Conclusion of Week One Bible Study

Conclusion:

In light of what we have learned this week, what is God challenging you with? Do you need to give yourself to him once and for all. Do you need to ask him to redirect you? Do you need for him to change your mind about a certain aspect of life?
Rick Warren teaches in the book there are 5 purposes for our lives.

1. We were planned for God’s Pleasure.

2. We Were Formed for God’s Family.

3. We Were Created to Become Like Jesus.

4. We Were Shaped for Serving God.

5. We Were Made for a Mission.


We’ve started a 40 day journey! Let’s see where God is going to take us for the next few weeks. Remember there may be some bumps and skids and maybe even a wreck or two. But we’ll be glad we took this journey when we get to our destination!

Next week we’ll look at how we were planned for his pleasure.

Have a great week and thank you for participating!

Please feel free to email me your feedback!

Day seven

Day seven “It’s all for him.”

We were put here to bring glory to God. What does this mean to you?

To me, it means I’m here at his good pleasure, his mercy, to honor him.

“God’s glory is best seen in Jesus Christ.” When Jesus was on earth, what kind of person was he? What did he do with his time. What/who did he talk about?

“God’s glory is who God is. It is the essence of his nature, the weight of his importance, the radiance of his splendor, the demonstration of his power, and the atmosphere of his presence.”

How can we fulfill God’s purpose for our lives on a daily basis…moment by moment?

Day six

Day six “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered, and that my life is fleeing away.”

Okay life is a test, a trust and…

“Life on earth is a temporary assignment.”

We talked about the fact that life here on earth is boot camp for eternity, preparation for eternity, dress rehearsal! As we grow older, we begin to see just how short our lives truly are! At 51, I can’t believe I’ve lived a good portion of my time on earth…I have 3 grandchildren and even they are growing up fast! My husband and I have been married for 32 years next month and our children are ages 30 and 27...no wonder his hair is white (mine is not! And NO, I don’t color it!)!

We need to remember that earth is not our ultimate home. Does this give you any comfort or is it frightening to you?

Rick Warren says one reason we are never satisfied completely is because we aren’t made just for the here and now. We are made for God.

Day five

Day five talks about “Seeing life from God ‘s view.”

What is a good metaphor for how you view your life?

Personally, I see my life as a journey full of twists and turns, full of stops and starts. I see the journey as complete when I stand before God.

Rick Warren says:

“Life on earth is a test.”

Have you been tested lately? Maybe you haven’t recognized that you’ve been tested but you have. Think about it…

“Life on earth is trust.”

What has God trusted you with and what are you doing with it?

I remember asking my father as a very young woman, “What is God’s will for my life?” I was expecting him to help me explore the ideas of marriage and career. Instead he said this, “Be faithful in the thing you know to be faithful in and God will reveal the rest step by step.” His words and this truth have profoundly affected my life and still do!

Day four

Day four starts with this statement…”This life is not all there is.”

What do you think about Rick’s statement…”Life on earth is just the dress rehearsal before the real production.”

DRESS REHEARSAL???

I like to think of this life as boot camp for the next life. When I try to wrap my mind around the fact that this life is just the beginning, just rehearsal, just boot camp…whew! It sheds a completely new light on all the STUFF that happens especially the bad or hard STUFF!

“When this tent we live in - our body here on earth - is torn down, God will have a house in heaven for us to live in, a home he himself has made, which will last forever.”

I find myself living as if today is all there is…I get totally enamored with the here and now but God has made me to live forever.

Rick says, “Your relationship to God on earth will determine your relationship to him in eternity.” In light of this, what’s your relationship with God going to be like in heaven?

Day three

Day three Rick asks us…What’s driving your life?

I’ve found the things that drive us are many and varied. Let me list a few…

The need for acceptance
The desire for money and status
Fear
Guilt
Anger and resentment
The need for approval
The desire for fame
The desire and need for peace

Not all our desires and needs are wrong but to make these desires and needs the focus of our lives is. In fact, I think to be driven in these ways to is tragic…to be driven (controlled) by anything other than God is missing out of God’s best.

What is currently driving (controlling) your life?

God says…

“I know what I am planning for you….I have good plans for you , not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future.”

Day two

Day two Rick Warren shares with us a WONDERFUL truth…

“You are not accident.”

Have you ever felt as if your life was accidental?

Well, if you’ve ever felt this way, Rick’s next words should make you want to dance in the highway!

“Your birth was not mistake or mishap, and your life is no fluke of nature. You parents may not have planned you, but God did.”

“God prescribed every single detail of your body. He deliberately chose your race, the color of your skin, your hair, and every other feature. He custom-made your body just the way he wanted it. He also determined the natural talents you would possess and the uniqueness of your personality.”

In light of these statements, what is God saying to you?

I’ll tell you what he’s saying to me…I’m not a mistake…nothing about me is a mistake. I may have surprised my parents, but I didn’t surprise him! I was made by God to be just the way I am…inside and out. I don’t have to try to be like anyone else. Just because I’m a little loud and a little over the top and on the edge doesn’t mean I’m not useful to God. I don’t have to be ashamed of who I am. AND I need to take care of the woman HE made me!

YeeHaw! I’m dancing now!

Now let's start with Day One!

Day one Rick Warren slaps us upside the head with this statement…

“It’s not about you.”

Please share how this made you feel…were you surprised to learn that the purpose of life is about more than simply your happiness?

Personally speaking, I used to think that being happy was the most important thing in the world to me. I also thought that basically, I wasn’t a selfish person…after all, my mom taught me to share my crayons and open doors for older folks (thanks, Mom!) but as I’ve come to learn and know Christ more, I realize that I’m basically a very selfish person! Basically, it’s been about Jane…what turns me on, makes me happy, fulfills me as woman! I’ve come to see that without Jesus in the very center of my life, my life is hopelessly SELF centered!

Yuk…I hate to admit this to you!

Online Bible Study - Women With Purpose!

Greetings and thank you for joining me for an online Bible study using Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life!

We are taking a 40 day spiritual journey! And…we’re doing it differently than we’ve ever done it before…at least I am! ONLINE! Aren’t we blessed to be able to share what God is doing in our lives from all over the United States! Through the blessing of the I-net, we can come together from wherever we live and share in God’s kingdom! Please pray for each other as we start this new adventure!!!

For the sake of giving Rick Warren the credit he deserves, I’ll “write” his words in quotes and make them bold! Bible verses will be written in italics.

Please covenant with me and with each other and more importantly, with God to commit the next 40 days to learning God’s purpose for your life! Just send me an email stating “I commit” and followed by your name and the city and state where you live.

NOW! Are you ready?! I am!!!

Women With A Purpose Online Bible Study

Calling women everywhere to find out who they are in Christ!

Beginning Monday, Oct. 20, at 7:00 p.m., I'll be leading a women's online bible study. I'll be using Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Life. If you're interested in participating, please purchase a copy of the book and read through "Day 7". Then next Monday, I'll post my thoughts on the material we've covered along with some discussion questions for you to comment on. I'll be online until 8:00 p.m. to read and answer your questions and comments. I'll check back during the week and comment for anyone who blogs at another time.

This is a first for me and so very new. I hope to find out how to start a live chat in the near future. I'll keep you update.

Have a great week and see you next Monday!

"It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ,...he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone." Ephesians 1:11 (The Message)

The Race!!!

Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! Hebrews 12:13-3 (The Message)

This past Saturday I went to a swim meet. It was quite exciting. There were no Michael Phelps there but it was a notable event. You see, it was my middle grandchild's very first swim meet. Yes, the notoriously astute and absolutely lovely, Anna is now a Newberry Eel. Graceful and agile, Anna swam in two events and while I was breathless with anticipation and as proud as the grandmother of an Olympian, Anna finished a decisive last in each race! But that was okay! No, it was more than okay, it was absolutely fabulous! I'm not kidding...it was fabulous. You see, Anna didn't quit. She didn't cry when she lost. She didn't have one of famous "meltdowns". She didn't even blink at being last. She simply went over to the coach, got her time, and then prissed across the concrete to greet her adoring fans... her daddy, little brother Nate, and me! I wish you could have seen her cute little self determinedly making her way to us in her Speedo swimsuit, goggles, and Newberry Eels swim cap! She had finished the race and she was coming for her hugs and her all important chili cheese fries!

As I've reflected on Saturday's triumphant first swim meet, I think I'm getting a clearer picture of how God sees us. You see, he doesn't expect us to be the best or the fastest or always the winner. I think he's most proud of us when our attitudes are in the right place and when our hearts are set on finishing the race. As Anna finished her first race, I felt as if I were in the pool with her, urging her on, telling her not to quit, watching with pride as she climbed out of the pool. Don't you think God is like that with us? He's in it with us, urging us on, telling us never give up and he watches with pride as we finish the job.

So, I don't know about you but I'm never going to quit and when I finish the race, I know God will be waiting for me with big hug and maybe, just maybe, an order of chili cheese fries!

Love, Jane

The Geese

Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Matthew 6:26 (NLT)



I work in a building made mostly of glass. Today, everyone stopped what we were doing to look at the huge (well, it was big for Sumter!) traffic jam outside. Cars had stopped both ways and they were lining up to the traffic light! We didn't hear the crash of a wreck or the siren of an ambulance. We didn't see smoke. What we did see was a gaggle of geese crossing our busy street! Those geese were waddling from one side of the road to the other just like they owned the place! It was quite a sight. I couldn't help but be reminded that God is still in control! Yes, in the middle of my daily hustle and bustle, God reminded me through those geese He is in control of everything, even the traffic on Wesmark Boulevard!

Calling all women...

No matter which side of the aisle you're on, Ladies...you ought to be good and mad at the liberal media's castigating of Sarah Palin. As a female child of the 60's and a Southern conservative, I am disgusted with the blatant attacks on Sarah Palin. Apparently, I've been naive to believe all these years that the women's movement was about WOMEN'S RIGHTS and not a powerful liberal machine that happens to incorporate the word "WOMEN". What a hypocritical double standard. If Sarah Palin was a Democrat, we, women would be in the street, marching to "I am woman, hear me roar..." and burning our bras!

I happen to line up politically with Sarah Palin and I know, many of you don't. It doesn't matter! We need to make our voice heard and let our "sisters" and the liberal media know, women won't be questioned and scrutinized on the basis of our family situations, marital status, the number of children we have or the fact that we don't have male anatomy.

Please take a moment and read liberal and fellow female, Susan Estrich's comments from yesterday. It is on the mark! (see link below) It's time we, women agree to disagree and stand up and have a 1960's fit over the double standard we've experienced for the past 6 days.

I cannot be silent on this one! There is simply TOO much at stake!

http://www.creators.com/comments/opinion/sarah-s-choice.html

Like I said...I may just burn my bra!

ASK!

My purpose in writing is simply this: that you who believe in God's Son will know beyond the shadow of a doubt that you have eternal life, the reality and not the illusion. And how bold and free we then become in his presence, freely asking according to his will, sure that he's listening. And if we're confident that he's listening, we know that what we've asked for is as good as ours. 1 John 5:12-14 (The Message)

Last weekend, my three precious grandchildren spent the night with me. I called their mother on Thursday and asked her if they could come for an evening with Nana. Of course, my daughter said "yes". She usually does unless they have something special going on. That night after supper at a local Mexican restaurant where they ate like starving monkeys, baths and shampoos, and some arguing over who was going to sleep with whom, I found myself sleeping with seven year old Anna. As Anna and I lay in the dark, we talked about how much I love having the kids come spend the night with me and she told me how much she loved to come. It occurred to me that she had seldom, if ever, called me and asked to come stay the night. So, I told her, "Anna, all you have to do is call me and I'll come get you." "Oh." she said as if it had never occurred to her to call me and simply ask.

Today, as I rushed about at work and at home I could "hear" God saying to me over and over..."Ask, Jane, ask." You know, there are some things I want, even need, that I've never really asked God for! Just like Anna had not asked me to come to my house at times when she really wanted to, I have not asked God for some things that I'm sure He'll be pleased to give me. And just like Anna, I needed to hear God say, "Ask."

Love, Jane

PS (By the way, guess who is coming to stay with Nana this weekend? Yep, those three starving monkeys!)

Missing Out?

30-33"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Matthew 6:30-33 (The Message)

Perhaps one of the hardest lessons I've had to learn is best summed up in the verses above. While I try so hard to stay on the "straight and narrow", I inevitably end up taking a detour around this corner or that! I get so preoccupied with living this life to the fullest, I take many turns that aren't needed and are some times destructive. Thankfully, though, God has a way of REELING me in just before I go over the cliff or crash and burn!

Today, my little family came to church to honor their dad's 18th anniversary teaching, preaching, and ministering to our little congregation of believers. As I sat in church with my children and grandchildren, and worshiped the God who has given me so much, I felt a sense of joy like no other. We came home and shared a big, old fashioned Sunday dinner and again, as I sat down with my family, I realized I am living life to the fullest!

Jesus said it this way...

Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

I was wondering...

Here's something to think about...

Assuming you're a believer,

If there were no threat of Hell or no reward of Heaven, would you still follow Christ?

Blog with me!

Nothing Wasted

Not long ago, my sister in law, sent me a compelling devotion entitled "Blessed with Less". Sometimes, I fear, I paint an all too rosy picture of life as a Christian. I hope you never get the impression from me or my writing that God is a "cosmic Santa Clause"! I hope we all come to understand that God is interested in far more than our comfort, our status, even our health! While He certainly gives us "good" gifts, often His greatest and most meaningful blessing come when we are "Blessed with Less".

For example, I wouldn't appreciate my current good health if hadn't undergone the doubt and fear of aneurysm surgery. I wouldn't appreciate what I have materially if I didn't know what it's like to be flat broke. I wouldn't appreciate my marriage if Dearld and I hadn't almost divorced. I wouldn't know what it's like to suffer mentally and emotionally if I didn't have OCD. I wouldn't know how it feels to be slandered, if it hadn't happened to me!

My mom and I were talking yesterday as mothers and daughters do and something painful from the past came up. My mom said, "Now, why do we want to bring that up!" And I said, "Well, Honey Moma, nothings wasted in the kingdom of God!" I believe this with my whole heart!

None of us like tough times and if we had the choice we'd say a big, polite, "No, thank you!" and hurry on pretty fast! But, there's a lot that happens in this life that we just don't choose and it's important for something good to come out of everything. Once, in a dark time, I remember being on my knees before God and crying out..."Why, God, why!" And in His gentle, still soft voice He answered..."Jane, I never promised you that wouldn't go through hard times. What I promised you is My presence and that is enough." And you know what? It is.

Love, Jane

...At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me,

My grace is enough; it's all you need.
My strength comes into its own in your weakness.

Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become... From 2 Corinthians 12 (The Message)

Jane's Minestrone Soup

1 c carrots (julienned)
1 c celery (chopped)
1/2 c onion (diced)
1 med zucchini (julienned)
3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
1 c shredded cabbage
water and 2 to 3 beef bouillon cubes

1 can red kidney beans (15 oz)
1 can garbanzo beans (15 oz)
1 can flat green beans (15 oz)
1 can white beans (15 oz)

1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)
1 can tomato sauce (29 oz)

1 c small pasta shells
1/2 lb lean ground beef

salt to taste
pepper to taste
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
2 bay leaves

Parmesan cheese (freshly grated) for topping

Prepare veggies and garlic. Place in large stock pot with enough water to cover. Add bouillon. Bring to a low boil. Add the beans including the liquid. Add the tomatoes and tomato sauce. Return to a slow boil. Brown ground beef, drain and rinse. Add ground beef to soup. Add salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and bay leaves. Let soup simmer slowly for several hours. Just before serving, bring to a low boil and add pasta shells. Cook until pasta is done.

Serve in colorful flat bowls with the Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. Make some garlic toast or warm some fresh Italian bread for dipping! WONDERFUL!!!

This recipe will make enough soup for 6 - maybe more! AND it's better on the second day! So, don't forget to take some to a neighbor or friend in need of some nourishing love!

Happy Entertaining!

Traveling

Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God. (from 1 Peter 1 - The Message)

I love to travel but I have to admit I haven't traveled very much or very far. One of my dreams is visit Italy and experience the culture and food of the Tuscan region....Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! The very thought of it excites me! I can just see myself exploring a small Italian village...smelling and tasting the wonderful food, drinking up the sunshine, seeing the architecture, viewing an Italian sunset...you get the picture, I'm sure! If I ever "get there" I'll have a dream fulfilled!

I've also come to believe that life is a journey and while the "getting there" is a wonderful anticipation, I believe the journey is what really matters. Don't get me wrong, I love the thought of Heaven...my eternal home but the journey is so interesting! The journey is full of surprises, some good and some not so good but I'm learning that even a flat tire along this journey with God can yield some beneficial results! I'm learning that even when on a flat piece of road with nothing around but a few bushes and black birds, there are lessons to be learned. Sometimes the journey takes a surprise dip in the road and I have to catch my breath! Sometimes the journey is winding like driving up a mountain road and I'm scared but excited all at the same time. Sometimes while traveling the journey, I meet someone interesting who changes my life. Sometimes, it rains. Sometimes, the sun shines. Sometimes the road is paved and sometimes it is not. BUT...the journey is always interesting and when it is traveled with "a deep consciousness of God", it is always fulfilling.

Happy traveling!

Love, Jane

You KNOW what I'm talkin about!!!

Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit—you choose. Proverbs 18:21 (The Message)



Yesterday, I said something really ugly…No, I didn't curse. It was worse than cursing. Worse than curing, you say? Yes, worse than cursing. Yesterday, I made an ugly remark about someone. It was totally uncalled for. As soon as I said it, I felt bad. But then I did something even worse…I "justified" the remark. You see, this person did me wrong. This person was inconsiderate and it affected me. She inconvenienced me! So, I made a completely justified remark about her! Right?



Wrong!



This morning a friend called me with a broken heart because someone had made cruel remarks about someone she loves deeply. As I talked to my friend and tried to console her, I remembered my own ugly remarks yesterday. Funny thing, I began to think about how the person I made my ugly remark about would feel if she knew what I'd said!



Do I really want to take the risk of hurting someone like my dear friend was hurt by making ugly comments about someone else? Do I want to be the cause of hurt in someone's life? Tell you what, it's time for this ole gal to make some adjustments and seek some forgiveness.



Friends, words hurt. This was sent to me in an email a while back and it's so very true:



"Watch your thoughts, they become words.

Watch your words, they become actions.

Watch your actions, they become habits.

Watch your habits, they become character.

Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny."



The bottom line is love. I find that I don't love perfectly. Sometimes I don't even want to love others. With love as the measure of goodness, I can never be good enough because I always fail. And this, dear friends, is why the love, mercy and grace of Jesus Christ is so very important!

Aggressive Forgiveness!

Some of life's most meaningful lessons are taught by children. Here's a story about a lesson I learned several years ago. I wrote this just after it happened...

I have a little munchkin of a granddaughter. Her name is Anna Vickery. She's four years old with black, curly hair, eyes that dance with excitement and mischief, and more energy than a keg full of dynamite! She is one of the joys of my life. One day, while she was spending the weekend with me and her Papa, I found her in the guest bedroom with a very guilty look on her expressive, little face. As I looked from Anna Vic to the floor, I discovered a decorative hat that had once been properly affixed to the wall lying with its ribbon and flowers completely detached and in a heap. Before I could say anything, she held up her little hand as if to say "stop" and said,

"I apologize!"

The very idea! What does a four year old know about apologizing?! And yet, as I looked from the mess she'd made of my hat to her earnest little face, what could I say? Did I give her a good pop on the behind or chastise her for her wrong doing? Well, no, I didn't. I simply looked at that precious, precocious little girl and accepted her apology. We then picked up the hat, rearranged the flowers and the ribbon, and put it back in its proper place on the wall.

How much more does God forgive us when we simply go to Him and offer our apologies! And not only does He forgive, He helps us clean up the mess and He puts us back where we belong!

All that passing laws against sin did was produce more lawbreakers.But sin didn't and doesn't, have a chance in competition with the aggressive forgiveness we call grace. When it's sin versus grace, grace wins hands down. Romans 5:20 (The Message)

I hope you are experiencing "the aggressive forgiveness we call grace"!

"I LOVE YOU MORE"

My husband and I have a silly little game we play. Many mornings as I’m leaving for work I say “I love you” and he replies “I love you more”. Then I say “I love YOU more” and he replies “I LOVE YOU more” and then I shout back as I’m heading for the car…”I LOVE YOU MORE!” We each try to be the last one to tell the other “I love you”. It’s a silly little game but this morning I was thinking about how lucky I am to be playing silly little games with my husband of 31 years! Both of us still enjoy each other in spite of and maybe even because of having been married for so long! My husband is still the first person I want to see in the morning and the last person I want to see at night!

Maybe there is something to be said for experience and while I’m certainly not a marriage counselor, I do have some tips for making your marriage strong and good. For the next several devotions, if you’ll bear with me, I want to share some of my hard learned advice!

Today’s tip is:

Take time to play!

There’s an old saying that goes…”All work and no play makes John a dull boy.” The same is true in marriage. Think about the fun you had with each other while you were dating. My husband and I used to tease each other. We went fishing together (even though neither of us was a good fisherman!). We went movies and long walks in the woods. We had a special spot where we used to sit and watch a fountain. And who says that even after 31 years, we still can’t do the same things?

Yes, marriage is hard work but it started as fun…and the fun can continue for a lifetime! It really can!

Chikin Salit!!!

The Best Cheekin Salit in tha Wurld!!!

Greetings Food Lovers! By popular demand, I'm going share my chicken salad recipe today!

3 chicken breasts
3 eggs
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup SWEET pickle cubes
1/2 cup to 1 cup DUKE's Mayo
1 t salt
freshly ground pepper to taste

Cook chicken breasts and chop up to desired consistency. Boil eggs and chop. Combine in a large bowl with the celery, pecans, and pickles. Add salt and pepper. Mix in mayo as desired.

This chicken salad is wonderful on fresh bread, rolls or croissants. It is also divine by itself on a bed of baby lettuce greens!!!


ALWAYS USE DUKE'S MAYO!!!

Welcome to Entertain With JANE!!!

Hi and Welcome to my new blog! Please join me as I travel the journey with love, humor and enthusiasm!