This Night Slideshow

Monday Mingle Celebrate LOVE

If you haven't been a part of Monday Mingle so far, now is the time to start. We want you to come and be a part of all the fun! Monday Mingle is all about sharing life with our girlfriends. Throw in some good food, good conversation and alot of laughter, and you have a great mix for a night to kick back and relax with the girls. This month's theme will be no exception, plus we get to share the love of Christ with those God has placed in our lives. God has commanded us to care for the widows and orphans, so come and take part in a time to do just that, plus have a little chocolate at our next Monday Mingle on February 4th at Bonnie Moody's home! Monday Mingle is an outreach for any lady 18+.
No RSVP is required and you are encouraged to bring your friends. Please see Bonnie Moody if you need directions

You Are Invited!!!
Monday, February 4th - 6:30pm
at Bonnie Moody's home

Join us for a Chocolate Fondue Party
We will be making Valentine bags for Southeastern Children's Home in Duncan, SC. 12 Girl Bags (ages range from 13-17) 8 Boy Bags (ages range from 13-17) The bags will include handmade Valentine cards, candy, and other goodies.
Bags and material for Valentine cards will be provided by AROMA Women's Ministry. We would like to ask that each attendee bring a bag of Valentine candy or other goodie to distribute between the bags. If you cannot attend and would like to provide items for the Valentine Bags, please see Bonnie Moody.

REMINDER

JUST A REMINDER...IF YOU ARE GOING ON THE RETREAT IN MARCH, YOUR FIRST DEPOSIT OF $40 IS DUE BY JANUARY 31ST. YOU MUST HAND THIS DIRECTLY TO AMY HICKMAN. The remainder of the trip cost will be $50 due on FEBRUARY 29TH. IF YOU HAVEN'T YET FILLED OUT YOUR REGISTRATION FORM, PLEASE DO SO IMMEDIATELY! WE NEED YOUR T-SHIRT SIZE SO WE CAN PLACE OUR ORDER. THANKS!

Sometimes Life Hurts

Well, ladies...today's been one of those days. I started my day on the "right foot," if you know what I mean. I got up, took my kids to school, came home and got to work. I am doing a Bible study with my husband for the next seven weeks, so I studied that so that he and I could talk about it later, and something in it today motivated me to show my man how much I love him, so off I went to clean the car out. You do know that this is a spiritual gift, right? When you clean the car out for your man, trust me...he likes that. I am pretty sure it ranks right up there with making him a steak dinner. Men just respond to the weirdest things! OK, anyway, where was I going with this? Oh yea, my day was going really well. I was getting some things accomplished. After I cleaned the car, I finally hung some curtains in my house. If you have ever been to our house, we've lived here almost three years and never hung a single curtain. It was kind of on purpose because I like the sunlight streaming in, but I thought it wouldn't hurt to spruce up the place some, so I hung curtains. I tell ya...I was having a great day. I had music blaring and I was singing, and maybe a little dancing, too. Boy, was I having a ball! But, just like life can be sometimes, things come to a screeching halt!!!!! Bam! That good day can turn to bad...that smile turns upside down to a frown and someone has to go and ruin your day. Well, that happened to me today. I went to the grocery store and got what I needed to get fairly quickly and just like that, someone comes by and doesn't have a nice thing to say. No details here, but it hurt me...it hurt me "real bad," as my Bailey likes to say.
Now, I don't know why people can be mean, but I do know it happens. What do we do when life comes crashing down with a big dose of reality? As the somewhat "fad" of years ago would say, we ask ourselves WWJD, or "what would Jesus do?" I know you are sitting there thinking, "now I know Amy, and she is not one to get her opinion or her mind to herself, so I bet she got whoever that was that hurt her." Well, guess what? I DID!!! :) Yep, I got 'em alright...got with........(drumroll please).........KINDNESS! Did I want to? No! I wanted to rip them apart, but there it was...that gentle, small voice of God telling me to represent Him.
So, I kindly smiled and went my way and thanked God for being my Guide. I don't know about you, ladies, but that's hard sometimes to live life, huh? Today, I am thankful, though, for a God who knows me and loves me, that He seeks to keep me on a right path, if only I let Him.
How about you? How's life going for you? Maybe it's time to let God steer awhile. We wear a lot of hats as ladies and we get very tired, don't we? Let Him guide you today, and tomorrow and the next day, too. I can tell you, as I write this, my heart still hurts, but I am not sitting here all in a tizzy because I lashed out, but rather, in a somewhat "perfect peace" because I chose today to let God be my guide. Hey, let Him be yours, too. Whatever it is you face, He is enough.

Aroma

Well, ladies...this is the official launch of, what I hope to be, a fruitful addition to our Aroma Women's Ministry. One of my passions is writing, but my greater passion is seeing women come to Christ and to grow in the glory and knowledge of Him. God has been doing some amazing things in my life, personally, making me realize that I, too, can do amazing things through Him. Sometimes we just need a good shake back into reality. I took a little sidetrip recently where I made everything "all about ME!" I am sure that none of you have walked that road, but let me tell you, I don't like being there. Sometimes I get in a rut where I am ME-driven and make myself and everyone around me crazy. I won't say that I might not venture that way again, but that's the beauty of Christ in my life...He doesn't slap me over the hand and then move me back ten spaces, as if I were a board game, but He gently, and yet sometimes, sternly, sets me on the right path again. I know I have been called to impact people's lives - specifically the lives of women, but haven't we all been called to impact someone? I believe when we make it about us then we fail. Recently, I had a conversation with my husband, Jeff about where we, personally, find our identity. For years, I have found my identity in several things -in being a wife, a mother, a pastor's wife, or the friend of "so and so," or a missionary kid. It's so easy to get caught up in labels and wanting others to know that we are special because we have a title. I am not saying that each of those titles does not hold a special meaning, but it's easy to get caught up in it and forget our identity in Christ. Since Jeff has been a pastor, it's been kind of a joke at our house that we are not too fond of the title "Rev" or the term "preacher." It's as though you would go up to someone and say, "well, hello Electrician Joe when you approach Jeff as Preacher Jeff." That is just something that he does, but is certainly not the core of who he is, and yet we have met people and know people that are so intent that others notice them that they lift their head proudly and poke out their chest and announce their title to the whole world. Don't get me wrong...I need an identifier when I meet new people sometimes, so often I ask, "so you are the one married to the teacher? or your brother is the CEO of that company?" What I am talking about is losing our identity in that title. Boy have I done that! Of course I am so honored to be the wife of the most wonderful pastor on the planet, but that is only a small part of who God created me to be. So, recently, God set me straight and reminded me of where I find my joy, and guess what? It's not in a title, a position, or how much money I have! It's in the person of Christ! And that, ladies, frees me! I needed that good word. I try to operate by the thought that "I am not yet where I need to be" as I go about my life, but the part that got lost, and gets lost sometimes, is that I need to be focusing on where I need to be.
So, how does all of this relate to AROMA? I desire the same for you, too. As I felt the hand of God calling me to respond to Him on Sunday, I also heard Him saying, "to be an effective leader, friend, counsel, etc., you must have JOY...lead by example." I want to do that for you, ladies. As I write this first of, what I hope to be many, blogs, let's start afresh with some JOY! It's what we are commanded to have, afterall..."The Fruit of the Spirit is Love, JOY, peace patience, kindness, goodness, and self-control." We, as an AROMA team, desire to lead you in this, and we want to be held accountable when we are NOT this! We need accountability.

We are so excited about all God has for us as women. Remember, the time we have together is making us better at those titles God has given us. Don't feel guilty for having a little time to hang out with your girlfriends. Trust me, I know my husband appreciates it when I break away for a little renewed perspective with the GIRLS (No...I am not talking about my four girls :) ). So, we are inviting you if you are not already involved in AROMA...come join us! If you are coming, keep it up. We have some spectacular plans for you! Until we meet again, know we love you here at AROMA. Your team here to serve you is Barbie George, Jen Greene, Bonnie Moody, Allison Taylor, me..Amy Hickman. We love you dearly. If you need anything, let us know!