My perspective...just a note.

It's after 12:00 am. and I am still here at my computer. People ask me why I am up so late so often. Well, Dave is still working on his sermon for the morning and I wait for him to finish. I have to admit, I can't always wait.. get too sleepy.

The life of a Pastor's Wife :o) .. I'm still getting used to it. At first I really fought it. I thought, I'm not good enough, outgoing enough, talented enough. I can't play piano and sing, You sometimes feel like you are under a microscope, and feel that you need to watch all you say and do. I realized that tonight when I was joking a bit, and it wasn't taken the way I intended. I just need to watch what I say.. Sometimes the old me creeps through a little bit. Or maybe I just needed a little more grace at that moment :o) ...

I'm not fighting it anymore. God has really put His Huge soft hands on my shoulders and has given me much comfort. In a time when anxiety should be expected, I am feeling good. I realized that I just can't stop conversing with Him. I need to talk to Him. The more that I do, the more I feel His presence in our lives. He is watching over our family.

He is also watching over so many people that have come to the effect. Whether they are there for a day, or they stay and become like family... We have been seeing beautiful transformations in people that warms our hearts and helps us to keep perspective of what we are doing and what we are involved it.

God truly makes plans for us. Sometimes we go unwittingly at first, but we find our place and He sends His comforter. He opens our eyes and hearts and minds to accept what we see and what we hear. His Grace has truly been the greatest thing we have witnessed since starting theeffect. He truly loves us all.

I have seen a transformation happening in our Pastor Dave over the years... a huge transformation. His life is devoted on teaching all about the Jesus he has learned about. The loving Father that never stops loving us. He preaches with a message of love, not fear. Because, God is love and casts out all fear. Instead of fear we have an immense awe of a creator that is beyond our comprehension...but we keep trying to comprehend. Dave studies continously. Prays continuously. We pray that he is a conduit of God's word to everyone he speaks to.

That's my little perspective for tonight. I'm getting a little sleepy. Can't hold out much longer. Guess I'll be going to bed with a book for a bit :o) ..
Good night all! Hope to see you in the morning!! Donuts are waiting! Lots of coffee for me!

'To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.'
When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you,
but merely opening your hands to receive something better.
Concentrate on this sentence...
'The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.'

Something good is always near...

Information for Women of Faith Event

From: Women of Faith
Date: 8/20/2009 3:09:21 AM
To: mbrisbin@cox.net
Subject: Before You Go...Information About A Grand New Day


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Anaheim, CA
September 11 - 12, 2009 - Honda Center

5. IT’S NOT TOO LATE!
We still have seats available for your friends and family. Send them to womenoffaith.com or have them call 888-49-FAITH to register.

4. WHERE AND HOW MUCH?
Click here for a map, directions, parking prices, special needs, and more.

3. HUNGRY?
We’ll break for lunch at approximately:
Friday: 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Saturday: 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
Concessions will be open both days
Arenas generally do NOT allow any outside food or beverages. Some exceptions may be made for medical reasons. Check with the arena for details.


2. GET YOUR ZZZZZ’S
View a list of discounted hotels. You may not sleep much, but you’ll need a place to hang out with your friends

1. PLAN AHEAD
Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. (You’ll probably climb stairs at some point.) Layers are always a good choice.
Say ‘No’ to bulky accessories. Security will search them and there’s no place to stash them anyway.
Pick a place (in advance!) to meet in case you get separated from your group.
Although outside beverages are prohibited, you can usually bring an empty water bottle and fill it at a water fountain inside.
Come expecting to have a grand time!


Women of Faith | 820 W. Spring Creek Pkwy. Suite 400 | Plano, TX 75023



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"In solitude we can listen to the voice of him who spoke to us before we could speak a word, who healed us before we could make any gesture to help, who set us free long before we could free others, and who loved us long before we could give love to anyone."

Henri Nouwen

You will never have a beauty secret with more visible results than the study of God's Word.
Let His Word evoke your beauty daily.
~ Beth Moore, Author

Does Your Faith Make You Feel Like This?

God wishes joy for our lives. If you are not experiencing joy, please seek God, please speak to a pastor. Our lives are meant to be lived fully. I pray that your hearts are filled with fullness of Spirit and an abundance of joy!
God Bless You!

God esteems the worship of no one more than that of a devoted servant.

Women's Bible Study, Starting Friday, August 7th.

The Women's Bible Study will be starting up again on Friday, August 7th at 9:30 am.
There is child care available.

We are studying The Patriarchs, by Beth Moore. Believe me, if you have not joined us yet, it is ok... you can hop in any time with this study. It is so relevant for our lives today, and it might be just what God has been putting on your heart.

My prayer for our Women's Ministrie's is that we grow strong and bond tighter. That our meetings will always be a safe place for study, prayer and sharing. Would you like a safe place with women... a place to get away from the practical needs of your day and tend to your spiritual needs. We are not good for our family or friends unless we are healthy and whole. Are you needing spiritual healing? Please join us!

Let us praise Him,
By keeping His Word on our hearts,
Singing and Dancing and Praising Him,
Listening to His voice,
And By always loving each other!

Bless You!

PLEASE PRAY UNCEASINGLY

Please keep our church in your prayers continually.

• Prayers:


• That the Lord will bless us with His felt presence every day of every week, at every service and function in our church. That His Spirit would flow and be a part of our lives in a radically healing way.
  
• That the Lord will continue to bless those that come to theeffect, and that the church will have a ripple effect in our lives, in our families, friends and community. (Our nation, Our world!)


• That the Lord will bless us with the resources to keep theeffect community, and recovery ministry strong, and our doors "always" open.


• That the Lord will continue to heal those that come to our church.


• That all families will not know the word "dysfunctional" and will be whole and healthy.
  
• That marriages would become stronger.


• That friendships would abound.
  
• That we would truly become a "community" of believers.
  
• That our women would become like family to each other and be there for each other in times of need.
  
• That our men would become like family to each other and be there for each other in times of need.
  
• That leaders would be raised in our church.


• That those who see needs in our church would respond to them. If the Lord puts it on our hearts to respond.
  
• Pray for "His Will" to be done in our lives.. That our will be His will.
  This will bring a wholeness to all of us that He wants for us so desperately!

If you have prayer requests, please email them to me so that I can share them. If you would like them to be anonymous, just let me know. (marian@theeffect.org)

Please know that God is listening. He knows our hearts and minds. He is ever constant and ever present. If we don't feel Him, it is because we are holding Him at arms length. Some of us are hurt so badly, and don't trust that He will answer. It is that hurt that creates a strong wall that can not be penetrated without the healing of God's love. Ask for it, desire it, lean into Him even when you do not feel Him. He is there, and He is just waiting for you to come to him. Like a parent who longs to see a long lost child...He is waiting for you. He wants to you come and sit with Him.

A QUIET MOMENT TO MEDITATE ON THE LORD:

Imagine yourself sitting at a stream... a gentle stream...the time of day when shadows are crisp and vivid.

You are listening to the stream.

You are shaded by a large tree, and you lean against it to rest.

You dip your feet into the stream and feel the gentle warm current embrace your feet.

You feel at rest.

A man comes to sit by the stream.

You do not know Him, but it does not worry you.

He is praying.

You hear the gentle voice pray as you lean against the tree.

It is the Lord, and He is praying for you.

You realize this.

A complete peace comes over you.

A feeling of love that you have never felt before.

You rise slowly and you go to sit with Him. You know that you are welcome to. You just know.

He cups His hands gently on your face.

He looks so deeply into your eyes.

You have never felt such love upon you.

He takes your hands in His.

You do not speak. You can't.

There is no need for words.

You feel the Spirit of the Lord flow through your body with a warmth and embrace you have never felt before.

You feel so loved.

You feel so whole.

You feel a part of something so beautiful. Beyond words, beautiful.

You close your eyes and let this all seep into your soul,
your whole being.

You rest in this perfect moment for what seems like forever.

You want it to last forever.

You do not want to leave this moment.

You slowly, very slowly, open your eyes.

You are leaning against the tree again. Your surroundings so crisp and vivid.

Your feet are in the gentle current of the stream.

It's as if you never left this spot, by the tree, by the gentle stream.

You still feel he warmth of God with you.

You rest in this.

When you are ready to leave this stream, you know you will take this warmth with you.

When you life gives you bleak moments, you know you can come back to this moment and know, just know, that you are not alone in this universe.

God is with you. You know this now, there is no doubt... You feel this now.. You embrace this now.

Take this with you today... know you are loved wholly, fully, in a way you could never have imagined.

You don't have to wait for heaven to feel this perfect love.

He wants this for you TODAY.

You are so very loved!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Remember also, that God puts people in our path. People you "should'" know. People you will learn from. There is a reason for every human connection that comes your way. Keep your eyes and hearts open to this. God uses each of us as His hands, His feet, His Heart, His eyes. He uses us to help each other. He may call out to you to help someone. He may call out to someone to help you. Keep your hearts open to this. We are "all" recovering from something. We all need the touch of our our Lord. All of us.

We are not inanimate objects. We are spiritual beings that have been blessed with a soul and have been blessed by our Lord Jesus Christ in all that He has done for us. We are truly, truly children of God.

Do not let the enemy take this away from you. Do not listen to evil! Listen with your heart for the Lord.. He is always speaking to you.. Let His voice be the loudest one. Let His voice be the one that drowns out the needless ones! It will be like a gentle wind, but it will penetrate more deeply than the busyness and loudness of everything else that comes your way.

May God bless your life abundantly... in Love and Spirit and continuous healing.

WORK AT HOME JOBS!

I read this today.. and got some really good ideas :o) .. I've tried selling jewelry, Avon, you name it, but here in this attached article are some very viable work at home options. So many of us moms want to stay home and work, but it just seems out of our hands!

I thought some of you might be interested.

WORK AT HOME

Michael Medved (author, speaker) also speaks highly of www.Incomeathome.com

FOR THOSE OF YOU NOT ON A DIET :O)

MINIATURE FRENCH BREAKFAST PUFFS

1/3 c Soft shortening/butter mix
1/2 c Sugar
1/4 ts Nutmeg
1 Egg1/2 c Milk
1 1/2 c Sifted flour
1/3 c Butter, melted
1 1/2 ts Baking powder
1/2 c Sugar
1/2 ts Salt
1 t Cinnamon

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease bottoms of 48 smallmuffin cups. Mix shortening, 1/2 c sugar, and eggthoroughly. Sift together flour, baking powder, saltand nutmeg. Stir flour mixture and milk alternatelyinto sugar/shortening mixture. Fill greased muffincups 2/3 full. Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown.Dip immediately in melted butter, then in mixture ofcinnamon/sugar. Serve hot.

Makes 3-1/2 to 4 dozen.

From Luci Swindoll

July 22, 2009

I just got home from church. My brother, Chuck (whom I call “Babe”) has started a new series on 2 Timothy. Today was focused on the first seven verses of chapter one. It was an outstanding sermon.

How many times have I heard Babe preach? Dozens. Hundreds. Dare I say thousands? I’ve lost count. The church where he ministers–Stonebriar Community, in Frisco, Texas–is maybe three miles from my house, if that...and I came home last night, immediately after the Women of Faith Cleveland event in order to hear him today. Just ask me if it’s worth it. Oh my goodness–there’s nobody like him in the world and every time I have the opportunity to hear him speak, I’m THERE...even if it means taking The Red Eye, or getting up at the crack of dawn to beat the crowd.

As I sat in the service this morning, my mind floated back to when we were kids, tossing a football in the backyard of our little Swindoll home in Houston. Then I thought about all the fishing trips we’ve been on as a family. I remembered Babe’s graduation from high school when he received honors in academia, drama and music. There was a mental picture of his wedding 55 years ago when I was one of the soloists. I recalled his graduation with honors from Dallas Seminary; even his becoming President of DTS some years later. I have the forty-seven letters he wrote me during his time in the Marine Corps and especially when he was stationed on the island of Okinawa, back in the ‘50s. In my library are copies of all the books he’s written, inscribed to me...and in recent months, piles of sermon notes from various messages he’s preached that I’ve shared with friends. And this doesn’t even begin to touch the emails where he’s answered questions I’ve had or given counsel I’ve requested. He’s a fabulous brother and a joy to my life in a thousand ways.

But, here’s my favorite of life’s sweetest joys–when I moved back to Texas five years ago from having lived thirty years in Southern California, I did so to be closer to the Women of Faith office and more centrally accessible to an airport for our weekend trips. And what did the Lord do in the meantime? He moved Babe and Cynthia down the street from me, about six blocks away. And why did God do that? Because

“He’s famous for great and unexpected acts; there’s no end to His surprises” (Job 5:8). I didn’t know that was going to happen when I moved to Frisco. And now, there they are...just down the road. In a matter of months, Babe will be 75 and I’ll be 77. All of a sudden we’ve been given these final years together and I couldn’t be happier. We’re closer than we’ve ever been... in every way. It’s a gift of God’s grace!

Don't miss out on God's surprises. Pay attention to the little things God does...especially those for which you’ve never asked. Then thank Him and tell somebody what He’s done. Remember–He’s famous for those gracious acts.

Much love,