Infinite Grace

Yes, that's me-i'm pretty tired! But i'm holding a ticket to the Women of Faith conference I went to with my mom this weekend. It was absolutely amazing! God's timing is so perfect. The topic was Infinite Grace and what better time to show that to me. Below are some notes from the conference that really stuck out to me. My favorite speaker was Patsy Clairmont. You can check out some of her stuff on YouTube.com. Also she has a blog and you can visit it-http://www.patsyclairmont-blog.com/ She is just a REAL women of true faith. Also, before I go into my notes I wanted to tell you about a series Andy just finished this week called "The Fives Things God uses to Grow your Faith". Today's sermon was on Pivotal Circumstances. I encourage you to watch the sermon http://www.fivethingsgoduses.com/pivotal Andy even mentions Ashly and Denny. I now see some good in that situation-God has used their story to touch over 20,000 people this Sunday. Praise the Lord!

OK, so I know you are ready to see what I learned this weekend! Here it goes-
The Pre-Conference "I Second that Emotion"
This was all about how woman have so many emotions. And we can't just wear them on our sleeves. We should be reminded that "Emotions don't have a brain they are only feelings." Patsy did a visual aid by using tangled up rubber bands. Sometimes as women we wake up all tangled. We must keep God on our minds at all times. Satan is out to devour us and he will get all up in your thoughts. The enemy comes into our thoughts to condemn you. As Christian women must be in the Word of God so we can be protected. Jan, another one of the speakers, spoke right to me as she said these words-"God has not forgotten you". Also, I was reminded that "we must do what we know to do and then trust God with the rest." What a concept-in good times it's so easy but in the low parts of life-that's when it's hard! Anyway, it was all very encouraging!

The Conference
It started off with some wonderful praise and worship from the worship team. One of the songs spoke to me and I have the words below. It's a beautiful song-so look it up when you can.

Rescue

You are the source of life, I cant be left behind
No one else will do, I will take hold of you
I need you Jesus, I need you Jesus
My heart is yours for life, I need your help in mine
No one else will do, I put my trust in you
I need you Jesus to come to my rescue where else could I go
There's no other name by which I am saved-capture me with grace
I will follow you, I will follow you
You are the source of life-I cant be left behind
No one else will do father, I will take hold of you
I need you Jesus to come to rescue where else could I go
There's no other name by which I am saved-capture me with grace
I will follow you, this world has nothing for me
This world has nothing for me, this world has nothing for me
This world has nothing for me this world has nothing for me,
I need you Jesus to come to rescue where else could I go
There's no other name by which I am saved- capture me with grace
Cause I need you Jesus to come to my rescue where else could I go
There's no other name by which I am saved capture me with grace
Capture me with grace, capture me with grace
I will follow you, I will follow you
This world has nothing for me, this world has nothing for me
I will follow you!

Now, doesn't that song just sum it all up for you! I need you Jesus to come to my rescue. That's exactly what I have been crying out. And here it is in a worship song. Max Lucado also spoke and he was great! My favorite quote of his was this- "John 3:16 is 26 words of hope beginning with God and ending with life." What a beautiful summary of truth! The next day we were taught about true grace. We all have weaknesses. And God will meet you in your weakness and fill in the gaps. My weakness is anxiety, fear, busyness, and lots more. But God always finds a way to show me a verse or speak to me through a friend. What is your weakness? Will you allow God to take over? If you feel abandoned-know that you are not! For encouragement you can read Isaiah 41.

To sum it all up-it's like my soul was refreshed and I needed that! I hope you enjoyed my summary. I will leave you with a video of "Redeemer" by Nicole C. Mullen. I hadn't really listened to the words lately. I found this video with the words right on it. For me, this was a reminder of just how BIG God is. He knows every hair on my head and every thought in my mind. Praise be to HIM!

Thanks for reading! Sorry for such a LONG post-I had a lot to share with you all :)

Tell me how was your weekend???

In HIS mighty grip-
Rachael

God works in mysterious ways

So as you all may know I have been very angry with God about the whole situation with Ashly and Denny. I have only talked to God about it once and will again when I'm ready. But I find it funny-that today I open up my daily devotional and this is what I get...

(Wow, I'm always reminded how God works in mysterious ways-he speaks to us in many different ways)

How to Deal with Your Anger
by Rick Warren


If you become angry, do not let your anger lead you into sin, and do not stay angry all day. Don’t give the Devil a chance. Ephesians 4:26-27 (GNT)

*** *** *** ***

Conflict happens. There’s no avoiding it, and so there’s no avoiding anger in your life.

In fact, ignoring or denying your anger will simply make things worse. When conflict comes up, deal with it head on and quickly. Don’t let it fester. It’s a big mistake to think, “Let’s ignore it and hope it will go away.”

The Bible teaches, in Ephesians 4:26-27 (GNT), “If you become angry, do not let your anger lead you into sin, and do not stay angry all day. Don't give the Devil a chance.”

Some people are surprised by this verse; they ask, “Is it ever right for a Christian to get angry?” Yes.

How do I know it’s all right for a Christian to get angry? Well, let me ask you this: Did Jesus ever get angry? Yes!

Did Jesus ever sin? No. Evidently there are times when anger is appropriate.

In Ephesians, we’re told, “If you become angry, do not let your anger lead you into sin.” This implies there is an anger that leads you into sin, but there’s also an anger that doesn’t lead you into sin. There’s a right way to get angry and there’s a wrong way to get angry.

How do you know the difference?

The wrong kind of anger is anger that is not resolved quickly. It’s becoming angry, and then just staying angry all day and then the next day and the next. The Phillips translation of this Ephesians verse says, “Never go to bed angry.”

That will keep a few of us up sometimes! If you said, “In our marriage, we’ll never go to bed angry,” you might resolve problems a little more quickly.

Anger that is not dealt with turns into resentment and then into bitterness. Bitterness is always sin. Resentment is always sin. Those emotions are always wrong.

The Bible says to deal with anger quickly. Don’t let it hang on. Resolve conflict as quickly as possible.

Awesome Song...

I usually don't post this quickly but I just listened to this amazing song and I had to share the lyrics! It's called "The Light Will Come" by Phil Wickham. Its truly beautiful, look it up and give it a listen if you can :)

To the one with the wounded heart
The years fighting have left you scarred
Wait the light will come
To the one with the distant eyes
All this crying has left you dry
Wait the light will come
Wait the light will come
Lift your eyes
The sun has overcome the night
Come alive
As we shine in loves true light

Here is laughter beyond the tears
Here is courage to face your fears
Look the light has come
So rise you daughters and stand you sons
Claim the victory that Jesus won
Look the Light has come
Look the Light has come

Hope

Today was definitely the saddest day of my life. I have experienced death before but to see that small grave was more than I could handle. I still haven't been able to truly process what happened today. All I know is, Brooks was and is being rocked by Jesus. What a lucky baby! To never have to experience hurt, sadness, pain at all. Brooks will grow in the presence of our Lord. As we go through this valley, I really wonder what people do that don't have Jesus. We are able to cling to the words of our Savior. I haven't been able to really finish talking with the Lord. I know that I will have to be on my knees crying out to God. I just don't understanding why he took Brooks. I know we won't know the answer until we are in Heaven asking Him. But, I do know that we can cling to the cross to get us through this tough time. When I was in Cambodia, we taught the kids about Joseph. We taught them about how no matter where Joseph was, he trusted God. So I guess I need to learn from my own lesson and trust the Lord in this valley. In this difficult time, I want to be a light to Ashly and Denny. I don't have any words to say but I can just stand beside them. I was looking around at some words for comfort and I found some amazing verses. I thought I might share them with you...

Psalm 34:18
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit

Psalm 37:39
The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; he is their stronghold in time of trouble

Psalm 46:1-2
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.

Isaiah 40:18-31
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

What verses do you cling to during a difficult season?

Never let go because rescue is coming...

But where is it? That's my question today! My heart is literally broken. I just feel as if I'm in a bad dream. I want to wake up, I want everything to be different. But it's not! I know we are supposed to consider it pure joy when we endure trials and tribulations because that develops perseverance and character. Seriously, I don't know if we can take much more. I have listened to these two David Crowder songs over and over this evening and I want to know when is the rescue coming? I do trust in the Lord and my trust is the Lord. But I just hurt so much for the Tucker family. I just saw and felt Brooks moving in Ashly's womb. I know God will never let go, we just have to stand firm.

I guess I should start over and tell those of you who don't know whats happened. My friend Ashly (from work) was a week out from her due date. She went for her checkup yesterday and the doctors couldn't find a heartbeat. It was determined that he had gone to be with the Lord. So starting at 8pm last night she was induced into labor and at 8am this morning the shell of Brooks arrived. It was a very hard day at the hospital. Lots of tears shed, lots of love surrounding, and lots of people their to support them.

Well, the day is over. I'm home now-left with this feeling of sadness. I want to do so much for them but I know they must be alone right now. Please lift them to the Lord. This is such a hard time. With God, we will get through it, I don't know what people do without Jesus.

Here is a video that has been encouraging to me tonight... (below it, I have the words to the "Rescue is Coming" song I referenced)

Rescue is Coming
David Crowder

There’s a darkness in my skin
My cover’s wearing thin, I believe
I’d love to start again, go back to innocent
And never leave

Don’t give up now
A break in the clouds
We could be found
There’s nothing wrong with me
It’s just that I believe things could get better
And there’s nothing wrong with love
I think it’s just enough to believe

Rescue is coming
Rescue is coming
Rescue is coming
Rescue is coming

And there’s nothing wrong with you
And nothing left to do
But believe something bigger
And there’s nothing wrong with love
I know it’s just enough to believe

Don’t give up now
A break in the clouds
We will be found
Rescue is coming now

I've been thinking...

I had a breakthrough today. After coming back from Cambodia, I took a good hard look at my life. I realized a lot of things that I wanted to change. The things I wanted to change was stuff with work, home, and me. When I came home I had a new vision...I wanted everything to be different! A month after the trip and I was depressed. I wasn't sure what the problem was until today. I'm in this discipleship group and the leader has become quite the mentor to me. I met her for lunch today and was telling her all the stuff on my mind. And she in one sentence summed it all up for me! "Rachael, who's life are you investing in?". After I thought about it, I realized i'm not :( Starting today I will pray about starting a discipleship group of my own. I can't decide if I should just lead a group of ladies or college students or early 20's. All I do know is I do want to lead. And I have learned so much over the last 9 months that I need to pour that into other woman's lives. We will see what God reveals. And if you read this and say to yourself that you would be interested-let me know! God speaks to us in three ways...through His word, circumstances, and/or other people. I'm excited to see what He tells me to do.

Love-
Rachael

Another awesome devotional...

Helping Each Other Through Change
by Rick Warren


“I hope you will be patient with me ….” (2 Corinthians 11:1a, NLT)

In order to manage change, you must remember four things –

Love each other

The first mistake most people make during change is to focus on what they’ve lost, instead of what has been gained – and that creates fear. The antidote to fear is love: “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear ….” (1 John 4:18 NKJ)

It’s impossible for love and fear to exist in the same environment – If we’ll focus on loving each other, then we’ll break out of the self-centeredness that often emerges during change. The love that conquers fear involves thinking about others instead of focusing on your own needs – and the more you love, the less you fear.

Listen to each other

During transition, we must be “quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry ….” (James 1:19 NIV) If we get the first two right (quick listening, slow speaking), then the third (slow anger) will become automatic. It reflects the concept of “seeking to understand” before trying “to be understood.”

“Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear.” (James 1:19 MSG)

Level with each other

We must speak the truth in love to each other if we’re going to walk together through change. It is human nature to avoid confronting someone directly, but then we fall into problems – even gossip – by talking to other people about the person we need to confront.

We can’t get close to each other until we deal honestly with our fundamental differences. “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” (Ephesians 4:15 NIV)

Liberate each other

Finally, we need to show each other grace – “cut each other some slack” – during transition. Liberating each other means letting go and treating someone else the same way Jesus treats you.

In other words, we shouldn’t lean into legalism or lording mistakes over others. People will make mistakes, and our response should be to recognize that these things will happen. The goal is not to make those who make mistakes feel bad, but rather to let them get over it and move on.

God's love

This was in my devotional this morning and it was just so good-so I had to share. Also, this week I am focusing on the material things that I have and praising God for them. I started making a list today and WOW, I am overwhelmed with gratitude. I have my list at the bottom of this post.

Also-I want you all to know, I really appreciate all your comments lately. They have been so encouraging to me! I love you all dearly :)

In faith, I know these things to be true:

• God is full of love and grace, and he fills me with his love and grace.
• God’s work within me is to clear a channel for his love and grace to flow through me into the lives of anyone and everyone I meet.
• I may not be there yet, but I am “confident of this, that he who began a good work in [me] will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6 NIV).
• And I know “God is able to make all grace abound [in me], so that in all things at all times, having all that [I] need, [I] will abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8 NIV).
• He will make my joy complete because I no longer live in darkness, but I now live in the truth and have fellowship with God (1 John 1:4; 1 John 1:6).
• Through the “Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,” I am, at all times, filled with grace, mercy, and peace (2 Corinthians 13:14 NIV).
• This is what I believe to be true and I will walk accordingly, allowing God to do his work in me from the inside out. Father, make it so. I believe; help my unbelief.

Praise God for the materials he has provided for me:

1. a house
2. air conditioning/heat
3. a car
4. a job
5. money in the bank
6. 2 computers in our home
7. furniture that matches in our bedroom
8. decorations on the walls in our house
9. a phone (cell and home)
10. clothes
    
11. food in the fridge
12. books to read and increase my knowledge
13. a wonderful church to go to
    
14. shoes (more than one pair)
15. running water in our home

And I could just keep on listing and listing....praise be to YOU God!


***One more thing to add, I finally finished my wedding scrapbook!!!! Yes I know 2 years and 4 months later, but hey better late than never :)****

Introducing David Michael!!!!

One of my very best friends, Karin, just had her first baby yesterday! Today I went to the hospital with Denny and Ashly Tucker to visit Jake, Karin, and new baby David! This first time mommy is doing wonderful, she is truly an inspiration to me. CONGRATULATIONS to the Coibion family :) Below are some pictures from the visit.
Love you-Aunt Rachael

The happy family!

Karin with her sister and baby David

I'm loving on David, I definitely want one of these sweet angels :)

Ashly is practicing for what she will have in 3 weeks!

Me, Karin, and David

Doesn't he look just like Jake?

He is fearfully and wonderfully made

Jake and Karin are so blessed from above!

Complete the sentence...

Lets play a game...

Just complete the following sentence by commenting

God is teaching me _______.