Jesus by Candlelight

I turned off the lights, lit some scented candles, cued itunes to shuffle mode, piled blankets and pillows on the floor, and sat down with my Bible and journal for a date night with Jesus.

It was simple and beautiful.

I came thankful -- for specific answers to prayer, for seeing God use simple gestures to work in someone's life, for confidence that He is leading, for friends that make me laugh and feel loved, for dreams that are taking flight.

Before I knew it, it was midnight.

Acts 3:19 says, "Times of refreshing come from the presence of the Lord." and Psalm 46:10 reminds us to "Be still and know that I am God."

Have you rested in His presence lately? Take time, wherever you are, to be still and thank Him that He is God and He is in control.

Hugs,

Michelle

Who you gonna call?

Who's the first person you call when crisit hits? Your mom, your best friend, your husband or boyfriend?

What if the first person you turned to was...God? What if, before lifting the phone or sending a text, you stopped and prayed first?

God doesn't want to be an afterthought once we've exhausted all of our other resources. He wants us to come to Him, our Father, first. I've found that when I seek Him first, it causes me to trust in Him more, to find comfort in Him more, and to be thankful for those He has placed in my life who I can turn to next if necessary - remembering that they are a blessing but only human. :)

I challenge you to make God your 'go-to' man for the next 30 days. Talk to Him first, cry it out to Him first, celebrate with Him first...then step back and watch Him work!

Turning to Jesus with you,

Michelle

We can help Haiti!

Please visit the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (www.evangelicalfellowship.ca) for information on how you can give to Haiti relief efforts.

Remember to keep the people of Haiti and those providing emergency support in your prayers.

Does God have 'best before' dates?

I stood at my kitchen counter preparing my grocery list for Christmas. Normally, my grocery list is rather small, but this Christmas with my family, Mom and brother joining our festivities, it was sure to be much longer.

I looked through my fridge and cupboards for items that I had on hand and at the same time checked “best before dates.” I kicked into multi-tasking mode as I chucked half-empty bags of chips, partially empty salsa jars, mayo, and salad dressings. “My word,” I said to myself, “there’s nothing wrong with this stuff.”

Yet knowing my family, someone will pick up a bag of chips and yell, “Mom, this is old! The expiry date was 3 months ago!” The bag of chips will immediately land up in the garbage bin and be deemed non-edible.

In our throw away society, many things have a shelf life. Besides most food items, magazines, movies, and books have a shelf life. Few make it as classics with notable longevity.

Do our gifts and abilities have a shelf life? Do our God-given gifts come with a ‘best before” date? No! Thankfully God doesn’t operate by the terms of our ‘throw away society’. He has a plan and a purpose for us that fits into His larger plan for the world and His redemptive purposes. God will use many ways to grow and develop us, honing and expanding our gifts and abilities for greater use.

Like wine and cheese, the development of our gifts and abilities actually gets better in time. So don’t ‘shelf’ yourself. See 2010 as a gift – another year to allow God to work in and through moving you along to fulfill your divine purpose.

Your friend,
Margaret

Praying for Haiti

Please join us in prayer for the hundreds of thousands of lives impacted by the earthquake in Haiti.

If you know someone who is living or serving in Haiti, please post their name in the Comments section so we can join you in prayer for them.

And pray too that through this devastation, the nation will find their hope in Jesus Christ and that we all, as Canadian women, will not just watch the news reports but respond in love, compassion, and generosity toward their plight.

Praying with you,
Michelle

Making the Choice to Make a Difference

Last night, I went to the movies with two friends to see "Blind Side".

As I was reflecting on this inspiring, heartwarming, true story I was struck by the reminder, once again, that small choices add up.

Sandra Bullock plays the role of real-life mom, Leigh Ann Tuohy, who intervenes in the life of a young man named Michael. Michael's upbringing left him without a home, without a family, and without hope.

In an early scene in the movie, Leigh Ann sees Michael walking outside in freezing cold weather in just a t-shirt and shorts. At that moment she made a choice: moved to action and compassion, Leigh Ann told her husband pull the car over and she got out of the car to approach Michael and ask where he was headed. That decision -- though seemingly minute at the time -- began a series of choices that would forever change their lives.

And it all began with one small choice...after another...and another.

What small choice can you make today to influence someone's life with the love of Christ?

Making the choice to make a difference,
Michelle

Open Doors

How many times do we pray for God to open doors, not realizing the 'doors' He has already called us to walk through?

I love the chorus of Francesca Battistelli's "It's Your Life":

It’s your life
What you gonna do?
The world is watching you
Every day the choices you make
Say what you are and who
Your heart beats for
It’s an open door
It’s your life
--

If the choices we make every day reflect who we are and what we believe, then each day is an open door -- to share our faith, to live out love, and to make a difference for Christ in a world that desperately needs real life!

"I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." ~ John 10:10

What 'open doors' do you have every day? How will you share your faith with those around you by the choices you make this year?

Talk to you soon!
Michelle

New Years Resolutions: Small Choices Add Up

Over the past week, I have had several conversations with friends and colleagues about 2010 and the hope a new year brings. One theme that keeps coming to the forefront is that we have 365 days in a year (which means we have just 358 days left of 2010) and the choices we make each day, no matter how small they may seem, do add up over the course of a year.

Have you thought about the small choices you made today and how -- if they continue -- they will add up over 365 days just like today? Choosing discipline instead of laziness, faithfulness instead of apathy, trust instead of fear, prayer instead of worry...in each situation big and small, these choices will make a huge difference in the woman you are by the end of 2010.

I often encourage young people who want to grow in their faith to start spending time with God each day, even if for just five minutes initially and then to increase a bit each day. It's a great place to start if you've never set aside time just for you, God, and His Word. But as I thought about this the other day, I realized that spending 5 minutes with God each day for a year would result in less than 1 1/2 days total spent with God...out of 365*!!

So, while five minutes a day is a great place to start, it's also important that we continue to grow -- because God definitely deserves (and desires!) more than just 1 day of our year. Don't you think?

What choice will you make today that will help you grow closer to God this year?

Happy New Year!

Michelle

----

*Calculation:

5 minutes x 365 days = 1825 minutes (approx. 30 hours)

There are 1440 minutes in one day.

Save the date!

Save the date & register today: Women Alive Spring 2010 Cconference Registration is now open for most events!

Sarnia "Just the Word" - February 20, 2010

Grande Prairie Regional Conference - March 26-27, 2010

Cambridge "Just the Word" - April 10, 2010

Waterloo Annual Conference - April 23-25, 2010

Hope for a New Year!

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.

~ Isaiah 43:18-19