Moving Blog: Transforming Today . . . Preparing for Tomorrow

 

Moving to http://centralsmallgroups.com

Hello everyone,

I’m very excited that in just a few days, we will be launching our new Small Groups website for Central Christian Church.  Just wanted to let you know that I am preparing to move this blog.  You will now be able to find me along with Women’s information on http://centralsmallgroups.com.  Please be patient as we transfer information over and thank you so much for following this blog.  Can’t wait to empower you to use the new tools our site will offer.

Transforming today . . . Preparing for Tomorrow,

Rhonda

Happy Valentine’s Day!




Make a Smilebox greeting

Knot Married to a Believer & Knot Giving Up

Trying to live a life in harmony with God while married to a man who gets angry every time you go to church or talk about faith is hard.  Over the past decade I have met and counseled with many women who cry out to God for their husband’s salvation.  My heart hurts for the woman who attends church week after week longing to have her husband by her side.  She sees a another man’s life changed by the transforming power of Jesus Christ and wonders why her prayer has not been answered yet.  She remembers their young love and married him believing she could change him and it hasn’t happened.  She knows everything would be different – if only!  What is happening in her home that makes her so sad?  How can I know her pain?  How can I help her – for such a time as this?  Would she ever consider a Small Group that would bring support and Godly instruction on living with hope for her Beloved Unbeliever?  

Beginning this week (Feb. 9), Women’s Ministry will offer two new Small Groups:

“Knot Married to a Believer & Knot Giving Up”

Monday Nights, 6:30-8:30pm, Central Christian Church, Rotunda

Thursday Mornings, 9:30am – Noon, Central Christian Church, Rotunda

The author of Beloved Unbeliever, Jo Berry, is honest about husbands who come to faith and those who have not yet done so.  She writes realistically, but with hope.  This practical and relevant Small Group study is one that will help women stay focused on the promises of God while offering wisdom to work through issues that arise out of an unequally yoked marriage. 

Would you take this important step of faith in trusting others to join you on this journey?  You don’t have to do it alone.

 

Confession #6 from an INFP – My Valentine: What I Love About Him

He was my first inspiration to be a Christ follower. 

He stayed by my hospital bed when I was very, very ill.

He’s a tough dad with a soft heart.

He’s an organizer. 

He sang a solo at our son’s baptism.

He does the dishes after I cook dinner.

His amazing ability to coach others: family, athletes & colleagues.

His faithfulness to me and our family.

His love of fast pitch softball and that he had the guts to pitch after facing Eddie Feighner.

He knows my love language and tends to it. 

He unwraps a newborn’s blanket to look at tiny feet.

He does the Christmas dance with me every year.

I have never heard him boast about himself in 27 years.

He’s willing to put up with me when I’m tired and in a goofy mood.

He laughs out loud a lot when he watches television.

He cheered me on during a five-year seminary journey.

He sacrificed his own career to follow God’s leading with me to Vegas.

He is the most brilliant Eschatology guru I have ever met.

. . . Time to stop . . . can’t share everything:-)!

Challenge:  Take time to appreciate those you love.

Lord, thank you for bringing a man into my life that is faithful, kind, strong, and Godly.  I pray for the many marriages that are in crisis and ask a special anointing on the upcoming series at Central, “The Knot.”  In Jesus name.  Amen.

What do you appreciate about your spouse?

 

The Dam – Bridge of Forgiveness

Well by now you should know my blog is mostly about taking steps in our spiritual journey so I’m always on the lookout for something that is a trigger for that.  I believe Lori Wilhite has just triggered something we all need to think about and be challenged by . . . for more on “The Dam Bridge of Forgiveness” go to http://leadingandlovingit.wordpress.com.

Confession #5 from an INFP: Why I Believe Profanity is a Weak Mind Trying to Express itself Forcibly

“Profanity is a weak mind trying to express itself forcibly” – I first heard this phrase from a kind, reverent man in his 70’s – I’m not sure of it’s original author, but it’s been paraphrased in several ways through the years.  I believe this statement is true – I’ve taught it to my sons – and I know I’m going to suffer criticism for this blog post but I’m okay with it.

1.  There were times Jesus was angry, but he never used profanity toward or in conversation to anyone that I’m aware of.  He was able to get his points across without the use of profanity.

2.  Because a word becomes more common or acceptable does not make it less profane.  Listen to “like” the way we “like” talk to each other, a “like” common thread is “like” running through the use of English – we are “like” becoming lazy  - “like” you know what I mean.  The same is true with profanity.  It has become acceptable even among believers and it shouldn’t be.  

3.  Weak does not mean stupid or does it?  Anger or trying to express ourselves forcibly can cause us to become weak in a moment  with an unguarded heart and mind allowing Satan to tempt us to say or do stupid things. 

4.  When a leader I respect (or for that matter anyone) begins to use profane language to forcibly make points, he/she loses leadership points with me.  I would rather see them turn over a table.

5.  I confess to having been weak at times in my language, but I give God glory that I no longer have to live out my life using profanity.

6.  Let’s hold one another accountable to rid ourselves of profanity.  We can be relevant while at the same time being different.

7.  That’s all I have to say about that!!!

Challenge:  Begin to pray that God would give you the desire to break your habit of profanity and devote the next 21 days to not using profanity and then devote the rest of your life to not using it.

Lord, I want to be more like Jesus.  Help me to guard my heart, my mind, and my mouth and help me to hold others accountable to clean up our language.  Help me to not use profanity for any reason.  In Jesus name I pray.  Amen.

Rhonda

Confession #4 from an INFP: The Greatest Weapons I Have Ever Used!

I’m really not a carnal weapon kind of gal but I will confess to using a few.

The state bird of Michigan, the mosquito, has encountered my mighty hand in combination with spray repellant. I read once that only female mosquitoes bite – no comment.

I’ve had a cattle prod in my hands at my grandparents farm only because I was fascinated with the power that it had – I’m sure I didn’t chase my oldest brother with it and have never had to use it in the church yet. Do they still make them . . . just in case?

I’ve shot a BB gun at a can. Okay, I’ll confess, I probably shot at a few birds as well when I was a child.

I’ve had a lot of fun with squirt guns in years past and have mastered this art with my hand in a pool of water.

I tried my husband’s blowgun once (the darts are great for testing cakes to see if they’re done – of course they have not been used on anything other than cakes – I only use new ones) – thinking about marketing these.

I have great aim with rubber bands using the two-hand method.

Flyswatters have come in handy during 4th of July picnics in Illinois. I can’t stand to see flies landing on food. Yuck!

The greatest weapons I have ever used and continue to use today on a regular basis are faith, love, and a lot of prayer.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:43-45 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.”

In Luke 6:27-28, he says, “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.”

And, in Romans 12:14, Paul speaks, “Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them.”

Today’s Challenge:  Use the faith God has given you to pray blessings for someone who has hurt you.  Show love to someone who has been unlovely to you.

Rhonda

Confession #3 from an INFP: “What I Expect When Ordering a Happy Meal”

The Kingdom of God can at times seem a bit off – like a trip to the McDonald’s driveup: you order a Happy Meal, are greeted with a friendly hello, and then drive away with food that was meant for “someone else” – two plain old hamburgers. I used to go often when our boys were young (the golden arches then were as brilliant in a town of 7,000 with three stop lights as the lights of Las Vegas are now) and this really did happen to me.

Our youngest son was watching my reaction as I had just been visited by someone who said he had a problem with me but couldn’t identify what it was, or rather was too embarrassed to admit what it was. We usually know when there’s an unspoken/unresolved problem between two people . . . it is often ushered in by avoidance. You know what I mean – surely there have been times when someone’s avoided you like the plague. I’ve learned that lack of knowledge or misperceptions can lead to fear which often times will trigger mistrust and avoidance. This certainly came into play in this case and it triggered a loss of control issue for a leader who struggled with the success of others.

It was all very painful, and I knew that I had a choice of how to react when the doors were closed and it was just me and my little boy. I turned to him and said, “Jordan, it’s time for a Happy Meal.” We drove to McDonald’s and ordered the Happy Meal only to realize when driving away that the big burly worker behind me got our Happy Meal and we had a sack with two plain old hamburgers. I turned to Jordan and said, “He must have needed it more than us,” and we laughed at the thought of this guy playing with his new toy.

For those of you familiar with Matthew 13, you know that when Jesus describes what the Kingdom of God is like he uses the language of story. If I were to describe what the Kingdom of God was like that day it would be as follows: It’s like when you have a bad day, nothing seems to go right, and then because you’ve opened yourself up to a beautiful friendship in a Small Group, that someone who loves you and is willing to do the journey with you, rings the doorbell 20 minutes later with a Happy Meal in hand. The hands and feet of Jesus carry (in the words of one of my favorite theologians, Stanley Grenz) an “order of peace, righteousness, justice, and love that God gives to the world. This gift arrives in an ultimate way only at the eschaton, at the renewal of the world brought by Jesus’ return. Nevertheless, the power of the kingdom is already at work, for it breaks into the present from the future.” If I were to order a “Happy Meal” today, I would expect God to deliver it in a very unexpected form.

How has the Kingdom of God broken into your life lately?
Today’s Challenge: Deliver a “Happy Meal” to someone who could really use it.

Rhonda

Confession #2 from an INFP: “What I’m Thinking When Leaders Talk About Football”

With the culmination of this football season coming soon with the Super Bowl on February 1, I thought this would be a good time to reveal what I’m thinking about when leaders talk about football.

I know, I know – there are many of you women out there who love to watch football. I confess . . . I do not. In fact, many times when a teacher/leader uses a football illustration, I’m thinking about how I would have done it differently (i.e., why not throw soft pink footballs into the crowd that have touch down instructions on it for marriage or have free movie tickets attached to the footballs to get more women’s attention as well). That’s just how my mind works.

What I do love about football is watching guys go into their tree house huddles and have fun dialoging together about the game as they’re watching it and reliving the plays – I won’t call it bonding – I prefer to call it tree house time. I don’t have a desire to enter into the tree house, but I enjoy listening to the dialogue and watching what happens as a result of it (within reason). Oh, and I of course love preparing food for the party. I’m a “Baker” – what can I say.

As far as the Super Bowl, YES – we’ll have it on at our home – I live with three guys (my husband and two sons to clarify) but I’m even more intrigued with what else is occurring as a result of the Super Bowl – the many community outreaches:

• Super Bowl Gospel Celebration that sponsors many tickets to the Super Bowl for under-resourced children and to help fund the Special Olympics
• YET – Youth Education Towns that will be constructed in Tampa by the NFL for youth
• Habitat Construction
• Sports Training for Youth, Super Learning Centers, Etc.

So, there you have it – my 2009 confession about football.

What is your Super Bowl tradition or football confession ladies? Anything special your Small Group will be doing? What Super thing could Women’s Ministry do for the first of February?

Rhonda

Confession #1 from and INFP – Salting My Pastor’s Tea

If you’re from the South, it’s “sweet” tea, right! Well, I’m from the midwest and this happened in Illinois – so for those of you wondering – Jud is not the victim. And well, we really don’t drink salt in our tea in Illinois either but when the air is muggy/heavy, and there’s a need to lighten things up, a bit of a harmless prank doesn’t hurt – does it? Yes, I enjoy a harmless prank every now and then.

There are times to be serious and times to have fun and there are times to be serious and have fun at the same time. This borders on the latter (be serious and have fun at the same time). Bruce is actually one of the greatest mentors I had in my early years of life as a new believer. Even in the event of me putting a ton of salt in his iced tea when he wasn’t looking, the joke was on me as he just kept drinking the tea as if nothing had changed. What’s with that – how does one drink salted tea? Was he trying to teach me something in this as well – perhaps preservation during times of trial. Who knows – but this is what I learned.

“No matter what happens to you, KEEP YOUR SPIRIT SWEET.” These are words that came directly from Bruce to me. His timely, wise words have come to mind and guided me several times during difficult struggles in ministry relationships. Through his words, I am reminded of two things:

1. “After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him.” Matthew 3:16 (New Living Translation). We know this to be the presence of the Holy Spirit and how He can impact our lives to be different even in the tough times as followers of Christ.

2. The words of an old hymn “Sweet, Sweet Spirit.”
Doris Akers, the writer of this hymn, in an interview with Lindsay Terry said this: “She related to me that one Sunday morning in 1962, while directing the Sky Pilot Choir, she said to her singers, “You are not ready to go in.” She didn’t believe they had prayed enough! They were accustomed to spending time with her in prayer before the service, asking God to bless their songs. She said, “I feel that prayer is more important than great voices.” They had already prayed, but this particular morning she asked them to pray again, and they did so with renewed fervor.

As they prayed, Doris began to wonder how she could stop this wonderful prayer meeting. She said, “I sent word to the pastor letting him know what was happening. He was waiting in the auditorium, wanting to start the service. Finally, I was compelled to say to the choir, ‘We have to go. I hate to leave this room and I know you hate to leave, but you know we do have to go to the service. But there is such a sweet, sweet Spirit in this place.’”

Knowing that the Holy Spirit is present within us in our meetings and relationships with others can bring on a sweetness that breaks through in such a powerful way that everyone involved is aware something special is happening – a moment in time is preserved for the glory of God . . . and we don’t want to leave this place. It can happen in a Small Group, and it can even happen when a pastor drinks salted tea.

Bruce continues to mentor me from a distance – and yes, we laugh about that experience every now and then together. I think he wants me to feel guilty. I don’t.

IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU! So tell me, how do you like your tea?