Loving Well

Ummm...sound familiar? If you went on Aroma's Ladies' retreat last year, this will be very familiar to you. Has it stuck with you? Have you been reminded of it from time to time? I love the message of the title because it is timeless. There are some things that just don't get old. For me, it's the laughter of my children, the smell of honeysuckle, certain songs or holding hands with my husband when we go out on a date. It's the Word and the "never gets old message" it shares each time I open it, hear it preached or incorporated into song. The message of the Gospel is Love. It's because of that love that God sent His Son, Jesus, to save us through His very own death. The day it gets old is the day I need a good old slap in the face! It is through God's love that we learn to love well. I have firsthand witnessed this message penetrate some of your hearts. I have seen this love change you and motivate you to love more and love more better (I would correct my kids for saying it that way, but hey...it fits here!). I am convinced that we have complicated the message of love to others. We have taken away the beauty of its simplicity and even cheapened it with strings attached and conditions. We have forgotten the little things that caused us to love in the first place and become too busy, too self involved and too serious! Today, I encourage you to take time to realize the little things, those special little somethings, that mean love to you. I have a feeling that you will find that when we return to that first Love (our Father), you'll see the little things that show love much clearer. It's then we'll love well, love hard and love strong. And, the great news is, it doesn't stop there, because when we do those things, we'll see prayers answered, hearts mended, marriages rebuilt, new relationships established, churches grow, families stronger, and the list goes on and on. Determine today to allow God to teach you to love well. Ask Him to remind you of commitments you made - maybe at retreat last year - to love well, and if you are falling somewhat short, don't give up...dig your heels in the ground and get to it!
I pray as you ladies prepare to go on retreat this year that you are already allowing God to soften your hearts for what He has to show you. You are going for a reason. You may not know it yet, but this time can be the start of something really big in your life. Write down what you think He's laying on your heart so you can write down when He answers your prayer for those things whether it be on retreat, or after we return. God will answer your prayers. We are excited to take this journey with you. If you need us to pray for you, please let us know!

Retreat Money Due Sunday!

Update...If you did not pay your retreat deposit of $35 on Sunday, you may either drop it by the office between the hours of 9:30-1:30, or you may give to Barbie George next Sunday, 25th. Thanks for your cooperation!

If you have signed up for Ladies' Retreat in April, your first deposit of $35 is due on Sunday, the 18th. Please make sure that you give your money to Barbie George by this date. We have broken down payments for you so you can have your $100 paid the day we leave for retreat. Here is your payment schedule:
January 18 - $35
February 22 - $25
March 22 - $25
April 19th - $15
**You must have your balanced paid before traveling to the cabin on April 24th.

***In the event you have to cancel, your balance must be paid off OR you must find your own replacement.
****You are, of course, welcome to pay entire balance off at any time, but please give it to Barbie George as she will be in charge of collecting all monies.

Thanks so much for your cooperation in making our retreat a fun and smooth one! Can't wait to go!

Thankfulness

Just a quick THANK YOU to everyone that helped make This Night such an impactful night. From hostesses to servers, from speakers/singers to those who attended, last night was hopefully "a Night of New Beginnings" for many of you. I truly believe that God is challenging us all to look more intently for Him in each and every detail of our days. There are opportunities and circumstances each and every day that stare us right in the face and we just walk on by. Hopefully, last night was a renewal for you...a recommitment to decisions made, and most of all a "step on your toes" challenge to maybe get rid of whatever it is that is tying you down and keeping you from wholeheartedly and unabashedly serving God to the fullest!
Thanks so much to Heather Cassidy for her willingness to share something - for the first time in public- with us that would challenge us, but would also be a time in her own life to take what circumstance God allowed to occur in her life and use it for good in your life. You may not fully grasp the depth of how incredible it was that she was even standing up there before us at ALL! She was a miracle standing before us, and yet God puts them before us each day and we don't even see it. So, I challenge you today to go beyond what YOU see, and see what GOD sees.
Let's hear your comments and testimonies about THIS NIGHT. What did God speak to your heart about?

This Night

"This Night....A Night of New Beginnings"
Monday, January 12 - 6:30pm
Speaker: Heather Cassidy, teacher from Lyman Elementary
Music: Shannon Foster
Menu:
Chicken and Bacon Alfredo
Italian Salad
Broccoli
Bread
Cheesecake in Raspberry Sauce
Tickets: $10

If you haven't gotten your ticket yet, you may contact one of these hostesses, or you may buy on Sunday, January 11 at LifeSong before and after the 10:27 service:
Amy Hickman/Bonnie Moody
Barbie George/ Beva Bailey
Eulala Pace
Allison Taylor
Brenda George
Kim Hall/Jennifer Stephens
Kim Adam/Missi May
Donna Black
Misty Fogel/Jackie McAbee
Sheldon Pettigrew
Brandi Cole
Jane Blackwell
Lynn Lyda
Amanda Patton
Laura Miller

New Year's Challenge

Hey Ladies...I would like to present you with a challenge, but you have to be completely serious about it if you decide to take it on. Take time to read the LPM blog (Beth Moore's blog) to read all about the challenge that I'd like to pass on to you. I have prayed for years and years for God to send me an accountability partner, and last night I received an email from a very dear friend of mine in another state. She had decided she wanted to participate in this challenge and wanted to know if I would be her accountability partner. I still long for someone that I live nearby to be accountable with in life, but I cannot tell you how excited I am to begin this journey with my dear friend - a journey that will take us on a ride together for an entire year! I had read the challenge posted on Beth's blog, but just hadn't taken the time to give it much thought, so I am so thankful that God sent my friend to tell me about it and used her to encourage me to do it.

If you decide to sign up on Beth's blog, I would love to know about it so that I can be praying for you this year. Just post a comment here and let me know if you are participating.

May your New Year be one that you stick to the new commitments you make. Most of all, may you see God take you places you have only ever dreamed of going with Him.

Take Note

Well, sometimes little snafus happen, but I can now report that after I tell you about this newest change, no more snafus! Please, if you have already signed up for retreat in April, take note that we have our final date change. The new dates for retreat are April 24-26. If you are no longer able to attend on those dates, please remove your name from the sign-up sheet. If you still haven't signed up, please do so very soon. Spaces are limited and your first deposit of $25 will be due mid-January. The total cost for the trip is $100, so we have adjusted it so you can have a payment plan of $25 a month and make your final payment in April before we go.
If you have any questions, please feel free to grab one of us and we will answer your questions as best we can....Barbie George, Amy Hickman, Ashley Kay, Bonnie Moody or Allison Taylor.

ATTENTION THIS NIGHT HOSTESSES!!!!!!!! Please meet up front in the Worship Center this Sunday, December 21st, to receive your ticket packets for This Night. If you are unable to be there, please let me know by email jeffamy111@netzero.net or just post a comment to this blog, and we will get your packet to you before Christmas so you can sell or distribute tickets to those attending your table.

Updates Volume II

Thanks to all of you wonderful ladies that signed up to hostess a table for This Night. We now have all the hostesses we needed. For those of you who signed up to be hostesses, please meet with the Aroma team after church on Sunday, December 21st to pick up the tickets for your table. You will need to have these tickets sold and money collected for them by Sunday, January 4th. Begin now to invite your friends. Our menu for the night is:
Italian Salad
Bacon and Chicken Fettucine Alfredo
Broccoli
Bread
Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce

If you have anymore questions, let us know!