Joy Wilson and Debbie Lamm Bray sat down recently for a conversation on how to deal with disappointment in our lives. Joy Wilson is the Director of Coaching and Women in Ministry for the Oregon Ministry Network. Debbie Lamm Bray is the Program Dean at NU Oregon.
Happy New Year! I’m believing that this is going to be a year of opportunity.
What are you looking forward to this year? What do you feel God is speaking to you about? Without a plan, or some type of schedule I don’t get much accomplished. Each day I want to plan my day but give room for unexpected God moments. I want to be aware when God is speaking to me. I want to embrace His plan.
This past weekend I told Bill I felt we needed to fly down and see his Dad. It wasn’t in our plans, but we went. Saturday as we were sitting having a bite to eat with Bill’s Dad, he said, “Joy, I believe the Lord prompted you to encourage Bill to make the trip.” He had not been feeling 100% and he said it was just what he needed.
That’s what I want this year to be. I want to feel His prompting and take the opportunities He brings my way. Let me encourage you to be aware of God’s prompting. He’s going to give you some great opportunities. Each month this year a woman in the Network will share a thought through video with us. They will inspire us through sharing opportunities. Check this one out today.
P.S. Don’t forget to get registered for EMBRACE[D]. It is coming quickly.
What are you thankful for today?
I’m thankful for the gift of memories. This morning I awakened early and was reading through some of my mom’s notes that she had journaled. I came across a letter that she wrote to me on my 60th birthday. She wrote it but didn’t send it.
Thankful for how she reminded me of all the ways God had led me and provided for me. She reminded me of all the people who prayed for me and spoke into my life. She wrote many meaningful words to remind me of the pathway God had designed for me.
Some of her last words were:
“Take every opportunity that comes your way - just keep sensitive to the Holy Spirit, you cannot be effective unless He is working in and with you. Have moments of quietness with Him. He will refresh your soul. You’re a miracle, still in the hands of the Potter.”
Thankful for a mom who was always an encourager. I share these words from my Mom with you today as I believe someone needs to receive them. Take these words and apply them to yourself from my mom to you.
Today I asked myself “who am I encouraging?” Lord, help me to be sensitive to those who need a listening ear, a kind word, a gentle touch, a sincere prayer.
As we enter the Thanksgiving season don’t get caught up with news articles, tv programs, your phone… Take time to be thankful. Take time to encourage others.
Today I encourage you to take a minute to stop and read these Bible verses as you meditate on all the ways God has blessed you! Read these verses out loud to thank God and praise Him for the good that surrounds you.
"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!"
Psalm 107:1
"I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High."
Psalm 7:17
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. "
Philippians 4:6-7
I encourage you this month to take time to be thankful and show thankfulness in tangible ways.
As we approach the ending of another year, be fearless, confident, and victorious. Giving thanks in all things.
If I can be of help to you in any way, please reach out.
Thank you for the privilege to serve as your Network leaders. We are blessed!
P.S. I would love to see you at Embrace[d] this March!
Choosing hope and purpose when life seems disrupted.
As we enter the fall season many changes take place. Some of the most noticeable changes are that the weather gets colder and the leaves of the trees change color. The trees that were green change to red, orange, yellow or brown before they begin to fall in the autumn breezes. Our days seem to be shorter as we get less sunlight.
For many, fall is their favorite season. They look forward to the warm fires, and cozy blankets. Fall 2020 brings with it additional changes. We are adjusting to new school schedules, some online, some in person. We are continuing to reach out to get help for those who have been displaced through the fires.
Pastors are continuing to figure out the best ways to engage their church people and those looking for a place to connect.
Many decisions that could cause us to feel spent, right? Have you come to the place where you are flat out overwhelmed and running on empty? I don’t know about you, but that is when my feelings start to get a bit touchy. Today you may be physically spent, emotionally raw, mentally zapped, or spiritually dry.
How can we take these feelings and still walk in hope and purpose?
Psalm 42:5 (The MSG) says it clearly:
Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
Why are you crying the blues?
Fix my eyes on God—
soon I’ll be praising again.
He puts a smile on my face.
He’s my God.
Our hope is in the unchanging promises of God. He is our hope. He is our strength. He is our song. The hope of Christ is the one thing we can cling to. The time to choose hope is now. Life may not be easy but choose hope anyway.
Hope to see you at the Dream Rallies in October.
Have you ever wondered about God’s timing?
Why is this pandemic taking place now? Why aren’t schools going back like we expected them to? Why don’t you just fix everything, God? I thought I knew your plan - this is not the way I thought it was going to happen.
We all have our questions of why things are happening the way that they are. For me, the month of August was definitely not what I had expected. On August 4th we received the call my brother had passed. How could this be? I was still grieving the loss of my Mom. My heart hurt, it was broken as I now grieved the loss of my brother. It is difficult to lose two family members, whom I loved so deeply, within four months of each other. I thought, why so close together?
“It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way” is a book I have been studying with a friend by Lisa Bevere. Coincidence? I don’t think so. I turned to my Bible and my journal. I needed some renewal! I read some thoughts I had written down recently. Trials, disappointments, and sorrow are not to destroy, discourage, or hurt us, but to refine, to clarify, to strengthen and help us grow. I had written these words as I was studying the Psalms. Psalm 23, "Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For Thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." We all have valleys that we will walk through. I was definitely in the valley.
The Lord reminded me again - He is my Shepherd - He has not left me - He is watching over me - and He is my Protector, protecting my heart. He is my strength when I am weak. Deuteronomy 31:8, "The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
Maybe you are in the valley of discouragement. Deuteronomy 31:8 states, “Do not be discouraged.” Another verse says, “In my distress, I called to the LORD, and he answered me." "And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." If you are facing something that seems impossible, do not be discouraged, do not be afraid – ask the Lord for His help, listen to His voice, and move forward in faith. These are great words of comfort to help us in difficult times.
So, what do I continue to learn? As I spend time with the Lord, He restores my soul; He replenishes my energy; and He inspires me to dream. There is so much more to look forward to.
Don’t be distracted with what you hear on tv or social media. Remember, God is a very present help in times of trouble. Do not live in fear, live in faith. Surround yourself with uplifting worship. Spending time in His presence is refreshing! He will give you peace in the midst of the storm.
If you are on the mountaintop this week, keep praising the Lord for His goodness. If you are needing a lift in your spirit remember what God’s Word says. Encourage yourself in the Lord. He will give you joy in the journey.
My prayer is…
Heavenly Father, remake me in your image. Empower me by your Spirit. Transform my heart and mind so that I may love, live, think and be more like you. Thank you for the privilege of serving you.
If I can be of help to you, please feel free to email or call me at the OMN office.
Make it a great September!
Life continues to be a mystery as we look ahead. Aren’t you glad we serve a God who has the whole world in his hands? He knows what the future holds, and we know He holds the future!
This morning I was sitting with friends doing a devotional, and we read Proverbs 4:23. After our time of reflection and prayer, I read it again and let it soak in. These are such great words to refocus our minds today.
Guard your heart. “Above all else, guard your heart…” What a great reminder during these days of trouble. We are challenged every day with the ongoing negativity in the news, and the uncertainty and fear of COVID-19. Unsettledness can overwhelm and surround us. These things constantly battle for our attention. We can easily fixate on the cares and concerns of this world and end up paralyzed or bogged down with these burdens.
This passage says to guard your heart. This is not merely a suggestion it is a command. God is saying protect the very core of your being. It is where all your dreams, your desires, and your passions live. It is that deep part of you that connects with God and other people.
This encouragement from Proverbs 4 is just what we need to hear today. We make the choice to watch what we are dwelling on. When I think of guardrails or guarding our hearts, I realize we have to be proactive. We have to put guardrails in place. Philippians 4:8 reminds us how to guard our heart. Instead think about, and even more, dwell on the things that are excellent and praiseworthy. The things that are true and honorable. Things that are both right and lovely.
Ladies, our hearts guide and direct all that we do. Every word that comes out of our mouth starts in the heart. All of our actions and choices are driven by the desires of the heart. Above all else, guard your heart.
During these days when there’s so many voices, make sure you are listening to the right voice – Jesus – and you are reading the right book – the Word of God.
Remember, your heart overflows into thoughts, words, and actions. Let them flow from a heart that is trusting the Lord. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.
As a reminder, we have a Women in Ministry project this year to help support the Eurasia Ladies Conference. Please let me know by August 15th if you can help with this project.
This has been quite a journey for each of us. 2020 will be a milestone year. We have never encountered all the different events happening at one time in our lifetime. Every day I am thankful that we serve a God who gives us strength for each day.
Recently, in conversations I have had with some WIM friends, they asked me about handling grief and if I would share on how to handle grief. I am not an expert, but I will share some things I have learned through my experiences.
Grief is a process. It is taking the time to put the broken pieces of your heart back together. We grieve through many different losses: jobs, relocation, divorce, death of a loved one, empty nest, separation, loss of friendship, an unfulfilled expectation, people leaving your church, and so many other things we could list. The bottom line is these things hurt and they affect us emotionally.
Grief affects our emotions. When I attended a grief class after the death of my father, I realized everyone grieves differently, but we all deal with similar emotions. You must give yourself permission to grieve. It takes time. You don’t get over loss in a day. Don’t be afraid to seek out a good counselor, or grief class to help you.
The book that helped me was written by the lady whose grief class I attended: How to say Goodbye, working through personal grief, by Joanne Petrie and Dr. Ronald G Petrie. As leaders sometimes we think we need to have it all together and admitting we are hurting or struggling is weakness. This is one of the hardest obstacles to overcome, but in order to heal, we must be true to ourselves.
Grief is a circle of emotions: Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Not necessarily in that order but usually starts and ends the same. There are many books out on these subjects. Contact our Pastoral Care leader, Pastor Larry Steller, for help in these areas.
Here are some helpful actions:
Hopefully, this is helpful – for no matter what you are experiencing or walking through, He is with you.
We are constantly amazed at the outcomes of our ministry leaders being coached. We have seen remarkable results from those who are new to our Network and request to be coached by one of our coaches. These coaches come alongside to assist them in integrating into the Network family and adopt the compelling DNA of the Oregon Ministry Network.
Each new pastor and or newly credentialed minister has the opportunity to receive six months of free coaching. Every year we have between 8-10 women in ministry being coached by our Network Lead Coach Joy Wilson.
Coaching provides an opportunity for an outside voice to ask questions that help a person to look ahead to future possibilities and opportunities.
Contact Joy Wilson if you would like to discuss being coached this year.
The OMN is concentrating on meeting the needs of women in ministry through one-on-one coaching, monthly e-newsletters, the Women In Ministry Facebook page, Oregon Garden Getaway, Summit and Intermission breakfast events, ministry to widows and coffee times. We take every opportunity to connect with the women throughout the state. Our executive wives all work alongside each other to minister to women of all ages in the Network and focus on encouraging and enriching women in their personal and leadership roles.
There were three extraordinary women’s events in 2019. The first was our Oregon Garden Getaway. We were blessed by the moving testimonies of several speakers from our own Network and the powerful worship times led by Lead Pastor Taunja Hoole. During the 2019 Summit, we were blessed by a passionate message from Pat Beiler, who serves with her husband as AGWM Regional Directors to Eurasia. It also gave us the opportunity to celebrate all our itinerating missionaries. Finally, during the 2019 Intermission Women’s Breakfast, we heard a moving message by Bo Stern-Brady. Bo continues to be one of our favorite speakers. Always timely and anointed.
Thank you for your love and support. I count it a great honor to serve the Oregon Ministry Network.
This is an incredible time to be living. Who would have dreamed we would be facing these tumultuous days. I’m thankful for the words of these two worship songs that I’ve been singing and proclaiming.
When we don’t understand all that’s going on, we...
Raise a Hallelujah
I’m gonna sing,
in the middle of the storm
louder and louder,
you’re gonna hear my praises
roar up from the ashes,
hope will arise
death is defeated,
the King is alive
Faith over fear.
Worship over worry.
And another. I’m proclaiming He is a…
Waymaker
Miracle Worker
Promise Keeper
Light in the darkness
My God That is who you are
He knows exactly who we need Him to be to us.
It’s been good to take my eyes off myself and have the awesome opportunity to connect with pastors and pastor’s wives by phone. It’s been a privilege to call out the names of our AG missions’ family and claim miracles over this Covid-19 that has attacked them. It refreshes my spirit.
I heard Pastor Robert Morris remind us that we need to be speaking in tongues daily to build ourselves up, personally, as the scripture admonishes us to do.
As we go into another week let’s look for the positive in each other. Let’s speak life to our children, have patience when they get frustrated that you don’t teach like their teachers. It’s a new experience for them too.
Everyday journal one thing you’re thankful for, one act of kindness you did, one scripture that spoke to you. I’m always available if you need me.
Be blessed and be a blessing.