By His Grace

Revive Gathering

Calling all women of North Houston: Do you know about Revive Gathering yet? If not, then you need to! Revive is a seasonal gathering for the women of North Houston to come together and glorify God through worship, prayer, and God’s Word. Women from several churches and denominations in the area gathered together this past Thursday at Revive Gathering.

To God be glorified, women be unified – Revive Gathering

fullsizeoutput_18e4The worship was phenomenal Thursday evening and women from all walks of life were united together in praise for  Jesus under the stars at the Rob Fleming Park in The Woodlands. We sang songs of praise and worship to our Almighty Lord and Savior out in the brisk cool evening air. Voices lifted high to our King! It was a beautiful thing to be a part of. Then, Gina Webster brought an incredible message of unity for women to lift up and encourage one another so that Jesus Christ may be exalted!

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Gina encouraged women to show forgiveness, love, and mercy to one another and to build up the household of Faith. She said we don’t need to wrestle, envy, or be jealous of sisters. Instead, we should realize that we have received the promise of Jesus Christ and that God has a plan for each one of us that is full of goodness. She concluded her message with a charge for us to be women who fight for our sisters to lift up one another and to celebrate the good gifts that come to our sisters.

We ended the evening gathered in small prayer circles, where we prayed for one word for each woman. I was honored to lead a sweet group of young women in prayer, and I look forward to what God is going to do within their midst!

As women, we were made for community, and we need our sisters to love, encourage and pray for us. The enemy of our souls would love nothing more than to keep us isolated, separated and divided. As women, we must stand with our sisters and build one another up for the Kingdom of God.

Revive will meet again April 20, 2017, and I hope to see you there!

 

 

Our Home – A Sanctuary

Our homes should be a place of refuge and protection from the world, a sanctuary.  Home should be a place where we can relax, renew and recharge. “There is no place like home” is an expression for a reason. As women, we have an incredible opportunity to make our homes a refuge from the world for both our family and for our guests.

The wisest of women builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down. –     Proverbs 14:1 ESV

A wise woman is careful to build her home. Making our homes a place of beauty that reflects our personal taste is one of the greatest joys as a homemaker.

What are some practical ways that a wise woman can build her home?

This is my favorite time of the year. I cherish the art of hospitality and making my home a sanctuary. Over the course of the next few months, I would like to invite you into my home via the blog and share the beauty of the season with you.

I love to create beautiful flower arrangements, and seasonal decor to spruce things up and to keep it fresh. Pictured below is a floral arrangement in my dining room.

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Pictured above is a lovely little vignette for fall on my butler’s pantry.

[ctt template=”2″ link=”EaFXB” via=”yes” ]Creating a beautiful home that refreshes requires engaging all our senses.[/ctt]

We love playing musical instruments and listening to music. In fact, we have a dedicated music room in our home and have been known to pull out all our instruments when having friends over for dinner.

[ctt template=”2″ link=”J2MH0″ via=”yes” ]The type of music that you listen to within your home has a profound effect on the atmosphere of your home.[/ctt]

The kitchen is my happy place, and I love to create beautiful memories through food with family and friends. Making fresh home-cooked healthy meals is a joy for me, but even store-bought food can be presented beautifully with a little imagination and creativity. Pictured below is crusty sourdough bread with brie and an assortment of antipasto.

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I love diffusing essential oils, lighting candles, or fresh baking goodies to create a beautiful aroma that is pleasing to our sense of smell. Even a basket filled with potpourri can invigorate our senses.

I would love to know what you are doing to make your home a beautiful refuge from the world!

 

The Importance of Girlfriends

The other day, I met a friend for lunch and as soon as she sat down and we started talking, she burst into tears. You see, my friend is a busy young mother with a new baby. She was frazzled trying to get out of the house and get everyone situated before she came to meet me. I think she was just relieved to see me knowing that we could talk and that I would understand the struggles and challenges that she is experiencing. Basically, she just needed a friend.

Hebrews 10:24-25 “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,  not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

Girlfriends are important. We need each other. We need friends to laugh with us when we are happy and cry with us when we are sad. Friends that will pray for us and encourage us to do good. Hebrews chapter 10 tells us to consider, ponder, think about how we should stir up one another to love and good works.

The Amplified Bible says it this way, “And let us consider and give attentive, continuous care to watching over one another, studying how we may stir up (stimulate and incite) to love and helpful deeds and noble activities, Not forsaking or neglecting to assemble together [as believers], as is the habit of some people, but admonishing (warning, urging, and encouraging) one another, and all the more faithfully as you see the day approaching.”

As Christian women, we should be creative in thinking about ways to meet with each other so that we can watch over one another and encourage one another to love God, love our husbands, love our children, and to love each other.

I have an amazing group of women that I meet with regularly, and I am so blessed by their friendships. Some of us have been friends for almost two decades, others have joined us along the way. We do life together. We may not see each other every day, but I know that these are the girls that have my back. We have shared both good times and bad times. We have celebrated all of the major milestones together—babies, birthdays, showers, and even funerals. These girls are a special part of my life.

I have other very close friends who are very special to me, and these ladies are the “older women” in my life who I look up to, and can call on for advice. These ladies are full of wisdom, and I consider these ladies my mentors. It is good to have women of all ages in your life!

The Lord has blessed me with a life filled with amazing women of all ages; both young and old. Some I see regularly, others I only talk to occasionally. It isn’t necessary to have a lot of friends, but what is important is having the right kind of friends. Friends that lift you up encourage you and pray for you. I hope you have a special girl or a group of girls that you can call your friends. If not, I encourage you to pray and ask God to put the right kind of girls and women in your life.

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