The Power of Words

Words are all around us. Through texting, emailing, phone conversations, run in the middle of the store conversations to deep intimate conversations, words surround us. Words are used to pass along information, build up, edify, encourage, convey a thought or an emotion and words are even used to destroy, to tear down and to kill.

Have you ever felt comforted by words? Have words ever brought such peace and assurance to your personal thoughts? Have the right words been said that just immediately brought a huge relief over your weary heart?

Let me change the tides.

Have you ever been hurt by words? Have you ever experienced harsh words, such harsh words that just cut straight to your inner core and felt like they literally cut you in two?

Oh, Friend, I have experienced both tides. I am sure we all have. The tone, the pitch, the emphasis and the words themselves, joy has been experienced while at other times, hurt was experienced.

What do we do when the times come when the words are shot at us as arrows intended for harm? Where do we turn? I will tell you I have not always looked to the right sources for healing after being hurt by words. I have turned towards tears, retaliation and of course, chocolate among many others. Each time these avenues were sought, healing was not the result. Results experienced felt that of a prescription medication side effect commercial: "puffy eyes may occur, along with sleepless nights. You might experience great guilt and bloating after seeking these remedies to your hurting heart." Nice. The only source that has truly helped me, and when I say 'truly helped me' I truly mean HELPED ME has been God's Word. The true Source of healing, restoration and comfort.

I want to share with you some precious Words from God that have truly been a healing balm to my heart.

Psalm 31:19-21 "How great is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You, Which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You, Before the sons of men! You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the conspiracies of man; You keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues. Blessed be the LORD, For He has made marvelous His lovingkindness to me in a besieged city"

Look back at these three verses and just take a look at what God promises: His goodness stored up, He wrought for us or in our language, works for, embellishes and elaborates for us; He hides us in the secret place of His presence, he keeps us secretly in a shelter and He has made His lovingkindness to us in an attacked surrounding.

What are we to do? What are our responsibilities? What is our expectation in this arrangement?

First, we must fear Him and secondly we must take refuge in Him. Bottom line: we acknowledge in our heart, thoughts and words He is Lord and He is holy and second, we go to Him.

God's holiness and the reasoning for us to fear Him can be dissected and analyzed to the point where we become very overwhelmed and start to believe we can never reach this level of intimacy with the One True God. But oh, Friend, we can. When we truly acknowledge He is holy and we are nothing without Him then the fear of Him begins. Savor this. His holiness begins our fear.

So what do we do with this fear? Run from it? Hide? Absolutely not. We embrace it and go to Him. Not to our thoughts of retaliation nor our thoughts of emotional outbursts or even the delicious chocolate truffles that bring two seconds of delight to our tongues. We go to Him and we seek His Words to heal the after math of the other words.

What was God's promise? He will hide us from the conspiracies of man in the secret place of His presence and He will keep us secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues.

Friend, please believe His Words. Embrace His Words. Cling to His Words. Seize His Words. His Words are truth, His Words are life. Furthermore, His Words are for you

Before I close, let me just remind you of the power of God's Words. "And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light." Power. God's Words are powerful. No matter what is said to us by whomever, the power that is desired will never be up to the power of God. Period. His Words trump any and all words that are said directly to us. End of discussion.

Precious One, go to God. Share your heart, whether it be filled right now with joy and peace from blessed words from others or if your heart is hurting and aching from severe and grim words, share it with Him. He is waiting for you.

Price Check on Aisle Three

What classifies an emotion? Can an emotion be a positive emotion? Can an emotion be a negative emotion? Who or what classifies these emotions we have?

For example, being excited when your church is growing and thriving would be categorized as a positive emotion. Correct? Let me put a different twist on it. Being excited when your church is regressing and dying after you have been hurt, now is this emotion of excitement negative? You are justified because of your hurt. Right? Even though this emotion would be seen negative, you would still be justified in having this emotion, right?

We know emotions are embedded in our being. Yet living with these emotions and orchestrating these emotions under the lifestyle of Psalm 150:6: "Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD!" is challenging. Challenging, to say the least, the very least.

Are we praising the Lord when our emotions are running amuck? Are we praising the Lord when we, ourselves, are in control of our emotions?

Our main Scripture used in this discussion is Ecclesiastes 3:1-13. Let's read what our Father writes.
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
A time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,
A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
A time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,
A time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,
A time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.


Walking around the grocery store is not exactly what I call a relaxing afternoon. Now, you ask my husband what he does when he is stressed, he will tell you he goes to the grocery store and walks up and down every aisle. Every aisle.

The difference between him and me? About one hundred-sixty pounds. In the form of three little boys that is.

Him going to the store is just that, him going to the store. Me going to the store is me along with three "helpful" boys. Never the less, he finds great relaxation walking up and down the aisles.

Picture yourself walking up and down the grocery aisles. Instead of boxes of low-calorie, high energy breakfast cereals, you find boxes of laughter and bags of dancing. The cans of multi-vitamin soups are now replaced with weeping and mourning. You navigate your way through the grocery store of life and you are surrounded with all the emotions that go with it. Negative and positive.

Is your heart pounding? Is it racing? Are your palms sweaty?

What emotion do you pick? What emotion do you allow yourself to open and set loose? What emotion do you take with you and hold close?

Suddenly, a pleasant chime goes off over the loud speaker and an encouraging and loving voice starts speaking. "Precious Daughter, there is a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones. Now is the time to gather. Go to aisle four and pick up three boxes of laughter and then go to aisle ten and pick up two packages of love. Enjoy your day Dear One."

Or.

What if the same encouraging and loving voice starts speaking and says, "Dear One, there is a time to tear apart and a time to sew together. Now is the time for tearing apart. But it is going to be alright, I am here with you. Go to aisle two and pick up four containers of weeping and then go to aisle six and get one large package of embrace. I promise I will get you through this. Now, go My Daughter." What if?

But we don't have that. Or do we?

Dear One, life is hard. You don't need to read that on a website or on a newspaper to believe it. Along with the challenges that makeup this adventure we call life, we as women like to throw in the emotion factor! We have a knack, let me correct that, we have mastered the art of justifying our emotions to go alongside the challenge of life. Tell me if you can relate to this one.

Someone said some nasty, terrible things to your husband. That's alright, jump over to aisle three and pick up four cans of bitterness. Now, don't worry about the price and the damaging effects of it, they are on special this week!

Or how about this one.

A friend stops calling. No more texts. No more emails. The laughter has ceased. Don't worry. Go to aisle seven and pick up isolation. There is even a bargain this week! With every bag of isolation, you receive five bricks free to put around your heart. No sense in letting anyone else in. They are going to do it to you when they get the opportunity.

Sound familiar?

You see, the last two examples are not of God. There is clearly a time to weep. Clearly a time to be hurt. Yet, Dear Friend, the time and the outlet of the weeping and hurting must be orchestrated by God.

How?

Read verses 9-13 of our main text:

What does the worker gain from his toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. he has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil -- this is the gift of God.

God has given us tasks. These tasks are eternal-minded and these tasks if done in God's design, are a true gift of God.

Did you catch that? A gift of God.

Powerful words to follow precious verses of:
A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to mourn and a time to dance.
A time for war and a time for peace.

A gift of God.

Want to receive a gift of God?

Listen to His loving and encouraging voice to guide you through this thing we call life. He can and will keep your emotions in check.

Emotions, Emotions, Emotions

Emotions, Emotions, Emotions! Women are filled with emotions. It does not take a medical degree or a long-term case study with women to come to the conclusion women are filled with emotions. End of discussion.

Or is it?

Serving God within the realms of ministry ( ie church, missions, state offices, etc) can give way to many an opportunity for our emotions as women to show their true colors. Joy, happiness, excitement, anxiety, stress, anger and even bitterness can seep out of our facial expressions, our words and even our actions. Is there anything wrong with that?

I mean, c'mon if God created us as women made up of emotions then shouldn't we be allowed to let our true colors shine?

Over the next few entries we will look at these emotions in light of God's Word. Is God pleased when our emotions of happiness are shining through while our heart is filled with hurt and pain? Does it honor God to allow bitterness to take root in our hearts?

Emotions.

One word filled with one mighty punch.

Under Construction

We are currently in the process of gathering Scripture and topics of discussion that will be beneficial to the heart of a Minister's Wife. Topics will be, yet not limited to, bitterness, anger, hurt, forgiveness along with joy, savoring a sweet time of ministry and hope.

If there is a particular topic or an area of concern you would like explored and discussed on this blog site, we would love to hear from you. Our email addresses are listed in this blog entry: http://wivesministry.blogspot.com/2008/09/closer-look-at-smile-on-my-heart.html just scroll down and you will see our emails. We would love to hear from you.

Thank you for visiting our blog and again, our passion is for helping other women in their personal journeys of serving God. If there is a specific need in the area of prayer, we would love to hear from you and pray for you.

Please make sure to revisit us in the upcoming weeks! Until then.....
"Many are asking, 'Who can show us any good?' Let the light of Your Face shine upon us, O LORD. You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O LORD make me dwell in safety" Psalm 4:6-8

Smile on My Heart Retreat Summary

Our retreat took place this past weekend, November 14-15 in Tulakogee, Oklahoma. God blessed us, to say the least, the very least. It is always amazing to watch Him work and orchestrate. He placed the hearts together and ordained the time for schedules to allow the women to be present.

Through laughter and tears, God spoke to each woman individually and to the group corporately. "Stay in the Word" seemed to be the constant thread every woman heard from her Father. Through His Word, healing will come. It is a promise from Him.

Healing Hearts is looking to offer another retreat this Spring. Dates and location are yet to be determined. Continue to check back for more information.

Along with checking back, we do want to encourage you to watch our blog. Some new tools will be coming soon to help fellow Sisters in Christ continue on their personal journeys. Any suggestions can be emailed to any of us at the following emails:

Brenda Annett brendaannett@sbcglobal.net
Brandy McCombs mccombsbrandy@yahoo.com
Shelly Watkins shellydwatkins@hotmail.com

We do want to say thank you for the prayer support from numerous sources. (You know who you are!) Through your prayers, all retreat participants arrived safely and all families represented were taken care of during our retreat! (Which is a true act of God with so many 'Mommies' present!) Thank you for supporting us in this ministry.

A Closer Look at “A Smile on My Heart Retreat”

Women are invited to go with us on a brief excursion November 14th & 15th. We will look to God’s Script for instruction, application and adoration. Along with intimacy with the One True God, we will experience memorable time building friendships with other women serving within the ministry realm. This weekend retreat is designed for participants to hear from God, create new friendships and walk away feeling unique and distinct as they carry on their personal journeys on the road of Ministry.

Women are encouraged to bring their personal Bible, bedding (ie: pillow, sheets and blanket(s) for twin-size bed), toiletries (personal products and towels) and casual dress (remember to dress in layers for temperature comfortableness). Meals and snacks will be provided, however please personally accommodate for any individual dietary needs.

A Smile on My Heart Retreat will be nestled away in the Green Country of Oklahoma at Tulakogee Conference Center. The beautiful setting of trees, wildlife and cabins will set the stage for participants to hear from the Creator Himself. For directions to Tulakogee Conference Center, please click on the following site: http://www.tulakogee.com/directions.htm

For any questions regarding the retreat, please contact any of the following ladies:

Brandy McCombs 573.855.3867 mccombsbrandy@yahoo.com
Shelly Watkins 918.757.2557 shellydwatkins@hotmail.com
Brenda Annett 918.225.0880 brendaannett@sbcglobal.net
Willa Gowdy 918.358.2054


Healing Hearts Ministry

“Then Hannah prayed and said: ‘My heart rejoices in the LORD; in the LORD my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance.’”

Serving the Lord within the walls of Ministry can be a journey lined with fun, exhilarating, rewarding and joyous occasions. Unfortunately, this journey can also be stoned with challenging, hard and hurtful times. Healing Hearts Ministry looks at this journey with joy in their hearts and with their hands extended to other women traveling on their personal journeys. Combining over 100 years of personal ministry, four separate hearts have come together with one desire: to help fellow Sisters in Christ receive the true healing from the One True Source: God Almighty Himself.

Healing can be described as putting a band-aid on the sore or seeking professional medical attention. Healing Hearts Ministry looks at healing solely coming from God Himself. As one of our main pillars, this healing can only be achieved through allowing God to work and massage the hearts of His Daughters. So how does this healing occur?

Healing Hearts Ministry believes true healing comes from the One True Source by the Equipping of His Word. We believe that God so generously and graciously gave us His Holy Word to use not only as a guide to live our life, but also as the source to equip us for our journey and repair our broken steps along the way.

Preparing for future seasons along our journeys is the final pillar of Healing Hearts Ministry. Only God knows what each of our journeys will bring along the way and only He can truly prepare us before the stones are within reach. Being ready before the next step allows God to mold us shape us into the women He sees and the women He can use to reach others.

When Hannah prayed “My heart rejoices in the LORD; in the LORD my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance” she truly knew the power of the Almighty God. The power of His healing. The power of His equipping. The power of His preparing. Hannah knew how to serve her Lord with joy on her face and joy in her heart. This is Healing Hearts Ministry’s passion: to serve the Lord with joy and smiles on our faces and with joy and smiles on our hearts.



The Women Behind Healing Hearts

Brandy McCombs
Brandy is the wife of Rev. Brandon McCombs, Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Dixon, MO (www.dixonfbc.com/). Brandy and Brandon have been married for twelve years and have served in the ministry together for over eighteen years. Brandy’s joy and heartbeat is to walk alongside other women in their personal journeys as they fall in love with God and spend time studying His Word personally. While embracing the joys and struggles of ministry, Brandy’s passion is for women to serve their Lord with not only smiles upon their faces but smiles upon their hearts as well.


Shelly Watkins
Shelly is the wife of Rev. Scott Watkins, Pastor of Terlton's First Baptist Church in Terlton, OK. Shelly and Scott have been married for nine years and have been serving the Lord together their whole marriage. Scott was in Student Ministry for 15 years and for 7 years Shelly led students and adults into Eastern Europe through Awe Star Ministry (http://www.awestar.org/). Shelly's heart is to see women enjoy their calling and to serve along side their husbands as they lead others to a saving knowledge of Christ. They have three girls; Taylor who is almost 7, Sydney who is 3, and Emiley who will be 2 in December.


Brenda Annett
Brenda is the wife of Rev. Robert Annett, Minister of Music at Terlton's First Baptist Church in Terlton, OK. She and Robert have over 35 years of ministry experience. They have served in Bi-Vocational, Part-Time, and Full-Time ministry. They have two children; son Jeremy, who is the Minister of Music and Youth at First Baptist Church of Vinita, OK, and daughter Reilly, who is a 13 year-old Home School student.


Willa Gowdy
Willa is the wife of Evangelist Dale Gowdy. The Gowdy's have served the Lord in many ministry areas, primarily in the Pastorate. Dale has been a full-time evangelist for over 20 years and Willa serves along side him as she sings and plays the piano.


A registration form is below. Click on the graphic, then right click on the picture and save it to your computer. Then you can print it right off your personal computer. Let us know if you have problems with this process. This will be a weekend you will not want to miss!

a retreat just for YOU!

Click on the graphic to the left and get information about a great opportunity for all Minister's Wives.