Purpose Beyond Pain

Life lessons from Little House on the Prairie....

This morning I caught an episode of Little House on the Prairie.  In this episode the railroad tycoons have come into Walnut Grove and claimed the townspeople's land.  As you can imagine, the town experiences a range of emotions as the moving day draws closer.

During what was to be the last sermon the townspeople would spend together, Reverend Alden is reminded of how God works through pain and confusion.  Trying to make sense of why God would allow his flock to be crushed by greedy men, he only found anger in preparing for his sermon.  He questioned God and wanted answers.  He then was reminded of how God works all things for good when Mary Ingall's asks to lead the morning prayer.

In earlier episodes, Mary lost her sight.  Charles her father, sought the comfort of Reverend Alden to help him through his anger at God and lack of understanding for his daughter's blindness.  Now several years later, God's purpose for Mary's life is revealed.  Mary's profession was teaching.    But God chose to take away one of the most important senses of being a teacher, her sight.  He needed her to be a teacher, but to blind children.  Who better to relate to them then someone who can identify with them.

Has it ever occurred to you that the pain and trails we experience in our life are the prelude to God's wonderful purpose for us?  Can you imagine in the midst of pain thanking God for using you for future good?  The next time you are questioning God why this is happening to me....maybe ask...God help me understand your purpose for good in this pain.  He will not ignore you so be ready to receive his answers.

Blessings to you!

You Have A Story!

The bible is filled with parables or stories.  Have you ever thought that the reason why Jesus used parables to explain his love and his truth is because people relate to stories?  These parables were powerful in changing lives in biblical times and they can be powerful today.

We all have a story to tell.  Some of our stories allow us to relive wonderful events in our lives.  Other stories remind us of painful times or times when we were not at our best.  These stories may inflict scars of rejection, present obstacles or unveil unexpected challenges.  But eventually, all of those allow us to inspire others if we choose to share our stories.

So, if God is doing work in your life...your story is worth telling.  It will give courage and hope to others.  Let God have his perfect work through your life.

Upcoming Events at Healing Broken Vessels

Tuesday July 12th 5pm
Terry Durham, Professor at Cumberland University-Introduction to Computers

Saturday July 16th 10am
Canning Classes at First Baptist Church Lebanon, TN

Monday July 18th through August 23rd 5pm
Basic Microsoft Office Courses (Word and Excel)

Saturday July 23rd 9am
4th Saturday Event
Speaker- TBA
Fellowship, prayer and healing of the mind body and spirit.

Lots to do at HBV!  Check us out!

Upcoming Events at HBV...

It's amazing how being ACTIVE can boost your mood!  I am a firm believer that activity breeds activity.  So if you are looking for an outlet to help you keep moving forward... COME SEE US at Healing Broken Vessels. 

 

Whether it's taking a computer class, stopping by for prayer, participating in center events, joining our 4th Saturday speaker events or reading our blog for encouragement, there's something for you at HBV! 

 

Tuesday June 14 at 5:00 PM - What Recruiters will not tell you - Danielle Underwood

 

Saturday June 18 at 7:00 AM - Yard Sale

 

Saturday June 25 at 9:00 AM - 4th Saturday Gretchen Jordan

 

Tuesday July 12 at 5:00 PM - Basic Computer classes

Setting Goals for Our Life

Psalm 32:8
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;  I will counsel you and watch over you.


What a great time of fellowship this morning at Healing Broken Vessels!  Diantha greeted everyone and one of our guests led us in the hymn "Because He Lives".  Priscilla read our scripture and  Danielle prayed for the time of fellowship and for our speaker.

Our speaker, Hiwanda Gaerte took us on an uncharted path to Idaho...yes...Idaho.  We did not have a map, nor could any of us think of anyone that had ever been to Idaho to help guide us.  We learned very quickly, that we needed a map and a guide to help us along the way.  We stared this journey to Idaho, but did not have a goal of how we were going to get there.

Hiwanda took this example and began to share of a time in her own life when the path she was on did not seem to be the right road.  She was introduced to a group of people who had a common goal of healing the mind, body and spirit...sound familiar?  She then decided she wanted to be a part of this group and it's teaching and therefore, set her goal for her future.

She shared with us how she set this goal and handed out 3x5 cards and a safety pin.  We wrote down our short term goal and she suggested we keep it with us at all times so that we have our goal in front of us.  The SMART acronym for goal setting was introduced:

Goals must be:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Timely

Consider the WHOLE you when setting goals:
Spiritual
Family
Social
Physical
Work

Embrace God's design for your life through goal setting and planning and watch amazing things happen in your life.  Because goals are the map that will guide you toward your God-given purpose, without setting them you will also wander in circles without getting where you need to go.
-Hiwanda Gaerte

After your goals have been set, can you honestly pray this prayer?
In agreement with Your Word that says You intend to give me a future and a hope, I offer these goals and plans to You as a gift from my heart.  I will challenge myself to see deeds done for Your kingdom through my life.  I fully understand that all goals are subject to change and to Your perfect will.  With Your help, these dreams of my heart shall become a reality.

4th Saturday Meeting 5/28

If you have not visited Healing Broken Vessels on the 4th Saturday of the month you are missing something special.  We meet from 9am to 11am.  Light refreshments to follow the meeting.  Thinking about joining us....

Here's what you can expect:

Praise
Prayer
Scripture
Safe setting to share
Encouragement
Inspiration
Laughter
Occasional tears
Speaker who is knowledgeable about their topic
Tools for growth and healing of the mind, body and spirit

There is no fee to attend and all are welcome.  Hope to see you this Saturday.  Blessings to you!

Still Trying to Understand...

There are times in our lives when nothing seems to make sense.  We question our current and past circumstances.  We try to make the puzzle pieces fit our situations so we can come up with an answer to the question...WHY?  We lean on our own understanding that is made up of good and bad experiences, good and bad information, and last but not least...good and bad advice from friends and family.

But when do we solely rely on God?  Too many times, we FINALLY go to God when we have no other options.  Our friends and family may become impatient with us or our church family has deserted us.  All of our normal methods of coping with trials in our life are just not working.  At this point we make one of two choices.  We either continue down the same path of searching for answers or we submit ourselves to God.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says this:
Trust in the Lord with all your heat and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight.

If you are hurting, confused, scared, depressed, hopeless, defeated, angry or sad...turn to the Lord for strength and guidance.  Let him take your burden so that he can lighten your load.  Allow yourself to grow from the trial and ready yourself to receive the blessings that await you.  In every situation, God works for the good.  Let God take your crooked path and make it straight.  After all, it's much easier to navigate a straight path than a curvy one!

Blessings!

Full Spirits at Healing Broken Vessels

The Feed the Spirit conference was a HUGE success!  There is already talk about getting ready for next year.  Thank you so much to the ladies of the Esther Sunday School class at First Baptist Church in Lebanon, TN.  Diantha McLeod, Director and Founder of Healing Broken Vessels was presented a beautiful hand painted banner to display at future Healing Broken Vessels events by the class.

Wow...so much to share with you.  Deanna Freeman, accompanied by her son,  led the praise and worship. The songs chosen prepared our minds, bodies and spirits to hear the word from our speakers.  Each speaker gave insight to God's will for our lives in how we treat God's precious vessel (our body), how our minds can be our best or worst enemy and how our spirit's fire can be snuffed out by the daily grind of the world.  You can see how excited Deanna's spirit became... : )

The ladies of First Baptist Church treated us to a wonderful lunch of chicken salad and pimento sandwiches, soup, fruit and cookies.  The lunch was so yummy that I saw a few ladies taking "to go" cups of soup at the end of the day.  The ROCK building was the perfect place for the conference.  The coffee bar set the stage for a day of getting comfortable to feed our hungry spirits.

After lunch we were treated with a special mime presentation that was out of this world.  It's hard to describe in words how the performance moved us.  The mime was so filled with the spirit and it was amazing to watch her convey God's message through body movements.  Just another reminder that we are used in so many ways to share the healing message of Jesus Christ.

We ended the day with an invitation to receive special prayer.  At one point, I noticed a line of ladies waiting to have someone pray with them.  What an awesome privilege to hold hands with another person and share an intimate time of prayer.

You dont' have to wait until next year's conference to experience the love that Healing Broken Vessels, Inc. has  to share with you.  Come listen to our speakers every 4th Saturday of the month from 9am to 11am.  You are sure to leave with a full spirit.  GOD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU! 

Feed the Spirit Conference April 30th

FEED THE SPIRIT CONFERENCE APRIL 30th

Healing Broken Vessels is sponsoring the FEED THE SPIRIT conference on April 30th.  The ROCK at First Baptist Church in Lebanon TN will partner with us to provide fellowship, spiritual nourishment and praise.  Come join us for a day of spiritual restoration and be ready have your spirit moved by 3 wonderful speakers.  With the help of the Holy Spirit...We promise not to leave you the way we found you!

FEED THE SPIRIT CONFERENCE
APRIL 30th 9am to 2pm
THE ROCK AT FIRST BAPTIST
227 EAST MAIN STREET
LEBANON, TN 37087

Bloom where you are planted

The Lord will work out his plans for my life, for your faithful love,

O Lord, endures forever.  PSALM 138:8

Spring is one of my favorite times of year.  Spring brings color back into our world after enduring the dreary days of winter.  Our Tennessee winter started earlier than normal, we had heavier snow falls and it seemed really wet this year.

As the weather is warming and we are spending more time outdoors, I am noticing beautiful blooms all around me.  This year I watched beautiful daffodils bloom in the most unexpected places.

A friend recently gave me a bible verse pocket card that read….Let there be peace within me, trusting that God has planted me right where I am meant to be.  I started thinking about those daffodils.  They were growing in a ditch surrounded by gravel.  Not in a lush green field, but among the gray and brown shades of dirty gravel and dead leaves.

Sometimes we find ourselves in places that we never expected to be.  These places can be filled with anger, sadness, frustration and hopelessness.  We don’t know how we got there and we feel like we’ll never see the light of day again.

But what if I suggested to you, that you are right where God meant for you to be?  In many cases, it is at our darkest times that we listen and turn to God.  It’s during these times that he can cultivate our lives for his glory.  We begin to bloom again.  We begin to display our bold beautiful colors.

If you are trying to bloom in an unexpected place and feel your growth stunted, be still and know that he is God.  Look to the gardener of your life to sustain you.  The sun will shine again and so will you!

Tools for Healing

What a glorious morning at Healing Broken Vessels.  We had 16 women who participated in our monthly Saturday speaker session.  I was honored and privileged to speak this morning.  Our topic of discussion was in keeping with our first quarter theme of "healing the mind".  The topic was, "healing the mind through the power of journaling". 

Journaling is a tool that we can use to release and heal from pain or events that have been buried deep inside of us. Sometimes such deep pain cannot be expressed verbally.  It has to emerge slowly almost as though we are only being given one puzzle piece at a time.  Eventually as the pages of our journals become full of thoughts and feelings, the puzzle is miraculously completed. 

Some of the women in the group discussed how in the past they had attempted journaling but had not been able to get very far in the process.  As we progressed through the morning, you could see each woman writing a little more than she had on the last topic.  The group was willing to share with each other the words that were written on their pages.  There were joys expressed, reflection of hurts/fears and some tears were shed.  All part of the healing process.

At the end of our session, every journal was placed in our prayer circle and we asked for God's blessings for our healing.  We enjoyed wonderful refreshments and fellowship.  The holy spirit was with us at the center.  Healing Broken Vessels is truly a safe house of the Lord.  A place where you can come as you are and women will be waiting for you with open arms.

Saturday Healing

Did you know that the last Saturday of each month is a special time at Healing Broken Vessels?  Our guest speakers come from all walks of  life, various organizations and speak on a wide range of topics.  The basis for our ministry is healing of the mind, body and spirit.  Each quarter we focus on one of these aspects.  The first quarter of 2011 will focus on healing of the mind.  With God's help we strive not to leave you the way we found you.  Each Saturday session promises to encourage your soul and give you tools for healing.

Our next Saturday meeting is March 26th from 9:00 am to 11:00 am.  Our speaker will discuss just how powerful our mind can be in determining how we react to adversity and trials.  We will spend some time learning how to "journal" to uncover God's will in our lives.

Don't miss out on this time of fellowship.  Come Join Us.  We are waiting with open arms!

Ask, Seek, Knock

Matthew 7:7-8
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."

What an AWESOME promise God has given us.  Too many times we don't claim this promise.  Maybe it is because we do not feel worthy to do so.  Maybe we have asked of God in the past and the request was not granted because it was not God's will for our lives.  And other times we simply lack the faith to pray for our needs.

The bible also tells us in James that  if any of you lacks for wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.  But, when you ask, you must believe and have no doubt.

Praying to God for our needs is not an easy thing to do.  Especially when we have made mistakes and are broken.  But HE is waiting for you.  God does not require perfect words or a well rehearsed prayer.  He already knows the plans he has for you.  Why not talk to him today?  Why not claim the promise he has given to us?  Take a leap of faith to knock on the door so that it will be opened to you.  Then trust in him to allow his plan to begin working in your life.

Broken Vessels and God's Healing

We are a beautiful vessel.  Our vessel is made up of our mind, body and spirit.  As we make our way through life we experience various trials.  Our vessel can become worn and broken over time.  For some of us, we feel that our life is in a million pieces with none of them fitting back together just right.

But the awesome news is...God can provide healing.  He sees all those pieces on the ground and sees past them to the beauty of our whole self.  Healing Broken Vessels, Inc. can provide a connection to other women who are in the process of healing.  A safe haven of love and understanding.  A start to an exciting journey of healing through programs that nurture development of wholeness.

Mary Stevenson composed a poem in 1936 titled "Footprints In the Sand".  This poem is such a wonderful expression of how God walks beside us when our vessel is worn and broken.  We offer this poem as a reminder as God's infinite love for us.

FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.

In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there was one only. This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints, so I said to the Lord, “You promised me Lord, that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there has only been one set of footprints in the sand.

Why, when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?”

The Lord replied, “The years when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when I carried you.”