Five Minute Friday on Saturday-FREE

July 18, 2015 by 3 Comments

Hola Divas and happy weekend!  One of the most requested things from our blog has been the Five Minute Friday posts.  Sooooo, it’s back…a day late but back nonetheless!  Each week, Kate Motaung posts a one-word prompt on  her blog and women from all over the world write from their hearts for five minutes then share their words.

If you have never read our Five-Minute Friday posts in the past, you really need to check them out! Today’s word is FREE.

Earlier this month, we had an 80’s party during class.  To say it was a blast is a complete understatement.  The Divas went all in with costumes, make-up and a boat load of sassy-ness.

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Look at the smiles…these ladies were FREE……for one silly moment.

With every thing going on in our country, FREEdom has seemed hard…polarizing even.

But there is something liberating about shaking your hips, sweating, hooping and hollering with a room full of other women…and it all starts with a prayer.  Yep, that’s the way the Divas get down.

God’s word is true….”For where two or three are gathered together……there am I in the midst of them”. (Matthew 18:20)

I caught a glimpse of what being FREE really means standing on stage, watching beautiful women of all sizes, shapes, colors and life circumstances dance to a rendition of Gloria Estefan’s 80’s hit “Conga”.

FREE was that exact moment.

Divas Dancing

FREE was not thinking about anything else but being fully immersed in what was happening and being so thankful for it.

Dance Fit Divas Free-80s

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Devotions, Five Minute Friday Tagged With:

How to decide what is best…Your Move Bible Study

April 18, 2015 by 1 Comment

Has life EVER provided you with a circumstance that you NEVER thought you would be in and there was a decision that had to be made quickly?

Unless you live under a rock and never leave your rock palace, it is impossible to evade trying times and the split-second decisions that come with them.

So what do you?  How do you decide what is best?

Options-Decisions-Choices

In our newest Bible Study, Your Move by Andy Stanley, we have been learning how to make sound decisions when the time frame is short, options are limited yet a Diva still has to put on her big girl panties and make a decision.

Throughout the Bible study,  we are challenged to ask ourselves four questions to make sound decisions with God’s help.

Session one, Andy inspired us to get gut honest with ourselves and ask….

Why am I am I doing this….REALLY? Stated another way….Am I being completely honest with myself? Or …what is the real reason I am making this choice?

Determining our true motives for leaning towards one decision over another is very important because as Andy reminded us, we spend tremendous amounts of time and energy deceiving ourselves.

There is a Biblical answer for why we can rationalize and convince ourselves to do things that are not the best for us:

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? Jeremiah 17:9 (NIV) 

I don’t know about you, but I have sweet talked myself into a plethora of bad decisions:  unwise and unnecessary purchases, dietary indiscertions, over booking my schedule, procrastinating, surfing the net or flipping through Facebook (just to name a few).

Taking a few moments to ask ourselves (“Why am I doing this…REALLY?”) enables us to get gut honest.  For example:

I am surfing the net because I don’t want to clean up, prepare for the next day, or finish the report.

I feel lonely and shopping makes me feel better.

I am afraid.

When we ask ourselves why….it allows the Holy Spirit to guide us towards the best decision.

After we determine WHY we are doing something, session two suggested we ask ourselves:  “What story do I want to tell?”.

Image source: http://threadling.com/

Image source: http://threadling.com/

In every decision-making environment, transition period, or drama producing activity, we are writing the script for our future story.

To illustrate this point, Andy used the story of Joseph (Genesis 37-50).   Joseph faced family betrayal, slavery, and imprisonment.  Often, he was forced to choose between no win options.  Yet despite difficult situations, Joseph made choices with God-centered integrity and faithfulness and he was later rewarded.

When Joseph was finally able to reconcile with his family he said these words:

You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. Genesis 50:20

WOW.

This morning, we discover the third question Andy suggests we asks ourselves….”Is there a tension that needs my attention“.

Join us in person for Bible Study in Kernersville, NC get the details on our Meetup Page.

Or if you are too far away or you have schedule conflicts…get the handouts HERE.  You can also watch the actual video messages from Andy Stanley  You Tube. Click HERE for the session one message.

Filed Under: Uncategorized, Your Move Bible Study

Word Theme, Playlist and Schedule Changes

February 3, 2015 by 8 Comments

Last weekend, we had our normal “Soulful Saturday” class featuring Devoted Fitness  and Zumba toning but we added a twist.  Each diva was asked to bring a white t-shirt to class so she could write her “word theme” for 2015.

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Sometimes a single word can change everything.

At the beginning of January, many people make resolutions for how they want the year to be.  By January 31, resolutions have been abandoned for one reason or another and the feelings on inadequacy, “what’s the point”, and why try rear their ugly heads.

We ended the first month of 2015 by declaring a word theme for the year to help keep us focused but be flexible to allow life to happen.

We started the first day of February with dance, praise and POWERFUL WORDS!

One glimpse at these smiles and you know God is GOOD!

Several people have asked me for Saturday’s playlist…find it HERE.

WE DO NOT HAVE CLASS THIS SATURDAY (February 7, 2015 or March 7, 2015) DUE TO A SCHEDULING CONFLICTS… check our calendar HERE.

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Filed Under: Uncategorized

The Best Yes Process

September 18, 2014 by Leave a Comment

TheBestYes_1024x1024Hola Divas!  Welcome back to our “online discussion” of our newest Bible Study….The Best Yes by Lysa Terkeurst.  If you missed our first discussion read it HERE.

Earlier this week, we talked about how we get to our “BEST YES”.

Our best yes is us playing our part at work, church, home…wherever we are.

We learn/discern /decide/determine our best yes from asking God.  When we do, He will answer us:

Isaiah 30:22 (NIV)

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

Asking and then getting our answer sounds sooooo easy, almost too easy.  Is that why we don’t ask more often?

Worrying, filling up our schedules, doing it ’cause we have a free moment, or because we don’t want to let someone down seem to be our methods of operation.

Our methods seem logical at the time but they are INEFFECTIVE.

Lysa said it amazingly on page 3 of The Best Yes book:  “I’m tired. I’m distracted. I’m disappointed in myself.  I feel slightly used and more than slightly used up.  I’m a little overwhelmed and a lot worn down.”

Do you ever feel like this?

Overwhelmed Schedule

Lysa used a Biblical example that shows just how futile our methods are yet provides a process to achieve our Best Yes!

Isaiah 30:15 NIV–This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says:  “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.”

So the first step towards finding our “Best Yes” is to: ____________DOWN…rest, be quiet, trust. {SLOW}

But what do we often do?

Isaiah 30:16 AMP—And you said, No! We will speed (on our own course) on horses….

Yep we Speed up…we fill up our schedules and our children’s schedules.  We become so busy that we cannot hear God or even if we hear Him, we are too busy to do what He asks:(

What is the Lord’s demeanor while we hurry and scurry about?

Isaiah 30:18 MSG-But God is not finished.  He’s waiting around to be gracious to you….. 

Isaiah 30:18 NLT-So the Lord must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God….

WOW, The Lord is gracious and shows us compassion even when we jack up our schedules and get on the plane to Crazy Town.  All we have to do is turn our daily decisions over to Him.

When we turn our decisions over to Him…we are blessed and arrive at our BEST YES!

Isaiah 30:18b NLT….Blessed are those who wait for his help.

Dear Lord, forgive me for jumping into my day and committing myself to things before asking YOU.  You know exactly what is my “best yes” for every moment.  Help me remember to pause and seek your counsel so that I can play the part you specifically designed for me….. wherever I am.

—-Amen

Read through chapter 6 to be ready for our next discussion:

Live–Saturday September 20, 2014 8:30am Kernersville Parks and Recreation Center

Online:  Tuesday September 23, 2014 (right here on the blog!)

Filed Under: The Best Yes Bible Study

The Best Yes…Playing Your Part

September 15, 2014 by 6 Comments

 

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Hola Divas! Welcome to our fall Bible Study…..The Best Yes by Lysa Terkeurst!  I don’t know about y’all but September is the “real” New Year for me.  It is the beginning of a new school year, new extra curricular activity schedule….new traffic patterns, new car pool….simply put, the “real” new year. As such, what better time to critically evaluate how we spend our time?

 

 

The Best Yes will help us:

  • Cure the disease to please with a biblical understanding of the command to love.
  • Escape the guilt of disappointing others by learning the secret of the small no.
  • Overcome the agony of hard choices by embracing a wisdom-based decision-making process.
  • Rise above the rush of endless demands and discover your Best Yes today.

During our first session together, we learned what the “Best Yes” is.

The Best Yes is us playing our part…. at school, at home, at work, wherever we are!

So how do we get this “Best Yes”?

We find our Best Yes by asking God what we should do with our schedules….big things and little mundane things.

When we ask Him, He will guide us.

Isaiah 30:21  Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” 

We ask God…sometimes.  But often, we need an answer now or we become so busy… asking God simply slips our minds.

I so desperately want to hear God’s voice directing me on which steps to take…don’t you?

Lucky for us, Lysa provides us with a process for arriving at our best yes!  Read chapters 1-3 and join us later this week as we read through God’s Word and discover what steps to take towards our “Best Yes”.

Wonder Woman

 

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Five Minute Friday-Belong

July 11, 2014 by 3 Comments

Lisa-Jo-Baker-FMFIt’s Friday y’all! Whoo hoo! Every Friday, Lisa Jo Baker hosts a blog link up called Five Minute Fridays (FMF). She provides a word prompt and then participants are to set their timers for five minutes and write until the timer goes off. Before my life changed, I used to write a FMF post every week! If you have NEVER read our FMF posts, I urge you to read past posts. Today’s word is belong.  Belong was a FMF word last year so I spruced up last year’s post. Cheating, I know but the words still ring true:

Have you ever gone somewhere and immediately knew you were right were you belonged?  Or perhaps you can remember a time when you ended up somewhere you had NO BUSINESS being.  Belong is a feeling you get, down deep.

When you belong, you can dance your heart out without feeling self conscious in a room full of women you hardly know.

When you belong, you chat before class and long after class with other women whom you have become kindred spirits with simply because you salsa and sweat together.

One of the things people compliment our class about is how friendly every one is and how welcomed they feel when they come to class.  Although we work out HARD, the Dance Fit Divas are about so much more than just working out.

When I started teaching our class, my intention was to teach an eight week ZUMBA session.  Three years later, I look back and can only say…MY GOD…this is where I belong.

God’s plan was so much bigger than an eight week ZUMBA session.  God’s plan included adding Devoted Fitness (a Christian fitness program), bible study, and traveling the high seas.  Most of all, God’s plan was the creation of a place where women of all shapes, sizes, ages, and colors could  grow closer to HIM, shake their tail-feathers, and belong.

…The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him. Psalm 24:1

How can you make someone feel like they belong today?

Filed Under: Five Minute Friday

Unglued Bible Study-Remember and Let God Chisel

July 8, 2014 by 7 Comments

220px-CHISELHello Divas!  Welcome to week four of our Unglued Bible Study!  During our last discussion, Lysa Terkeurst (the author of our study), explained the true purpose of unglued moments: “God doesn’t allow the unglued moments of our lives to happen so we’ll label ourselves and stay stuck.  He allows the unglued moments to make us aware of the chiseling that needs to be done.”  AMEN!

At the end of our time together, Lysa challenged us to practice pausing and whispering “Let God Chisel” before reacting to difficult situations.  We added our own twist to the challenge with the addition of the word REMEMBER.

Taking the time to pause allows us to remember how God has worked things out before and that He is in control.

Last session, we read about the disciples coming unglued and fearful even after they experienced the miracle of Jesus feeding thousands of people with very limited resources…two fish and five loaves of bread to be exact. (Matthew 14:13-21)

They, just like us…did not remember.

Psalm 106:13 describes how the Israelites became unglued after God parted the Red Sea and allowed them to cross yet drowned the Egyptian soldiers chasing them:  But they soon forgot and did not wait for his plan to unfold.

Too often, we come unglued and forge ahead into rash decisions, mean-spirited words, and anxiety because we forget to wait for His plan to unfold.

Let me be clear…..I have had PLENTY of opportunities since our last meeting alone to come UNGLUED.  I wish I could tell you I  remembered to let God chisel every time, but I did NOT!  This study is just what I need right now and it is stepping all over my diva toes!

Thank God for imperfect progress…”slow steps of change wrapped in grace”.

What are some things you can do to help you Remember to Let God Chisel in unglued moments?

Tell me in the comments….I need some fresh ideas!

Homework for this week: Chapters 4,5 &6

Filed Under: Unglued Revisited 2014 Tagged With:

Unglued Bible Study-3 Ways to Stay on God’s Side

June 26, 2014 by Leave a Comment

angry-woman.jpgHola Divas!  If you will recall, we discussed Joshua earlier this week and the choice he had to make before going into battle.  I would call getting ready for battle an “unglued situation”.

When I come unglued, I fly into action to “fix” the situation. Stopping to choose a side is the last thing on my mind.  In the Unglued Participant’s Guide, Lysa gave us some action steps on how to “stay on God’s side”.

1.  Use Truth–What is REALLY true about the situation or person.  There are so many outside influences that sometimes getting a little truth about the matter is a really wise thing to do.  Remember, our perception may NOT be the reality.

2.  Use self-control.  I can only control KATINA! In Unglued situations, I often behave in ways to control the other person or the outcome: pouting, yelling, sulking, silent treatment, etc…)  As Lysa says, “Our feelings are indicators NOT dictators”.

3.  Use prayer–Pray for the person who is getting on your last nerve!  I think it is only natural to pray for the resolution of a situation that has us unglued. The only issue with that  is what if the situation does not resolve?

Our prayer for the week:

God, help me choose to be on YOUR side, trusting that YOU will help me face things outside of my control without acting out of control.  

Homework for this week:

Read chapters 1-2 in the Unglued book!

Filed Under: Unglued Revisited 2014 Tagged With: , , ,

Unglued Revisited

June 24, 2014 by 2 Comments

 

Welcome Back Divas!!!  Yep, our summer Bible Study is back in session!!! We are revisiting UNGLUED by Lysa Terkeurst!  This study was life changing the last time we completed it 2 years ago.  After many requests…. it’s BAAAAAAACCCK!

The tag line for the book Unglued is:  “Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Raw Emotions”. Perhaps it is just me but I have quite a few, “raw emotions”.  What do we do with these raw emotions? Is it really possible to make emotions work for us instead of against us?

Yes, and the Unglued Bible Study turns us to God’s Word and shows us how!

During our first session, we focused on Joshua 5:13-14(NLT)…just before the battle of Jericho.

When Joshua was near the town of Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with sword in hand. Joshua went up to him and demanded, “Are you friend or foe?” “Neither one,” he replied. “I am the commander of the Lord’s army.” At this, Joshua fell with his face to the ground in reverence. “I am at your command,” Joshua said. “What do you want your servant to do?”

Just prior to meeting the man, Joshua led the people of Israel across the Jordan River after God parted it for them  [Joshua 3:13-14] (just like he did with Moses and the Red Sea).  With such a spiritual victory, it is quite plausible that Joshua may have been feeling victorious and ready for battle.  Yet before he acted, he was required to chose a side.  

“We tend to approach our battles and causes backwards; we turn things all around and try to marshal God to support us rather than to submit and follow Him.”-bible.org (OUCH!)

Just before becoming completely unglued about a work situation, bills, something that someone has done to us or an interruption in our schedules, we have an opportunity to choose God’s side by submitting to HIM right then. We can ask God what HE wants us to do BEFORE we do what we want to do in the moment.

Our prayer for the week:

God, help me choose to be on YOUR side, trusting that YOU will help me face things outside of my control without acting out of control.  

Homework for the week:

Read chapters 1-2 in the Unglued Book.

Don’t have the book?  Purchase it for $5 from Christian Book Stores .

If you are close to Kernersville, NC..join us in person!  Visit our Meetup Page for more info..otherwise just follow along online!

Let us know in the comments about your week!

Filed Under: Unglued Revisited 2014 Tagged With: , , , ,

Made to Crave Bible Study-Peace

February 17, 2014 by 32 Comments

Made to Crave Bible Study

Hola Divas! It seems like FOREVER since we have gotten together!  We were not able to meet at our normal time two weeks ago due to an event at the Rec center and then we had a BIG SNOW. Sooooooo, let’s spend a little time getting back on track!  If you are just joining us…your timing is perfect!

For our current Bible Study, we are reading Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst.  Made to Crave is the missing link between a woman’s desire to be healthy and the spiritual empowerment necessary to make that happen.  We have had a blast laughing at each other and learning from each other! It has been nice to know that we ALL struggle with something..especially when it comes to food choices.

When we meet in person (just before our Soulful Saturday classes at 8:30am), we watch a video devotional by Lysa TerKeurst that goes with the book.  With each session, Lysa gives us a word for the week.

During the first week, our word was EMPOWERMENT.  Lysa’s main point for week one was for us to change our perspective about making healthy food choices.  We have been moving from feeling deprived…..

Deprived to feeling empowered…..

empowered

One method we shared to help with feeling empowered was the Plate Method.

Plate Method

Did you catch that half of the plate is veggies?  Just checking! (LOL!)

For the next session, we talked about being Determined NOT Desperate.

When we are  desperate,  we want instant gratification.  We become laser focused on what we want. We see what we want. We think about what we want. We simply MUST have it or we couldn’t possibly live on!

In desperate times, we just might do, say, eat, or give away….ANYTHING!

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For this week’s session, our word is PEACE.

Peace Sign

Often, how peaceful we feel is tied to our decisions.  Our decisions about what we eat and what thoughts we allow to take residence in our minds.

When we start a healthy eating plan and then have an indulgence, we begin to feel guilty.  When we step on the scale and it does not reflect all of our hard work for the week, we feel defeated, frustrated, and angry.

There is NOTHING peaceful about feeling guilty, frustrated, defeated, or angry.

scale

As you prepare for our time together this week, reflect on 1 Corinthians 10:23 (AMP)

All things are legitimate [permissible—and we are free to do anything we please], but not all things are helpful (expedient, profitable, and wholesome). All things are legitimate, but not all things are constructive [to character]and edifying [to spiritual life].

We CAN have, eat, or think ANYTHING we want….but not everything we acquire, consume, or ruminate over is constructive.

As you go about your days this week, ask yourself this question about EVERYTHING:

Is this the wise thing to do/eat/think about? (Taken straight from Andy Stanley’s Best Question Ever)

Oooh, challenging huh?  Not should I eat this, do this, think about this, go here, date him/her..but is this the WISE THING TO DO?

Remember, everything is permissible but not all things are helpful!

When you get weak, think on this:

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him. (Philippians 2:13)

Please make sure you have read through chapter 6 to be prepared for this week’s discussion!

Filed Under: Devotions, Made to Crave Bible Study
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