Transformed Moms: IN CHRIST ALONE...DOWN IN THE VALLEY...

It is GOD who BLESSES and TRANSFORMS...

This is a blog for women (not just moms) who:

(1) Desire to be transformed by JESUS' LOVE, HOLINESS, AND GRACE;

(2) Believe that GOD'S WORD is the true Spirit food for HIS HOLY SPIRIT who lives within us;

(3) Submit to GOD and walk this journey of life with HIM transforming us more and more into HIS likeness.

It's a blog about the POWER OF TRANSFORMED LIVES. Let's begin with yours and mine and pass it on... 1 + 1 + 1...

Since GOD's HOLY SPIRIT lives inside a christian, let's choose to be nurtured and transformed by feasting daily on HOLY SPIRIT food - GOD's WORD - The Holy Bible..

My regular posts stopped in 2013, with a major move and the chronic illness and eventual death of our oldest daughter. Yes, we grieve daily, yet I am determined to continue to let the LIGHT of my LORD and SAVIOR shine through me. I have tried to start posting again, over the last few years, but have not been consistent. So, I think the biggest blessing for you and me both will be to intersperse some new posts while revisiting some of the former posts. Let's begin with "Oh, the JOY!" as we head into living through Fall 2019; meeting back here 1-2 days a week.

If you need daily encouragement, you will find plenty by clicky on past posts. When reading earlier posts, you will see that I often posted daily, following this format: ...Sunday in the SON, Meditation Monday, GratiTuesday, Women in the WORD Wednesday, Transforming Thursday, Family Fellowship Friday, Ketchup & Mustard Saturday.

There's a whole lot here! Take your time to browse.

Please come back and visit each week. Welcome!

Because of JESUS, we can be family,

Patti

Saturday, January 23, 2010

IN CHRIST ALONE...DOWN IN THE VALLEY...

KETCHUP AND MUSTARD SATURDAY

Catch Up and Must Do

I shared the other day about my 3rd and 4th grade Bible class and all their questions. This quarter we're memorizing the 23rd Psalm. We've talked a lot about Jesus being the Good Shepherd... what a shepherd does... who His sheep are... that sheep are very dependent animals...

Sheep who fall down, have a very hard time getting up because of their muscle structure. They often lay on their backs and wait for their shepherd to come with the crook of his staff to turn them back over. Understanding characteristics of sheep surely helps us connect more to our relationship with Jesus.

In Psalm 23:4, we see that the dependence and trust that a sheep has for the shepherd pays off when the dark and difficult times come... the "valley times"...

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."

I have heard it said that during most of a person's christian life, she is either going into a valley, in the middle of one, or coming out of a valley. It is apparent in scripture that there are many trials... battles... valleys. These can be caused by people or circumstances that are beyond our control. Yet, this blog's memory verse for this month reminds us to,

"Consider Him, who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

I do know that those valleys serve to make us more like Christ. I know that when we learn to stand alone in Christ it is often because we have found Him as our only solace through very difficult times. When we are IN CHRIST ALONE and DEPEND ON CHRIST ALONE... we are the sheep of THE GOOD SHEPHERD!

For more food for thought on why trials come, check out my post for this week at GIGATTAATTGIG!

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A Little History of this Blog:

A group of moms in Pitman, New Jersey began meeting every Tuesday morning in June 2008 to learn how to be Master-Full Moms. Although that class only lasted that summer, we have continued to have other classes for moms offered at the Pitman church of Christ. This blog will remain like an ongoing class. So, come back each day and join us as we discuss being God's women as we encourage transformation in each other.
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3 POINTERS TO NAVIGATE THIS BLOG:

1. Just below, you'll find a series of questions and answers about who Transformed Moms are.

2. Options for getting started...after those questions and answers... YOU COULD click on the June 2008 Archive, scroll down to the first post called MASTER-FULL MOMS and start from the beginning with our 14 day devotional challenge, or.... YOU COULD start with our summary of our original summer class and blog on the 8-31-08 post: SUMMER SUMMARY - SPIRITUAL, or... YOU COULD browse through the archive and click what looks interesting to you...and/or...
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3. You're invited to read recent posts and come back daily to join us as we are led by the Holy Spirit down the road to healing and / or transformation.

Thanks for joining us, Patti

2. WHAT DOES A MOM DO WHO HAS THE SPIRIT OF GOD LIVING IN HER?

… those who live in accordance with the SPIRIT have their minds set on what the SPIRIT desires …life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to GOD. It does not submit to GOD’S law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please GOD. You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the SPIRIT, if the SPIRIT OF GOD lives in you…Therefore, sisters, we have an obligation… by the SPIRIT you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live… Romans 8:5-13

6. MOM, DAUGHTER OF GOD, HOW DO YOU GET THE POWER TO LIVE AND NOT LOSE HEART?

For GOD, WHO said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made HIS light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of GOD in the face of CHRIST.
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from GOD and not from us.

We are:

· hard pressed on every side, but not crushed

· perplexed, but not in despair

· persecuted, but not abandoned

· struck down, but not destroyed.

2 Corinthians 4:5-12