Fall M&M - Arise For He Is Risen!

Hello M&Mers!  I have missed you!  As you know, Dave and I have experienced a big change in plans - our staying in America and not returning to Japan. I’m teaching part time at a small Christian school nearby. We’re still waiting for our earthly possessions to come from Japan.  Should be any day now.  For now, it’s a waiting time when we don’t know what’s ahead.  We’re glad that God does.  Hope He let us in on His plans soon!   It hasn’t been a pleasant time by any means, but as you well know, God is using these times and trials for our good.  Please pray that we’ll be able to receive all He has for us in this!

I do hope you will M&M with me again now that we’re starting back up: 

IF YOU LIVE IN THE LEXINGTON AREA:

This coming week we begin a new study called “Arise - For He Is Risen!”.  Our verses this time will be in 3 color-coded sections: What God promised and Christ accomplished; The inheritance that is ours, and How we live out of that inheritance. The one-hour class will be offered two times a week, Tuesdays at noon and Wednesday evenings at 6:30, at Lexington Presbyterian Church, Room 202.  We will video the class and will put it online at a later date.

FOR ONLINER M&Mers:

In just a couple weeks we will be putting up the 4-part mini M&M study called “Bless the Lord”.  It’s all about using the verses to worship, praise, adore, thank, - in short, BLESS our Lord.  It’s almost ready to go online.  You’ll receive an email when it’s up and ready.  Please invite your friends to M&M with you.  

For the first time we will be recording the live class (mentioned above), so I would really appreciate your prayers for that new endeavor!  I hope it will be much better than when I’m alone in a room M&Ming!  We will let you know via email and Facebook and the website when that one will be available.

THANK YOU for being my M&M partner.  After these last months I can say more wholeheartedly than ever before, “I’M SO GRATEFUL FOR M&M”.  I’ve reached for my verse cards or they have come to mind countless times.  Thank You, Lord, for Your powerful and living Word.  Like our life verse says, they truly have become "a joy and the delight of my heart” (Jeremiah 15:16).

Till we chew together again,

Barb

Fight for Joy - Week 11 - He is Able to Present You

Good evening ladies!

Wow, can you believe it... this is our last M&M.  I'm joyful for what we have learned together and the verses that have become part of us, but I'm sad to see it come to an end.  Like Barb says, now is the "fun" part for us to continue to meditate on all these verses for the weeks, months, and years to come.
This week we reflect on our passage from Jude 24, 25.  Read this quote from Paul Miller:

A Praying Life 

If God is sovereign, then He is in control of all the details of my life. If He is loving, He is going to be shaping the details of my life for my good. If He’s all-wise, He’s not going to do everything I want because I don’t know what I need. If He is patient, He is going to take His time to do all this. When we put all these things together – God’s sovereignty, His love, His wisdom, His patience – we have a Divine Story.

Isn't that beautiful?  Please watch/listen as Barb illuminates this lesson for us in our final "episode" of M&M.  Thank you, Barb, Lisa, Francis-fam for all you have done to give us a wonderful M&M semester!  Thank you M&Mers for being our "family" and going through this fight for joy with us.  Don't be strangers, stay in touch, and keep meditating on our verses!

Love,

Leslie

* YouTube Video - Week 11 - He is Able to Present You
* Mp3 Audio File - Week 11 - He is Able to Present You
* Paul Miller Quote
* Ann Voscamp Quote

Our verse to chew on this week:

JUDE 24,25 

To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. 

Website:  http://shutthedoor.org
Our Facebook Page:  "M&M Ladies" (request access)
Our Podcast Link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/m-m-ladies/id494181705

Our Blog:  http://lpcmandm.blogspot.com

Fight for Joy - Week 10 - Yet I Will Rejoice

Good evening ladies!

Did you have a good week focusing on thankfulness to the Lord?  Let us know!  This week Barb has us chew on a verse from Habakkuk.  In this passage, we focus on REJOICING in the Lord.  Barb shares with us that sometimes we may be going through a rough patch and can't see with our eyes the reason to rejoice, and in those seasons it may be hard to figure out what to rejoice in.

She reminds us that in those dark times were are to take joy in the God of our salvation. We can rejoice because God has chosen us to be his people.  We can rejoice in God's perfect promise to work all things for the good of those who love Him.  We can rejoice because regardless of what happens and how we feel on this side of heaven, we are guaranteed a perfect eternity with Christ.  We can rejoice because the Lord we serve isn't even TIRED!  (which is hard for me to even imagine these days!)  We can rejoice because regardless of what is pressing down on us from all sides, we will not break.  We can rejoice because NOTHING can separate us from the love of Christ!  The list goes on and on...Please watch/listen as Barb illuminates this truth.

Come M&M with us, and REJOICE!

Love,

Leslie

* YouTube Video - Week 10 - Yet I Will Rejoice
* Mp3 Audio File - Week 10 - Yet I Will Rejoice

Our verse to chew on this week:

HABAKKUK 3:18,19 

(Though)...YET I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places. 

Website:  http://shutthedoor.org
Our Facebook Page:  "M&M Ladies" (request access)
Our Podcast Link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/m-m-ladies/id494181705

Our Blog:  http://lpcmandm.blogspot.com

Fight for Joy - Week 9 - Enter with Singing and Thanksgiving

Good evening ladies!

As we prepare our hearts for the Thanksgiving holidays that are right around the corner, and ultimately the advent season, this is a wonderful time to reflect on Psalm 100 which focuses on the importance of giving thanks.  Barb gives us lots of wonderful quotes to chew on in this lesson.  One of my favorites in this set is by Ann Voscamp (as are most of them :) ):

“How my eyes see, perspective, is my key to enter into His gates. I can only do so with thanksgiving. If my inner eye has God seeping up through all things, then can't I give thanks for anything? And if I can give thanks for the good things, the hard things, the absolute everything, I can enter the gates to glory. Living in His presence is fullness of joy- and seeing shows the way in.” Ann Voskamp

Isn't that beautiful?  This week Barb also presents us with an assignment.  This week we are to meditate and memorize Psalm 100, but also make a conscious effort to PRAISE and THANK our Lord more frequently than we normally do.  Let's worship and give thanksgiving purposefully, intentionally, and praise him and thank him.  Barb reminds us that this may not necessarily be an easy task, but to make a conscious effort to do so.  Can you join us in this challenge?  What a wonderful exercise in joy.  Let us know how it goes!

Here are your links!  Because there were so many quotes I combined them into a single Word document so you can print a "stack" of cards, but I also made a zip file with the separate word documents if that works better for you.

Love,

Leslie

* YouTube Video - Week 9 - Enter with Singing and Thanksgiving
* Mp3 Audio File - Week 9 - Enter with Singing and Thanksgiving
* Fight for Joy - Week 9 Quotes - Zip File
* Fight for Joy - Week 9 Quotes - One Document

Due to technical difficulties I didn't get to distribute the quote card from week 8.  Here it is!
*Fight for Joy - Week 8 Quote - How do I see

Our verse to chew on this week:

PSALM 100

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all you lands! Serve the LORD with gladness; come before His presence with singing. Know that the LORD, He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.

Website:  http://shutthedoor.org
Our Facebook Page:  "M&M Ladies" (request access)
Our Podcast Link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/m-m-ladies/id494181705

Our Blog:  http://lpcmandm.blogspot.com

Fight for Joy - Week 8 - Enter Into the Seeing

Good evening ladies!

We're all the way to week 8!  How is everything going for you?  Barb welcomed my lil' M&Mer this week (Can't wait to show her the video when she wakes up, she'll feel so special and famous :))... Please feel free to share your own M&M videos or photos either by email or Facebook.  It's fun to see who you are, where you M&M, what helps you meditate on your verses, etc.  This week Barb talks to us about seeing and believing as we chew on our new verse,

1 Peter 1:8 - Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy...

Scripture clearly states that there are things visible and invisible, but we have such a magnificent God that enables us to believe in Him, love Him, and be profoundly impacted by Him even though he remains unseen by those who didn't walk the earth with our Lord Jesus.  Barb shares a beautiful TRUE story about someone who despaired greatly when he couldn't see what the Lord was doing, but the big picture is revealed in the end.  It's a great story! Watch/listen to hear more.

Here are your links to the video and audio.  I will update the blog and Facebook later with the additional quote card- having some technical issues with that tonight but I wanted to go ahead and get this email out to you!  Talk to us, we'd love to hear from you :)

Love,

Leslie

* YouTube Video - Week 8 - Enter Into the Seeing
* Mp3 Audio File - Week 8 - Enter Into the Seeing* Fight for Joy - Week 8 Quote - How do I see

Our verse to chew on this week:

1 PETER 1:8 
Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Website:  http://shutthedoor.org
Our Facebook Page:  "M&M Ladies" (request access)
Our Podcast Link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/m-m-ladies/id494181705

Our Blog:  http://lpcmandm.blogspot.com

Fight for Joy - Week 7 - Enter Into the Wonder

Good evening ladies!

I must say that this week's verse was very refreshing for me...my favorite so far.  The mental image of our Lord rejoicing over us with LOUD singing.  The idea of him quieting my heart with his love, hushing me in the night like a mother to her baby.... Wow.

This week Barb introduces our new verse, 1 Peter 2:9,10.  She shares an amazing and heartwarming story about the wonders of God's provision in big ways and small.  I don't want to give a "spoiler alert" for those who haven't heard Barb tell this testimony yet, but for those who listen in their cars and can't see the video I wanted to share this picture... It's just a screenshot so pardon the poor quality. :)  It will make sense after you see/listen.

Here are your links to the video, audio, and some references from Barb.  Talk to us and tell us how you're doing!  I can't resist sharing this video of Emily (my 2-almost-3 year old) helping reciting last week's verse (click here).  We prompt her for the first word of each phrase but she still does pretty well!  I need prompting too! haha.

Love,

Leslie

* YouTube Video - Week 7 - Enter Into the Wonder
* Mp3 Audio File - Week 7 - Enter Into the Wonder
* Bob Kauflin's Spontaneous Song
* Kristen Getty's "Don't Let Me Lose the Wonder"

Our verse to chew on this week:

1 PETER 2:9,10

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonder-full light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God. Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Website:  http://shutthedoor.org
Our Facebook Page:  "M&M Ladies" (request access)
Our Podcast Link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/m-m-ladies/id494181705

Our Blog:  http://lpcmandm.blogspot.com

Fight for Joy - Week 6 - Enter Into His Joy

Good evening ladies!

How is everything going for you?  Would love to hear from you!  I've had a great week with our verses and hope you have too.  Barb talks to us about entering into HIS joy this week.  Not just finding joy in Jesus, but actually seeing the joy OF Jesus- HIS own joy.  It is a really encouraging time as we stop to reflect on the smile of our Savior.  I love it when Barb asks whether we think about Jesus laughing (and crying and other real emotions).  When I stopped to think about it, I never really have a picture of Jesus "laughing" in my mind, but we know that he did and DOES.  He sings over us (LOUDLY!) and rejoices.  Such a beautiful thing.  Meditate on Christ's joy as we watch/listen to this week's lesson.

* YouTube Video - Week 6 - Enter Into His Joy
* Mp3 Audio File - Week 6 - Enter Into His Joy
* Quote:  We Are Not Permitted

Our verse to chew on this week:

ZEPHANIAH 3:17
The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with (loud) singing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Website:  http://shutthedoor.org
Our Facebook Page:  "M&M Ladies" (request access)
Our Podcast Link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/m-m-ladies/id494181705

Our Blog:  http://lpcmandm.blogspot.com