love INC. These layettes will be given to women in the hospital after they have a baby. The layettes included a beautiful blanket, a book, a sleeper, a onesie, and socks.
The ladies at Club Mom and Girlfriends worked hard together to make 22 complete layettes and 9 that need one or two items to make them complete. What a blessing it is to work with generous women of this group who brought in the supplies for the layettes, worked to put them together and took time out of their night to pray for a fellow Club Mommer.
We are praying for Sandi Shults who received word today that the medicine she has been taking is not working to help her and she will soon be put on the list for a lung transplant. We are praying for her during this frustrating time.
May God bless each and every woman who is part of Club Mom and Girlfriends.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Tending the Garden of Self
Tonight we had our first Bible Study/Pastor Rich talk. Pastor Rich talked to us about gardening. He gave us four elemental steps to gardening and compared them to taking care of our selves:
1) Preparing the soil: We need to turn over the soil and make it receptive to seed--we need to not have a hard heart. We need to pick out the rocks--look at people in our life who we may need to remove. We need to Spray with weed killer--Get rid of bad habits in our life.
2) Planting the seed: Choose the seed wisely--choose what you put into your mind through books, movies and TV. Fertilize liberally--Using the word of God . Water abundantly--Give lots of time to develop a relationship with Christ.
3) Tending the garden: Watch-be on guard, be alert, weeds will come back. Weed--Bad company corrupts good character. Wait-Patience is part of tending our lives
4) Harvest: You will receive more than what you put in. You will receive enough for yourself. You will receive plenty to share.
Our memory work for the week is Galatians 6:7 "Do not be deveived: God cannot be mocked. A woman reaps what she sows."
We look forward to next week when we will be putting together Layettes for Lansing Christian Services. We are still in need of infant socks, sleepers and bibs.
See you next week!
1) Preparing the soil: We need to turn over the soil and make it receptive to seed--we need to not have a hard heart. We need to pick out the rocks--look at people in our life who we may need to remove. We need to Spray with weed killer--Get rid of bad habits in our life.
2) Planting the seed: Choose the seed wisely--choose what you put into your mind through books, movies and TV. Fertilize liberally--Using the word of God . Water abundantly--Give lots of time to develop a relationship with Christ.
3) Tending the garden: Watch-be on guard, be alert, weeds will come back. Weed--Bad company corrupts good character. Wait-Patience is part of tending our lives
4) Harvest: You will receive more than what you put in. You will receive enough for yourself. You will receive plenty to share.
Our memory work for the week is Galatians 6:7 "Do not be deveived: God cannot be mocked. A woman reaps what she sows."
We look forward to next week when we will be putting together Layettes for Lansing Christian Services. We are still in need of infant socks, sleepers and bibs.
See you next week!
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