Weekly Update!

Hey Girls!! :)
I am so excited to announce a third Bible study happening... God's SO good. (if it would let me underline that twelve times, I would have!) :) Thursday nights, 10 Smart Things, with Ilona leading, starting this evening. Contact tmpwomen@gmail.com for details. And, Ilona, we're praying for a crazily blessed night for you all!

I hope you're enjoying Bible study as much as I am!
Some things we learned from Monday:
10 Smart Things: "The way the story ends depends on what you tell yourself in that moment. Telling yourself the objective truth enables you to manage your emotions."

Esther: "You cannot amputate your history from your destiny."

Just a reminder to keep on encouraging each other, enjoy your homework, and keep those prayer requests on your heart this week!

There's a few things that are new to the blog... If you want to be emailed posts as they are posted, sign up at tmpwomen@gmail.com and we'll set you up. Also, you can subscribe to posts if you're on Google Reader or something similar. Just go to "subscribe" at the margin on the right.
In addition, I put the link to Lifeway under the Links section for the Beth Moore resources I keep referring to in study.

Bible studies!

Wow... what a great turnout for both studies yesterday! It's so exciting seeing so many women with a desire to know Him!

Some gems I picked up from yesterday (I went to both. I couldn't help myself, I so love Bible study!):
From Donna Carter's 10 Things: Negative space is as important as filled space; it serves in creating order and rest and focus for the other things.

From Beth Moore's Esther: He's got the whole world in His hands. Why do we think He doesn't have our whole world in His hands?

If you missed yesterday, it's not too late to get involved... just email us, tmpwomen@gmail.com
and let us know!

Oops!

I've been falsely advertising the morning study! The real title to the book is:

Ten Smart Things Women Can Do to Build a Better Life.

A much friendlier title than the one I advertised, I must say! I hope you'll join Melanie this Monday at the Underground!

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”- John 8:31-32

Monday Morning Study

Our Winter/Spring Study will take us down an entirely new path! Canadian speaker/writer, Donna Carter, has penned 10 Smart things women can do to build a better life. What a mouthful and yet who isn’t drawn to the promise of a better life?The course will help us discover valuable tools to help us successfully navigate our day-to day existence. Real-life topics to do with emotions (got any!?), relationships and stress are covered off, among others, with thought-provoking reference to the bible and the power of a transformational relationship with the God who created us and wants us to live life to the fullest.
You will be provided with a Participant’s Guide to be used during our video discussion times, 9:15-11:15 am at the Underground at the cost of $5.00. While there are no homework requirements, this may be a great time to launch in to daily reading of your bible, just like you have always wanted to do!
Please register at the Connections table in the lobby at church or contact Melanie at contactmel@shaw.ca.
Our opening celebration will be held on Sunday, January 18th. All details TBA!

--Melanie

Freshly squeezed

January 8, 2009

I'm double posting this entry from my blog, www.jenjotsthoughtsat.blogspot.com, as I thought it might encourage you today to join one of our studies coming up, or maybe just prompt you to dust off your bible :)

I didn't realize as a kid that not everyone in the world can walk outside their back door in the bright warm morning January sunshine, pick oranges, and juice them to have with breakfast. I thought that was completely normal and insignificant. I know much better now! Trying to teach my kids about California life here this week, I took Keelin and a couple brown Trader Joe's grocery bags out to the yard in search of a great glass of juice. There's absolutely nothing better than real freshly squeezed juice.

We filled our bags with about twenty some-odd oranges and took them inside to juice. We halved them and pressed them onto the citrus juicer. Keelin stuck her finger at one point into the stream of juice from the machine, and said the juice was a bit "sourish."

We poured our glasses of juice. Keelin's first taste prompted her to ask if we could put sugar in it. WHAT?!!??! To suggest such a thing!! Broke my heart! I think it's my fault in a way. At home we buy less expensive Minute Maid from frozen concentrate. Making juice at home in Canada involves opening the can and adding three cans of water. That's even if we buy real juice. Often we have orange punch, which has very little if any orange juice in it, along with other juices mixed in, or completely artificially flavored.

How often do we settle for cheaper artificial or watered down versions of the real thing? Does it happen so often the fake starts to taste more real than the true?

The truth, the real stuff, is sometimes hard to come by, and costs more, but seek it out.... it's amazing!

O taste and see that the LORD is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him. Psalm 34:8