Goal Enactment

After reading woman blessing Julie Ford's Happy New Year Lovelies!, I felt motivated to set some goals.  Realizing I had somehow allowed my gratitude journal to slip from daily use, I invested in a journal I would want to write in daily.  
 

I love finding slightly imperfect journals at T.J. Maxx.

As Julie had written, I am still an avid fan of pen to paper writing, so I wanted a journal which would, in essence, call to me each evening while resting on the couch or right before bed.  Each night I write ten occurrences in the day for which I am thankful.  This may range from a kiss from the hub before he leaves for work to the giggles of my girls in the evening, doing anything to avoid hopping into bed at night. . . gratitude at finally being able to grab ahold of that annoying chin hair with my tweezers or the healing of that prominent pimple on my cheek (aaaah, the rewards of hormones in my 40s).  Thus, not gratitude for material items, but for the everyday happenings which matter the most.

In addition, I pledged the creation of more cards to send to loved ones or those in need.  Although I do not have the artistic card talents of women blessings Deb Ellis, Angie Henshaw, or Cathy Lynn, I can still (and will always) strive for that level of expertise and embrace the process for the joy which it brings to me, and I hope, those who receive my cards (or, at the very least, a chuckle at my attempts).

How are you coming along in your New Year's goals?

By Courtney Winkler

Happy New Year Lovelies!

Yep, I'm kind of late to the party, my momma always said, "Better Late than Never;" I am trying to embrace this.  The late I am talking about is not being late to places, events, appointments, but the concepts, the processes!  I have always processed differently than others (please don't judge), but I am embracing this in my fifties. Take for example New Year's goals....here it is middle of January, and now I am thinking about it, processing the goals, putting them on paper, oh I have an obsession with paper, pens, I digress.....

What I have decided is to try a monthly goal process.  I really love reading about others' goals; it inspires me, sometimes inspires me so much, I can even check it off my list...haha!

What are your goals for the year or for the month or even the week?   Do you even like goals?  It would be great to have some comments on my post and on the other posts; it's encouraging...don't you think?

So here we go with my monthly goals...

****Make something chocolate for my husband; this is a no-brainer, I know his love language

****Stay to my weekly meal planner, not eating out so much

****Start a new Bible Study; join us on Wednesday nights @ 6:30 at TUMC for the new study, "Stronger," by Angela Thomas

****Ask for the Holy Spirit to fill me, guide me, and grant me a willing spirit...oh this is powerful, thank you Jesus for sending us the Holy Spirit 

****Support my friend Courtney at her exercise party; I did this earlier in January. I still can't do yoga, can someone please tell he why I get so dizzy?  I am not balanced (again, no judge)

****Smile out loud, oh this feels so good....Amen

****Thanks Therapy is God's prescription to Joy, writing out 1,000 gifts, at least one a day (having a pretty journal is a must)

****Encourage at least five ladies a month!

Oh, I would love to meet my Christmas secret sister, Jessica; can we make this happen?

So lovelies, what are your goals?

By Julie Ford

Wednesday Bible Study

This Wednesday begins a new TGIW at church, I am facilitating a study called "Stronger," Finding Hope in Fragile Places by Angela Thomas.  It is a video based study so we will watch the video then have discussion.  If you want to check out the study before coming, just Google her name or the study.
God is stronger than everything... our struggles, our bad news, our overwhelming life, our attitudes, ugh....anything broken in me, pretty much sums it up. 
We will meet at 6:30 p.m. in the Oak Room, hope to see you.

By Julie Ford 

The One Way You Can Keep Opening the Presents

The One Way You Can Keep Opening the Presents

Submitted by Courtney Winkler, "Woman Blessing Julie Ford introduced me to the writings of Ann Voskamp, and I fell in love.  If you haven't read 1000 Gifts, add it to your list to read in this coming year.  You won't be sorry you did."

Why Do I Feel That It's My Fault When My Child Messes Up?

Why Do I Feel That It's My Fault When My Child Messes Up?

Submitted by Julie Ford, "Here's another post from Lysa TerKeurst as a reminder to us mommas."

Could I Be the Worst Mom Ever?

Could I Be the Worst Mom Ever?

Submitted by Julie Ford

Now Is the Time

The Journey Team at Christ UMC hosted their 2013 Women’s Conference at Christ UMC on Saturday, Oct 19. The key note speaker was Melissa Bishop, the wife of their Senior Pastor Shane Bishop. There is always this misconception about pastors' wives which puts them in this mold of perfection, born a Christian from the womb and still going strong. I know firsthand this is not the case for many pastors' wives, I am from a line of pastors in our family: my grandmother, my aunt, my mother-in-law, or just read the book “Choose Joy” by Kay Warren, Pastor Rick Warren’s wife.

Life as a pastor’s wife is not a cake walk; Melissa didn’t say a word about what I just described, that was all my interjection, but she did want to make certain we knew up front her life has been full of struggles just like the rest of us women, and by listening to her, possibly more struggles than most. She continues to struggle but she wants to live “intentionally for Jesus Christ.” Here are a few of Melissa’s comments.

• We hear from the Lord in our struggles
• We are called to be ambassadors for Christ
• God pursues me when I should not be pursued, but he does it anyway, please hear that…..God pursues me when I really should not be pursued…that is great news!!
• We need to be a “yes” person to Jesus when he calls us to do something, scared… do it anyway.
• Being broken happens, but staying Broken is a SIN…..ouch…!!
• Please don’t live God’s sacrifice in vain
• You know the past is the past, the past can paralyze us….let it go
• Use the Word of God; it’s the only book we have
• Failure is part of the equation….failure gives us a chance for a do-over
• We learn in the crash of life
• If you keep getting up, God will make us stronger.
• What holds us back is the “condition of our heart”-God knows our heart; he knows everything in our heart - Psalm 139 asks God to search our heart, he wants our heart to be blameless.
• Comparison is prevalent with women, why do we do that, men don’t do this…it would be weird to hear your husband say “oh I wish I was like ….” Oh yes, women do compare themselves with other women. Think about this………

Melissa was absolutely charming, witty, funny, and very intentional. I was moved by her pure honesty from the first words out of her mouth. I had not planned to attend the conference this year because my husband and I were going out of town, ended up not happening, so I decided at the 11^th hour to attend, and all I can say is “Praise the Lord” for getting me there. The Holy Spirit was moving mightily, and boy oh boy did I need his presence.

The time is now, just like her coined words say,

Melissa talked about her devotion time, sounded so familiar to me. Get up early to spend time with the Lord, and then you notice that

• the stove has a crumb on it or..
• the water in the dog’s bowl is low or..
• the magazine is not in the right place or..
• the picture is crooked or..
• the floor needs to be vacuumed or..
• you remember you didn’t put anything out to thaw for dinner..

Goes on and on then it's too late to intentionally spend time with the Lord. I also suffer with distraction almost ADHD ish…..it is necessary to fit God time in even if it is all throughout the day or in the car while driving by ourselves. I love to talk out loud to God during my prayer time. I still struggle with the reading of the Bible every day; it will have to be intentional, just not going to magically happen for me or for anyone.

It has been a very long time since I have felt the Lord move so mightily in my life, and when the Holy Spirit wants to get your attention, it can be exhausting but worth every ounce of energy……. I am so grateful to the ladies at CUMC and to Melissa Bishop, BUT first and foremost to Jesus who knew the condition of my heart and knew I needed to hear from him.

By Julie Ford

Beth Moore Living Proof Live Tour

When:  October 25, 26  
Where:  Springfield, IL
How:  To register contact Julie Ford by September 1. ALL ladies are invited.  Don't miss out on this bonding and learning experience. Cost is $119.00 per person. This includes conference and double occupancy.  Transportation and meals additional. 

E-mail Julie

Learn More about Living Proof Here

Have Kiddos Who Love to Craft?

Kiwi Crate- Fun Summer Projects

Submitted by Julie Ford

Save the Date for Ladies Bible Study

What:  A Confident Heart by Renee Swope led by Julie Ford

When:  August 21st at 6:30 p.m.

Where:  The Oak Room at Troy United Methodist Church

Questions?  E-mail Julie at jeford5@yahoo.com

I Met Esther Today

Or, rather, I revisited Esther today while waiting for my doctor's appointment.  Arriving a half-hour early for my 8 a.m. (yes, I am type A), I had time on my hands so I thought I'd fiddle with my new phone.  Not able (or rather my 13-year-old neighbor has not loaded it for me yet) to access my Kindle books, I decided to browse through the free Apps (FREE being one of my mantras).  I'm not into slicing fruit with my fingertips or projecting birds, angry ones at that, with levers, but I am into reading.  Woman Blessing Sue Busler's Prayer of Listening was resonating in my subconscious, so I scrolled until I found a Bible App.

Woman Blessing Julie Ford had gifted me with a Bible about a year ago, and I was pretty faithful on daily readings for a better portion of the year, but eventually fiction, kiddos, t.v., hub, Norovirus, etc., distracted me from my frequent meetings with the Word.

Today is a new day;  I'm sexist (the other way), so I opted for a book of the Bible named after a female, Esther.  Here I discovered a brazen woman for the time, Queen Vashti, who "refused to come" (1:12) when her king and husband, Xerxes ordered her presence in order to "show off her beauty to the officials and all his guests"  (1:11).  This man who had been partying for a week and "For six months he made a show of the riches of the imperial court with all its splendour and majesty"  (1:4), sounded like a guy who could have benefited from some time to reflect on his behavior (did I mention his harem of women?).  On the advice of his advisers (all men I might add), Queen Vashti was banished from the throne for her apparent insult to the king.  She was probably better off without him.

Fast forward through some verses and enter Esther, Queen Vashti's replacement.  Esther, cousin to Mordecai from the tribe of Benjamin, was a Jew (although Mordecai urged her to keep this secret from the king).  Meanwhile, the king's prime minister, Haman, detested Jews and convinced the king to have them put to death.

When Esther heard of this, she took action.  Instead of waiting to be summoned by the king (you go, Girl!), she threw a two-day banquet inviting the king and Haman (keep your enemies closer . . .).  The king, apparently swept up in the attention, repeatedly tells Esther, "Tell me what you want, and you shall have it- even if it half of my empire"  (5:3).  Finally, she replies on the second night, " . . . my wish is that I may live and that my people may live" (7:3), uncovering Hamon's plot to exterminate the Jews and the fact she herself is a Jew.

If you want to learn what happens and understand the meaning behind The Festival of Purim, crack open the book of Esther.  You won't be sorry you did.

by Courtney Winkler

 

Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl

This study will make you laugh and bless your socks off, Lysa knows how to speak, write and has such transparency in her own life, you will be able to relate, hopefully!!  Come for one evening or all.  We can't wait to see you!

Lysa TerKeurst
 
When:  Starting June 11th from 7-8:30 p.m.

Led by Woman Blessing Julie Ford 
Hosted by Woman Blessing Deb Inman

Contact Deb at Deb@troyumc.org or 288-4778 for more information.

Artisan Mothers and Artisan Chicken

Do these words resonate with any other moms?

Mothers 
Making memories past and present

One person wearing many hats

Together now and forever

Helping, hosting parties, handling problems

Encouraging, explaining, educating, explaining, enforcing rules and more explaining

Running, repairing and rescuing

Solving mysteries (lost toys, lost keys, lost books, lost papers)

A recipe to share . . .

Artisan Chicken

4 oz cream cheese (microwave 15 seconds to soften

2/3 cup light mayonnaise

1/3 cup bleu cheese crumbles

3 T teriyaki sauce

1 T port wine

4 T bread crumbs

6 T chopped pecans

8 small chicken breasts

Add cream cheese, light mayonnaise, bleu cheese crumbles, teriyaki sauce and port wine to a bowl. Mix well with a spatula:

In pan lay:

• 8 pieces of chicken

• spread cheese mix evenly over the chicken

• sprinkle bread crumbs over each chicken

• sprinkle pecans over the bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

Enjoy, it is yummy.

I served it with rice and steamed broccoli.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Julie Ford

Living Rich on Less

http://livingrichonless.com/

Submitted by Julie Ford

Sharon Jaynes' Romance Challenge

http://sharonjaynes.com/romancechallenge/

Submitted by Julie Ford

Let.It.Go.

Let.It.Go. How to stop running the show and start walking in faith by Karen Ehman, Director of Proverbs 31 Ministries.  Many women are wired to control. 

You are the ones who make certain the house is clean, the meals are prepared, the beds are made, children dressed, and everyone gets to school or work and to other activities on time. But trying to control everything can be exhausting, and it can cause friction with your friends and family. 

This humorous, but thought-provoking book and study guides you as you discover for yourself the freedom and reward of living a life "out of control" in which you allow God to be seated in the rightful place in your life. 

This study is six weeks with short video, group discussion, and in-between session personal study.

Study begins January 9th at Troy United Methodist Church beginning at 7:30 p.m.  Questions?  E-mail Julie at jeford5@yahoo.com. 

Julie's Joy

A month ago I attended a ladies event where Susan Lawrence was the speaker and she spoke on Joy, I was thrilled. Here are a few words I captured in my notes from her presentation.

How often do you allow one or more of these things to steal your Joy?

• Your past
• Negative self-talk
• Doubt
• Uncertainty
• Pressure from others
• Measuring up to faith
• Habits everyday
• To do lists

• Addictions (these are things you crave like Starbucks, too much exercise, your special sports team) anything that pulls you away from your relationship with God.

Earlier this year I was not experiencing joy because I was allowing the above mentioned plus other stuff to creep into my thoughts and yes, it was stealing my joy, I was actually feeling nothing. I had fooled myself thinking after 30 plus years of being a Christian, I would not have to work at it, that it would just come naturally, but I was wrong, wrong, so wrong. Joy is intentional just like following Christ, I had to work at it, keep it in front of me, be intentional about it, I needed the Holy Spirit to guide me, I had forgotten all of this because I wanted it to come naturally. Luckily before I got too deep into this self-destruction, I was lead to a book written by Kay Warren called “Choose Joy” Because Happiness isn’t enough. I loved this book, an easy read, so insightful. Kay is so transparent, she knows what it is like to lose your Joy, yes even Kay Warren, Rick Warren’s wife. A few months after reading the book, I was lead to the ladies retreat where Susan Lawrence was the speaker and she was talking about “Joy.” I was thrilled, God answers prayers.

Susan mentioned the difference between Joy & Happiness. Happiness is short term, it's temporary, it's fleeting, it depends upon your circumstances. Joy is more consistent, it is given to us by God, God wants us to be filled with Joy. I know many of these things aren’t new to many of you, they really weren’t new to me either, but I needed to be reminded to be “intentional,” I needed a Jesus stirring in my heart.

I love to hear the word Joy, it makes me smile and puts an extra beat into my heart and my step.

Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again “rejoice.”

Julie Ford

Connect with Julie Ford

1.  How long have you attended Troy UMC?
I have attended TUMC for a little over two years now, and I love this church.

2.  What drew you to this church?
I started attending TUMC because this is the church my husband attended.

3.  Which service do you typically attend?
I normally attend 9:00 am, I love the Praise & Worship part of the service.  The first time I attended TUMC, I attended the 10:30 service which I really loved also, it reminded me when our family would go to my Grandpa's church in Herrin, Illinois, the Troy 10:30 service was so sweet and the people were so welcoming, I felt like I belonged there.

4.  Share one of your favorite Bible verses, and explain why it means so much to you.
I have many verses that are held in my heart, but I will have to say the verse which means the most to me is Jeremiah 29:11, '"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."'  - this was the first Bible verse I memorized and many times in my life I have held tight to the verse because I know God has plans for me, plans to prosper me and not harm me.

My other Bible verse that runs close to Jeremiah 29:11 is Phil 4:4-7, "Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again:  Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all.  The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and position, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  I memorized this verse a few months before many very stressful events happened to me; God knew I would need this to keep me going forward.  Not only did the Bible verse give me peace, it gave me strength to keep going.

5.  Tell us about your family.
I am the wife of Jim Ford, I am a mother to Jordan, Jenna, Justin Summers, who were all born in Ft Worth, Texas.  My children are mostly out of the house, my oldest son Jordan lives in Adana, Turkey serving in USAF.  My daughter Jenna is a senior at McKendree University studying psychology, my youngest son Justin attends SIUE and he is a manager at Wehrenberg Theatres.  I am a step mom to Jim's kids Matthew;16 X-Box fein, Zach; freshman in High School-study guru & Kaitlyn; 8th grader world class gymnast. I also have (four) four-legged children.

6.  What led you to your involvement in the Women's Ministry as the Events Coordinator?
I have a passion for women's ministry; I worked with the women at my previous church and really loved it.  I thought after getting married and moving to Troy that I would not have the opportunity to work with women's ministry, but luckily I was wrong.  I love to encourage women; we have a lot on our plates at all times and whenever there is something special created with women in mind, it makes me want to work hard and make things especially nice.  I want to encourage all women to attend Bible Studies, attend anything that is for women; we need each other.

7.  The Women's Retreat at Lake Williamson was a huge success.  What do you have planned for us in the future?
Thank you for saying that; it was a combined effort plus we prayed over the event which makes all the difference in the world to events being successful or not.  Stay tuned for future events for the ladies.

8.  How did you give thanks this Thanksgiving?
Our Thanksgiving was celebrated at our home with 17 of Jim's family and two of my children; I was thankful for the opportunity to serve others and host the dinner, but I was missing my oldest son; this was the first Thanksgiving without him; let this be a warning to all mothers - "The days are long, but the years are short" - I read this on Courtney Doctor's website about her children leaving the nest.  It is so true, but never did I realize it until my kids started leaving home.  I am very thankful to Jesus who has orchestrated my life; I don't want it any other way.

9.  How may we contact you to make a further connection?
I can be reached at my email address: jeford5@yahoo.com and would love to hear about any ideas for our ladies at Troy UMC.

Welcome to RUBY Magazine Troy UMC

Ladies:

Thank you for dropping by RUBY; you will be so happy to have found this new on-line magazine.

RUBY is the brainchild of Courtney Winkler one of our ladies at Troy UMC. I encourage you to make a comment or suggestion and to stop by as much as you would like.

RUBY will  give you another opportunity to be in the know about Ladies Ministries at the church.  There will be multiple interviews on ladies from Troy UMC so we can connect.

In the last few weeks, I have seen quizzes, comments, interviews and now a Secret Santa out on RUBY. There are also photos that are downloaded from our different events for all to share. We are encouraging ladies to list prayer requests so we can all pray with and for you.

Again thank you for stopping by for a visit.

This is just another opportunity to Love, Encourage & Hug each other, and now through cyberspace.

Thank you Courtney for allowing God to work in and through you to start RUBY.  Now that you have discovered RUBY, make sure to tell your girlfriends about it; they will be glad you shared with them.

Julie Ford, Troy UMC Women's Events
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.  
-1 Thessalonians 5:11