Women with Divine Purpose

Lay Down Your Life Jesus’ call to lay down our lives to serve others is very clear. He gave His life for us and gave His life to us so that we can live our lives serving others like He did. How has Jesus worked in your life? Where have you experienced life in the place of death, forgiveness instead of judgment, power where once there was weakness? How can you help others experience newfound confidence and capability in their lives and work? What would it look like to lay down... your life for others today? This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.John 15:12-13 Prayer: Jesus, thank You for giving Your life for us and for giving us life through Your Spirit. As You lived to serve, I want to live my life to serve. In your name, let me bring life, forgiveness and power to others today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27 Jesus understood the power of presence in helping people make it through difficult times. He spent significant time with His disciples at the Last Supper and in Gethsemane; He told them He was going to prepare a place for them to be with Him forever; He told them to meet Him in Galilee after He had risen; before He ascended..., He promised to be with them always. How does Jesus’ presence in your life give you confidence as you face change? Who needs your presence to reassure them as they face change? Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.John 14:27 Prayer: Jesus, thank You for being with me no matter what changes life brings. Your presence brings me confidence and courage. Help me to encourage

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.Hebrews 4:12 Reading Scripture is a dangerous habit. The Bible is clear about its content and purpose. Writer after writer claims that these are the very words of God with power to change lives. Isaiah declares that God’s Word will accomplish the purpose for which God gave it. Jesus... claimed to be the Living Word of God who perfectly revealed the Father. Those who read Scripture risk being conformed to the image of Christ, or they risk becoming hardened to God’s voice. How has God’s Word shaped your life? Prayer: God, thank You for recording Your thoughts and preserving them through the ages. Change me today because I have spent time being exposed to Your thoughts in Scripture. As risky as it is, I want Your Word to cut away everything in me that doesn’t look like Jesus. In His Name, Amen.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:10-11 KJV Leading up to Christmas, the season is filled with joyful expectation of Jesus’ birth. But between the start of Advent and all the preparations for Christmas, December can easily become one of the busiest months of the year. And when we get ...Continue reading

But even when your days are filled to overflowing with all kinds of activities that can drain you of your physical energy and leave your mind reeling from the sheer volume, you can still have a peace that transcends understanding (see Philippians 4:7 AMP). Christmas is a beautiful time of the yearit’s a time to celebrate the birth of Christ! And just like every holiday season, there’s a very good chance you’ll be spending time with friends and family memberssharing meals..., shopping, giving and receiving gifts, attending special Christmas programsand the list goes on. Advent gives us a chance to focus on the God-given peace that came in the form of a baby. Jesus came so that we could experience the peace of God, and He even taught us how to do that by the life He lived. Jesus is the Prince of Peace; He left His peace for us to enjoy, and He wants to help us live and maintain a peaceful life. The way to do that is to pursue peace and go after it. First Peter 3:10-11 (NASB) says, The one who desires life, to love and see good days, must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit. He must turn away from evil and do good; He must seek peace and pursue it. One way that we can pursue peace is to enjoy the moment. When we take the time to live in the moment, we enjoy life and the people we are with so much more than we do when we are rushing through our day. Discover something special in each day, and take some time to enjoy every moment this Christmas. Another way that we can pursue peace is to slow down and be still. Sometimes the pace of life is way too fast and can often be fueled by the expectations of others. If you find that you are having a hard time finding peace, you may need to slow down and take time to enjoy the Christmas season. If you find yourself getting caught up in the busyness of the season, here are a few simple things you can try to help you maintain your peace Take a deep breath. When things get hectic, slow down and ask God to refresh your peace. Spend time with a close friend. When we get busy, we forget to do the things that bring us joy and help us relax, like spending time with someone we care about. Enjoy a delicious, nutritious meal. Go to bed on time. Write down your worriesthen throw them away. Make a list of things you’re thankful for. Get outside for a while. Take some time to breath in some fresh air and get a new perspective. Laugh, laugh, and laugh some more. The Bible says a joyful heart is a good medicine because laughter lifts your spirits; improves your mental, emotional and physical health; and de-stresses your mind. And (here is the best part) . . . it costs nothing (see Proverbs 17:22). As we get closer and closer to Christmas, make plans to spend time celebrating the greatest gift of allJesus!

God is good, and He has a good plan for each of our lives. Because He does, you can live your life with expectation, choosing on purpose to be hopeful every dayall throughout the day. The psalmist David said in Psalm 71:14 (ESV), But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more. The Celebration of Advent Adventa time to get ready and prepare our hearts for the celebration of the birth of Christ. Advent reminds us to set aside some of the busyness of the ho...liday season, and to think about the miracle that every day of this season brings. Advent is all about hopea hope that goes beyond all others. It’s more than just a feeling or wishful thinking. It’s an awareness that God is actually expecting, looking, and longing to show you His goodness. Every day can be filled with hopethe confident expectation that something good is going to happen in our life. God wants us to be full of His hopebelieving, expecting, and anticipating great things from Him. In fact, the Bible says He is the God of hope, full of mercy and new beginnings. When we embrace hope on purpose, it can influence our thoughts, our attitudes, and even our outlook on life. It releases joy, and the joy of the Lord becomes our source of strength (see Nehemiah 8:10). Here are just a few ways that you can practice living in continual hope this Advent season and beyond Pray one bold prayer each day Do something fun every day Help at least one person each day Take time every day to think about at least one way God has been good to you Hope is something that can be developed over time until it just becomes a habit. One of the ways to do this is to remind yourself to be expectant of good things and remember that God is always looking for ways to be good to us (see Isaiah 30:18). Hope is so important to God that He sent Jesus to be our Hope! Even before Jesus was ever born, there was great anticipation about His birth. Luke 3:15 (NLT) says, Everyone was expecting the Messiah to come soon. And we can live each day with that same anticipation. What are you expecting God to do in your life today? Prayer: Father, I pray that you will turn our hearts toward you as Christmas approaches. Let us not get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season this year and miss the chance to celebrate the gifts of hope, peace, joy, love, that you sent to us on that first Christmas. That first Christmas, you gave us the gift of hope wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. Thank you, Father, for your immeasurable