Restore Ministries, Inc.
  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • Doctrinal Beliefs
  • Events
    • Photo Gallery
    • Testimonials
    • Past Retreats
    • Reunion Pics
    • Thanksgiving Video 2017
  • Blog
  • The One Thing Home Study
  • Book Us!
  • Donate
  • Contact us
  • Melissa's Memorial Fund

Monday Musings
​Devotional Blog

New Restore Study coming this fall!

7/29/2019

0 Comments

 
Do you ever feel overwhelmed, stressed, too busy and longing for something to bring order out of the chaos of your life? Do you ever wish that there was just one thing to focus on in our multi-tasking lives? It’s no wonder words like simplify and declutter are all over social media! It is the cry of our hearts. But how? Is it crazy to think we could actually experience peace, hope and rest in the world in which we live?
 
Interestingly, Jesus uses the phrase “one thing” several times in Scripture and we also see the phrase used in Psalm 27 written by David. In fact, it is found in many Scriptures. 
Choosing to seek the  “One Thing” is a call to intimacy with Jesus.
 It’s a call to know and be known.
Picture
This year in Restore Ministry we will be exploring the “One Thing” phrases found in five main Scriptures to answer some of these questions.

What is…. 
  • the one thing desired?
  • the one thing known?
  • the one thing lacking?
  • the one thing needed?
  • the one thing to do?

Our prayer is that the answers found in God's Word will lead us to fix our eyes on the one thing our souls truly long for; Jesus Himself!
​So please join us for three Fall Bible study Friday nights and a Restore Gathering in February!
Mark your calendar with these dates and register on the website.
We invite you to share this information and bring a friend!  
Feel free to share it on your social media, too!

September 13
October 11
November 8
February 7 & 8 - Restore Gathering - One Thing


Please take a few minutes to view the video for more details!  
Here is the YouTube Link or watch it below:   
https://youtu.be/hmSL9Z-TdQk
Won't you consider doing something good for yourself for a change?  Join us and other women who are seeking to know Christ more intimately.  Together we will discover the value of The One Thing!

Desiring the 'One Thing',
Kathy & Sherry

REGISTRATION LINK :  https://restoreministries.wufoo.com/forms/the-one-thing-bible-study/
Register Here...NOW!
Picture
If you are reading this blog through social media we would suggest that you sign up to recieve the blog each week in your email inbox. It will come directly to you to read at your leisure. 

Just enter your email in the subscriber box on the right at the top of this blog page 
on the website, then REPLY to the invitation email you will receive in your personal inbox.  Your email address is safe with us!

Follow ALL directions to completion!
Feel free to share our blogs on your social media 

or email them to a friend. Just follow the directions carefully.

0 Comments

The Happiest Place!

7/8/2019

0 Comments

 
As the summer months begin to close down and the routine for fall months moves in, we hope that you have taken some time these couple of months to reflect on the rest and beauty found in Christ.  Often when we take a break from routine, we create space in our soul, heart and mind for God to begin nurturing the seeds (maybe of a different sort that) He has planted in our heart long ago.  It has been a delightful process to watch how our friend Margaret Kemp has stepped out in faith and bravery to begin working on her love of writing.  This is a seed gift that God planted within her heart long ago.
 
I remember sitting on my sofa with her one summer as she shared her desire to write and our conversation ended with, "you just have to begin!"

A little encouragement can go a long way when you take the time to listen, challenge, and pray together God's will!  Margaret has been at work writing and sharing her heart with us as a guest writer now with several blogs.  Just recently, she took the plunge and submitted a blog with Proverbs 31 Ministries writing a daily devotional and won a spot! It was published last month! Because of copyright laws, we are unable to publish it here, but we can share the link (see below). She has written several more for us here at Restore Ministries ​and today is it is my pleasure to share another of her creative writings, ​"The Happiest Place!"  I love her thoughts and how she shares the practice joy and of a delighted heart!

Picture
When my children were young, we made several trips to the “Happiest Place on Earth.” You know the place…mouse ears, castles, rides. I remember the twinge of excitement that would bubble up once we began seeing orange groves and billboards along the Highway. And when we entered the gates, it seemed magical…well, sort of magical, as long as you could disregard the throngs of people wearing shorts and taking pictures. It was a happy place…that is, until mid-afternoon when at least one of the kids became grouchy and had an “episode.” (Your family may call it a meltdown or tantrum.) We’d fix that problem and go along our merry way-- until it rained, or someone got sick, or the lines were too long, or we couldn’t agree on a plan of action.

Suddenly our delight evaporated. 

It seems like people are always searching for something to “make us happy.” We crave the temporary euphoria we experience when our team wins the game. We search for that perfect job, home, relationship, or hobby.
Earthly happiness dangles like a carrot in front of our nose. It’s elusive, fleeting, unsatisfying.
Yet the Bible says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4
​

God wants to give us things to enjoy. He wants to place holy desires in our hearts and then fill those desires. We begin by delighting in Him.

Delight is a form of happiness that’s wide-eyed with wonder and bubbling with enthusiasm. The Hebrew word used in this verse is “anag,” and connotes something soft, delicate, and alluring. 
Picture
But what does it look like to “delight in the Lord?”
​
Since David seemed to have a handle on delighting in the Lord, I’m going to look for some advice from David’s Psalm in chapter 16.  
Picture
David went about his day CONSCIOUS OF GOD’S PRESENCE. He talked to God all day long.
​
“I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.” Ps. 16:2

He recognized that every good thing is his life was, one way or another, connected to God.
And his delight was multiplied when he joined with other believers. When he worshiped with his peeps, he was bursting with excitement. He was even known to dance for joy. (II Samuel 6:14)

“As for the saints who are in the land, they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight.” Ps. 16:3 NKJV
David was CONTENT WITH THE LIFE GOD GAVE HIM.

There’s nothing wrong with having ambitions and aspirations. But in our striving for “something better”, let’s not miss out on the good we already have. Delighting in the Lord means counting our blessings, and marveling at the goodness all around us. 

“Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places, surely I have a delightful inheritance.” Ps. 16: 5-6 NKJV
 
Picture
David was CONFIDENT OF GOD’S CARE.  

“I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; my heart also instructs me in the night seasons. I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.” Ps. 16: 7-8 NKJV

A delighted attitude is a peace-filled mindset, free from worry and insecurity. David rested in the assurance that God would give him wisdom for every decision. David was an eager student, even if it meant going to “night school.” He learned his lessons in dark, uncertain circumstances. Because he trusted God, David confidently declared, “I shall not be moved.”

David was CONVINCED THAT GOD HAS GOOD PLANS FOR HIS FUTURE.

“Therefore, my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will rest in hope.  
                                                                                                                For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow your Holy One to see corruption. 

You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” vs. 9-11 NKJV
Picture
​Here is our hope: our troubles will not last forever.

God will remove them all, if not in this world, then in the next. But in the meantime, He walks with us along the rough roads, and He’s a delightful companion. 

 A delighted heart experiences a joyful present and expects a pleasant future.  
 
A delighted heart refuses to become tangled in a net of negativity. 

A delighted heart lives in the awareness of God’s presence, walks in contentment and confidence, and rests in fullness of joy.

And that, my friend, is the Happiest Place on Earth.

In Christ,
Margaret 

Here is a link to Margaret's devotional with Proverbs 31 Ministry : When Vicious Words Offend Us 
Kathy and I ask that you please continue to be in prayer for Restore Ministries and for us as we meet to pray, seek direction, discuss, and make plans for the fall semester...AND continue to rest ourselves!  It's been a very busy summer for us both!

It is our heart and the mission of Restore Ministries to offer opportunities to awaken a passion and restore the deepest yearning to know Christ more intimately. We seek to minister creatively to the heart and spirit through retreats, Biblical teaching, and the arts.  It is our desire to provide a ministry permeated with the love and grace of Jesus Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, equipping believers in the transforming work of God in our lives as He restores our soul and guides us in paths of righteousness for His name sake.  Keep praying with us!

Watch for upcoming dates and gatherings!
​
Blessings,
Sherry
Picture
If you are reading this blog through social media we would suggest that you sign up to recieve the blog each week in your email inbox. It will come directly to you to read at your leisure. 

Just enter your email in the subscriber box on the right at the top of this blog page 
on the website, then REPLY to the invitation email you will receive in your personal inbox.  Your email address is safe with us!

Follow ALL directions to completion!
Feel free to share our blogs on your social media 

or email them to a friend. Just follow the directions carefully.
0 Comments
    Sign Up to Receive our Blog via email.

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    RSS Feed

    Click to set custom HTML

    Archives

    July 2021
    March 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013

    Categories

    All




    Picture
Copyright 2019 ​
Photo used under Creative Commons from DDFic
  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • Doctrinal Beliefs
  • Events
    • Photo Gallery
    • Testimonials
    • Past Retreats
    • Reunion Pics
    • Thanksgiving Video 2017
  • Blog
  • The One Thing Home Study
  • Book Us!
  • Donate
  • Contact us
  • Melissa's Memorial Fund