Fruitfulness – Page 3 – Women's Ministry

Influence in Your Circle

May 23, 2016September 5, 2016by hcfwomenLeave a Comment

I once declared, “I won’t do anything without talking with You about it first, God.” The statement came after a terrible time of grief and pride, and as the only reasonable response to a stunning and specific, yet amazingly gentle, correction given to me by Our Father.

I’d like to say that I have made good on that promise 100%, but that would not be true. However, our Counselor reminds me of that vow when I “go and do,” but neglect my conversations with God. I have noticed that the pattern holds: as I pray about personal, marriage, parenting, friendship, church and ministry, vocation, political issues, etc., I see His praise-worthy creative power at work. However, when I neglect my privileged responsibility to pray over my spheres of influence, I hopelessly witness not only my own but others’ terrible times, grief, and pride.

Remarkably, God Himself made nearly the same statement to us as I made to Him. Amos 3:7 (NIV) says,

Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.

I believe the reason He does this is to provide the reality of the difference He makes in our and others’ lives. Our spoken prayers toward Him make a difference in our perspective of the world. Also true is that His spoken word—transforming us internally and manifesting externally through us—makes a difference in how He and the world relate to one another. Powerfully, we are in God’s sphere of influence!

Our faith is the only one which states that overcoming this world’s degenerative problems is not just possible, it is the ongoing fulfillment of an eternal promise (John 16:33)! God’s part of the conversation, often given through His disciples, is powerful and effective; He provides correction, encouragement, love, and every good thing.

Many Christians I have known struggle with the words “witness,” “testimony,” and “prophecy”; they sound like they belong to other people and other times. However, John’s Revelation (19:10 – ERV) message, “…the truth of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” is for all disciples of all ages to experience! When we think about it, to witness simply means to provide “public affirmation by word or example,” especially, of our belief in the doctrine of Christianity (the teachings of Jesus and of His Apostles) to those who need the Truth.

Jesus encourages disciples with His timeless declaration, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 – NIV). The world is large, and our problems in it can seem overwhelming; however, the pattern of God’s power in overcoming remains. It is our privileged responsibility to pray about religions and politics, work and recreation, friends, and family; because, these spheres touch and overlap. Praying, we witness God’s influence throughout the world. Beginning with our own little circle, we’ll increasingly see how He changes lives in every good way!

This post was written by Tina Crowson.

Fruitfulness, God's Presence, Prayer, Scripture

How to Pray BEFORE the Meltdown

May 2, 2016April 23, 2016by hcfwomenLeave a Comment

I don’t know about you, but taking care of sick kids wears on me after a while. My girls took turns being sick for two weeks and not long afterward my eldest ran fever for 7 days straight. Too sick to go to school but not sick enough to stay in bed. Irritable kids. Irritable mom. Flesh struggling against flesh patterns. Lots of triggered pain. You get the picture.

But my heart is my responsibility.

How do I work through this, especially after I’ve completely lost my composure?Declarative Prayer.

We steer where we stare. Declarative prayer gives me a vehicle with which I can shift my focus back on God and what He says is true. Declarative prayers aren’t speaking magic incantations or denying the difficulties I face.

They help me recognizing that even in the midst of this circumstance, God gets the last word.

Let’s go back to my quasi-meltdown. Afterward, I settled down and thought. Once I verbally processed what I was feeling, I identified the lie I believed: abandonment. It went something like this, “I am alone. No one wants to help me and it’s up to me to make everything come together. Of course, I will fail and it’ll all be my fault.”

Cheerful, huh?

Once I said it out loud I could see the ridiculousness of it all. This lie was in direct opposition to a promise God spoke to my heart a few years back. He said, “Jodi, I’m going to help you.”

That’s it. When I thought about His promise, it wasn’t difficult to enter into declarative prayer. Here’s an example:

“Lord, thank You for helping me through this tough time. You are able to keep me from falling and present me without fault (Jude 24). I’ve had a hard time, but You have not given me a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7). Because of the finished work of the cross I have peace with God (Colossians 1:20) and I can do all things through Christ (Philippians 4:13). So instead of relying on my old coping mechanisms to get me through today, I am going to lean into who I am in Christ and trust You. I am not responsible for making everything work today. Instead of pre-judging others, I will ask for help from the appropriate people and move forward from there. Thank You for helping me walk in reality instead of vain imaginations.”

Bam.

I’ve never spent time praying this way when His peace didn’t give me clarity to take the next step. And friends, honestly that’s what most of us need. We couldn’t handle detailed marching orders for the rest of our life. He’s going to show us the next step. Then we get to choose whether or not we’re going to obey.

When you realize you’re rapidly approaching a pain cycle, I want you to remember that you are not powerless. You can use declarative prayer to release the power of God into your heart, your mind and your response. Go for it!

This post was written by Jodi LaFrance. To read more about her, click here.

Fruitfulness, God's Presence

Oobleck…and Our Hearts

January 8, 2016January 8, 2016by hcfwomen2 Comments

Have you ever done the kid’s science experiment with “Oobleck”? It is a blend of cornstarch and water that defies all explanation. If you squeeze it or punch it, it acts like a solid (think clay or play dough, sort of). But if you release your fist, it immediately melts like a liquid. It may sound strange, but God recently reminded me of this interesting object to describe my heart.

To be honest, the start of this year has been rough for me. I wanted God to join me in my own pity party, but He didn’t. He reminded me that He’s here with me. Then He gently convicted me that I needed to repent of my own selfishness and bitterness, and He allowed me to push the “reset” button on my heart. He brought me to James 4:5-8.

“Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, ‘He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us’? But He gives more grace. Therefore it says, ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’ Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”

The word for grace here is charis – God’s “influence upon the heart, and it’s reflection in the life, including gratitude” (Strong’s Concordance). I love this. To me, that means His grace is when He reaches in and gently touches and molds my heart.

I keep imagining this back and forth motion between our hearts and God…
He yearns for my heart to be completely His. So He gently reaches in and touches my heart; He starts to mold my heart and turn it towards Him. If I resist, my heart gets hard, but if I receive, my heart melts…

God wants my heart to melt for him.

Ezekiel 36:26
“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”

If you are afraid of what it would be like to truly experience the all-encompassing love of God, maybe it’s time to repent. This is not meant as a punishment…Repentance is a gift. It’s letting go of ourselves and choosing to align our hearts with God, agreeing with how He sees things.

As I read about “submitting” in the James passage, I actually get a picture more like, “Present yourselves therefore to God.” Like Esther before the king. Come and present ourselves with an open heart to Him…Come near, and He always draws us in. His heart for us is good.

When I choose to repent, submit, and trust that His heart towards me is good, I see His heart of love for me in a way I never have before, and His love overtakes me, and my heart melts.

This post was written by Heather Dillard. To read more about her, click here.

Fruitfulness

The Survivor Tree

August 3, 2015by hcfwomenLeave a Comment

Recently, my family and I visited the OKC bombing memorial while visiting family, just like we have done several times before. This time was a little different as God began to speak to me surrounding the “Survivor Tree” that sits on the property of the memorial. This tree started out as just a scrawny parking lot tree that was almost destroyed when the federal building was being built. This beautiful tree survived and continued to thrive, doing its job of shading cars.

In 1995, when the tragic bombing occurred and killed so many people, somehow this tree survived. Although it was damaged and required some healing, miraculously, this tree again rose up and began to thrive. The inscription surrounding the tree today says, “The spirit of this city and this nation will not be defeated; our deeply rooted faith sustains us.” As I reflected on this tree and the depth of what it represents, it reminds me of the unshakeable God that we serve. May my roots be planted deeply in the love of Christ. No matter what happens in this world around me, I know that I have an unshakeable God that protects and sustains me.

“Blessed is the man who believes in, trusts in, and relies on the Lord, and whose hope and confidence the Lord is. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters that spreads out its roots by the river; and it shall not see and fear when heat comes; but its leaf shall be green. It shall not be anxious and full of care in the year of drought, nor shall it cease yielding fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8

There are many things that are uncertain in everyday life, but there is one promise that I hold on to in times of trouble…blessed are those whose hope is in the Lord. Hope in anything else brings anxiety, worry, striving, an overwhelmed spirit, and a lack of joy.

What are you worried about today?
Are you fearful about your current circumstance?
Are you overwhelmed today?

I want to yield a fruitful life and thrive no matter the circumstance. I want the testimony of my life to be that I was firmly planted and deeply rooted in Christ, how about you? Let’s be fruitful, thriving women who radiate joy to the world! 🙂

This post was written by Amy Meek. To read more about her, click here.

Fruitfulness, Prayer

A Call To Fight

June 18, 2015by hcfwomenLeave a Comment

C.S. Lewis wrote, “Since it is so likely that children will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage. ”

Because of the influence of my sisters, I now mentally make Lord of the Rings analogies to life…and I’ve noticed I’ve been doing this more recently. To me, this and other stories like it give a picture of a time when people lived fully, loved deeply, and fought fiercely. And I believe that we are in a similar place today: a place where we need to allow ourselves to be fully present to those in our lives.

And there comes a time even now when we must fight. Sometimes it’s for ourselves and sometimes it’s for others. We fight for our families, we fight for our friends, we fight for our churches. This is not in the physical, it is in the spiritual, but it doesn’t make it any less important.
We fight to choose life every day.
We fight in worship.
We fight in prayer.
We fight in faith.

There is an account in the book of Exodus when the Israelites are fighting a battle, and their leader, Moses, is standing at the top of the hill. Whenever he lifts his hands up, they are winning, but when he lowers them, the enemy begins winning. Moses is very old at this time, and his hands grow tired. Two of the leaders have to hold up Moses’ hands on either side, and the victory is won.

Our prayers matter. In this, we are lending our strengths to others and speaking life over them. We are reminding them and ourselves of the truth of God’s Word and speaking it into our reality on earth. This does not mean that we let our hearts get hard; but we are willing to step out in courage–to step up and fight. We do this because our hearts are tender, we care about people, and we are willing to fight for them in prayer (and action, too). These are not scared prayers; these are declaring God’s Word over people and situations, and reminding our own hearts that God is bigger than anything we might face.

We do not fight as if we do not know who will win the battle. We fight because we know that our God is on our side, and he is victorious. He does not slumber or sleep, but will keep our hearts and lives safe–hidden in him. In the physical, this may or may not work out like we want. But we know that we can trust our God and press hard into Him no matter what.

This post was written by Heather Dillard. To read more about her, click here.

Faith, Fruitfulness

When Dreams Invade

March 16, 2015by hcfwomenLeave a Comment

This post originally appeared on Heather’s personal blog, Discovering the Extraordinary. She has given us permission to share it here.

“What would you do if you knew you would not fail?”

I’ve never really liked this question.
To me, it seems to put so much pressure on finding that one thing that’s absolutely perfect for the rest of your life.

What’s the opposite of failure? Success.
Well, maybe…but I don’t think so.

I don’t think success has anything to do with not failing. In fact, if someone does anything successful, chances are, they’ve failed many, many times. Because we all have times that we fail, make mistakes, and royally mess up. But that’s part of the journey. Success is taking those failures and learning from them, and getting up and continuing to move forward.

So maybe the right question to ask would be:
“What would you do if you knew your heart would come alive?”

What comes to mind when you hear this? Does your heart leap within you? Do you feel free and inspired? Or do you feel fear and discouragement?

I don’t know if you have these moments like I do…but I can’t seem to get away from them. Let me set the stage for you here: In reality, I find myself in situations where it seems like the dreams God has put on my heart are impossible–or at the very least, postponed for a very long time. Things just don’t work out as I thought they would.

But then God keeps putting these things on my heart. Even in the midst of my heart giving up, these dreams keep coming back, and keep invading my thoughts and the direction of my heart. I’ve even been so brazen as to ask God, “Why?”

Why, after all that is going on, is this coming up now? Why, when it looks like everything is a mess, do You even put this as a thought in my heart? Can’t You see that it’s impossible? Can’t You see that reality has set in…that this can’t happen now?…

But as much as I try to get around it, His response continues to be:
“These are dreams that I have put in your heart. I spoke these words to you in the first place. And I will fulfill them.”

I don’t know what that will look like (chances are, it’s not going to be how I pictured it, anyway). But I keep coming back to this promise from God:
I’m not done yet.

This post was written by Heather Dillard. To read more about her, click here.

Fruitfulness, Scripture

Be A River

February 9, 2015by hcfwomen1 Comment

One thing I love about God’s Word is that it’s always fresh and relevant. Just when you think you’ve read a Scripture a hundred times, God can shine His light on it and cause you to see a whole other level of meaning. Even so, I think it’s easy sometimes to fall into the “been there, done that, got the t-shirt” (or bumper sticker, or refrigerator magnet) trap. Especially for folks who have grown up in church, the power of the truths that we hear preached over and over again can seem to get lost in their familiarity.

So what’s the solution? Be a river. Jesus said, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'” (John 7:38 NASB) We’re meant to let life flow from our hearts. We’re meant to take what we’ve been given and share it with others.

Do you know why the Dead Sea is dead? It’s constantly being poured into, but it has no outlet. This results in a toxic situation in which nothing can live. The Jordan River flows in, but then the water is trapped and eventually just…evaporates. If the Gospel seems stale, powerless…it’s not a problem with the message. Maybe it just doesn’t have an outlet. Allow the Good News to flow and see if that doesn’t bring life to all involved.

Proverbs 11:25 says, “Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” (NIV) Another version says it this way: “He who waters will himself be watered.” (NASB)

We know all about the need for water here in West Texas. We’re all too familiar with drought. We would think it was crazy if a farmer had an irrigation system with a full well and he never used it to water his crops. No one would just sit there and watch his harvest literally shrivel and die just because he made a choice to keep the water for himself. Let’s not make that mistake as Christians. There are people all around us–in our own circles of influence–who desperately need the life-giving water we’ve been given. We’re meant to flow. We’re meant to be refreshed…inspired…ALIVE…and that’s what happens when we become a river.

This post was written by Becca Wilhite. To read more about her, click here.

Fruitfulness, Holidays

Decorating for the Holidays

November 25, 2014by hcfwomenLeave a Comment

During the next several weeks, we will be enjoying a beautiful series of very special holiday posts! Some of them are from familiar writers, and some are guest posts…All are from remarkable women whose words will be sure to give a breath of fresh air to your spirit during this holiday season! Keep reading for inspiration, encouragement, and of course, yummy recipes!

I have to admit that I chuckled a bit when Julie asked me to write about decorating for the holidays. About two months ago, I decided in my heart that I wouldn’t decorate this year for the holidays. This decision all came about when I was cleaning out a room in our house that we kept all of our decorations in. I found myself actually getting depressed as I sorted through all the boxes, and was truly worried about what was coming out of my heart. Decorating has been a constant source of joy for me and has been my favorite avenue of expressing creativity. As far back as I can remember, I have always gotten a thrill out of decorating, and Christmas is no exception! When I was little I practically begged my parents to get the tree down from the attic. So for me, getting depressed about Christmas decorations was a huge shock.

In my moment of overwhelming pain, I made the only sensible decision, which was to just avoid what was causing me pain. So therefore I stubbornly said no to decorating ever again. Great decision, right? Well, my sweet and loving husband thought otherwise. As he saw me sitting there on the floor in the middle of trash piles and boxes, he uttered the most profound words ever uttered: ”What’s going on?” It’s then that I began to actually let myself feel the pain in my heart and really figure out what was going on.

Going through all the boxes reminded me of all that I had “accomplished” last year in decorating, and I knew in my heart of hearts that I couldn’t do it again this year. I was comparing myself with…well…myself. The thought of decorating left me feeling tired and overwhelmed, because I thought I had to live up to what I had done in the past—when really, last Christmas, I was in a completely different season of life. So why should I expect the same standards of decorating to hold true to me in this season? I have decided that one of the greatest gifts I can give to others (or even myself for that matter) is the gift of letting others run in their lane how it best suits them. I’m not any less of a person because I can’t run in my lane of last year, or the lane of those who are in a different season than I am. I literally can’t do what I did last year, and that’s ok. I had to find out what best suits my family this year and give myself the freedom to enjoy what that looks like.

When discovering what best suits your family this year, you might find that going bigger than usual is your route; or, like me, it might mean keeping it simple. I have chosen this year to decorate in ways that best suit this season of life I’m in, and I encourage you to do the same.

Blessings!

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It’s a family tradition to make cream cheese and corn for the holidays. You just add a block of cream cheese to a few cans of regular corn; it was my favorite food during the holidays growing up =)

This post was written by Abbie Kellum. To read more about her, click here.

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Here are some simple, practical ideas for decorating your home this Christmas—without adding to the stress!

Use candles. Even plain, white candles are a fairly inexpensive way to bring a warm, cheerful glow to any environment. Or (especially if you have little ones) try battery-operated flicker candles.
Take advantage of nature. Use pinecones, evergreen sprigs that have fallen down, or even fresh apples (green and red) to brighten up your dinner table, mantle, or even the bathroom counter!
Layer fabrics. You are sure to find many types of fabrics around your home that you can use to enhance your decorating: a light scarf, a cloth napkin, or even a spare sheet…Whether used as a table runner, or gracefully gathered under a lamp, fabrics add an element of warmth and comfort to your home.

Fruitfulness

Honoring Your Season

September 17, 2014September 5, 2016by hcfwomen2 Comments

Two years ago, I woke up in the middle of the night with a strong impression that the Lord had something to speak to my heart. As I lay in bed, I let my walls down and quietly allowed God to speak to an area of insecurity I had been carrying from season to season. In my heart, I saw a woman in a dark corner with her knees hugging her chest, grasping something tightly in her hands. As I came closer to see what she was hiding, she opened her hands and let a little light come streaming out, but quickly covered it—as if afraid to brighten the dark room with the light’s beauty. I quickly realized the woman in the corner was me.

How many times has God given me the opportunity to let my talents, gifts, and character shine, but the weight of all my insecurities cover them up—refusing to let others and myself experience all God has given me to offer? Too many times to count. I was then burdened with the thought that I was not alone in this war within. How many other women find themselves in the same internal struggle?

A few years ago, I heard a great message from Crystal Quebe about honor. She spoke on how dishonoring something means to treat as common. I soon realized that allowing my insecurities to hinder what God was wanting me to bring out in others was nothing less than dishonoring the season God had given me to cultivate.

You see, each and every one of us is in a season created just for us. You may be the young girl struggling with the transition into college, or the twenty-something newlywed trying desperately to find your role as a wife. You could be a woman like me, scared of what is to come with motherhood approaching, or the empty nester not knowing what to do with your spare time. We have a choice to make. We can choose to dishonor this season and become the woman in the corner, refusing to let others see this beautiful light, or we can decide to uncover the stream of light. This not only affects you, but it can pour in the lives of other women.

Roman 8:19-22 talks about the idea that creation is waiting in eager expectation for the sons and daughters to be revealed. I would bet there are a few women in your circle who are eagerly waiting for you to step up to the plate and reveal the uniqueness of your season that God has given you to let shine. Choose today to not let your insecurity trample this season; choose to see God has created you for such a time as this.

I am reminded of all the women in my life who have bravely accepted this challenge to honor their season. Thank you, Kristen Wright, for showing me that with four kids, you can still have fun and not take yourself so seriously, so you can join in the laughter. Angie Dickson, for opening your home to me and Cameron when you didn’t have to. Meredith Riddle, for teaching me that you can cook for fifteen plus people and still be a humble wife and mom. Or Crystal Quebe, who chose to let a young girl come into her home to simply fold laundry: you taught me at a young age how to keep a home. Most of these tasks for these women were nothing big or out of the ordinary in their everyday life, but their choosing to honor their season not only impacted their life, but gave me the opportunity to change mine. When we let our light shine, it allows others to do the same.

This post was written by Madi Mikael.

Fruitfulness, Identity

Creativity

August 30, 2014July 6, 2015by hcfwomenLeave a Comment

Immediately after being asked to share on creativity, I started thinking on what to write. Weeks later I found myself still thinking…and thinking…and thinking, but nothing was coming to mind. Just as I started to panic, a memory bubbled up in my heart. Growing up, my mother and I loved sitting together snuggled up on the couch watching our favorite decorating shows. I distinctly remember an episode where the host explained how decorating isn’t done through thinking out the design; it’s through seeing the design in your heart and letting it come to life. I then realized why I couldn’t think of anything to write. Creativity isn’t done through thinking; it’s done through living from one’s heart.

A recent sermon series at our church explained this concept incredibly well. We are to live from our hearts—ultimately letting the dreams God has placed in us come to life. God is the supreme example of creativity; after all, he did create you and all that encompasses this life and the next. If we truly believe that God is in us, then we have an endless reservoir of creativity waiting to be tapped into. We only need to live from our heart and let creativity have room to grow and breath.

It saddens me to hear people express that they don’t have a single creative bone in their body. Or even worse, compare their creative abilities to others around them, saying they aren’t as creative as Mrs. Crafty Glue Gun. To say that creativity can only look one way is actually the complete opposite of creativity. All of us are handmade with unique ways to creatively express God’s love and bring his kingdom to those we encounter. Take the tools God has equipped you with and see how many different ways you can use that to bring his kingdom of righteousness, peace and joy to your piece of earth. Simply put: How can I take what I have, and transform it into something meaningful?

Some of my favorite memories are when someone chose to dare greatly, live from their heart, and express a message that I was wanted, thought of, and cared for deeply. Hopefully by sharing some of these moments with you, you will begin recognizing all the different ways God can use you to love on his people:

– Handwritten notes my mom would tuck away in my sack lunch.
– My husband pulling to the side of the road so we could dance to a song playing on the radio.
– Sitting on our pillows to watch Kung Fu Panda while eating Chinese noodles.
– Having a date in the dining room section of JC Penny’s.

These moments have reminded me of my righteousness, brought peace to my heart and have filled me with joy. Henri Matisse said, “Creativity takes courage.” I am so thankful for all the creative ways God shares his love with me, and for those courageous enough to be used by him.

This post was written by Abbie Kellum. To read more about her, click here.