I'm so sorry, I forgot to blog last weeks lesson so here it is a week late!
Pastor Rich talked to us about Nurturing Your Friendships and told us that strong friendships require nurturing and protection.
He said that building friendships can be just as complicated as maintaining friendships. A friendship starts with self-disclosure, then requires taking risks, opening doors and taking down walls. It requires active listening and time.
For a friendship to remain strong and healthy we need to do some work! Friendships are often sacraficed to the business of life-job and family. But friendships can help you get through life by being a support system, an escape from stress and an avenue to express a part of you that you may not be able to express in other avenues of life.
He asked us to take a friendship test:
1) Make a quick list of all your "good friends"
2) Now, write the date when you last communicated with them in any way
3) When was the last time you tried to find out about the struggles in their life?
4) What is the ratio of your telling them your problems and your asking them about theirs
It was good to review how much we need our friends and how much they need us! I found a study that stated that when women are able to connect with women on various emotional levels it can assist in lowering blood pressure, heart rate and cholesterol. So, what that says to me is that you should go have coffee, dinner, desserts or just water with your friends, explaining that it's all for our health!
So, enjoy your friends and spend time with them!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Learning new recipes is always fun!
Tonight, we were blessed to have special speaker, Deanna House. She shared some incredible recipes with us and a few of us were able to take some of the goodies home!
She shared recipes for Cranberry Chicken Salad Sandwiches, Asparagus and Carrots, Sunny Fruit Salad and Rhubarb Lemon Muffins.
Deanna loved our wild group and enjoyed talking about our awesome MSU Women's Spartans who are in the sweet 16. She recommend we top our sandwiches with a mayo "S" if they get to be a bit dry.
She also loved how one of our group misunderstood her story about Martha Steward being incarcerated and thought Deanna was talking about her mother being in prison!
We had a fun evening and lots of laughs. Thank you everyone for coming!
An update on our birthday bags...Marcia Kamphuis will be bringing all 26 bags to Lansing Christian Services for them to distribute, along with 12 ziploc bags with wrap, ribbon, tape, and balloons and 24 ziploc bags with wrap and ribbon and tape. Thank you ladies for all the donations to make these bags possible!
We'll have two weeks of spring break and then we see you on April 15 to hear Pastor Rich talk about "Tending to your friendships".
She shared recipes for Cranberry Chicken Salad Sandwiches, Asparagus and Carrots, Sunny Fruit Salad and Rhubarb Lemon Muffins.
Deanna loved our wild group and enjoyed talking about our awesome MSU Women's Spartans who are in the sweet 16. She recommend we top our sandwiches with a mayo "S" if they get to be a bit dry.
She also loved how one of our group misunderstood her story about Martha Steward being incarcerated and thought Deanna was talking about her mother being in prison!
We had a fun evening and lots of laughs. Thank you everyone for coming!
An update on our birthday bags...Marcia Kamphuis will be bringing all 26 bags to Lansing Christian Services for them to distribute, along with 12 ziploc bags with wrap, ribbon, tape, and balloons and 24 ziploc bags with wrap and ribbon and tape. Thank you ladies for all the donations to make these bags possible!
We'll have two weeks of spring break and then we see you on April 15 to hear Pastor Rich talk about "Tending to your friendships".
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Birthday Bags
First, an update about the awesome aprons we made last week... Here are a few of the guys wearing them! They loved them and they loved picking out which ones to wear. Thanks again for all the hard work you guys do each week to help us enjoy a night off from cooking...we love you!!!
Now, onto the fun of the evening...we made Birthday bags for Lansing Christian Services to give out to people who are in need. Children of parents in need can receive a special present from a church and we made up bags to go along with those presents which will allow them to have a fun birthday. We brainstormed for a few weeks about what would be in the bags...we came up with :
Cake
Frosting
Candles
Streamers
Balloons
Wrapping paper
Ribbon
Tape
Party Favors
A Birthday Card
We prayed over the bags, knowing that God will bless everyone who receives a birthday bag.
Thank you ladies for your generosity and we'll see you next week to hear Deanna House!!!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
A creative group
Wow...when you give this group creative freedom...they provide!!!
Tonight we were supposed to have a speaker talk to us about growing closer to God, but our speaker cancelled. Instead, we gave away 2 devotional books...not the same but still fun! We also had some special giveaways from The Preppy Princess-always a treat!
Then, we did a special project...APRONS for the men who serve in the kitchen each week. Since there can be a rotation of men, we didn't put specific names but gave them special names...check them out:
We brainstormed ideas of names and then the women picked which one they wanted to work on and these are the results...so creative! I can't wait to see the men's reaction next week when we present it to them. We really do appreciate all the hard work the do to provide us dinner each week! (And we appreciate all the hard work Sally and her helpers do as prep and shoppers! Thank you!)
Here's a few more...
We'll see you next week as we prepare Birthday bags!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Tending to your relationship with God
Pastor Rich talked to us tonight about how to begin and maintain a daily quiet time with God.
First, he encouraged us to pick a special time for our quiet time with God...to schedule it. He told us the best time to schedule this time is when you are your best. For some of us, it may be first thing in the morning. For some of us, it may be late in the evening. Whenever it is, be consistent.
Second, he encouraged us to choose a place to have our quiet time. It should be a place where we are comfortable, where we are free from distractions.
Third, he encouraged us to gather the resources we would need for our quiet time with God. We should find a readable bible...some of us may need a large print bible, but we should find a bible that is easy to understand, like the Message. We should take a notebook so we can write down what God is saying to us as well as keeping a prayer list in which you can keep track of answered prayers. We should have a picture of the cross or of Christ. Also, we should have a candle to represent Christ's presence with us, and a song book or CD of praise music.
Fourth, he encouraged us to begin with the right attitude, to approach God with reverence, expectancy and obedience.
He gave an easy plan of how to spend 15 minutes with God:
1 Minute to be still and be quiet
4 minutes reading God's word
4 minutes reflecting on what you've just read
2 minutes to write out a personal application
4 minutes in prayer
Lastly, he encouraged us to share the insights we gain in your quiet time with others.
Make a priority, ladies! Take time to spend time with your Lord and Savior.
Just a quick note about next week. Our speaker cancelled so we have a special project we'll be working on. Join us!
First, he encouraged us to pick a special time for our quiet time with God...to schedule it. He told us the best time to schedule this time is when you are your best. For some of us, it may be first thing in the morning. For some of us, it may be late in the evening. Whenever it is, be consistent.
Second, he encouraged us to choose a place to have our quiet time. It should be a place where we are comfortable, where we are free from distractions.
Third, he encouraged us to gather the resources we would need for our quiet time with God. We should find a readable bible...some of us may need a large print bible, but we should find a bible that is easy to understand, like the Message. We should take a notebook so we can write down what God is saying to us as well as keeping a prayer list in which you can keep track of answered prayers. We should have a picture of the cross or of Christ. Also, we should have a candle to represent Christ's presence with us, and a song book or CD of praise music.
Fourth, he encouraged us to begin with the right attitude, to approach God with reverence, expectancy and obedience.
He gave an easy plan of how to spend 15 minutes with God:
1 Minute to be still and be quiet
4 minutes reading God's word
4 minutes reflecting on what you've just read
2 minutes to write out a personal application
4 minutes in prayer
Lastly, he encouraged us to share the insights we gain in your quiet time with others.
Make a priority, ladies! Take time to spend time with your Lord and Savior.
Just a quick note about next week. Our speaker cancelled so we have a special project we'll be working on. Join us!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Creativity flows
Tonight was Jewelry making and boy, do we have creative women in this group. First, they had to look at all the beads. And look and look and look. Then, they got some ideas, put them together...
Shared ideas with the other ladies...
shared beads...
took a break to smile!
And here are some of the results of the night...look at how creative these ladies are...
Shared ideas with the other ladies...shared beads...took a break to smile!And here are some of the results of the night...look at how creative these ladies are...
Tessy was so quick she was able to make a necklace, earrings AND a bracelet! And they all turned out beautiful! Great job, Tessy!!!
Michelle made some beautiful earrings!!
Wow, you ladies are amazing! See you next week for another bible study!!
Michelle made some beautiful earrings!!
Wow, you ladies are amazing! See you next week for another bible study!!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Tending to your Marriage
Just like a garden needs attention, love, watering and weeding, our marriages need attention, love, nourishment and weeding. Pastor Rich talked to us tonight about strengthening our marriages.
He told us we first needed to be aware of the enemy, the devil, who is always seeking to destroy what we hold dear. He also told us to know the devil's strategy which is using today's society to make us unsatisfied in our marriage. He encouraged us to fight back and enlist help when needed.
He then gave us 20 ways to strengthen our marriage:
1) Start each day with a hug and kiss-decide to start each day with love
2) Wear your wedding ring at all times as a visible reminder of your commitment
3) Go on a date with your spouse every week-dedicate time to be together
4) Accept each other's differences
5)Be Polite-practice good manners
6) Be gentle-harsh words and actions are no place in a home
7) Smile often
8) Touch each other-a hug, a pat on the back, a stroke on the arm
9) Talk about your dreams-talk about things beyond schedules and routines
10) Laugh together-find something to share that will make each other laugh every day
11) Do what your spouse wants before he asks
12) Listen to each other-you don't have to solve each other's problem's-just listen
13) Encourage each other-help them be the best they can be
14) Pray for your spouse daily
15) Hold Hands
16) Apologize-equal in power to "I love you" is "I'm sorry, please forgive me"
17) Ask-What can I do for you
18) Reminisce about your favorite times together
19) Play to Win-Invest everything you can to make it the best marriage it can be
20) End each day with a hug and a kiss
We read through Proverbs 31 which describes a servant hearted wife, as well as Ephesians 5 on how we should respect our husbands.
What a wonderful reminder for us to make our marriage a priority with some great ways on how to do that. Enjoy your spouse today! Give him an extra kiss!
He told us we first needed to be aware of the enemy, the devil, who is always seeking to destroy what we hold dear. He also told us to know the devil's strategy which is using today's society to make us unsatisfied in our marriage. He encouraged us to fight back and enlist help when needed.
He then gave us 20 ways to strengthen our marriage:
1) Start each day with a hug and kiss-decide to start each day with love
2) Wear your wedding ring at all times as a visible reminder of your commitment
3) Go on a date with your spouse every week-dedicate time to be together
4) Accept each other's differences
5)Be Polite-practice good manners
6) Be gentle-harsh words and actions are no place in a home
7) Smile often
8) Touch each other-a hug, a pat on the back, a stroke on the arm
9) Talk about your dreams-talk about things beyond schedules and routines
10) Laugh together-find something to share that will make each other laugh every day
11) Do what your spouse wants before he asks
12) Listen to each other-you don't have to solve each other's problem's-just listen
13) Encourage each other-help them be the best they can be
14) Pray for your spouse daily
15) Hold Hands
16) Apologize-equal in power to "I love you" is "I'm sorry, please forgive me"
17) Ask-What can I do for you
18) Reminisce about your favorite times together
19) Play to Win-Invest everything you can to make it the best marriage it can be
20) End each day with a hug and a kiss
We read through Proverbs 31 which describes a servant hearted wife, as well as Ephesians 5 on how we should respect our husbands.
What a wonderful reminder for us to make our marriage a priority with some great ways on how to do that. Enjoy your spouse today! Give him an extra kiss!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)