QUOTE FOR THE DAY.............

Hide not your talents,

they for use were made.

What's a sun-dial in the shade?

Benjamin Franklin

IT'S FALL OUTSIDE!

Hello Everyone!!!

Hope you are enjoy this awesome weather!!!! What a blessing!!!

Just want to ask you all to please remember my bestfriend Tammy & her family this week in your prayers. As you will recall, she had Claire this time last year on October 3. Claire was diagnosed with Trisomy 18 and most babies do don't even make it til birth but our strong Claire did and we were so blessed with her for 8 weeks. As you will understand, this week will be emotional for them, as the past year has as well. I ask that you please pray that the Lord continue to be glorified in it all. That He "cause all things to work together for their good." And that this week they see His face shining down on them.

Now....let's sit back and get your cup of coffee and enjoy Tena's "Blessing to you Today"!

BLESSINGS TO YOU TODAY!

“Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.”

Good Day to You Ladies:

About three weeks ago, some of us traveled to Nashville for the Deeper Still Event. What an awesome work of God’s hand! Sometimes I think I could write a book using that experience. But my story today isn’t about that event; it centers around something that has been on my mind for the past few weeks and was brought back to my attention when I arrived at the hotel in Nashville.

That first night as I unpacked, I found, tucked away in my suitcase, a note from my husband (my Barnabas). It was so sweet. In it he thanked me for all I do for him and the boys and wrote so lovingly of how he felt I deserved to get way for a time of refreshment. Isn’t that wonderful? You see he knew how apprehensive I had been about going on the trip. He knew that this “mama” has a difficult time leaving her boys. Yet, he also knew that this trip was something I really needed. I think he knew it more than I did. He told me later that in Bible study the previous Wednesday, Kerry had ask them to think of someone they felt needed some encouragement, and to send them a note. Mark chose me.

Encouragement, that’s what Barnabas was best at. Otherwise, he would have never earned the name. Acts 4: 36-37 is our introduction to Barnabas, Son of Encouragement. Later, two great examples of his valuable gift can be found in Acts 9 and in Acts 15. In Acts 9, we learn that when the other disciples wanted to reject Paul, Barnabas took him, brought him to the disciples and explained to them all that God had done in Paul’s life. The first sentence of Paul’s profile, as found in the NIV Life Application Bible, says this: “No person, apart from Jesus himself, shaped the history of Christianity like the apostle Paul.”

In Acts 15, we find Paul and Barnabas in a disagreement about taking John, also called Mark, on their journey. While Paul flatly refused to allow him another chance, Barnabas took him along, encouraging him. And later, we watch as John Mark becomes a valuable companion, not only to Barnabas, but to Paul and Peter as well. He also went on to write the Gospel of Mark.

What lesson can we learn from this Levite from Cyprus? This: Encouragement can change lives.
Do you know someone today who needs a Barnabas in their life? Pray. Ask God to show you how to encourage that person. It may be something that requires a lot of time and attention, or it could be the simplest act – like sending someone a note. Either way, God can bring vital changes through this one act, but he’s looking for a willing servant, a Barnabas, to help make the difference.

I pray that today you will be encouraged to be an encourager! And may God from whom all blessings flow, bring blessings overflowing in your life today.

Love,
Tena

No Sissy's Allowed!

How do you like that for title? Funny thing, that is what my family calls me. I will have to say though it is not because I feel like I was a Sissy. It's just that my older brother had a problem calling me by my real name and my mom always tried to teach him I was his sister, so... that's how I got stuck with the name "Sissy". Bet some of you didn't know that did you?

As some of us had the privilege to go hear & see Beth Moore, Kay Arthur and Priscilla Shirer this past weekend, we came away with SO MUCH! I have to keep pulling my notes out daily and read them so I can just grasp it all. One of the things we heard was "NO SISSY'S ALLOWED"! Now, I am sure that when we all thought of a "sissy" growing up or if we were playing a game and we wanted to win and we needed some tough people on our side, we wouldn't pick someone who was a sissy would we? No! We would pick someone who we knew would face whatever was before them, no matter how scarey it looked and press right past it. You know, like Red Rover. I knew that when my name was called and I wanted to break through, then I was going to have to pick a spot in the line that looked weak. You know "the weaker link". :) Anyway....on the flip slide of that, if we wanted to keep someone from breaking through our line we would call the weaker ones/sissys over and hold on tight. I always hated it when there wasn't really anything but strong people left because you knew you were going to have to hold on for dear life so they wouldn't break through and steal one of your players back.

You know something though? When I get called out to run in life and look at what is before me and all I see is a barrier before me that is no way I can break through and all of Satan and his cohorts are calling out to me "sissy", you can't make it, you aren't going to break through, I have to call upon the name of the Lord. Who is mighty to save. Who when I am weak (a sissy), He is strong and "remember whose I am" and run with all of my heart, with all my strength and with all of my soul" and know that though everything is saying there is no way I am going to break through, there are a whole host of angels behind me pushing me and and whole crowd of witnesses that have gone before me cheering me on saying "you can do all things through Christ who strengths you Marty". You can "run upon a troop, leap over a wall", "You overwhelming conquer", "Greater is He that is in you than He that is in the world". So I keep running, I run with all of my heart, and bust through that line and grab the prize to take back to the winning side.

Maybe there's someone that the "other team" has taken to their side and God has called you out to run and break through, through prayer, fasting, quoting scripture, etc. in order to win them back. I want to encourage whatever you have been called out to do, to not see yourself as a "SISSY". To not see yourself in your strength, but to see yourself as who you are IN HIM and that IN HIM you can do all things! Woo Hoo so Red Rover Red Rover RUN WITH ALL YOUR HEART RIGHT ON OVER and claim that ground!

BLESSINGS TO YOU TODAY!

Hello Everyone!!!


I know, that you seem to probably always here this from me but I feel a need to say it today. "RETREAT IS NOT AN OPTION"! Now, here's what retreat means...it means to withdraw, move back, run away, back down, flee, but now get this one, it means to give ground.

Here's the picture, circumstances, people, finances, jobs, etc. are staring you in the face and they look big. Impossible, no way you are going to be able to outlast, endure, etc. Well..that's how it looks but I want to tell you that those may be the facts but that is not the truth. My friend Lori always tells me, "rehearse the truth".

The truth is that although I may be facing a situation that appears as if there is no way I have what it takes, that the scriptures (the truth) say "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength". That though the fact is this sickness continues to linger, the truth says "He is our great Physician". Our Jehovah Rophe. That even though the fact is there is no way I am going to pay my bills this month, get out of debt, etc. Truth is "He shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory." That "my father owns the cattle on a thousand hills." That He says to test him in this bring your tithe into the storehouse and see if He will not open up the windows of heaven and pour out blessings upon you that you cannot contain.. WOO HOO!!! HOW ABOUT THAT FOR TRUTH???? How about that for telling your "giant" "you may come at me with a javelin, a sword and a spear, but I come to you in the name of the Lord." The truth says "the name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run into it and are safe". The truth tells me I can go into that fiery furnace and say "My God is able, My God will, but even if He doesn't I am not bowing... I am not retreating....I am not giving up ground!!!

The Lord has told us to go forth and conquer, not retreat!

Sooo...Do you get my point? Retreat, NO WAY!

DA DA DA DA DA, CHARGE!

Blessings to you today!

Marty

In light of everything that was shared lastnight at EXpresso, I had to let you who were there know that while we were "talking" about our students

17 of them gave their heart to the Lord last night!

HOW AWESOME IS THAT!!!!

CHARGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

EXpresso @ "WOW"

Hey!
If you were able to join us lastnight at EXpresso - how awesome was that! Thanks so much Aimee & Alison for being our special guest and for all that you do for our Girl's Ministry!

Also....thanks Candice for the fashion tips and how you so looked the part with your cute dress going on there.

And...last but not least Toy - you are hilarious! I loved every way you gave us to burn 100 calories. By the way....Toy left without taking her candy bar with her lastnight so.....if you want it, it's up for bids. About 3/4 of it left so I say that is about 400 calories, which roughly comes out to about cleaning your house 3/4 of the day instead of all day long of it to burn it off. :)

Hope you have a Wonderful Marvelous Fabulous Day!

Marty

HOW TO BLOG?????????

Okay, no expert here so we have that clear right off the top. Some of you are having problems comment, etc. You don't have to sign in under a google account or any account. You can just click comment, click that middle button, I think it says other and it will come to me to post. So...please comment away!!!!

BLESSINGS TO YOU TODAY FROM TENA!

Greetings Ladies,

This morning, as I was asking God to show me what He wanted me to write, I began to think back to when my dad used to take us out on the boat. My dad was a fireman and his schedule was “24 on and 24 off”. Many of those “24 off” were spent on the water! Some of my favorite childhood memories are there. This morning I started thinking about the many times we would jump overboard and go swimming or jump over and dive up oysters. Back then, there was not a thought in my mind that said, “don’t do that, there could be something lurking underneath.” Now, every thought in my mind would say that. There’s no way I’d jump over into the gulf unless my boat was sinking! Anyway, as I was thinking back on all this, God in His amazing way, brought another memory, and thus, a message. It’s actually two-fold so listen well; He has someone in mind.

Several years ago, I was lying in bed one night praying. I don’t remember what I was specifically praying about, but all of a sudden, it was as though I was no longer in that bed; I was in a body of water. I began to go under, and little by little, I went further and further down. All the while, I was thinking it felt pretty nice. Suddenly, I came to the realization that I was drowning, and panic swept over me! Immediately, I cried out, “God save me!” and a large arm reached into the water, grabbed my arm, and pulled me out.
It was then over. I was back in my bed just as I had been before it all began, and I heard the words, “God’s arm is not too short to save”. You know that nervous feeling you get when you know you have to do something that you really don’t want to do? That’s how I felt. Not only had I immediately heard God’s word, I also immediately knew that He wanted me to share what had happened, and I knew He wanted me to do it the following Sunday.

In the church we attended at that time, every year we would present our high school graduates with a Bible. For the past few years, I had been the one to actually make the presentations, and I would share a few words with them about true future success. The following Sunday was “graduation Sunday” and I knew this is what God wanted me to share. I spoke to my pastor the next day and told him what had happened. As it turned out, he was going to be out of town the following Sunday and he asked me to not only share the vision, but to deliver an entire message. I just thought I had felt panic before! I struggled all week. I did not want to do this. I remember standing in my kitchen one day and asking God to please confirm to me that He really wanted me to share this on that particular day. Right after that I went to the mailbox. There was a pamphlet in the box that we get periodically called “Money Matters”. (Many of you are probably familiar with it.) As I was walking back inside, I turned to an article on the back page and my eyes fell upon the scripture that Larry Burkett had referenced in his article. It read:
"What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs." (Matthew 10:27)

I said, “okay God, I hear you”.

As I planned the message for that week, it was as if the words just rolled off the pen. I began to think of the graduates who would be there, and I really felt the message was just for them – particularly one of them. The following week I received a card in the mail from a relative who had been in the service that day (not a graduate). In the card she told me that she knew the message was for her and her daughter. Her daughter’s husband had recently drowned, and before he went into the water that day, he was not saved.

As God was bringing all this to my memory this morning, this is the message I feel He was giving me for you. (Remember I said it was two-fold) :

First, know that “Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.” (Isaiah 59:1) No matter what type of “pit”, “fiery furnace” or deep water you may be in, God can pull you out. His word says so. Second, when God so boldly instructs you to do something, you go boldly and do the work he has given you. He will be right there helping you.

I now know the message I delivered fourteen years ago was for more than one purpose. It was for the graduates - one in particular whom I still pray for almost every day; it was most certainly for my hurting relatives. It was also for me - an awesome experience and a powerful message that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. But now, right now, it is for someone who is reading this. Blessings to you today.
Love,
Tena

Nashville Here We Come!

Hey!
I am so excited that in exactly 11 days I am going with a bunch of my friends, not all of them but a bunch of them, to Nashville to hear Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer & Kay Arthur. Now... I am not a big bus rider. Get rather sick on them, so I will have to sit up front but when you get to hear all 3 of them in one week - I think I can do the bus! My roomies for the trip will be Candice & Lori - the only problem with that is that they are non-coffee drinkers!!! Can you believe it? How did I get mixed up with them? Oh well...guess I will just have to run off down to Terra & Bonnie & Patty's room to have some like-minded people around me. Now honestly... can you believe there are actually people at our age who do not like coffee? Candice is our age now..she turned 40 this year!! :) Anyway....they like, of all things to drink a cold "diet" coke in the mornings, well.. at least they they get there caffeine in some how or another!

For all of you who are going with us- can't wait to see you on the 7th. For all of you who are not, please keep us in your prayers and we'll get together when we get back and share with you all we have heard and learned.

EXpresso to You today!