The Priceless Conference - Recap

I can recall months ago, asking the Lord about the hurts of my past. I pondered the things that clouded my vision and influenced my decisions in my teens and early twenties.  I wondered what the purpose was in all of it.  I’m so grateful that the Lord has healed those places of my heart that were broken.  But I still couldn’t see what the benefit was going to be for having endured those trials.  I wanted to know how the Lord was going to redeem those days... And in my quiet moments, the Lord revealed to me that it all had a purpose.  That what I had gone through, it was to help me to point the way for others.  That He would bring beauty from the ashes of those long ago days.

I think that is why teen girls have such a special place in my heart.  I’m well aware that the issues today’s youth face are drastically different than what you or I dealt with. (Shout out to the Class of ’94!) But at the heart of it all, when you drill down to the core issues, we are all the same – the teens of past generations and the youth of today. We all wonder if we are loved, if we are special, if we are seen/understood. I’ve often felt, if I could only share with teen girls what I had learned on my journey to adulthood, what the Lord has taught me; maybe it might help them right where they are now.

God placed the vision for the Priceless Conference in my heart about 10 months ago.  And this past Saturday, He brought that vision to LIFE!

Our team of volunteers could not wait to get started on Saturday morning! We were welcomed into the beautifully decorated sanctuary. Our time together kicked off with live worship led by the awesome West Ridge Worship Team.  Then I had the honor of giving the first message of the day. 

For me, the opportunity of sharing God’s Word is not one I take lightly.  I believe that the biggest thing the Lord wanted me to tell the girls was how deeply He loves them.  So I shared a bit of my testimony but most of all I reminded the young ladies just how deep, wide, and amazing God’s love for them is.  I also touched on the topics of how Jesus loves us and how we as ladies are to respond to that love.  Caring for your body, what you wear, how you act, and even social media were all points I brought up.

At the end of each message, all of the speakers had different labels for the girls to come up to the altar and take.  I told them that they could place the label on their phones, journals, etc. – basically anywhere they would be reminded of the messages from the day.  The labels I had set out for everyone from my message said, “I am loved.” I have to say, it was such a beautiful moment to finish speaking and see all the girls come up to take their labels!

Small group discussion was also a part of the day.  It is so vital for the tweens and teens to be able to process out loud their thoughts and “take-aways” from each session.   Our conference was blessed to have a dynamic group of women to lead each small group.  These leaders engaged their groups in meaningful conversations and helped the girls to review what they heard in the messages.

 

After small group time we took a break and broke for lunch.  Next came our second session.  Following more worship, we welcomed our next speaker of the day.  Our second speaker, Nicole Yoder, began her message by having the girls write down on note cards adjectives that they would use to describe themselves.  Nicole shared how the world sometimes sees us one way, but God sees us another way – as His masterpiece.  She reminded us of the importance listening to God’s Voice, and how to tell the difference between what He says to us and what the world tries to say to us.  Following the conclusion of Nicole’s message, she invited the girls to come up and take labels declaring, “I am a masterpiece.”

We broke then for another small group session. Following small groups, the girls were guided to the craft area.  The young ladies were instructed that they were going to be making collages revealing who God says they are. It was so cool to see how each collage was unique! Everyone took their time in creating their beautiful works of art!

Once craft time was complete, it was time for dinner.  We all enjoyed conversation and laughter over a delicious meal.  Once our bellies were filled up, it was time to begin session three!

After our final worship set for the day, the Bloom Ministry’s Pastor, Jennifer Goebbel, shared with the young ladies the last message of the event.  Jennifer shared with the girls that just as we get dressed with various items of clothing each morning, that there are spiritual things we need to remember to “wear” throughout the day as well.  She encouraged the girls to be bold in loving others well, to share Jesus with other people, and to live a life that is set apart.  She reminded the girls that if we as believers look like everyone else, how will anyone see Jesus? At the conclusion of her message, Jennifer invited the girls to come up for their final label of the event: “I am priceless.” But she also challenged the girls, asking them to stand revealing their desire to live life for Jesus!

We wrapped up the event with another round of small group discussion.  Then it was time for dessert and parents to arrive!

I’m pretty sure I am not the only one who left the conference Saturday evening exhausted but so, so joyful.  I witnessed girls worshipping our Lord, encouraging one another, and engaging in real and honest conversations. You guys, it is such a beautiful thing watching this next generation draw near to Jesus. But what brings me the most joy is knowing that God is going to use the Priceless Conference to transform all who were there. From the tweens and teens who attended to all the volunteers, I am confident that God will use the Priceless Conference to impact all of us for His Kingdom purposes!

Post by: Marcy Gates

I’d like to just give a shout out to each and every person who volunteered their time, talents, and efforts to the Priceless Conference in one way or another.  What a blessing it was to have so many wonderful volunteers give up time on a Saturday to serve the Lord and the youth of our community.  You all are awesome and have the Bloom Ministry’s deepest gratitude!

Enjoy some more photos from the Priceless Conference!

 

She Did What?! (Part 2)

Thanks for meeting me back here for Part 2!!  If you missed Part 1 of our story, you can catch up right here: She Did What?! (Part 1)

So when we left "Bible Times" on Friday, Deborah and Barak had defeated the army that was on the verge of attacking them and the leader of the enemy army, Sisera, was on the RUN...

Sisera is in full on escape mode when he finds his way to the tent of Jael.  Sisera assumed that since Jael’s hubby was on peaceful terms with his boss, King Jabin, that this tent would be a safe place to hide out for a while.  Ummm.... Let’s just see...

Jael went out and greeted Sisera.  She invited him in to the tent, told him to make himself at home, and covered him with a cozy blanket (I envision a soft chenille and not some scratchy wooly thing, lol!) He asks for a drink of water and Jael does one better! She gives him some milk. So our girl Jael is really pulling out all the stops.  (Think Martha Stewart with a Pinterest worthy tent, lol!)

Sisera is feeling pretty comfy at this point. So much so that he orders Jael to stand at the entrance of her tent and instructs her to lie... 

“Stand in the doorway of the tent,” he told her. “If someone comes by and asks you, ‘Is anyone in there?’ say ‘No.’” Judges 4:20 (NIV)

Now, I’m not too sure about you but I can just imagine our girl, Jael, screaming inside her own head at this point.  Like, “No, you did NOT just say that to me!!!”  Because while Sisera believed that tent was a safe place, that he had found a friend in a land of foes, he was dead wrong...

“But Jael, Heber’s wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died.” Judges 4:21 (NIV)

Now’s the time to say – SHE DID WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Jael killed Sisera.  With a tent peg.  To the head!

Whew. Sounds crazy, right? But listen, there’s a big lesson to learn from Jael too just like we did with Deborah.  She recognized the enemy and did not hesitate to stop him in his tracks.  How about you? Have you determined the enemy in your tent?  Are you eliminating it?

Listen, I am not saying take a tent peg to your husband because he keeps snoring.  What I am saying is this, we all have an enemy we need to face.  The sooner you address it, the better.  And, I’m not going to sugar coat this, our enemy is Satan.  Often in our lives, we allow things to defeat us and they may have been things we welcomed into our lives, our households, our “tents” so to speak.  My encouragement to you is to be alert.  Be aware of when the enemy is trying to gain a foothold in your life.  And then address it.  Put a stop to it with the tools God has given you (His armor, Ephesians 6:10-19) because you can!

That’s what our heroine Jael did. She saw the enemy trying to make himself at home in her tent, where she lived.  She knew that she had the ability to remove whatever was not for God and/or from God from her home.  And she went to work.  She didn’t run away from it.  She didn’t sneak out behind her tent to talk to the other ladies and get their advice.  She recognized evil and immediately took a stand. 

My friends, we too, can take a stand.  Let’s look at Deborah and Jael as examples of strong, righteous women of God.  They positioned themselves to be used by Him and did not waiver.  They knew what God wanted them to do and were obedient to Him. And through their obedience, God used them for amazing things!

Post by: Marcy Gates

She Did What?! (Part 1)

Ladies, for our time together today let’s take it back to what my kiddos refer to as “Bible Times”. Yes, we are digging into the Old Testament!  Now don’t click away from me just yet! I know sometimes when we hear that we will be focusing in on the Old Testament we inwardly groan and wonder if this is going to be a dry, boring story filled with a long list of people’s names we can’t pronounce. Well, this, is NOT that kind of post my friend!  Stick with me because I’m telling you, you are going to get to the very end of this story and say to yourself, “She did what?!”

We are going to dive into Judges 4 but first allow me to set the scene... The Israelites were in a period of time where they experienced highs and lows in their relationship with God.  They would closely follow the Lord, trusting in Him, and walking obediently with Him.  But then...  well, then they would fall away.  They would start worshipping false gods and drift away from the Lord for whatever was new and shiny.  They would become disobedient and ultimately fall into sin.  And since sin has consequences, God allowed the enemies of the Israelites to overtake them. When the Israelites cried out to God for help, God answered by raising up a judge to lead the people and help guide them back to Him.  Deborah is one of those such people – a judge!

From the very beginning of Deborah’s story, the amazing thing about her is that she was ready and willing to be used by God.  She led a life that placed her in a position to be used for God’s kingdom.  That makes me want to take a look at my own life for a second.  Am I in a position to be used by God? Am I living a life pleasing to Him? Goodness, I sure hope so!  I want to be living a righteous life, listening for God’s voice and walking obediently with Him.  And if there’s an area where I am not, I want to be sure to bring it to Him.  If there is sin in my life, I need to come to God for forgiveness.

But back to our gal, Deborah... So one day, Deborah is out there, performing her “judge duties” and she gets a word from the Lord.  In Judges 4, she passes it along to Barak (and no, not Barak Obama, lol!) who was a captain in the Israelite army...

“She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them up to Mount Tabor.  I will lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.’”  Judges 4:6-7 (NIV)

Basically, Deborah is telling Barak what needs to be done to defeat their enemies.  Now, let’s just take a step back and look at this.  First, Deborah was in a position to hear clearly from the Lord. Which, don’t we all want that?! I love when the still, small Voice of God whispers straight to my heart! Second, she didn’t hesitate to deliver the word she as given. Listen, I know sometimes as women, we second guess, well... everything! We wonder, “Did I hear correctly? What will this person think?” And so on.  But I want to encourage you, if you believe that you earnestly received a word from the Lord for another person, share it with them!  If it lines up with the truth of scripture, if it will encourage and/or build that person up, please share what God has given you. 

Returning to the story... What does Barak do with this information? Basically he tells Deborah, “I’ll do it but only if you come with me.” (verse 8) Deborah agrees, once again showing wisdom, patience, and trust in the Lord.  I mean, listen, girlfriend is going into a battle that God told her they would win. She’s trusting God to keep her, Barak, and their army from getting crushed.  That’s showing some major trust in the Lord!

So, Deborah, Barak, and the army march off to battle King Jabin’s army, headed by Sisera. Side note, Sisera and his warriors were not a group of wimpy dudes either.  Sisera had 900 iron chariots at his disposal plus a ton of troops ready to fight.  Those iron chariots were no joke.  They were one of the most feared weapons of battle back then.  Kinda similar to what an armored tank is like to us today. Yikes!

What happened next??  I’m so glad you asked!  Deborah got word that Sisera had positioned his army and was ready to get the battle going.  She told Barak NOW was the time to head Sisera’s way.  She also reminded him of two very important things:

“Then Deborah said to Barak, “Go! This is the day the Lord has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the Lord gone ahead of you?” So Barak went down Mount Tabor, with ten thousand men following him.” Judges 4:14 (NIV)

First, she reminded Barak that God had promised them victory.  Then she encouraged him with the promise that God had gone ahead of him. And you know what? Those are promises we can hold on to too!  God has promised us victory as well and it is found in our Savior.  Jesus died and rose again three days later.  That, is a stunning victory!  Also, God goes before you, yes, you!  Even in 2017!  That’s not one of those things that happened in “Bible Times” – it is a promise we can cling to TODAY! 

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deut. 31:8 (NIV)

Now, before the war could even begin, God threw Sisera, his chariot drivers, and warriors all into a straight up PANIC. They were SCARED.  In fact, ole Sisera was so frightened – he hopped right out of his chariot and FLED! Like on foot.  This guy full on RAN AWAY! Barak and the Israelite army pursued Sisera’s men and the whole army was defeated. 

God kept His promises!  He went before the Israelite army and scared the bad guys right outta their sandals.  Then He enabled, equipped, and positioned Barak and his men for victory.  Friends, that is the God we serve to this day – a faithful, promise-keeping GOD!

But wait!! There’s more to this story!! What happened to Sisera, our scaredy-cat bad guy who ran away crying for his mommy?! (Ok, I added that crying part - lol!) You will just have to pop back to the blog on MONDAY (8/28/17) to find out!  And maybe you will be asking yourself... "She did what?!"  

See you right back here on Monday friends!! Have an awesome weekend : )

Post by: Marcy Gates

Overcoming Our Fears

I am not a fan of air travel.  Or waiting in long lines.  Or large crowds of people.  So, of course it would make sense that for our first real family vacation we would travel to... 

DISNEY WORLD. 

At this stage of their lives, two of my three daughters are past the Disney Princess thing.  They are more into Star Wars.  Actually, my husband and I are into Star Wars too.  My youngest, though, she still will dress up in a Belle dress or play with her Minnie Mouse puzzles here and there.  So while none of us are die-hard fans of a certain mouse, Disney World still sounded like a great idea.   With all the new Star Wars attractions and a few princesses thrown in for good measure, we decided we needed to start planning our trip!

The next decision was whether to drive or fly to Florida.  Y’all, I’m not going to sugar coat this at all.  I don’t like to fly.  The thought of being stuck in a big tin can 30,000 feet in the sky, where everything is out of my control, is terrifying to me.  In fact, the last time I flew anywhere was over ten years ago.  And I started to freak out and full on ugly-cry as we took off.  I know, I am a peach to travel with.  Just ask my husband. But I digress...

We estimated that we would lose a day and half of vacation time just driving from Pennsylvania to Florida.  And that was one way.  It almost seemed like we would be driving for the same amount of time we’d actually be at Disney.  So, we opted to fly.

Gulp.

As the morning of our flight to Florida drew near, I felt butterflies of anxiety flare up in my stomach.  I did my best to hide it though.  The last thing I wanted to do was let my kiddos know I was scared to fly.  I didn’t want to transfer that fear on to them nor did I want three terrified kids and one jittery wife for my husband to care for on a two hour flight. 

I prayed an awful lot before our vacation.  I prayed for our safety, good health, and for peace.  I didn’t want my family’s adventure to be clouded over with my fear and worry.  I wanted to have fun and enjoy this precious time when we could all be together.  I kept telling the Lord, “If You can just get me past this whole flying thing...”

And that’s when He whispered to my heart, “I am faithful.”  Then I remembered what I know about God.  He IS faithful.  He can be trusted.  He is for me.  He will protect me.  He loves me! As the day of our departure drew near, God kept leading me to Scriptures during my quiet time that reinforced what He spoke to my heart...

“The LORD will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” Psalm 121:7-8 (NIV)

“But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.” 2 Thessalonians 3:3 (NIV)

When we boarded our plane for Orlando, I kept repeating God’s Word over and over in my head: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)

I purposefully did not seat myself next to the window, but in between my youngest and a stranger sitting in the aisle seat.  My husband sat across from us with our other daughters.  What I thought I had planned as a strategic parenting move was really God’s Hand at work.  My little one kept me occupied almost the entire flight!  She talked my ear off during take-off so I couldn’t focus on the plane leaving the runway.  She had me play games like “I Spy” and “Rock, Paper, Scissors”. We colored and did word searches.  She kept the shade down on the window because she felt it was too bright so I couldn’t really ever see how high up we truly were.  And when this little one had run out of things to occupy her mother with, that’s precisely when my neighbor to left of me decided it was a great time to chat about Pittsburgh, his trip to Yellow Stone, and his life in Orlando.  And then just like that... We landed.  Two hours blew by and I was fine.

Our vacation? It was wonderful!  We had a great time and left with so many memories!  Our flight back home to Pittsburgh?  Well, I had my special seat mate again and boy, she kept me busy.  Lots of coloring and games to play.  While I was still repeating 2 Timothy over silently in my head, it was less out of trying to squelch fear from trying to take hold and more because I was resting in God’s faithfulness displayed.  A declaration that I did NOT have a spirit of fear but a SOUND MIND.

I love this quote from “Jesus Always” by Sarah Young about when we are afraid, “Cling tightly to My hand and walk resolutely past those dark presences of fearfulness and despair.  Keep looking toward My radiant Presence that beams out rays of unfailing Love and endless encouragement.”

Is there something you really want to do but fear is holding you back?   Have you let anxiety take hold and keep you from trusting God?  I want to encourage you today to take it to the Lord. Lay it all out before Him and ask for His help.  God wants you to have a sound mind.  Fear is not from Him and He doesn’t want it to rule your life.  Worry can keep us from experiencing all that God has in store for us!

Let’s focus on trusting God with our fears.  Keep our eyes fixed on the One who has amazing plans for us.  When fear tries to knock us down, lean into His presence and rest in His unfailing love.  God will melt those fears away in His magnificent light.  And when you find yourself with a sound mind, you will realize just how faithful He is!

Post by: Marcy Gates

Keep It Simple

For my time with you this month I wanted to share a little shift I have experienced in my walk with Jesus. My hope always is that it will be an encouragement to you...

As Christ followers today we pretty much understand that having a daily "quiet time" with the Lord is an important part of our relationship with Him. But if I'm honest, I have struggled with this discipline for as long as I can remember. And if I'm super honest, well girl, I struggle with discipline period.

I will choose a certain thing I want to accomplish, like, let's say - lose 10 lbs. I get all psyched up. I make a plan. I'm ready! I eat healthy and exercise regularly for like a week then... I want a cheeseburger and cookies with milk at midnight again!  My intentions start out good but the motivation fades pretty quick because I want the results right away. 

I would approach my quiet time in similar fashion. I get all psyched up. I make a plan and I'm ready to go! But my plan always included some lofty goal so I would quickly get discouraged and give up because I wasn't getting results. 

I used to feel like my quiet time had to result in some revelation or lesson that I could share. It had to include this “big” moment or learning experience. And when it didn't that had to mean I wasn't doing it right... Right? 

Wrong.

There is one small thing that helped me shift my perspective, listening to the Word. 

I have had the Bible app on my phone for a few years now but more recently I began listening to it. There is a feature in the app that reads God's Word to you. You can audibly hear each word and either read along with it, drive in your car, sit with your eyes closed and imagine yourself in the scene, whatever! This feature has been dare I say... "life changing"?!  I started listening to the Bible regularly and two things happened:

1. I realized one day that listening to the Bible being read aloud felt similar to having a conversation with my husband or my best friend. It hit me, my quiet time with the Lord doesn't have to be a lofty revelation of some amazing lesson every single time to “count”. Those times might happen, but day in and day out it's just a sweet conversation with the Lord. Like when my husband shares about his day or my friend updates me on her life, audibly hearing God's Word feels like He's sharing part of His day with me. It doesn't feel as daunting or out of reach anymore. 

2. I understand it in a new way. Listening to the chapters with the narrator's inflections and emphasis helps me to place myself in the story. New things stand out at me. I can highlight a verse or passage and go back to it later to study more if I want to. My favorite version to listen to is The Message. (It's not necessarily the translation, I just like that narrator best. 😊) 

“Instead you thrill to God’s Word, you chew on Scripture day and night. 

You’re a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month,

Never dropping a leaf,

always in blossom”

Psalm 1:2-3 (MSG)

This has been a game changer for me. Having a quiet time doesn't feel as burdensome as it used to for me. I'll admit, I put that burden on myself, the Lord did not. He just wants to spend time loving me. I, on the other hand, make it into this bigger, weightier thing.

Goodness, it's not about me anymore but about learning who He is! Each time I turn on that feature, I imagine Jesus standing next to me in the kitchen the way my husband hangs out next to me while I'm making dinner. Often times that's how we connect these days and it helps to see my time with Jesus in the same light. It's really pretty cool, I think!  

Our relationship with God is a marathon not a sprint. It's not a microwave fix all, nope. Our relationship is a lifetime into eternity, it's built to last and last. 

“Come close to God, and God will come close to you.” James 4:8a (NLT)

This just happens to be the season I'm in with the Lord. You may be in a different place. That's the beauty about being in a community. I want to hear what works for you! Let's encourage and build each other up! Is quiet time is struggle for you too? Do you have any tips for spending quiet time with Jesus? Have you experienced any shifts in your relationship with Jesus?  Please share in the comments below...

Post by: Jimmie Lee DiIanni

Quieting the Noise

It was a pretty stressful morning trying to get out of the door on time. A few things popped up that needed my immediate attention so I got out of the house a bit late. We were out of coffee at home so I stopped at my closest drive through coffee place. As I paid for my dark roast with extra cream, the barista said with a concerned look on her face, “You look really tired, if you don’t mind me saying.”

I remember realizing that I didn’t have my makeup on yet. I had to save that for the five minutes I usually have in the parking lot before heading into work.  I don’t really remember my response to the barista because that’s when I started letting all the noise in.

Please hear me when I say this, it is not about the barista’s comment. I honestly think she was genuinely concerned about my apparent lack of sleep. What I am writing to you about today, is more about the heart.

I let that little comment stress me out even more. As I let that settle in, more things started bubbling up. “People always tell me I look sick or tired when I’m not wearing any makeup. But do I really look that awful? I guess I better put some extra concealer today!” Then I started thinking about unrelated things. In fact, for the first half of my day I ruminated on all the things. Then it hit me!

“I have been obsessing over all these unimportant things because of one offset comment… from a stranger…”

This changed the course of my thought process. I decided I could get mad about the comment, or I could remind myself of how God sees me and what He wants for me.

You see I was letting in all the noise and it was distracting me from my purpose that day. It is so easy for us to let the noise of the outside world (and even our inner world) distract us from what God wants us to do. We can even let it distract us from just spending time with God.

On this particular day it was an innocent comment, but it can be anything. A status online, a paragraph in a book or scene in a movie. A look from a stranger or even your teenager, lol. All of this is noise, it can be louder than the truth and it will bombard us if we let it. But here are some things I like to do when my head and my heart get too noisy:

Listening to God’s Word being read. (Yes, there’s an App for that, lol!) 

Closing my eyes while quietly listening to my favorite life giving worship songs.

Calling a friend who will speak life and pray with me.

Detoxing from social media.

Smiling at a stranger.

Casual coffee with a friend.

Doing something special for someone I love.

These things help me remember who I am, Whose I am and what I am here for. It’s my prayer that some of these suggestions help you too!

So, I’d love to know... What are some things you do when you need to quiet the noise? Or what helps you recognize when other things are too loud? Let us know in the comments!

Post by: Jimmie Lee DiIanni

Cranky Pants

I was already in a hurry when I opened up my jewelry box to pick a necklace to wear before I headed out the door to run errands. I reached for one, but after second thought, I selected another. And, apparently I put my cranky pants on that morning too.  I was in a grumpy mood for sure.  A few nights of the one of my kids interrupting my sleep with bad dreams, combined with fluctuating hormones (you know what I’m talking about ladies, lol!), on top of wrapping up a week of my girls home all week from school on spring break, and I was not a happy camper.  My hopes of spending Good Friday at home, reflective on the weight what the day represented, were dashed.  Now I had to run to the store and grab a gift for a birthday party the next day.

I hurriedly said goodbye to my family and hopped into the car.  You all know, I have a habit of praying in the car.  That day was no different.  I knew as I drove that I needed to shake that bad attitude.  So as my car zipped down the road, I prayed.  I thanked the Lord for the day, for the great sacrifice made on my behalf – Jesus dying on the cross. And I asked Him to correct my attitude:  “Lord, please show me who I can bless today.  Show me who I can pray for.  Show me who I can love on and encourage. Take this crankiness away from me and replace it with joy...”

I finished up my prayers, pulled into the store parking lot, and got out of the car.  That’s when I noticed her.  She was sitting on a bench all by herself.  As I walked closer to her, I heard the whisper of the Holy Spirit, “Take your necklace off and give it to her.”

Isn’t funny how God works? I literally just finished praying to bless someone and immediately this opportunity presented itself! That didn’t mean my heart didn’t start pounding as I nervously slipped off the necklace. I held it in my (possibly sweaty, ha!) hand as I got closer to the lady on the bench.

But as I approached the woman, I heard her, speaking loudly, confidently.  She was speaking with authority.  I thought for a second that she was talking to someone on the phone.  After a closer look, I realized... She wasn’t on the phone.  She was PRAYING! Trust me when I say this lady was approaching the throne with boldness!  She was on that bench, eyes closed, pouring out her heart to her Father.

With my heart still pounding, I gently placed my hand on her shoulder, closed my eyes, and agreed with her in prayer.  When she finished and we said, “Amen.” I handed her the necklace and told her that I wanted to bless her with it.  That I wanted her to have it.  She gave me a look of gratefulness and asked me to sit next to her on the bench.

She asked me if she was praying right, if she was praying enough.  I assured her that yes, it seemed to me that she was praying just fine.  I reminded her that we should always be praying. But whenever she was able to pray, that the Lord was always happy to hear from her. Then this sweet young lady asked if she could pray for ME!

I thought for a second, “What do I need prayer for? Crankiness? That’s kind of silly to ask someone else - a stranger even - to pray about my bad mood.” But then I felt another nudge from the Lord and the words just spilled out of my mouth.

“You could pray about my mood.  I’ve been kinda cranky today and I’d rather not be.” I replied.

My new prayer partner got to work!  We held hands on that bench and closed our eyes as she began to pray for me.  Cars drove by.  I’m sure people walked by too, wondering what in the world was going on.  But it didn’t matter.  As my newfound friend thanked the Lord for setting up this “Divine Appointment”, I was so grateful I had asked the Lord for what I needed – an attitude adjustment! And I was so glad I listened to that still, small voice and been obedient to the Lord. 

“For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:20 (NKJV)

I left that “Divine Appointment” and my whole day was different!  The crankiness had disappeared and a wave of joy came over me.  I returned home to my family renewed and refreshed, excited to share with everyone what had happened.  God had totally turned around my attitude and it was amazing!

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” Galatians 6:10 (NIV)

Post by: Marcy Gates