Entitlement at Christmas... YUK! Guest Blogger: Alison

My favorite thing about Christmas is the spirit of giving that is in
the air. People's generosity never ceases to amaze me every year, and
especially this year when I know most people have a tighter budget
than usual yet they still donate their time and money to those less
fortunate. It truly is a beautiful thing.

I love to help people in need, so I'm a sucker for pretty much every
charity fundraiser that a coworker or friend asks me to donate to.
Giving is so much more rewarding than receiving, and nothing makes me
happier than to see the look of gratitude on someone's face when
you're able to help them out in their time of need.

My least favorite thing about Christmas is when those less fortunate
EXPECT to be taken care of. It's definitely a struggle for me because
I really want to help everyone, and I can clearly see that this person
could use some help. But when someone approaches me asking when I'm
going to get around to helping them, I start to resent being
generous. Yes, this person might be in a tough situation, but their
expectation of receiving a generous donation is not right.

This event reminded me of the passage in Daniel where Nebuchadnezzar
was going to throw three men into a blazing furnace for refusing to
worship his gods.

Daniel 3:17-18
"If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able
to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But
even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not
serve your gods."

God is capable of rescuing us from any tough situation we are in, but
He doesn't have to and we shouldn't expect Him to. When we start
having expectations of what we think we deserve and what God should be
providing for us, it's like we are undermining God's work. God is a
generous father and He wants to give us everything our hearts desire.
But the moment we start expecting his generosity is the moment He
turns his back to our plight.

God, I am so thankful for all of the blessings you have provided to
me. There are times when I feel like I'm not being recognized for my
achievements, that I'm not getting what I deserve, and I thank you for
helping me discern when my expectations of you begin to undermine your
plan for me.

Super Purple G Christmas Party!

Last night was a blast at the Super Purple/Silver G Christmas party!

Some memories:
"Aidy Brady could fit in that bag"
Paul's secret stash
"Up to no good!"
CHICKEN, chicken and more chicken
June's meatballs in the green container!
Purse snatching!
That chili cheese dip~ yummmm
another double decker cookie cake
Willie (willfully) choosing the painting
Baby swapping
Falling snowflakes (and not in a good way...)
The ghetto yellow Christmas tree
Phil's valiant attempt to confiscate the purse... (it almost worked...)
Michael Bolton... again
The Cheese plate


More pix to come.
Post your favorite party moment by leaving a comment...

This season's fruit: GENTLENESS, Guest Blogger: SUPERPURPLE Tracey

1 Cor. 13:4 "Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand it's own way. Love is not irritable, and keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance."

This verse is a good mirror of whether we are living our lives according to the spirit of God. If God is love then shouldn't we try to be just like our Father? Last week my mom and I had a disagreement about something that has been going on a very long time. I was frustrated to say the least because to me it was common sense that the results she was getting out of her life were based on decisions she was making. AGAIN, I stress this has been going on a long time and in my frustration I told her the truth. At the end of the conversation she hung up on me. To me, she proved my point and I said to God "I didn't do anything wrong! I didn't say the wrong thing! She is the one with the issues and she will have to call me and apologize for hanging up on me!"

But I had "arguments" in my head about the situation ? Whenever there is an argument in your head you can bet that something is not right. We can either become proud and not face it or we can look in the mirror of this verse and see what went wrong.

I decided to look in the mirror and this is what God said. " Although what you said bore truth it was not done in love because you were not gentle with your words and this nullified everything you said". I knew right then and there that I needed to repent by humbling myself and apologizing. I called my mom last night and told her I was sorry for not being gentle with her and everything was restored. Think about this every time you make a decision. Am I doing this for my own personal gain because I am demanding my own way? If you find that you have been then rectify it and only then will you see God's hand restore it and you.

Question of the week: Dec.8 Guest Blogger: Superpurple girl TRACEY

Isaiah 55:6 "Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. Let the people turn from their wicked deeds. Let them be banished

from their minds the very thought of doing wrong! Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.''

Has the Lord left you? Has he gone away somewhere? NO, of course not! He is near and has not left you. So why do we not call on His name to help us in our time of need?

I know in the past it had been difficult for me to see God as my Father. My "vision" of a father had not been restored and I made God to be something He wasn't which was distant, cold, and uncaring. But is this the truth? NO. I would respond to God out my own "truth" rather than what God said about himself and would suffer because of my own foolishness. The TRUTH is that He says we should "seek Him" and "call on Him" and that He will have "MERCY".

It IS possible to have the very thought of "doing wrong" banished from your mind. Why? Because God WANTS to help and he WANTS to pardon you. How awesome is that?!!

The suffering of the world is that they feel as though they do not have forgiveness for their sins. They may not recognize it but we were created to live in righteousness, and when they don't, they feel the effects of that....unforgiveness. But we are not like them. We have been introduced to the ONE who will take our sins when we ask and who will pardon us in an instant.

Ask yourself today: What has taken God's place in your life? You may not know how to answer this. A way to find the answer to this question is with another...
"What is it that I seek out first, in my life"? What is it that I hunger for? We are all seeking something, hungering for more of something...
Is it fame, money, to be loved, approval....?

If you will truly answer this in your heart then you can repent and start running after the things of God WITH INTENT. Hungering for God. Seeking God. You can take the passion and turn it towards God. Run to the cross while there is time and He WILL have abundant mercy!

Beware of Persimone: (no, not a root vegetable that grows from the ground): GUEST BLOGGER: Allison

Haggai 1:9-11
"You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?" declares the LORD Almighty. "Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house. Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the oil and whatever the ground produces, on men and cattle, and on the labor of your hands."


Freedom’s teaching last night about the different spirits of Mammon
(money) really struck a chord with me, especially the spirit of
stinginess (parsimony). I’d never considered myself to be stingy, but I am extremely sentimental about pretty much everything. Combine that with the phase I went through in my early to mid twenties where I bought everything I wanted when I wanted it regardless of need (spirit of greed), and you will find that I have a LOT of stuff. And most of the stuff I now own I rarely or never use or even look at!

I started my purging a couple months ago because I wanted to get more
organized. When you have too much stuff that you rarely or never use
and you really don't need, you kind of get lost in the clutter. For
example, I have a huge walk-in closet and it is completely packed with
clothes. If it weren't for needing clean underwear, I would probably
only do laundry once every two months. Sounds like a good thing
having so many clothes, right? Wrong. It takes me longer to get
ready in the morning because I can't decide what to wear; I have too
many choices.

God revealed to me last night the underlying reason why I need to “clean house.” Yes, being more organized will be a side effect of
ridding myself of the excess. But the real reason he is telling me to
purge so many of my possessions is to flush out the spirit of
stinginess that has lived in me for so long. God wants me to have abundance, but abundance does not mean having more possessions than I need. He is teaching me how to trust him, that he will provide for my
needs as they arise. I don’t need hang on to clothes that don’t fit
just in case one day they do fit again. He is also teaching me that
none of my material possessions have any real value in his kingdom.
There may come a day when God’s abundance for me means nicer, newer,
more material things, but I first need to become a better owner of the
things he has granted me custody of now.
Wow! I have definitely been humbled.

A window into the heart of God: Guest Blogger: Superpurple Girl Katie

" . . . And if this had been too little, I would have given you even more." 2 Samuel 12:8-9

This is God speaking to David after he committed adultery with
Bathsheba. What I see in this is that God was so sad that David had
gone after her, a woman he wasn't to be with, when God loved him so dearly and had already given him so much.
I love seeing God's loving and generous heart for his servants in this word.
It helps me see too how God must feel when we are dissatisfied with what he's given us, or when we chase after idols.

Stop Tryin' and Start Dyin'- GUEST BLOGGER: JEN

Hebrews 12:2
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

God spoke to me this morning telling me to die, and I questioned it.
Hey wouldn't you, if God spoke very clearly to you telling you to die?
I have been very frustrated with everything lately and the enemy found
a way to get in: I have been trying to get things done with my own strength and not letting God do his work.

So what God spoke to me this
morning was "Stop trying and Start Dying (to yourself)"
Ah, thank you for confirming you're not telling me I'm going to die God!

Sunday I was
convicted, I realized after church I really
wasn't being thankful for some things in my life. So, I started doing it.
Girls guess what?
I have started to change and now everything is changing around me!
(When I change, everything changes)
PRAISE GOD!!!
My son Isaac has done a 180!!!!! I started again praying for my
finances (which I stopped doing, and boy was that a mistake!),
and was able to book some work last night!!!
I just have to remember God is my provider and I need to put all my faith into him and not let it go.

I will continue to die to myself today, and let God work in me like he
has been trying to!!

Holy Spirit Boot Camp: Guest Blogger: Stephanie

Good Morning Ladies!! What a Beautiful chilly day it is!!!

Hebrews 12:7-11
As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never
disciplined by its father? If God doesn't discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn't we submit even more to the discipline of the
Father of our spirits, and live forever? For our earthly fathers
disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God's discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it's painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

For the past 6 months God has been doing a Mighty work in me.
Building character and changing my heart. Ripping out all the ugly and
replacing it with beauty and joy. I can honestly say that I thought
God was never going to change the ugly crippled ungrateful person I
was. But the passage up above is exactly what I had to go through
FIRST!! I had to SUBMIT myself to the King Lord Jesus.
And only then could He make me into the person He designed me to be.
Was it painful..Heck YES....did it suck at times...YEP...and No it wasn't
enjoyable to have to die to certain things that have been birthed in
my heart for 23 years!!
But I made a choice. My choice was to fully give my life to God. I didn't care what I had to do. I didn't care what it meant for me and my life. I would give up EVERYTHING in my life just to have Jesus in my life, because without Him my life is NOTHING.
I want to encourage any of you ladies that might be going through a
rough patch in life or might be giving up something in order to live
in complete FREEDOM in the Kingdom. DON"T GIVE UP!!!!! Please don't!!
The freedom in my heart and the joy of Christ in me is overwhelming!
It was worth every tear and prayer. Who doesn't want a peaceful
harvest??? It wont just be handed to you. You have to work for it!!! A sacrifice.
But sooooooo worth it ladies! I hope this gives Hope to
someone!!!

Love you all very much!!!

A daughter of the Most High

Question of the week: Dec. 1

This morning, as I write out a record 10 checks to pay for my baby boy's medical bills totaling well over $3000.00, I am receiving invitations from the enemy to become fearful. Or to doubt. And to wonder whether or not we can afford to give Christmas presents this year, and to doubt words of promise God has given me specifically. My old hoarding, poverty, stockpile mentality tries to take over when I don't take those "thoughts" or "invites" captive.

To quote Joyce Meyers, "Fear is simply believing what the devil says."

So, my choice in this time is this: To believe God, or to believe the devil.

I choose God.
Here's what he says:

Give freely and spontaneously. Don't have a stingy heart. The way you handle matters like this triggers God, your God's, blessing in everything you do, all your work and ventures. - De 15:10 -

and this:

Has anything in your fields - vine, fig tree, pomegranate, olive tree - failed to flourish? From now on you can count on a blessing.'" - Haggai 2:19 - the message bible.

So here's the QUESTION of the week:
In what areas of your life are you believing the devil?
(meaning, in what areas of your life do you still have fear?)
The only fear we are to have, is the fear of God.
I challenge you to ask yourself this question and to face the fact that what this really means is you are choosing to believe the devil instead of believing God's truth.

Do you realize this is why Jesus came and died on the cross? It says in John 18:37b "You say that I am a king, and you are right." Jesus said. "I was born for that purpose. And I came to bring truth to the world. All who love the truth recognize what I say is true."

Do you love truth? Or do you love the devil's lies? Which do you believe?

Passing Tests: Guest Blogger: Sarah

Dave and I are having a few issues with our finances, and we
had to have the brakes replaced on our car (that's not something you
can just ignore!). So he took the van to the shop ,and it was very
expensive. I was thinking, How are we going to afford this?

Then, I was going to take a shower, and I couldn't turn off the cold water.
The handle broke and wouldn't turn off at all!! The drain was clogging
and filling up! I freaked and called Dave. He told me to turn off the
water from outside, but I couldn't see the handle, so he told me to
dig for it. I think "dig, you use a shovel," right?! Wrong! I hit the
handle and it cracked. When Dave got home, he tried to shut off the
water from the meter, but it was too stuck. Reluctantly he called a
plumber, who charged $110 to turn it off! I was thinking, "Great, more
money issues!" Thankfully Dave was able to replace the pvc piping that
night.
I finally got to a place where I could ask God what He wanted
to tell me in this situation. He told me to go to Isaiah. I read
chapter 60 verse 1 in the Amplified. It said, "Arise( from your
depression and prostration in which CIRCUMSTANCES have kept you- rise
to a new life!), for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord
has risen upon you!" I was convicted right there! I was having a
moment of depression and negativity. I wasn't allowing God to really
speak to me I should have, but I didn't. All I could see was what was
in front of my face. It wasn't until I asked Him to show me what He
saw til I "woke" up.
When Pastor Mark spoke I had a lightbulb moment! I have been
asking God for a while what His will is for my life. When he read
1Thes. 5:16-18 I was so excited! That's it, that's what His will is!!
For me to have a thankful attitude in every CIRCUMSTANCE, be JOYFUL
ALWAYS and pray continually! This is so simple, yet so profound for
me. This is what His perfect will is. If I can and will do this,
actually take this into practice; everything else, all the blessings
and abundant life He has for me, WILL COME TO PASS!!! I will never
have to worry about anything, think negatively, or have jealous
feelings towards anyone! All those former thoughts are in the past and
that's where they will stay. I want to grow and do His will.
Also, after church Dave's parent's bought us lunch. After I
thanked God for my parent's, my dad called and wanted to give me money
from our trip to Illinois. That was a huge blessing. It really works
to be thankful for everyone and everything.