No doubt about it!

How important is doubt to faith? The Scriptures say that without works, faith is dead. Sometimes it seems to me that when people go through a period of doubt, then faith is made stronger.

In fact, I recently heard that the Jesuit brotherhood of Catholic monks have a strange requirement. A priest cannot complete his Jesuit training unless he has gone through a lengthy period of serious doubt. It is thought that serious doubts about God's existence eventually prove that one's faith is genuine. Without doubt, one's "faith" may just be shallow religious practice.

Kind of deep for today, but what do you think? Have honest doubts actually helped your faith become strong?

The sound of a devoted dad

How often have you seen such wonderful capability in your kids...and then sacrificed your own efforts for theirs. This amazing video inspires me. Thanks Cassie.

But there's more - I got to thinking about how much the Lord has sacrificed for me. Himself, for instance. He regularly makes the plans he has for me a priority item for himself. Get it? He's that devoted dad who never looses patience or focus. Encourage one another with these words ...

POOL PARTY!

What fun we had together last Friday! I really enjoyed the swimming, the food, and the games. You kept saying, "We need to laugh like this more often." I AGREE! That special something happened when women get together. We support each other in real ways (that happened Friday); we kid around with each other (that happened Friday); we notice and get noticed -

Like Sally Fields said, "You like me, you really like me!" Yep - I like you.

What do you like to talk about particularly with women? Let's keep talkin'!

Surely? Surely.

Thanks again to Liz Cloud for a terrific video clip. A sweetie recites Psalm 23.

North Hills Facebook

You've been blogging with the girls ... now try the North Hills facebook!

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=4216178564&ref=mf

Don't get in trouble with your boss, or your kids, and don't miss feeding your poor dog! But it's fun! My facebook allows me to post pictures and answer silly questions and just get to know our church people better. Next time you have a few minutes (or, more like an hour!) - get online and try out facebook! You will have to create an account to join the fun. It's fast and painless - and could help you feel more connected with God and each other.

I wonder whether the Lord imagined facebook when he encouraged us in Hebrews 10:25 ...

Let's see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.

Love you!

Just for fun - Weird Dream

I once had a really weird dream that...

Just for fun - Morning or Night?

Are you a morning person or a night person?

Forgiveness

I went to a workshop this week on marital counseling. There were some things said about forgiveness that just hit me between the eyes.

"Forgiveness is God’s invention for coming to terms with a world in which,
despite their best intentions, people are unfair to each other and hurt each
other deeply. He began by forgiving us. And He invites us all to forgive each
other." quotation by Lewis Smedes, theologian and author

Wow! So true. Even though I do my best to be nice, eventually (sometimes sooner rather than later), I hurt somebody's feelings. Yuck. I wish I wouldn't do that. I wish they wouldn't do it back. I'm glad there is forgiveness. Lord, teach me how to forgive and be forgiven.

Just for fun - Princess

Who is your favorite "princess"?

Just for fun - Dream vacation

I couldn't resist this question, especially while we still have 6 weeks of summer left!

What is your dream vacation?

Teach us to pray

pastor terry challenged us ... We overestimate our own ability to deal with our lives.


Stepped on my toes! I often make the mistake to think that I can deal with the circumstances of my daily life. But in my own strength, negativity and frustration are all too common at the end of the day.


1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 gives us this prayerful remedy ... Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live. (The Message)

Praying all the time gives me the perspective and power to be "cheerful no matter what". Wanna give it a try with me this week? Let us know how it's working!

Just for fun - going to the Car Wash

Yesterday, I went to get my car washed near the Berean Bookstore in Colton. A huge truck was rolling to the end of the automatic wash area, and just kept rolling until it ran into another car that was being dried. The rolling truck took out the left rear brake light and side panel of a little purple car! The poor owners just watched in dismay as their cars got into an accident with each other. Memo to me - don't let my car be dried in line with the exit from the auto-wash!

How about you? Do you wash your car or let the car wash do it?

Happy Independence Day! We've seen the immense variety of our country's landscape over the past three weeks. One thing was consistent ... the friendliness and openness of the American people. The lady at the Oklahoma Welcome Center, the rangers in the caverns, hotel clerks all along the way ... the freedom of our country reflected in the cross country openness of its people. Thank God for liberty!

Check out this link for a wonderful, patriotic clip!
http://sagebrushpatriot.com/america.htm

Just for fun - States

So, you had to see this one coming ... How many states have you ever put a toe or finger or whole body into? (yes, the Four Corners in AZ, NM, etc. count as 4) Name them if you dare!

We're on our way home!

Last hotel, last pool, last free breakfast. We're in Tucson tonite. We were in Carlsbad earlier today. We walked into the cavern through this natural entrance around 10 am and emerged about 2 pm. The caverns are amazing - another WOW experience to round out our trip. This time, I heard Devin say "you did good, God".

Our family has been blessed in so many ways on this trip. I suppose I'll talk about it a lot. After all, we talk a lot about the things that impress us (hmmmm, there must be a sermon in that!). If you are around me at all in the next month, just tell me when I start repeating myself.

Love you all ... See you Sunday!

Pam

Virgin River Gorge - Wow God

God did good! Driving out of Mesquite yesterday, we came upon a rise of rock much like the walls of the Grand Canyon. The road disappeared into the gorge and look what we saw!

Wow God - Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; let them sing before the LORD. Even the boys said "Wow"

I haven't heard such beautiful worship in our van in a long time. When "Wow" sounds a lot like "Praise the Lord"!

Hope you have some "WOW" experiences this week!

Just for fun - Pretty around Pink

Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you?

Finding Your Way Home - A true story

A 7 year old girl got lost one day in San Francisco. Her parents could not find her for hours. When she returned, in the company of a police officer, the police officer told this story ...

I found her walking in an adjacent neighborhood and she was very upset. We sat together for awhile until she was able to stop crying and then began to drive around. We hoped we would find something that looked familiar to her, like a grocery store or even her own home. But this is what happened.

We found her church. She immediately recognized her church building and began getting very happy. Confidently, she told me, "This is my church. I can always find my way home from here."

And here she is, home.

Hey sister friends. We are better together!!!

Love you ... Pam
(From "Traveling Mercies" by Anne Lamott)

Just for fun - High Point

Hello my girlie friends! Just for fun ... blog about the high point of your week. Maybe since Sunday morning service. I'll be back online Friday evening with a great story about finding your way home. See ya!

Red Hatters' Fashion Show

Our friend, Liz Cloud, has fun with her girlfriends as part of the Red Hatters in the Inland Empire. The Red Hatters are having a fashion show on June 2nd at the Gibson Center in Upland, the cost is $5.00 pre-event or $7.00 at the door. Wanna go?

The Red Hatters are a nationwide, grassroots gang of women over 50 years old. The group gathers to laugh with each other, exchange stories of friendship, and support each other during tough times. I received an honorary membership hat pin a couple of years ago from some good friends. What a blessing! If you are interested in this event, please contact Liz Cloud at lzbthcloud@yahoo.com. She's ready to pin you!

Just for fun - High School

Where did you graduate from high school and, if you are brave enough, when?

God likes you!

Hello, friends! I missed you at church this week ... I was blessed to be with another woman's group up at Pinecrest Conference Center for their women's retreat. What a blast to again be with women, celebrating the Lord and receiving ministry from Him!

On Saturday morning, the worship was sooo sweet. These women really like God. A word came forward from one of the women where we were all reassured that God really likes us! So much He has done for us, and to think, He likes me, too!

Can I get a witness? What has happend lately that shows you how much the Lord likes you?

Love you all ... see you next Sunday!

Ministers of grace

It's 10:36 pm ... do you know where your girlfriend is? Does she know where you are? Let's bear one another's burdens - and fulfill the loving law of Christ. Here it is ... our first prayer request blog. Be brief, make it personal, read to the bottom. How can we pray for you this week?

Happy Mother's Day!

What is your favorite Mother's Day gift - either given or received?

A quiverful of life

Fine Arts Festival, Assemblies of God Youth Department, Newport Mesa Christian Center. If you had been there today, you would have seen some wonderfully committed, brilliantly alive students. They did things their way. They sang, played, acted, signed ... displayed artistic expressions of many kinds. Devin played his heart out - Joshua fit the battle of Jericho - an incredible jazz version that had people snapping in time to the beat.

Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. Psalm 127:3-5

Choose this Mother's Day to celebrate children. Yours or your girlfriend's. Hug some kid as soon as you can! Tell us about it ...

Just for fun - Pizza

What is your perfect pizza?

Celebrating and fellowshipping and chatting ... My next step is going to I-Tunes to sample the music that Frances provided for us. I'm gonna stay focused on what's in my alabaster jar. I'm gonna pay attention to opportunities to pour myself out extravagantly before the Lord.

So nice to see many of you there. I really love you gals and covet for you a living faith ... whole, amazing, enjoyable before the Lord.

Blessings,
Pam

Happy May Day!

Gayle, a girlfriend in high school, used to celebrate May Day by bringing all of us flowers and wishing us happy friendships. Sounds good to me!

Happy friendship! Jesus loves you!

From infoplease.com ... May 1st, often called May Day, just might have more holidays than any other day of the year. It's a celebration of Spring. It's a day of political protests. It's a neopagan festival, a saint's feast day, and a day for organized labor. In many countries, it is a national holiday.

Just for fun - Flowers

In honor of May flowers ... what is your favorite flower?

Thomas Merton on living spirituality

"The spiritual life is first of all a life. It is not merely something to be known and studied, it is to be lived."
-Thomas Merton, "Thoughts in Solitude"

Thomas Merton (1915 – 1968), Catholic theologian from Kentucky, studied and practiced prayer without ceasing. Of course, he was a Trappist monk living in a secluded abby in Kentucky ...

How do you find the Lord in day to day moments? ... living spirituality ...

Just for fun - Sound off!

What is your complete name? Given, confirmation, birth certificate, maiden, married - any name you've ever been given. If you have time, tell us why!

Time for ...

No time for blogging this week, although I've so much enjoyed your continuing connections with me and each other this week and have missed throwing out some new things. This week in review ...

Tuesday was my last teaching class at Vanguard. A time for grading papers and rejoicing in the Lord's gift of a semester of fun with great students. Thank you, Lord!

Thursday was the due date for the State of Ohio report. Turned out to be 23 pages with essays and pictures and table of contents and everything! Go Alex!

Friday saw Devin playing in a jazz combo at the REV Arts Festival. And me enjoying him ... and the rap band ... and the unusual "emo" poetry guy ... and the emcee who, well ... that's enough! Being a mom is great. God is better! ;-)

Busyness all week at the office with lots of clients and paperwork and a subpoena to help a client through a tough situation. Not quite a normal week. Somebody had to be praying for me!

So, no time for blogging ... but plenty of time for the Lord to be that "very present help." My dependency on him is remarkably real to me this Saturday morning.

The ball's in your court ... How did the Lord help you through this week?

Just for fun - Collections

Do you have a collection of anything?

FIESTA!

a mini-conference for women...how women celebrate life and the Lord...through good times...through hard times

9:00 am registration opens with crafts to decorate for our FIESTA!
9:30 am worship celebration...chick talk with judy rachels, susie starr, pam henderson, fran suderman...
11:30 am play mexican train dominoes, relax in girl talk, enjoy our
nacho bar with chicken, carne, rice, beans, fixings, and hot sauce!
1:00 pm chick talk returns...

We'll wrap up by 2:00 pm...$10...Crossroads Christian Center, 957 N. Cactus Road, Rialto

register by April 29th...flyers available at church...let's work out childcare together!

The Watchmaker

Here's a sweet poem and video the origins of our species ... Thanks, Liz, for sharing.

http://www.kids4truth.com/watchmaker/watch.html

Just for fun - Hot Sauce

Do you like hot sauce? On what? Mild, Medium, or HOT?

The Roman Centurion and me

pastor terry says ... the Roman Centurion had seen many crucifixions, but none like this one. Jesus on the cross was so different from any other crucifixion that he had before. Something in Jesus caused the Centurion to say, "Truly, this was the Son of God."

What do you think the Centurion saw or experienced that made him recognize Jesus as the Son of God? Or, what have YOU seen or experienced that makes YOU recognize Jesus as the Son of God?

Just for fun - Invention

What is one thing scientists should invent?

on faith promising ...

pastor terry says ... Faith hears from the Lord and promises to obey, even when sacrifice is required. A faith promise lies between the two opposing tensions of a God-testing and outrageous pledge and a checkbook-bound and anxious figuring out of what I/we can afford.

How have you experienced hearing and obeying the Lord so far this week?

Discovering the REAL God

... I did not know that God provided things for people; I thought he was just someone to talk to and to try to keep happy enough so that he did not hate me. (p. 65, HPG) ("How People Grow" going to be cited just as HPG from now on)

...People must discover that God is for them and not against them. (p. 66, HPG)

How about completing this sentence in your own words? God is more [insert your words or good experience of God's personality] than [insert a contrasting personality style that people might have]. Expand your comment with some Scripture, thoughts and/or experiences that have brought you into touch with our wonderful, amazing Lord.

Wouldn't you like to be a blogger, too?

The term "blog" is a portmanteau, or, in other words, a blend of the words web and log (Web log). "Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.

A blog is a user-generated content website where entries are made in journal style and displayed in a reverse chronological order (i.e., newest to oldest). The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of most early blogs.

Click comments to be a blogger now! No need for a google account, choose either "Other" and enter your name on the first line to have your name lead your comment. Or, choose "anonymous" and sign your name at the end.

Let the blogging continue!

Just for fun

Let's girl talk. Be honest ... and discreet!

Where were you 3 hours ago?

The Energizer 2007

We're off to the Energizer! Tamara, Lourdes, Liz and I will be in lovely Covina overnight. Check back Saturday for stories about how the Lord equipped and energized us.

Blessings!
Pam

Just for fun

What is the best compliment you have ever received?

Getting on the same page

Good Monday Morning! Check out "daily devotional for unlimited women" in the column to the right. The link will connect you to the National website for Women's Ministries Unlimited daily devotional. Often a good read as I'm making coffee at my office first thing in the morning.

Blessings!
Pam

The whole pie

God is not just a slice of my life; he is my life. ~ pastor terry, earlier today

"Rich and Stephanie were committed to God as Lord of their lives. They had given their lives to him and were doing their best to obey his call. ... The problem was that they submitted very little to God in their day-to-day internal lives. In the midst of their disconnection, or in their attitudes toward each other, or in the way they handled their own stress, they pretty much answered to themselves. They indulged attitudes and patterns they knew to be wrong, if only out of desperation." (How People Grow, p. 47)

The challenge is strongly before us to commit at a deeper level than ever before to the presence of the Lord in our lives. Where in your life have you gone from indulging yourself to submitting to the Lord?

Just for fun

You just left for a thirty day trip to the moon. What did you forget to pack?

I'm only human!

God is the source ... We depend on God.

God is the creator ... We are the creation and cannot make our lives fit our expectations.

God has control over the world ... We control ourselves.

God is the judge of life ... We are to experience life.

God designed life and its rules ... We obey the rules and live the life that God designed.

(How People Grow, p. 35)

The big picture ... Take an inventory of how you relate to the specific issues discussed. How do these overall ideas relate to your beliefs? How do they appear in your actual lifestyle?

Growth is ...

"Spiritual growth should affect relationship problems, emotional problems, and all other problems of life. There is no such thing as our ‘spiritual life’ and then our ‘real life.’ It is all one." (How People Grow, p. 21)

What do you mean when you say "I’ve grown in this area"? Can you identify some key actions or attitudes that make growth more likely for you?

Hey Girlfriend!

Welcome to our new Women Unlimited blogspot! Our goal is to give us another support link to grow in our experience of the love of God. You can blog in anytime, anywhere you have internet. You can access the blog night or day ... once a day, once a week, once a month. There are two parts to a blog. You are currently reading a blog post. Below this post, you can see the button "comments". You can participate by just reading the post and clicking on comments to read the comments. Then, join in the conversation whenever you want!

To begin with, we'll have a chance to respond to posts taken from the Book Club book, How People Grow, by Cloud and Townsend. As time goes on, and interest grows, we'll add other posts. If you would like to create a post to start a conversation, just e-mail your post to me at pamelahenderson@verizon.net. I will gladly share your blog post!

You gals are great! I enjoy our times together, face to face. I'm sure that we will have great conversations here ... We're better together!

Blessings,
Pam