Meeting for our New Jersey group 27 Oct. 2014

 

Good morning Ladies ~ Today is a new day let us rejoice and be glad in it. 

Let us also remember

Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I hope in Him!”

Lam 3:22-24  (NKJV)

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Monday our sisters in NJ had a ‘homecoming’ celebration as Dotti was up there to share about our new ministry with them. That new ministry is supporting widows in India.

 

Below we have:

Pastor Bruce Sofia - Founder & Director of Gloucester County Community Church

Dotti ~ Founder and Director of FNF

Shari – Former director of New Jersey group

MaryLou ~ Present director of the New Jersey group

 

Let us be thankful for the vision for this ministry and the continued service by these four who care for widows, in our groups and around the world.

***

Here is Dotti sharing about the widows in India.

Ladies giving from their hearts.

Next we have Shari Hervold who gave a wonderful talk from Luke chapter 10, about the Good Samaritan. Here are some main points that touched my heart from reading her talk.

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Whenever we choose to serve the needs of others, there's a cost involved.  Sometimes it is out time, sometimes our emotions, sometimes our convenience, sometimes our money, and sometimes all of these.

Indifference has no place in the family of God.

If we want to be more like Jesus, then we must be willing to lessen the pain and brokenness in someone's life today...and each day.

Let us think on these words as we consider being of service and giving to others.

***

Monday’s meeting had a great turn out of 100 ladies, and a good time was had by all.

As we go about our days, let us remember to pray for each other. Let us be thankful we have such a group as ‘Friends Needing Friends’ to meet with each month. Remember to pray for the staff also as they prepare for each meeting.

God’s blessings on each and every one of you.

S.E. Florida FNF meeting/luncheon 20 October

 

Hello Ladies ~ It was a beautiful day for our meeting/luncheon yesterday. It was good seeing everyone again and we had some new ladies too. Here are some of our sweet ladies enjoying themselves. It is always so good to be together again.

There was still some construction going on in the smaller room where we’ve been meeting, but we had a nice time in the larger room and then lunch afterwards. A delicious lunch by the way, fixed by our chef ‘Tony the Tiger’. We had a delicious soup, a roasted potato medley, pulled pork served over rice, and a nice salad bar, two kinds of salad dressing with delicious rolls too. Soft drinks, tea and coffee. We all enjoyed it.

Our guest speaker was Kathy Caprio who is now the pastor for our group.

Her lovely,inspiring talk was about ‘Focusing on Jesus’. She read to us about Mary and Martha and how Mary was focused on earthly things, while Martha was focused on spiritual things.

There is so much happening in our lives that we can often become distracted by things that keep us from focusing on Jesus. Jesus knows all that we are going through, and by focusing on Him and all that He is working out in our lives we will feel freer and lighter as we go about our daily business.

Thank you Kathy for encouraging us to ‘give all our worries and cares to God, for He cares for us.’

Our own Sue

told us about the good time she and her team had at Aquilla Cay, an assisted living facility, this month. Everyone had a good time and God’s loving presence was felt by all.

Friends Needing Friends has had a Teddy Bear Ministry since 1995. They are given out to widows and others who need cheering. It is a wonderful ministry and those who receive and those who give are truly blessed.

We have started another ministry here at Friends Needing Friends.  It is the support of 5 widows in the area of Trivandrum, India. Tom Caprio, Kathy’s husband has been involved with and going to this ministry in India for 8 years now. It is the Kerusomen Gospel Ministries. It is run by Saha Simon and his wife Anju.

Below is a photo of Tom handing out teddy bears to our widow sisters in India.

And here is our collection box for this ministry. Isn’t the collection box neat? There were only two boxes on the shelf when ladies went shopping, and this one with the countries on it was just meant for this ministry.

Our ladies here in s.e. FL have given generously since we started this ministry last month. Here they are getting out their purses and giving from their hearts.

This month we have started another ministry of ‘prayer requests’.  We the staff, don’t always know what to pray for our dear ladies, and this is a way for us to find out so that we can ask God’s blessings for them in whatever area they need.

Tom Caprio in his talk to us last month, said that we ladies were in fact a small church. That really had an impact on me. As a church, we are to pray for each other and encourage each other.

Prayer brings us closer to God. By praying we are letting Him know that we are dependent on Him for taking care of ourselves and for the care of others.

In the Bible we are encouraged to pray. To pray that God will lead us spiritually in His path. To pray for our daily bread. To pray for forgiveness for ourselves as well as others.

We are told in Philippians 4:6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. (NLT)

In Ephesians 6:18 we read, Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. (NLT)

So dear Ladies ~ as we go out and about our daily lives this week, let us remember to focus on Jesus and to pray for our dear sisters in this journey of widowhood.

Here is a poem I got with my teddy bear as a new widow the beginning of last year. It greatly touched my heart and was just what I needed. Others have said it has also blessed them too.

Jesus Cares

There is never a day so dreary
   But God can make it bright,
And unto the soul that trusts Him,
   He giveth songs in the night.

There is never a path so hidden,
   But God can lead the way,
If we seek for the Spirit’s guidance
   And patiently wait and pray.

There is never a cross so heavy
   But the nail-scarred hands are there
Outstretched in tender compassion
   The burden to help us bear.

There is never a heart so broken,
   But the loving Lord can heal,
The heart that was pierced on Calvary
   Doth still for His loved ones feel.

There is never a life so darkened,
   So hopeless and unblessed,
But may be filled with the light of God
   And enter His promised rest.

There is never a sin or sorrow,
   There is never a care or loss,
But that we may bring to Jesus
   And leave at the foot of the cross.

***

Love, hugs and prayers for all of you,

Rainey

 

Upcoming Florida meeting/luncheon

 

Good morning Ladies ~ I hope and pray that you all are feeling the love, peace and strength of Jesus flowing through and surrounding each and every one of you.

Today is a new day, let us rejoice and be glad in it.

This coming Monday, the 20th, will be our Florida groups meeting/luncheon and I am looking forward to seeing you all again.  We had some new ladies last month and hopefully we’ll have some new ones this month. If you know of any widows who haven’t been, invite them to come and join us, in the celebrations of God’s love and care for the widow.

This month our guest speaker is Kathy Caprio. She has recently been ordained and is now the pastor for our group. Her love of God and of others and helping others shines through her sweet and kind personality.

Let us pray for Kathy as she speaks to us, and may we all be blessed and encouraged by her words.

Let us also pray for Dotti and the staff as they prepare for and set up for this next meeting.

Today I will end with some scripture verses that really help me in my faith in Jesus.  Each day that we are blessed with is a gift. What we do with this gift is up to us. We can squander it or we can be a light to others of His love, grace and mercy. Our hope is in Him and He is our strength when we are weak. We have all been blessed with ways of helping others. We are all lovely, unique personalities, and God works through all of us for His honor and glory.

***

This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
 
It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.

Lamentations 3:21-26

 

Christ’s Special Provision for the Widow ~ Part Two

 

Good morning dear Ladies ~ Today we have the conclusion of this little study. If you missed part one you can read it here.

May your hearts be blessed and may you be drawn closer to God who loves you dearly.

***

Christ's Special Provision for the Widow
Part Two: The Love that Leads to Revelation

 

In our last reflection we were introduced to Mary Magdalene, a servant leader among the followers of Christ.  Mary's love for Jesus compelled her to faithfully minister to the Lord and kept her close to the cross where she witnessed Jesus' death...

"There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee" (Matthew 27:55-56). Mary's love drove her to accompany His body to the tomb... "And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away.  Mary Magdalene and the other Mary was there, sitting opposite the tomb" (Matthew 27:60-61).  Mary's love for Jesus made her the first to discover the empty tomb on resurrection day... "Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb" (John 20:1).  The other disciples came, confirmed the empty tomb, and went away. But Mary stayed.

May did not receive supernatural power to do miracles like the make disciples... Mary was instead known as one of the faithful women who served the Lord and His disciples out of their humble resources and personal energies.  Mary was among the women who washed clothes and prepared meals for Christ and His disciples.  These women got little visible return for their investment into the ministry of Christ and his disciples.  Mary's unconditional love for Christ was a beautiful illustration of God's love for us.  Love in action meeting the needs of others, unconditionally... The habit of lovingly caring for the personal needs of Jesus brought Mary to the tomb before anyone else on resurrection morning.  She was there to clean and tend to His body before its permanent burial.  Responding to such a precious demonstration of the love He taught by word and deed, Jesus revealed Himself to Mary through an intimate declaration of her name and He further revealed His plan for her to be the Church's first evangelist as He commissioned her to go tell the disciples the incredible good news that He had been raised... "Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God'". (John 20:17).

As your love for Christ and His Church grows, your spiritual sight grows too.  Jesus wants you to know Him better and He wants you to discover and fulfill His precious purpose and plan for your life too.  As we grow up into Christ we will see and know Him better because our growing love for Christ is...

The Love that Leads to Revelation.

By Pastor Bob Barber
St. John United Methodist Church

Christ's Special Provision for the Widow

 

Good morning dear Ladies ~ I pray you are all feeling the love, peace and strength of God flowing through and surrounding you each and every day.

May we all be blessed today as we read, part one of two parts, on:

***

Christ’s Special Provision for the Widow.

Part One: A different Kind of Love

Then the disciples went back to their homes.  But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb.  And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet.  They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?:  She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." 

Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus.  Jesus said to her, "woman, why are you weeping?  Whom are you seeking?"  Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away."  Jesus said to her, "Mary."  She turned and said to him in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher) (John 20:10-16).

 

We have no record of Mary's family, marital status, or age.  Our Teacher, the Holy Spirit does not identify Mary as a widow but He does inspire the gospel writers to reveal that she was alone.  She had no family obligations that might prevent her from following Jesus in His traveling ministry.  Her hometown of Magdala was well known for and later destroyed because of widespread harlotry that was practiced there.  The Hole Spirit inspired Luke to report that Mary was a leader among the women who followed and ministered to Jesus and His disciples and that she had much to be thankful for as He had delivered her from some serious demonic oppression...

"Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God.  And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out: (Luke 8:1-2) Christ provided something special for Mary because the love that compelled her to faithfully follow and serve Him was a different kind of love.

There was a very simple yet profound conversation between Mary Magdalene and Jesus early that resurrection morning.  The encounter climaxed in a two-word exchange... "Mary" and Rabboni".  The Holy Spirit inspired John the Apostle to record this encounter between the risen Jesus and Mary Magdalene in order to teach and encourage earnest disciples in every age.  Loving Christ is the indispensable first step toward knowing Christ.  Jesus echoed this spiritual truth in His final instructions to the disciples... "He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him? (John 14:21).  Mary's unconditional love for Christ compelled her to linger, look, and long for her Savior well after others had left the empty tomb.

In our next reflection on this, we'll see how Jesus met her there and gave her a special revelation of Himself and a unique job to do for Him.  Jesus provided something special for the lonely and loving disciple Mary because of her compelling love for Him.

The Teacher exhorts us today to examine our hearts and to rekindle a fresh, unconditional love for Christ.  He promises that the widow that makes and keeps Christ as her first love will receive some very special provision from her Savior.  As we grow up into Christ we will see and know Him better because our growing love for Christ is...

A Different Kind of Love.

By Pastor Bob Barber
St. John United Methodist Church

New Jersey’s September meeting

 

Good morning Ladies ~ I pray your day will be a good one.

To start this post, let us remember:

***

This is the day which the LORD hath made;

we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psa_118:24

 

It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed,
because his compassions fail not.

They are new every morning:
great is thy faithfulness.

The LORD is my portion, saith my soul;
therefore will I hope in him.

The LORD is good unto them that wait for him,
to the soul that seeketh him.

Lamentations 3:22-25

***

At September’s meeting in New Jersey they had some entertainment from ‘The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry’  of NJ. They sang songs, the shofar was blown and the meaning of the Jewish New Year was explained.

Below are Bonnie and Jose.

Here we have Jose blowing the shofar.

 

The shofar is used mainly on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. It is blown in synagogues to mark the end of the fast at Yom Kippur, and blown at four particular occasions in the prayers on Rosh Hashanah. Because of its inherent ties to the Days of Repentance and the inspiration that comes along with hearing its piercing blasts, the shofar is also blown after morning services for the entire month of Elul, the last month of the Jewish civil year and the sixth of the Jewish ecclesiastical year. It is not blown on the last day of month, however, to mark the difference between the voluntary blasts of the month and the mandatory blasts of the holiday. Shofar blasts are also used during penitential rituals such as Yom Kippur Katan and optional prayer services called during times of communal distress.

 

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The next two photos are of the ‘birthday girls’.

Happy Birthday Ladies.

 

Here are some of the ladies at the meeting

Below are some of the ladies writing out their prayer requests.

This is a great way to let others know what to pray for us for. We are to pray to God first and foremost for our needs, but we can ask for others to pray for us as well.

Yesterday I found the following verse on prayer.

Weymouth New Testament translation of Ephesians 6:18 says this:

Pray with unceasing prayer and entreaty on every fitting occasion in the Spirit, and be always on the alert to seize opportunities for doing so, with unwearied persistence and entreaty on behalf of all God's people,

In 1Timothy 2:1 we read ~ I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

We read in Philippians 4:6 ~ Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

So, dear Ladies as we go about our day today may we think on these things as we pray for God’s help for ourselves and each other.

Love, hugs and prayers ~ Rainey