UPWARD Cheer Camp

Tomorrow morning, we will have 15 little cheerleaders at the FLC for our 2nd annual UPWARD Cheer Camp!

Please pray that we have a good attendance! The girls at camp will learn a cheer, a dance, some jumps, and will also have devotion time. Please pray for coaches and volunteers as we kick off our UPWARD season tomorrow!

For more information about the UPWARD program, click on the image above or visit http://www.upward.org/

Wisdom from a Candy Wrapper

"Be a role model to someone."

That's what my Dove chocolate wrapper said today. "Be a role model..." Wow. That's a big responsibility.

It's something that I have tried to be in the past. I've had "little sisters" at school and/or church that I have tried to take under my wing. It's something that I am now as I'm watching my little brother grow up and teaching kids at church. I love the idea of being a mentor, because my mentors have made such a big impact on my life.

But that responsibility is not something that you can take lightly. I once had a younger friend's mother tell me that she was glad I was around as a positive influence on her daughter. Just having her mom tell me that really made me think about every decision I made. And, honestly, I think that if everyone had that kind of responsibility it would really do our community, state, country and world a lot of good.

Think about it - if you had someone holding you accountable for every move you made, wouldn't you think twice about all the things you do? If you had to consider the impact that you were making on your younger siblings, friends, peers, etc., wouldn't you be more careful about the way you act and the things you say?

The biggest problem is that we all DO have someone holding us accountable. You may not know it, but someone, somewhere IS watching you. There's a little kid out there that thinks you are the coolest person they know. There's a younger friend, a younger brother or a cousin that wants to be just like you.

Do you realize how big of a responsibility you have? Do you realize that every move you make is making a difference in someones life and that it's up to you to decide if you are going to be a good influence or a bad one? Do you understand the weight of your decisions on the lives of people you care about?

I wish that we all knew how much the little things mattered. If we were able to see past ourselves and see the long term affects of our daily actions, we would all be so much more responsible and so much more respectable. Think about what a better place the world would be...

"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid." Matthew 5:14

"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." Ephesians 4:29

"...be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." 1 Timothy 4:12b

Notes from Revival

Bro. Jeremy Overstreet from Macedonia FWB Church visited Sulphur Springs the last week of September for our Fall Revival. We had a great week of fellowship and heard some great messages. Here are some of my favorite quotes and notes from Bro. Overstreet's sermons that week:

• We get further by praying than we do by condemning. If you don't like the way someone is living, don't condemn them...pray for them!


• You should be more concerned with what God thinks of you than you are about what other people think of you.


• Our character affects our conduct. Who we are will always show up in what we do.


• Satan is our accuser, but Jesus is our advocate! If God is for us, who can be against us?


• Don't ever let Satan drag you down with your past sins. God has forgiven you and has moved your sins as far as the east is from the west. Only Satan remembers the sins of the past, and he will try to use them to drag you away from God.

The week was full of some great preaching and wisdom. I may post full sermon notes later, but these were just some of the high points.

Martha, Martha, Martha

"She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar. She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens. She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms. She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night. She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet. She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple. Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land. She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant. Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all." Proverbs 31:13-29

Ruby and I had a lunch date planned, but I have to admit that I really didn't want to go see her today. I especially didn't want to meet with her after I read her list of domestic accomplishments...



It was like having lunch with Martha Stewart. And the question that was on the forefront of my mind the entire time was "how does she do it all?"



How does she do it all?



She works with her hands, brings food to her family, makes sure her family is well fed and clothed, makes her own clothes (and they're really nice clothes), makes linen and sells it, is never idle, and is called blessed by her husband and children.



How do you measure up to that? I don't even come close.



But are Ruby's domestic accomplishments the most important things for us to strive towards? I don't think so. And neither does popular Christian author, Vicki Courtney. In her book The Virtuous Woman: Shattering the Superwoman Myth, she said this about the virtuous woman:

"Unfortunately, many Christian women shy away from this passage as they measure themselves up against her domestic resume. I recently plugged the term Proverbs 31 into an Internet search engine and was amazed at the number of references it identified. Many were home pages containing such things as recipes, gardening tips, sewing patterns, and parenting advice. Some were very enjoyable to read, while others were disturbing. One Internet site actually claimed that to be a virtuous woman you must cook, clean, sew, garden, and be a stay-at-home mother. Another made the point that you are out of God's will if you wear pants, short hair, or choose a method other than homeschooling to educate your children. If that were true, one, two, three strikes - I'm out! If the passage is to be taken literally, we're all in trouble. The Proverbs 31 woman didn't just sew; she made her own thread! ("She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands" [Prov. 31:13]). It is easy to come away assuming that the ideal woman in God's eyes is a Bible-toting Martha Stewart.

Does your definition of the ideal woman closely align with the outward actions of the Proverbs 31 woman? ...Don't be fooled into thinking virtue simply means a return to the kitchen. If you're like me, you come up woefully short when it comes to cooking, cleaning, gardening, and sewing. But the good news is that virtue runs much deeper than domestic abilities. Virtue must first begin in the heart. We desperately need to fill our hearts and minds with God's real standard to be a virtuous woman. I believe God intended the virtuous woman of Proverbs 31 for far more than to depress us. He wants us to explore who is woman was on the inside. What made her tick? What would she be like today?" The Virtuous Woman by Vicki Courtney, pages 17-18

Does that mean we have a free pass that says we don't have to cook, clean or help provide for our families? No. But it does mean that we don't have to be perfect.



God is more concerned with what's going on in our hearts than He is with how many dirty socks are on the bedroom floor. He created us with specific responsibilities when it comes to our families, and He expects us to try our best to fulfill His plan, but He knows that we can't do everything and be everywhere.



Even Ruby understood that all her domestic accomplishments were just an outward showing of a pure heart full of God's love.



Verse 15 says "She riseth also while it is yet night..." Ruby knew that her days were going to be packed. I have friends that have young children, and they all say that they have to either get up early or stay up late to get time alone with God. Ruby did, too. She had to get up early, while the rest of the house was quiet, and get that time alone with God to start her day.



Once her heart was in the right place, God guided her through her day and blessed the works of her hands.

So, what does Ruby have to say about being compared to Martha Stewart? She shakes her head and grins. "You have to remember that all of those things weren't done in one day. It took me a lifetime to get all those things done. And the verses didn't mention all the times I was ready to pull my hair out and call it quits." She sips her coffee and sighs. "You just have to take it one day at a time, and know that on the days when you burn the biscuits and the kids are screaming and the floor is
sticky...that God is still in control."

What's in a name?

She walked into the cafe where we had planned to meet and smiled warmly at the waitress that greeted her. I watched her scan the crowd and waved when her eyes settled on me. She smiled and slid into the booth across from me.

I have to admit, I was a little nervous. When the waitress walked over to take our order, I breathed a sigh of relief and tried to gather my thoughts. I felt like I was about to interview a movie star or something.

Once we had our coffee and cake (yes, even Ruby has a weakness for chocolate, it seems...), we got down to business. I had so many questions for her. How did she become so wise? What was it that she had done to be so successful? Was being the "ideal woman" a goal of hers, or did it just kind of happen? And how did she get the name Ruby?

We had a lot to talk about, and she was gracious enough to give me a little insight into her world. Guess what? She's not that different from you and me...

"Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies." Proverbs 31:10

I read a story in a magazine once about a woman that got a very unique engagement ring. Instead of a diamond, which is expected, her fiance gave her a ruby. She was confused at first, but didn't want to ask him why he didn't get her a diamond because she wasn't sure how he would take the question. She loved her ring, diamond or not, and happily said "yes" and agreed to become his bride.

Later, when she got home, she was looking at the ring and realized that there was an inscription on the band. It said "Proverbs 31:10." Of course, she found her Bible and flipped to the passage. There she read "Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies." After reading the verse, she called her fiance and thanked him again for her extra special ring - a reminder of how much he loved and valued her.

I can't remember what magazine I was reading, but I have never forgotten the story. I love that this woman and her husband have such a special, godly connection. That's something I hope to find someday.

And it made her question why a diamond is the accepted gem chosen for engagement rings instead of rubies...

What's so special about a ruby anyway? Why would the writer of this proverb compare a virtuous woman to that particular gem? Well, I did a little research (www.middletownchurch.org/homefam/prov31.htm) and found out that in Bible times, a ruby may have actually been a rare pink pearl. Pink pearls were only found in clams in the Red Sea and they were extremely rare. Anyone that had one valued it greatly.

Proverbs 31 was written as a guide for young men to help them know how to find a good wife. The writer wanted to stress to them that a good wife is hard to find, and that once you find one, you should value her as you would a precious jewel.

So what does that mean for women like us today? Well, think about the way you live. Are you living a virtuous life? Are you walking in a way that makes your Heavenly Father proud? Can He look at your life and smile and say that you are as precious as a ruby?

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell
as sweet." Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare (Act 2, Scene 2, Lines 1-2)

Ruby stirred some sugar into her coffee and smiled. "I love my name," she said. "It reminds me how special and unique God made me. And I wouldn't want to be called anything else."

Coffee with Ruby

She's very intimidating. She has it all together and she makes a normal gal like me look like a slacker. She's the kind of woman that you would love to hate, but she's just so sweet and kind that you can't make yourself dislike her.

She's the ideal wife and mother, a good business woman, a good boss, and even a kind and thoughtful friend. Her talents are endless - she's a great cook (she even grows some of her own food - talk about organic), she has a knack for crafts and even makes some money off her sewing hobby, and she can help you solve almost any problem. If she can't help you, her husband can, because he is one of the most influential men in town.

And did I mention that her husband loves her dearly? That's right. He treats her like a queen. And her kids think she's the coolest and even tell their little friends how much they love their awesome mother.

She's got some life, doesn't she?

But you know all about that, right? You do know her, don't you?

No, she's not from Stepford or Wisteria Lane. She's not from a fairy tale, but you might say that she's as rare as Cinderella's glass slipper.

So, "Who is she?" you ask.

King Lemuel's mother introduced her to me, but she never told me her name. I think I've heard someone call her "Ruby" a time or two, but I'm not really sure why...

But I'm sure that we'll find out soon. After all, we're going to be spending a lot of time with her over the next few days. I can't wait to hear all her tips and secrets for what makes her so successful. I know that you're probably wondering what they are just as much as I am.

So grab a cup of coffee and settle in for a chat with Ruby and me. We're going to see how she does it all, and Who helps her along the way. After all, she wasn't born a virtuous woman...


Join me during the rest of this month as I get to know the Proverbs 31 woman. Check back tomorrow for our first chat with Ruby and we'll find out how she got her nickname and what it means... See you then!

"Be merciful unto me, O God; for man would swallow me up, O thou most High. What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me." Psalm 56:1-4

Do you remember the story about David and Goliath? David was a young shepherd boy and his father sent him to the army camp to take his brothers some food. When David got to the camp, he found tents full of soldiers that were scared. They were hiding. Why? Because a giant was parading in the battlefield, calling for someone to come fight him. He was big. He was bad. He was a bully. And not one soldier wanted to fight him.

But David did.

Are you as brave as David?

You may not be in an army camp, but if you're a Christian, each day is a battle. And Satan has his giant warriors parading in and out of your home, school, office and even your church. His warriors are big. His warriors are bad. His warriors are bullies. And they're calling you into battle.

What warriors? They're more familiar to you than you would think. They have names like Stress, Worry, Fear, Failure, Jealousy, and Bitterness. They roam all over your life. They stake their claim to every part of you that they can get. They get in between you and God. They stand up, tall and looming, in front of you and try to distract you from how big and mighty your God is.

See, the problem with the soldiers that were hiding in their tents is that they knew all about Goliath. They knew how big he was. They knew what size sandal he wore, what size sword he carried and how big around his biceps were. They had looked at him for so long that they couldn't see anything else but him. They had become consumed with thoughts about how big Goliath was.

David, on the other hand, was more focused on how big God was. David never saw Goliath before he decided to fight him. But he knew that his God was bigger than any giant that was roaming around looking for a fight.

So how do we defeat our giants? We have to do what David did. We have to focus on God.

I just finished reading Max Lucado's book Facing Your Giants (I read the teen edition because I am teaching parts of the book to my Wednesday night youth class, but he also has an adult edition available).

One of my favorite quotes from the book is:

"Focus on giants - you stumble. Focus on God - your giants tumble."

Do you feel like giants are trampling all over your life? Are they so big and so scary that you can't see around them? Try looking at God for a change. He's bigger than any giant that you'll ever face, and He's waiting to show you what He can do - if you'll let Him.