Prayer...
It is a powerful thing. I just want to share with you something God did on Sunday night. I was scheduled to do the special music Sunday night. It has been a long time since I have sung and I was nervous, but I was certain God had directed me to this particular song, I had practiced and I was excited. Then I came down with this cold and literally nothing was coming out. I almost pulled Dave aside and told him I couldn't do it, but I had some people say, "NO, we will pray you through this. My husband prayed for me and I had some dear friends pray for me. Honestly, I wanted to throw up my hands and quit but I kept hearing this voice saying "They are praying are you expecting Me to answer." I had to admit that I didn't truly believe I was going to be able to sing that night but I said okay. I got to church and I had not sang the song without my voice leaving me or going into what Troy called dead ducketto(you know instead of falsetto). I looked up and across the room I saw a prayer warrior, I went to her with tears and asked her to pray and we did. She reminded me that I was singing for an audience of One. The time came and the presence of the Lord completely took over. I was sitting at His feet, praising and worshiping Him like I do most mornings in my pj's. I don't really remember much about singing the song or how it sounded but I do know that God answered my prayers and if I had given in and quit I would have missed out on a huge blessing. I also learned that when I ask people to pray for me I should do so expecting answers. What started out as a night where I thought I was supposed to sing a song turned into an appointment with MY LORD I will not soon forget.

Running the Race,
Tara

Meet you there Monday

Opportunities this week are few but you do not want to miss them.

Wednesday, March 31- Prayer walk meet in the commons 6:15
Adult choir 6:15

Friday, April 2- Good Friday Service at noon

Hope you have a great Easter week.

Silent Sunday

The video is a bit old but the message NEVER GROWS OLD!!!!!!

Searching For The Savior Saturday

“I am the bread of life, Jesus told them” John 6:35 (HCSB)

Preparation of bread in Central Asia is filled with tradition, as I discovered during a bread-making lesson. I could hear my teacher instruct emphatically, “Don’t leave any dough sticking to the sides of the bowl. Never knead it roughly. Love your dough. When leaving it to rise, punch your fist into the middle of the dough, kiss your fist, and then touch your forehead as a prayer. Bread should never be dropped on the floor, turned upside down, or otherwise treated disrespectfully”.
Unfortunately, I can forget these cultural “rules”. Being friendly toward 5-year-old Bibimo while her mother was busy, I sat down to have tea and bread with her. I offered a chunk of bread to Bibimo, who politely refused. When I tore off a piece for myself, I clumsily dropped it on the floor.
Not realizing my cultural mistake, I smiled, but Bibimo gasped as she retrieved it and set it on the table, adjusting the bread right side up. Kissing her fingers, she reverently touched the bread, her brow furrowed in concern, worried that something bad would happen.
I thanked the Lord for not allowing anyone else to witness my cultural blunder. Still, my heart broke for this child with such ingrained fears etched into her mind. Freedom from fear is needed among the peoples of Central Asia, and only the Bread of life can offer it.
C. Lee- Central Asian Peoples.
Taken from Voices Of The Faithful

Focused Friday

Last Friday we had fun with Chick-Fil-A. This week I have made some changes in somethings that I need to work on. Not only physically but spiritually. Focusing on not complaining, being the wife and mother that He wants me to be. It's a lot of work but the rewards are just incredible. Working on different aspects amazes me how they all work together. Is God Good or what!!!!!!! In all of the things that I am working on, I always here people talk about watching their diets and keeping up with calories and all sorts of other things. I saw this video and could not help but literally laugh out loud. I thought it was so funny and then it hit me......."It sounds like something I would do or say". I just had to laugh at myself. Hope you enjoy it.
By the way.....what does He have you working on? Please share and we can be praying for you!!!


Pam

Excerpt from the book "What Happens When Women Say Yes to God" by lysa Terkeurst

"Women who say yes to God will see life like few others. They are drawn in and embraced by a love like no other. They don't have to wait until the next time they're in church to experience God because they sense God's presence all around them, all through their day. Instead of merely walking through the motions of life, they pursue the adventure of the moment-by-moment divine lessons and appointments God has in store for them. They expect to see God, to hear from Him and to be absolutely filled by His peace and joy--and, therefore, they do and they are."


I want to see life like that. I want to be a women who says yes to God. How about you?

Worshipful Wednesday

I cannot figure out my body! How come when I am so exhausted I cannot sleep? I just knew when I fell into bed last night I would not remember my head even hitting the pillow. I was tired physically, mentally, emotionally, ... just totally worn out! But guess what? I remember my head hitting the pillow, Scott's head hitting the pillow, the kids going to bed, the bugs singing, the cat settling down for the night, the clock numbers changing one by one and a whole lot more. Eventually I got up and tried sleeping somewhere else.

But sleep still evaded me. So, as any good list maker and type A personality would do, I decided to take full advantage of my being awake. First I thought through what I needed to do today. Then when I was sure I had my day filled I decided to get "spiritual." Maybe if I spent time with God I would sleep. So I started in with God on my list - praying about the kids, for some friends who need a special touch, for the house to sell, for our partnership development, and a whole lot more stuff. Guess what - I was not only still awake, I was no more relaxed and ready to fall asleep than I was when I worked on my to do list.

Then I remembered about a year ago reading an article about not being able to sleep and decided to give it's method a try. Just use the hours of the night to spend time with God for who God is. Not for what He can do or you need Him to do, just for who he is. Spend time resting in His arms and praising and thanking him for being God. The article offered several strategies but the only one I could remember was alphabetical. Shoot - it was the middle of the night, I was exhausted, and sleep was nowhere to be found - so why not give it a try. And so I began...

• A - God you are amazing, almighty, all powerful, all knowing, ...
• B - God I praise you for being my God, the blessings you have bestowed on me, ...
• C - your creation is beyond anything words can express, thank you for the cross, ..
• D - your death Lord was the cost of my salvation and I thank you...

Somewhere around E or F I began to feel myself totally relaxing and the last thing I remember is telling God that I praise Him for my life that will be lived eternally.

This wasn't a gimmick, it was relationship that gave a peace that passes all understanding. By just spending time with God and remembering what kind of God He was I not only relaxed physically, but mentally and emotionally and was able to drift into a peaceful sleep knowing who holds my life and all the details in it in his hands.

And the rest of the night was filled with sleep..... until the cat decided she needed to be under the blinds in the window - but at least it was morning at that point.

What's keeping you awake at night? What do you do to when you can't sleep? Is it working? Maybe remembering your ABC's will work for you too. May tonight be filled with peaceful, restful sleep!

Cindy

"Marching for the Next Generation” is to march throught the parking lot or track of area schools and cover them with prayer. Come by the table in the Commons area and write the name of the school where you marched on a "footprint" and post it on the board. We want to march at every school in the area.



Tuesday Mar. 23 9:15 1st place 4 Health

Tuesday Mar. 23 7:00 “Anointed, Transformed and Redeemed” Bible study(led by Nancy Byrd)

WednesdayMar. 24 6:15 LDI CLASSES-

C.A.R.E. Ministry-Led by Wendy Manuel
Adult Choir-Led by Dave Tomasek
Little Ones-Led by Cindy Hunter
Believing God: Experiencing a Fresh Explosion of Faith by Beth Moore- Led by Pam Carrigan
Firm Foundations Christian Studies Essential Equipping For Serious Disciples- Led by Judy Dembowiak and Paul Kress
Living with Confidence in a Chaotic World Led by George Walker-with a prayer service each week
2 Timothy- Led by Michael Riccion and Brad Woolery

FridayMar. 26 12:00 Women's Prayer Time


Looking for opportunities to exercise and fellowship with other women....
We are starting some walk/run groups in different areas look for the information in the church newsletter.

Silent Sunday

Teaching Our Children To Pray

Praying for brothers and sisters
Holy Spirit, give my brothers and sisters a love for the Bible. Make Your Word come alive and be real to them. Let it show them how to know You better. Help them want to learn the Bible so their faith will grow and they will make You happy in all they do. (Ps 119:97, Ro 10:17, Josh 1:8, Ps 119:11)

Praying for Mom
God, help my mom to become good friends with You. Show her how much You love her . Help her to welcome You into every part of her life and hart so that she can get to know You more. (john 15:15-16, Revelation 3:20)

Praying for Dad
Lord, show my dad how to be kind and loving , slow to anger, and quick to forgive. Give him the kind of heart You have, Father-one that is full of love for his children and others (Ps. 103:8-13)

Focused Friday

Welcome to Focused Friday. This has been a difficult week. People always say that the medical field is immune from layoffs and the economy. Well, that is not the case. This week, the company I work for laid off 5%. It was really difficult and very scary all at the same time.
I was in need of something light-hearted and I heard this the other day on the radio in the Chick-fil-A Drive Thru of all places. I was laughing so hard I couldn't pull up to the speaker. I hope you enjoy it and it makes you smile today.


Pam

Grace

We women are busy wearing many, many hats. Wife, Mom, Grandmother, sister, teacher, boss, employee, caregiver....As we go through our day we are very quick(most of the time) to offer grace to all the people around us but when we get rundown, behind on the laundry, don't fix our families a healthy meal, we are very quick to criticize ourselves. We all go through seasons of life, some are extremely stressful and they get us out of our routine. I encourage you today to not only extend grace to all those around you but to extend grace to yourself. Whatever your circumstance in life, whatever season you find yourself in the MOST important thing is to understand where you stand in life and to whom you belong. Put your head down and plow through when things are hectic or a situation throws you for a loop with a heaping pile of grace.

Happy Thursday

Blog Book Club

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Read chapters 7 & 8 this week and comment(or not :D) on the following questions:

1. What part of Chapter 7 hit home with you most and why?

2. Based on your journey so far in chapters 1-8, list your own personal top three reasons why it's time to deal with your insecurity. (We're not looking for right answers. We're looking for YOUR answers.)

3. Based on Chapter 8, briefly describe a recent trigger of insecurity and whether or not it got a rise out of you.

4. Also based on Chapter 8, what does dignity mean to you?

Rejection

Isaiah 53:3 He was despised ane rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Rejection. We all face rejection at some point in our life. From family, friends, co-workers, our spouse or people in our church. It hurts. The pain of rejection sometimes can fester inside of us and become bitterness and anger. I urge you to remember that you are not alone. There is One who knows exactly what you are experiencing. Jesus was rejected. He went through pain and suffering from the rejection or others but how did He respond, with love. Go to Him, the One who understands your hurt and give it to Him today, not so you can be free of rejection but so you can be full a love, a joy and a peace that passes all understanding.

In Him,
Tara

Reminder: Tomorrow, March 15th, is the last day to purchase EARLYBIRD tickets for the Beth Moore simulcast. Click on the Cornerstone link on the sidebar to get more information.



"Marching for the Next Generation” is to march throught the parking lot or track of area schools and cover them with prayer. Come by the table in the Commons area and write the name of the school where you marched on a "footprint" and post it on the board. We want to march at every school in the area.



Tuesday Mar. 16 9:15 1st place 4 Health

Tuesday Mar. 16 7:00 “Anointed, Transformed and Redeemed” Bible study(led by Nancy Byrd)

WednesdayMar. 17 6:15 NEW LDI CLASSES

C.A.R.E. Ministry-Led by Wendy Manuel
Adult Choir-Led by Dave Tomasek
Little Ones-Led by Cindy Hunter
Believing God: Experiencing a Fresh Explosion of Faith by Beth Moore- Led by Pam Carrigan
Firm Foundations Christian Studies Essential Equipping For Serious Disciples- Led by Judy Dembowiak and Paul Kress
Living with Confidence in a Chaotic World Led by George Walker-with a prayer service each week
2 Timothy- Led by Michael Riccion and Brad Woolery

FridayMar. 19 12:00 Women's Prayer Time

Silent Sunday

Teaching Our Children To Pray

Praying for brothers and sistersWise God, help my brothers and sisters to realize that You are much smarter than they are. Help them to ask You for wisdom to make good decisions that honor You and bring good for them. (Prov. 3:5-6, Ps 32:8, Jas 1:5)

Praying for Mom
God, surround my mom with Your angels. Watch over her in everything she does, and protect her from anything that would harm her. (ps 34:7, 121:3-8)

Praying for DadGive my dad wisdom and direction whenever he needs to know what to do or say. Help him to trust You in each decision he makes, and guard his mind with Your peace. Help him to make int his goal to fill his mind with good thoughts and keep it clear of things he shouldn't think about. (James 1:5, Prov. 3:5-6, Phillip. 4:6-8)

While walking through a small village, two national brothers and I asked God to lead us to someone receptive to the Gospel. Soon, we saw two boys on the mountainside waving and yelling for us to eat mangoes with them. I thought, We don't have time to eat mangoes with boys; we have to find who God has prepared us to meet! But then the Spirit moved in our hearts and we went.
Arriving, we realized the children had led us to the home of a large family. We enjoyed their mangoes and shared the Gospel. Afterward, the father commented, "How would we have ever known of Jesus if you hadn't come?" One of those who came to Christ that day was their adult son, an alcoholic. Through this man, almost 20 people now have come to faith in Jesus. In this village, three Bible study groups and one church have started.
Many times we pass by what seems to be insignificant. God's ways aren't our ways. His plans for us can be in the seemingly insignificant things of life. We just have to slow down enough to let God's Spirit work in our lives so that we can help nurture the mustard seeds.
Archer, South Asian Peoples
Voices of the Faithful Book 2

Focused Friday

Welcome to Focused Friday. If you remember last week we talked about how to balance the cooking and the family time. If you missed that post, you can read about it here . This week I thought I would share a few of the major questions that I get from a lot of people on how I do that. Cooking for 1 week is very easy. You just have to have it planned. Set aside the 1-2 hours to do it and as Emeril would say "BAM!" there it is in the refrigerator cooked and ready for the week. Boy it has changed our life!!!!!! Not to mention the budget!!!!!! So I thought I would share the top 3 questions that I get asked the most.

1- How do you know what to prepare?
You can do this one of two ways. First, look at what you already have on hand. What is in the pantry and the freezer? What are you hungry for? What is the weather? If is is snowing, cold and rainy, you may want a nice warm bowl of soup or stew. If it's hot and humid you may way a grilled chicken salad with fruit. You get the idea.
2-How do you go shopping?
I ALWAYS make sure that I have the STAPLES in my pantry. Flour, sugar, favorite seasonings, cream of _____soup, rice, pasta, and cheese. Those types of things I always get, especially if they are on sale. I have a grocery store that will every once in a while put things on "Buy 2 get 3 FREE" That is just a No-Brainer for me. I will get all 5. See what is on sale at your local store and always check out the Costco or Sam's if you are a member. For Example- We eat a lot of Ground Turkey. At the grocery store, the turkey that is 93/7 is about $6 per pack. I can get 4 packs of 93/7 at Costco for about $12. Same with the turkey burgers that my husband adores!!!!! 10 frozen burgers of $9.99. They are either 1/4 or 1/3 pound burger at $1 a piece. Here again,,,,,,No-Brainer!!!!! Just look for what your family likes or the one thing you want to try out.
3-How long does it take to do this?
Both Ashley and I do ours on Sunday afternoon. I have a 3 year old and typically try to do it while he is down for nap. She has 2 and one takes a nap and Steve takes care of the older and she can get in the kitchen and get it done. It typically takes NO LONGER THAN 2 hours. We use the crock pot at least once a week most weeks. A soup, a stew, a roast, or pulled BBQ pork. If you cook it on Sunday night, then place it in the frig. and all you have to do is heat and eat. Our goal is to post what we prepare during the week and PLEASE join in and send your ideas and your recipes. The more, the better!!!!! More ideas, the more choices that we have!!!!! It really is a lot easier on you, your family and your budget. Even this past week I was tired and worn down and just out of old habit asked my husband "What do you want for dinner?" His response...."We have all of that food at the house, let's just do something there" Yes, he was right and it would only take 10 minutes to heat and we saved $25 from going out to dinner.

Just something to think about. If you would like to get more information about "Mass Cooking" or some tips, tricks or suggestions, please leave something in the comments and I'll be happy to get with you. Maybe we can plan on doing a women's event and I can teach you how to do it.!!!!! What do you think?
Pam

Think About It Thursday

Good Morning! Good Afternoon! Good Evening! Depending on when you are reading this. If you are a member of Cornerstone, you heard this on Sunday. If you are not, please let me give you a little bit of introduction. Pastor Rick is preaching through the book of James. Probably one of my favorites and it has so much in it. He was preaching on James 4:13-17. He was talking about boasting. How many times have I studied this book? How many times have I heard these particular scriptures shared? Have you ever had something happen where you are brought to familiar scripture and the Lord just flips the switch and you see it and read it and it jumps off the page at you? I call it an "Ah-Ha" Moment. So he posed this question. "What do you boast about? Well, that question has stuck with me the entire week. I keep going back to it. Thinking and pondering what I boast about and listening to myself and others talk.
So..........
What do you boast about?
As a wife and Mom, my first and immediate thought was.....
My children and my husband.
I thought about things like....
I have a roof over my head.
I have a job.
I have some education.
I have a family that loves me.
I have a few dollars in the bank.
I have medical insurance.

What about you? What do you boast about?
The house you live in.
The money you have.
The car you drive.
The education and degrees that you have hanging on the wall.

Then Rick said something that was my true "Ah-Ha" moment. ALL OF THOSE THINGS CAN BE TAKEN AWAY. OH my goodness!!!
The ONE THING that we should be bragging about....
The ONE WHOM we should be bragging about.....
JESUS!!!!!
God loves us!
God sent His Son to die for us!
We can have a relationship with Him!
He cares for us!
He wants so much for us!
He is alive and active!

Think on this today.
What do you brag/boast about?
When was the last time you bragged on the Lord?

Thinking,
Pam

Worshipful Wednesday

Hey,
This is Pam K.. I will be taking care of the blog while Tara takes a break. I can not remember if we have posted this video before. I just love it and the praise and worship is awesome. I would ask that as you worship with Keri in this video that you would remember Tara and all of the other Mom's that are tired.
Mom's that are that exhausted.
Mom's that just need to sit and rest.
Mom's that need time with Him.
Mom's that need a hot bath with the door closed and the candles lit.
Today, we are praying and lifting you up.
We love you so very much.

Serving My Lord,
Pam Kennedy

Taking off my cape

Hey ladies,
Some of you may have noticed the lack of post this week. Well, I have found my kryptonite. Three weeks of sick kids. I am exhausted and I am going to bed early each night. I am relinquishing my cape for a few days to take care of myself and my kiddos. I know you all understand but just wanted to let you know.
Stay tuned towards the end of the week.
Thanks
Tara

Ok girls, a discussion requires more than one or two participants. I know you are out there and reading your book but I’ve got a sneaky feeling our “insecurities” might be keeping us from posting if we have to identify ourselves. So, only anonymous posts from now on! Go back to week one and two and post anonymously if you’d like. You don’t have to give your name only your age decade and whether married or single. The point is to reach out and relate to one another on this issue that cripples us on a regular basis.

We’re about to dig up eight deep roots of insecurity. No, we’re not looking for excuses but a little understanding can go a mighty long way. Haven’t you ever wondered why it dogs you so? You may be about to find out. This week give special attention to Chapters FIVE and SIX. Here are the two questions to answer on the blog:

1. After reading these two chapters, what do you believe to be the TWO primary roots of your struggle with insecurity? Keep in mind that more may apply but try to lock in on two that you believe to be most impactful.

2. What, if any, insight did you gain about the roots of insecurity and did you sense that God was trying to speak to you in any specific way through it? (This answer does not need to be limited to the two roots you identified in the previous response.)

These may sound like simple questions but we will have some interesting reading this week. Go to it, Girlfriends! Remember, you have until next Monday morning to make your comments.

Silent Sunday

Teaching Our Children To Pray

Praying for our brothers and sisters
God, show my brothers and sisters how to be kind, gentle, and patient with others (including me!). Encourage them to say things that are helpful, not hurtful. Remind them to treat others the way they would want to be treated. (Col. 3:12, Eph 4:29, Lk 6:31)

Praying for Mom
Lord, I know that being a mom is a lot of hard work! Please give my mom strength through the power of Your Holy Spirit. Help her to realize how much You care for her, and remind her that she can trust Your love and power for everything she needs. (Ephesians 3;16-19, Col. 1:11, 2 Peter 1:3)
Praying for Dad
Lord, please make my dad healthy and strong. Help him to take care of his body because it is Your temple. When he has hard work to do, give him energy to finish the job well. When he is sick, heal him quickly. (3John 1:2, 1 Cor. 6:19, Ps 103:3)

Searching For The Savior Saturday

I wanted to share with you a follow up to last weeks post.
GOD ANSWERS THE PRAYERS OF HIS PEOPLE!!!!!!!I received word this week that both of the young women that I spoke with have chosen to go through with their pregnancies and they are going to do whatever they need to.

Please pray as I continue to see them at work and encourage them and support them through this time.

God is so good.

How have you been able to share this week?
Did He put anyone in your path?
Please share in the comment section. We would love to hear!!!!!!

Pam

Focused Friday

How do we keep it all together? As women we have a lot of responsibilities. One that I have struggled with for a very long time was getting ready for dinner.
The same questions every night.....
What's for dinner?
What do you want?
What do we have?
I don't want that!
I wish we had......
Does that sound familiar? Then, when we can't up with the right answer, we order out, we go through a drive thru window, we eat a bowl of cereal and call it a night(not that cereal can't be dinner but you get the idea).

Anyway, I am a "Blog-Reader" I am always interested in how other women seem to have it all together and I am totally amazed by the bigger families that have up to 6 children in the home. All of that to say, I kept seeing these posts about cooking all of this food in one day for about a month and you put it in your freezer and as the month goes by, you just pick and choose what you want and either put it in the refrigerator to thaw or your pop it in the oven to bake.
LOVE THE IDEA!!!!!!!
One problem......My freezer would never hold all of that. I don't have anywhere to put a small freezer. I had to do some thinking and really try to narrow it down. That's when it hit me.....
DO A WEEK AT A TIME.......Plan what I wanted for a week. The main dish was the key. That would be the focus. Prepare them all at one time. Place them in the fridge and then they are ready to reheat each night.......It just had to work.
IT DOES WORK!!!!!!!!!
Key is planning.
Join me here next week and I'll tell you how and maybe even plan an "event" at church to show you how to do it.
Are you interested?
Want more time with family?
Want more money in your budget?
Stick with me and I'll tell you about it next week!!!!!!!

Focused with You,
Pam

BIBLE VS. CELL PHONE

Ever wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone?
What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we flipped through it several time a day?
What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we gave it to Kids as gifts?
What if we used it when we traveled?
What if we used it in case of emergency?
This is something to make you go....hmm...where is my Bible? Oh, and one more thing.
Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being Disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill.
Makes you stop and think 'where are my priorities?
And no dropped calls!

So, let me ask you......Do you know where your Bible is and when was the last time you used it?

I saw this on motheringthemother blog, she got it from an email and we thought it was something good to think about.

Happy Thursday!

If you didn't read yesterday's post this may not make since but the words to this song are a balm to my heart whenever I find myself drifting back to that dark place.
Read these words and worship God for who you are in Him and how beautiful you are to Him.
Lyrics to My Beloved

You're My Beloved
You're My Bride
To sing over you is My delight
Come away with Me My love

You're Beautiful to Me
So beautiful to Me

Under My mercy
Come and wait
Till we are standing face to face
I see no stain on you
My child

You're Beautiful to Me
So Beautiful to Me

I sing over you My song of peace
Cast all your care down at My feet
Come and find your rest in Me

I'll breathe My life inside of you
I'll bear you up on eagle's wings
And hide you in the shadow of My strength
I'll take you to My quiet waters
I'll restore your soul
Come rest in Me and be made whole

You're My beloved
You're My Bride
To sing over you is my delight
Come away with me my love

Zephaniah 3:17 The Lord your God is with you , He is mighty to save, He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.


A few years ago I was sitting in Suzanne's house starting a new Bible study. I can't remember which one(I didn't get to finish it because of scheduling conflicts with Troy's job and the kids.) What I do remember is we were asked to read several Bible verses and pick the one that meant the most to me. I read this verse and honestly was ready to head home right then. I had never read that verse that I could remember. I remember being absolutely floored that the Lord of the universe took great delight in me. That he rejoices over me with singing. Wow. I have been on a long journey of seeing who I am in Him. I have found a new identity. An identity that is not founded in my accomplishments or achievements but one that has nothing whatsoever to do with me and everything to do with who God is. I had fallen into a miserable trap of finding my value in what I did. I have done it my whole life. I was always striving to be the best at sports and academics and I was good. I succeeded and had medals, scholarships and certificates to prove it. I was good at my job and well liked. When I got married we had a great relationship. I cooked and cleaned and supported my husband and loved it. Then our kids started coming and I prided myself of being able to "have it all together". I was the master of schedules, organization and meal planning. But with each one I became more frustrated with myself. I was overwhelmed and felt like I was swimming upstream. By the time Sophie was a year old I felt like a complete loser. My house was a wreck, my kids watched way too much TV, I still had "baby" weight to lose and I was a basic mess. I convinced my self that I was a failure. I had no worth or value to anyone. It was a very hard place. Then I read those words "the Lord delights in me and He sings over me." Those words brought a small bit of light to a dark place in my heart. I wasn't fixed overnight but God has been using those words to change my view of myself. It has taken almost 2 1/2 years to actually believe them. But I do. My house is very often still a mess, my kids still misbehave, I still have some baby weight to lose, I am often overwhelmed but the darkness has lifted. Because no matter what I am a child of the King. I am His beloved. He takes great delight in me and rejoices over me with singing.
Tara

March First-in-Prayer event: "Marching for the Next Generation”
In Judges 4 we are told of the prophetess, Deborah, who was leading Israel when they were enslaved by a ruthless Canaanite king, Jabin. We are not told much about Deborah’s background (Was she a wife? Mother?), rather we are told of her usefulness to God and the nation of Israel as the enemy retreated and the people of Israel became free! In response to the freedom, Deborah broke into song that spoke to her soul: “March on, my soul; be strong!” (Judges 5:21)
So, now that the weather is warming up, let’s grab some friends and plan to meet at a school/college over a weekend and march through the parking lot and/or track. Let our next generation not be defeated as we cry out to God and pray His word over the campuses and give glory to Him for His response!
Consider meeting as a Sunday School class or small group. Or, use this as an opportunity to make some new friends at Cornerstone! Invite someone you don't really know to walk with you. Join forces and get acquainted!
A table in the Commons area will have a handout with suggested prayers. Also, to encourage others, once you walk, please grab a "foot print" cutout from the table and write down the name of the school/college and when you went and post it on the board! Over the month, let's try to march over every school in the area and cover them in prayer!!!! (Watch out for no trespassing signs...)



Tuesday Mar. 2 9:15 1st place 4 Health

Tuesday Mar. 2 7:00 “Anointed, Transformed and Redeemed” Bible study(led by Nancy Byrd)

WednesdayMar. 3 6:15 Women’s LDI Class, “Becoming a Woman of Freedom”, Modular Bldg C

Friday Morning Mar. 5 10:00 “Anointed, Transformed and Redeemed” Bible study (led by Michelle Pizzaro)

FridayMar. 5 12:00 Women's Prayer Time



He is a little funny to start your Monday with a smile.