Women's Day

Well, it's been almost two weeks since we went to Women's Day at church. It was such a great event, always is! The music was awesome! The message even better! We learned about what God wants us women to be. How amazing is that? He has the directions for us! I think we kind of need that. I know I sure do!

John 4:1 -3 Jesus realized that the Pharisees were keeping count of the baptisms that he and John performed (although his disciples, not Jesus, did the actual baptizing). They had posted the score that Jesus was ahead, turning him and John into rivals in the eyes of the people. So Jesus left the Judean countryside and went back to Galilee.

4 -6To get there, he had to pass through Samaria. He came into Sychar, a Samaritan village that bordered the field Jacob had given his son Joseph. Jacob's well was still there. Jesus, worn out by the trip, sat down at the well. It was noon.

7 -8A woman, a Samaritan, came to draw water. Jesus said, "Would you give me a drink of water?" (His disciples had gone to the village to buy food for lunch.)
9The Samaritan woman, taken aback, asked, "How come you, a Jew, are asking me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?" (Jews in those days wouldn't be caught dead talking to Samaritans.)
10Jesus answered, "If you knew the generosity of God and who I am, you would be asking me for a drink, and I would give you fresh, living water."
11 -12The woman said, "Sir, you don't even have a bucket to draw with, and this well is deep. So how are you going to get this 'living water'? Are you a better man than our ancestor Jacob, who dug this well and drank from it, he and his sons and livestock, and passed it down to us?"
13 -14Jesus said, "Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again. Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst—not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life."
15The woman said, "Sir, give me this water so I won't ever get thirsty, won't ever have to come back to this well again!"

God watches us at all times. Jesus knew who this women was and what she was doing in her life. He always knows us, inside and out. If we're not watching ourselves, we can become hard-hearted and bitter.

Acts 17:24-29 24 -29"The God who made the world and everything in it, this Master of sky and land, doesn't live in custom-made shrines or need the human race to run errands for him, as if he couldn't take care of himself. He makes the creatures; the creatures don't make him. Starting from scratch, he made the entire human race and made the earth hospitable, with plenty of time and space for living so we could seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find him. He doesn't play hide-and-seek with us. He's not remote; he's near. We live and move in him, can't get away from him! One of your poets said it well: 'We're the God-created.' Well, if we are the God-created, it doesn't make a lot of sense to think we could hire a sculptor to chisel a god out of stone for us, does it?

God has given us the opportunities to find him. He made everything for us so we can search for Him.

Col 3:12 -14So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.

This is God's standard for us! It won't be easy. I will agree whole heartedly about that! It's not easy for me to be nice in the mornings... quite difficult actually. Waking up in the morning is the worst part of my day. I need to bring these scriptures into my life first thing in the morning! I need to crawl out of bed and put the slippers of love on my feet, wash my sleeping self off in the shower and dress myself with the wardrobe of GOD!

Now after reading this and really looking at myself, I truely need to find a new wardrobe first thing in the morning!

Compassion: Do I have compassion toward those I encounter each day? I think I do most of the time, but I have caught myself being very insensitive to others' needs and hurts. I need to work on this in many ways.

kindness: Being gentle and kind. This usually comes naturally to me, however, with certain people it does not. There's always room to improve this.

humility: I don't know if I'm humble in the right ways. I guess I need to discuss this with someone.

quiet strength: peaceful inner strength, only given to me by God. I need to pray for this to become me.

discipline: I totally lack discipline! I know this! This is an area in my personality I must work on. I don't even know how to change this, but I need to drasctically. I have so many things on my plate that I feel like I'm going in circles on a regular basis. What in the world? I don't need this. I need to be more disciplined and organized with my daily routines and activities... escpecially my time with God! Without Him, I would not be where I am.

Be even-tempered: even-tempered or patient... WOW. This one hits home. I know I'm a patient person, but I also know that I've been loosing my patience with people more often. I am greatful that God's giving me this chance to see what I'm doing and time to change it.

content with second place: I had to learn this one, then relearn it, again and again! LOL! I struggle with this all the time. I want to be content with my life, the way God wants it to be, but sometimes I want more. He's given me more than I ever thought possible, why do I keep wanting more?

quick to forgive an offense: I need massive work on this area, always have. I need to learn to forgive. I understand it's not just words. Saying "I'm sorry" is so common for me, that I need to really appologize and forgive. Mostly FORGIVE! I need to remember that the past is the past, you can't change it. You can only go on from there. Deal with today, today... leave the past where it belongs... in the past! I need to keep repeating this and maybe it will sink in!

God will prevail! He will win the ultimate battle! The only way for me to join Him is to follow His directions in the BIBLE...

BIBLE = Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth! DON'T FORGET IT!