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Restore Ministry Retreats designed from the heart for the heart. Renew your heart of worship ~ Transform your mind with the Word Rest your body and soul!  WOMEN'S FALL RESTORE OVERNIGHT RETREAT REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! Awaken to the Pursuit of the Bridegroom Please make plans to join us September 30 - October 1 Location: Solomon Conference Center, Loranger, LA Cost: $192 ~ Covers lodging, 3 meals, & supplies Limited Space Available Spiritual intimacy is beautifully portrayed for us in the theme of Bridehood as seen throughout the Scriptures. We are the Bride of Christ, pursued by our Bridegroom Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Come take a journey with us through the Word as we discover the beauty and power of genuine bridal devotion. Do you desire to know Christ in a deeper intimate way? On this retreat we will explore the Scriptures and ancient Jewish wedding customs to discover how they relate to the teachings and heart of Jesus for you as His Bride. Register now to join us as we explore Our Position, Divine Passion, and His Purpose for us as the Bride of Christ. May we draw near as His beloved Bride and honor Christ as King. It is our prayer that the Lord will awaken our hearts to the pursuit of our Bridegroom in this wonderful retreat! In Christ, Kathy and Sherry  You can sign up for Restore's Monday Musings Blog to come directly to your inbox!
Just enter your email in the subscriber box on the right above and then reply to the invitation email you will receive. Feel free to share them on your social media or email them to a friend. Mark your calendars now! We'd love for you to join us!
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Today I’m finding myself reflecting and totally amazed at the strength and courage, along with grace and mercy that encompass the lives of many women I know and have known. It has only been by God’s hand that they have been able to sustain the crashing waves that slam upon their families, jobs, circle of influence, and life…right down to their very existence. Peering into the windows of their lives, I have observed financial hardships, rejection, betrayal, disaster, difficult family situations, loss, declining health, and even death itself. These are women who love the Lord and have devoted themselves to serving and honoring Him no matter what the cost. I am proud to consider myself as one in whom God has also chosen to depend upon His power, too! May I always find myself displaying that same Holy character as these image-bearing women, one that is honoring to God. Some of these women continue to courageously fight against all odds and find power to withstand. Others have fought well and have gone on ahead. They have left a legacy for me to remember, and to encourage as I continually seek to make my mark for Christ on this world within the lives of others. To act with such God-dependent courage is a powerful and beautiful sight to behold.  It is the mysterious deep love of God that moves us to courageous action. I have witnessed it this week for sure! Hard words to speak have been spoken, and as the Holy Spirit empowered, I witnessed the rising of a holy authority that gave courage for those difficult moments. It hasn’t just been the speaking of words either. It has been in actions. These are actions to undertake tremendous tasks, born only from a heart at peace and with power from heaven. The same is so for many women of the Old and New Testaments. In Exodus, I have read of the courage of Moses’ mother, Jochebed, his sister Miriam, and step-mom, Pharaoh’s daughter. In the book of Judges, there is the great courage of Jael and Deborah the Judge. I’ve read of Rahab, a prostitute in the book of Joshua. Queen Esther who courageously stated, “If I perish, I perish.” Foreigner Naomi, widowed, returned to her homeland with her also widowed Moabitess daughter-in-law Ruth, and bid her to seek a kinsman-redeemer. There’s the story of Hannah praying fervently for a son and then courageously handing him over for Eli to raise and educate. And how about Abigail, Nabal’s wife (1 Samuel 25)! Talking about courage!! There are so many more examples in the Bible of women with great courage. If you are so inclined, I suggest you explore this theme on your own. Of all these examples, it appears that each act required a super-power! These were BIG things to accomplish. How is one equipped to tackle such difficult times? As I look back at the lives of my friends, and even knowing their faults, I find that it is a pure love for righteousness that prevails. These women have walked hand in hand with God and depend on Him for their strength, even in the small things! Their relationship with the Father is close and beautiful. They hunger and thirst for more of God because they know it is only His power that can sustain and support them. They spend time pursuing a personal relationship with Jesus, the lover of their soul. In turn, He floods the heart with peace, power, and good cheer. I find it interesting that the Greek word tharroo means “boldly” and related words are translated “to be of good cheer, take comfort!” Good cheer is take courage! In the New Testament, the Lord often commands his followers to “be of good cheer,” take courage! I’m sure you can recall many of those scriptures! “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33  Are you feeling a little less than courageous these days? Perhaps there is something that is tugging at your heart but you are quickly dismissing it. Don’t let fear and procrastination win. It only takes a little step of courage, but it’s a step of faith that kicks that courage into action. Are you finding time to nurture a strong relationship with the Lord? Pursuing a close bond with God will give you the peace, power, and courage you seek. Uncover the heart of God by reading the historical stories of these women pressed into the pages of the Bible. You will find what concerns Him, how He provides, protects, rescues, and cares for each one. And finally, I encourage you to be of good cheer! Become captivated by watching God at work around you and through you. The legacy of the Godly lives lived by women of the Word will continue as you relate to them, finding hope and courage for your own life. Be captured by God’s selfless and resilient love that He expresses when hardships arise. He pursues you with a love that knows no end and grants you everything you need to draw close. He is faithful to keep His promises. Are you courageous enough to keep yours? When life’s tidal waves come slamming and crashing against you, remember Christ alone fuels your power and strength and provides enough courage to withstand. The more you know and trust His truths, the deep your tank runs! Of Good Cheer, Sherry
 You can sign up for Restore's Monday Musings Blog to come directly to your inbox!
Just enter your email in the subscriber box on the right above and then reply to the invitation email you will receive. Feel free to share them on your social media or email them to a friend. Mark your calendars now! We'd love for you to join us! Registration is NOW open!  My Beloved Are you hungry and thirsty? Come to Me, My beloved. I am the Bread of life. When you come to Me you will never go hungry. Believe in Me and you will never be thirsty. Look to Me and I will give you spiritual food that will endure to eternal life. Do not settle for crumbs when I am offering you Myself. I was broken for you so that you could live. I saved you, not because you were righteous, but because I am merciful. Because of My great kindness and love for you, I have made you alive in Christ even when you were dead in sin. You have been cleansed and made new. I have poured out My Spirit to renew you. My gift of salvation has restored your relationship with Me. You are now an heir to eternal life. I have saved you by My grace. Confess your sins. I am faithful and just and will forgive you and purify you from all unrighteousness. It is My delight to show you compassion and mercy. I will hurl all of your sin into the depths of the sea. Because you know me, I will remember your sins no more. So do not hesitate to approach my throne. Come in confidence, so that I may pour out My mercy and offer grace to help you in your time of need.  Are you wondering what to offer Me in worship? I have shown you what is good and what I require of you. Act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with Me. Live your life as a sacrifice of praise and service to Me. Offer your body as a living sacrifice in light of My kind mercy to you. Hold nothing back. I held nothing back for you. I gave my life for you on the cross. Bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Keep your eyes pure. Offer your hands and feet for the service of My ministry. Do not worry. I will teach you how to live a life that is worthy of your calling. I am your Strength and your Song. Trust in Me.  I am the gate to eternal life. I have come so that you may have abundant life. I am the Good Shepherd who has laid down His life for you, My precious sheep. I will gather you like a young lamb in My arms and carry you close to My heart. I will heal your broken heart and bind up your wounds. You are one of My sheep, beloved. Listen to My voice. Follow Me and I will lead you home to green pastures and beside the still waters of rest. For My name’s sake, I will restore your soul and guide you in paths of righteousness. There is no need to fear, for I will always walk with you and protect you from your enemies. I have prepared a feast for you. Your cup will overflow with My blessings. All of your days I will follow you with goodness and mercy. Come, My beloved, and you will dwell in My house forever. John 6:35, 40, 50, 51, Mt. 26:26, Titus 3:4-7, 1 John 1:9, Micah 7:18, 19, Jer. 31:3, 4, Eph. 2:4, 5, Micah 6:6-8, Romans 12:1, 2, Romans 5:8, 2 Cor. 10:5, Eph. 4:1, Isaiah 12:2, John 10:9-11, Psalm 147:3, John 10:27, Psalm NIV Bible  This has been one of the most difficult weeks of my life as I have spent day after day in the hospital and now in hospice with my dear friend Melissa and her family. I have written often of our deep friendship, trips, and adventures in blogs through recent years. She has been my dearest of friends. The cancer she has battled for three and a half years is now taking over her brain. It is a horrific, painful ending to her journey and fight in this life. I have cried out to God for mercy and now I see it is His mercy that will end her suffering soon and bring her home. I have wept buckets of tears as my husband and I have walked through this deepest of trials with her husband and children. This precious family whom we have had the privilege of loving since our girls were babies together in the church nursery. This I know, she is His beloved. She has listened and followed the voice of the Good Shepherd. He is good even when we don't understand His ways. Now her spirit is hovering while her body struggles. Jesus is preparing her for glory. I know she knows His voice. And while we grieve here on earth, we can rest in the hope that the tender voice of the great Shepherd whom she knows and loves is calling her home where there will be no more pain. There she will bow in worship at the throne of the Lamb of God, the risen King of Kings who overcame the power of sin and death. There in her heavenly home, our sweet Melissa will dwell in glory with the Good Shepherd forever! In these days of illness, pain, and grief - surely goodness and mercy will follow me....all the days of my life. It is 4am as I write these words. In the early morning hours when the Lord wakes me and the waves of grief seem to overtake me, I find my rest in the beautiful promises of His Word. I am His beloved. Whatever you face in the days ahead, the Good shepherd in your life is there to lead and guide you and be by your side. You too must choose to trust that He is good. You are His beloved. He will take you by the hand and walk with you through all of your days. The Lord is My Shepherd, He restores my soul, Kathy Resources:pinterest photographs  You can sign up for Restore's Monday Musings Blog to come directly to your inbox!
Just enter your email in the subscriber box on the right above and then reply to the invitation email you will receive. Feel free to share them on your social media or email them to a friend. Next Women's Retreat is September 30, 2017 Solomon Episcopal Conference Center Mark your calendars now! We'd love for you to join us! Registration opens June 19th! As the summer season ushers in, I’m sure many of you are planning your days. Some of you are probably intentionally not planning your days! There is something so wonderful about the relaxing days of summer. We all need a change of pace and a break from our routines. As I have thought about my summer days spiritually and pondered what to write in my “musings” for the summer blogs, I have decided to revisit a set of letters that I wrote back in 2004. I call them “My Beloved Letters” and they were written as part of a seventeen week Bible Study entitled Living Water during that season of my life. It was a rich time for me in the Word, a time of deep study and sweet intimacy with my Savior and a time when there was an intense calling on my life to write. Through the years I have shared some of them on Restore Retreats, Prayer Journeys and Bible teaching sessions, but not as the whole set in which they were written. I hope to do that this summer.  As I begin to prepare my heart for our Fall Retreat, September 30 - Awaken to the Pursuit of the Bridegroom, these letters seem like the perfect place for me to rest in the Word for awhile. And so I invite you to go on that journey with me this summer in the “My Beloved Letter Series.” They really are love letters from the Savior, our Bridegroom, written to you and me. They are filled with Scripture that has been personalized and sometimes paraphrased. These letters were the Lord’s way of teaching me how personal His Word is for me. Each one focuses on a different aspect of who God is or His character as I sought to know Him in the depths of my soul. So each week, I will give you a brief introduction of teaching on the topic and then post the “My Beloved Letter” for you to read and reflect on throughout the week. My prayer is that the Lord will use them in your life to draw you into a place of deeper intimacy with Him. You are His Beloved. Awaken your heart to His pursuit of you!  I chose to begin the series with the My Beloved Letter on the Holy Spirit. I don’t know about you, but often in the summer I can get pretty carried away with projects that I have on my list. It is usually some sort of “remodeling” or “decluttering” project that I have been putting off doing all year! There always seems to be some area of my home that I think needs transforming a bit. My "to do" list can sometimes get a little overwhelming and I find myself discouraged or just give up. I need the Holy Spirit to guide me and my lists! For others, it can be easy to let the lazy summer months fly by and not live intentionally so that you are growing in your faith . I believe the Savior has something much more fulfilling in mind for us during the summer, if we will simply take some time to savor and reflect on His love letter found within His Word. As I ponder how I will spend my summer days, I am reminded that the Lord has provided all that I need in the Scriptures through the guidance and power of His Holy Spirit. The Spirit knows the secrets to the beautiful life that Jesus has planned for me this summer and in the years ahead. That plan will involve some “remodeling” of my heart and thought patterns so that He can do a work of deep transformation in my soul. He can even guide me in the projects I should tackle and complete. He has the perfect instructions for my life and yours. He sees the finished design of our future and knows the exact path we should take to get there. We simply need to surrender to His work within us. In the Spirit we have the essence of God the Son. He is gentle. He is powerful. He is forgiving. He is faithful. He is merciful. He is just. The Holy Spirit has all the attributes of God, the Father. He is holy. He is wisdom. He is love. He is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. All that we know and proclaim about God the Father and God the Son is true of the Holy Spirit. I wonder if you need some instructions for your life today.... Do you need to discover some secrets that only Jesus knows about your transformation... He longs to make something beautiful out of the brokenness, wounds, or old patterns of your life and the world in which we live. We need a Savior. It is the Holy Spirit of our Savior who can guide us and give us the wisdom we so desperately need to navigate the culture of extremism, terrorism and division in which we live. It is the Holy Spirit that will illuminate the Father's instructions for how to live out our lives each day. He unveils the mystery of the Word of God and makes it come alive! He alone can show us how to live in a spirit of unity and cover us with His beauty, grace and love. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22,23 I pray that you will be encouraged as you read the Scriptures and paraphrases below on the work of the Holy Spirit. When you choose to surrender to His work and power in your life, you will be amazed at the beauty and purpose that will emerge. Jesus in the business of transformation!  My Beloved I am waiting for you to come to Me. You cannot conceive all that I have prepared for you because you love Me. I will reveal it to you by My Spirit. My Spirit will search out everything and show you even My deep secrets of life. I have given you the hope of glory, Christ in you. Do you need wisdom? I have given you the Spirit of truth. He will be your Counselor and Comforter, coming alongside you to teach you everything you need to know. If you love Me you will obey My commands. The world cannot accept My Spirit because it neither sees nor knows Him. But you know Him. He lives within you. He is always with you. He will glorify Me and take what is Mine and make it known to you. Stand firm in Christ for I have anointed you and set my seal of ownership upon you. I have placed My Spirit in your heart as a deposit of the unfathomable glories to come. When you received the Holy Spirit, you received His power to be My witness. Do not fear.  Be filled with the Spirit. Come to Me and drink. Believe in Me and let the Living Water of My Holy Spirit fill you to overflowing so that you never thirst again. I have poured out My Spirit on you. Be filled with all joy and peace. Trust in Me, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. I have given you gifts for the work of the ministry, all that you need to serve Me in the body of Christ. Consecrate your body to Me as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing. Remember that your body is the temple of My Holy Spirit. It is My sacred residence. Surrender to Me and I will renew your mind so that you will be able to test and approve what My perfect will is for your life. Live as one who has been crucified with Christ and raised to new life. Live in Me, through Me, and for My glory. Walk as a child of My light bearing the fruit of My Spirit in all goodness, righteousness, and truth. Let My Word dwell richly within you and sing with a heart of gratitude. I love to hear you sing my praises! Let the peace of My Son rule in your heart and above all, put on My garment of love. I Cor. 2:9,10, Col. 1: 26-27, John 14:16-17, 26, John 16:14, 2 Cor. 1:22, Acts 1:8, 2:17, Eph. 5:18, John 7: 37-39, Rom. 15:13, 1Cor 12:4-7, Rom. 12:1,2, Gal. 2:20, Rom. 6:1-8, Eph. 5:8-10, Col. 3:14-17 NIV Bible  You can sign up for Restore's Monday Musings Blog to come directly to your inbox! Just enter your email in the subscriber box on the right above and then reply to the invitation email you will receive. Feel free to share them on your social media or email them to a friend. Next Women's Retreat is September 30, 2017 Solomon Episcopal Conference Center Mark your calendars now! We'd love for you to join us! Registration opens June 19th! |
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