Intimate Conversations

Hello Readers,
We're doing another book review today. Revell Books sends us books to read from time-to-time, and they've all been excellent thus far. This one is no different! Today, we're discussing a book by Alicia Britt Chole, called "Intimate Conversations."

The tag line of this book is "Devotions to Nurture a Woman's Soul." I believe it accomplishes that well! Alicia uses many personal lessons learned and real stories to convey Spiritual revelation that God has given her. Because the information is so rich, the temptation with this book is to read it like a book rather than a devotional - just one section daily.

Here are a few examples of some powerful thoughts Alicia shares:
"Our culture injects us with strong doses of dissatisfaction.....Spend a few moments intentionally evaluating your life from the perspective of what you have been given, not what you have yet to get; from the perspective of what currently is good, not by what good you are still waiting for."

She tells a story of the cows next door straining to each the grass in her yard through the barbed wire fences (which is no different than their own grass), and says, "They wound themselves by pressing past boundaries their master has set for them."

When her son was diagnosed by doctors as "special needs," she shared these thoughts, "I too have 'special needs.' I need to be more like my special son...Each one of us has special needs, areas where we are painfully aware of our own weakness....those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable."

All-in-all, this book is a great read. What she brings to the reader is authenticity and heart. Take time to read this book and "chew" on its meat - If you can keep yourself reading each devotional topic, just one at a time! Nice work Alicia Britt Chole! Thank you...

Posted by Krista Dunk
www.KBWomen.com

God Ideas

Last week, I got the privilege of seeing Creflo Dollar speak at the Christian Faith Center Vision '09 Conference. Excellent! One of the really great nuggets of truth I walked away with was on the topic of resources and time management.

If you are an idea person (like Tammy and I totally are), you get good ideas all the time. The problem is knowing which to implement! As business and ministry people, there is only so much time, resources and money available, so we can't "do" everything. Therein lies the dilemma... Which ideas get focused attention and become activities to work on and develop?

About 3 years ago, Pastor Dollar said he swept through his ministry eliminating every "good idea" that was taking up resources, time, volunteer hours, money, etc. Seem strange? It did to me as well, until he followed it up with this thought - Allow only the God ideas to remain.

If we can catch hold of this simple thought, it could transform our businesses, careers and ministries. Allow only the ideas and activities that God ordains and anoints to remain. The God ideas will flourish. The God ideas are predestined to succeed. The God ideas will bear much fruit. The God ideas will bring you the most satisfaction. The God ideas serve his purposes on the earth. I don't know about you, but I think I have some "house cleaning" to take care of...
-Krista Dunk, Co-Founder

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Brought to you by Koinonia Business Women - www.KBWomen.com

God's Rifining Fire

Welcome!

Have you ever dared to pray a prayer like this? "God, send me through your refining fire and strip away anything in my life, heart, thoughts, activities, relationships, unforgiveness, $ spending, or anything else that isn't part of your plan for me. Whatever needs to be removed, whatever is blocking my spiritual progress, anything encumbering, all of my bad attitudes, etc., please help it fall off of me. Refine me."

That is a serious prayer - one that God would want each of us to pray. That prayer is applicable to us for our businesses and goals too. There is a new contemporary Christian song that says "Make me aware". God will make us aware of things that need to go, step by step. It's our job to release them and renew our minds!

November Meeting Report

Greetings! The Koinonia Business Women's group had another great meeting this week. In attendance, we had small business owners, real estate agents, ministry leaders, aspiring entrepreneurs, & a network marketing gal! Krista presented a message about our self-images, which sparked a flurry of discussion. Tammy challenged the group to see ourselves as God does, not through the eyes of other people. Everyone was interactive and showed their depth & richness in joint participation!

Would you like to join us in December? If you're in the South Puget Sound area, meet us on December 16th in Olympia for our local meeting... holiday style :-)! Please RSVP & get more info at www.KBWomen.com so we can prepare a place for you. Meetings are free!

You Are Blessed Today!

Why Prayer is Crucial, by Krista Dunk

"Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up." - Luke 18:1

Have any of you read the book called 90-Minutes in Heaven? It's a very interesting read for sure. Here is a quick summary of the first part: A pastor was in a fatal car crash, died, spent 90 minutes in Heaven, then was miraculously brought back to life when a passing minister felt an overwhelming urge from God to pray for him (although he had already been dead for 90 minutes). Here were my questions after reading that book - Why did God have that passing minister pray? Couldn't He have simply had the pastor get up and walk out of the car without the prayer? Are our prayers really that important? Yes, apparently they are.

"Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete." - John 16:24. Here's what I've learned so far from the Word about prayer:

• When we pray, we set our minds on Godly things and on His will.
• When we pray, we authorize His hand to move.
• When we pray, we use the authority God has given to us.
• When we pray, God sends angels to help.
• When we pray, we cast our cares on God and let Him take over.
• When we pray, God answers according to His will.
• When we pray, we plant seeds for our future or for the future of others.
• When we pray, we can minister to the Lord.

Many of us have the idea that prayer is more of a feel-good factor, something we do for our own psyche or for our own "spiritualness". Now it's time to see how prayer equals action. We take action by praying, and God takes action by responding. Let's discuss a few of our bullet points in more detail.

When we pray, we set our minds on Godly things and on His will. Daily life is busy. If I were to try and list my daily routine and responsibilities, it might make my head spin! However, by having a mindset or attitude of prayer throughout the day, we bring our focus and thoughts back to God daily, hourly, moment by moment.

When we pray, we authorize His hand to move. This was a huge revelation to me. Before, I did not realize that God waits on me (and others) to ask for things and to pray about situations. He literally may not move or work until someone prays. Just like in the 90-Minutes in Heaven book, God needed a man to speak the words out to start His healing power in motion. Prayer changes things. As Tammy would say, God is a gentleman. He waits for an invitation. His mighty hand is ready to act on behalf of His people and according to His will.

When we pray, we plant seeds for our future or for the future of others. In the Bible, you can see a common theme or principle at work. It's the symbolism of the seed, the sower and of the agricultural growing process. Prayers are seeds that we sow in the supernatural realm that will cause results to show up in the natural world. We can pray for physical, emotional or spiritual healing, provision, protection, peace, children, direction, etc., for ourselves and others. These words and prayers that we speak out to God are used in a very powerful way. As we know, "life and death are in the power of the tongue" and this is why. Prayer is seed.

In those 3 examples alone, we can begin to see how powerful our prayers are as individuals. They are crucial to every aspect of our lives, including our careers or businesses, our families, marriages, health, friends, our country, and our world. The amazing thing is, is that God actually needs our prayers. Our prayers really do make a difference! Think about what you can do today to impact the world around you with your prayers.

"The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." - James 5:16

What Are You Made For?

Have you ever stopped to wonder what God has made you for?
Or what your divine purpose is as a successful, faith-filled woman?
“We are the clay, and thou are Potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.” Isaiah 64:8

Consider this: We are as a lump of clay in the potter’s hand. God is molding and refining you with is caress and loving touch, and it is our job to remain pliable and in right spirit with God. This is true for all aspects of life and business. We are being molded for something truly magnificent, something that God will use for His appointed time.

When we consider all the elements of the wheel, water and pressure of the potter’s hands, how they all work together to create a beautiful earthen vessel, we can easily tie that craftsmanship to the work of God in our lives.

Sometimes it is hard to keep our balance and stay firmly planted where God has placed us. The pressures of the world, the economy, the weight of the care for the family can all feel as though they are mounting against us. What is key is to stay in touch with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit so that together you will be created into the beautiful piece of work that can solely be used by God and for His glory.

Be cautioned - the emotions of your inner man can get you off balance and out of sync. Just like an earthly potter’s emotion during working hours at the wheel plays a sensitive role in making a beautiful and durable earthen vessel. Every time a joyful potter puts clay on the potter’s wheels, spinning and forming it according to his will, the result is always superb and delightful beyond degree. On the other hand if grief floods the potter’s soul, no remarkable vessel is made by his grief-troubled hands. The product always reveals the potter’s emotion.

When we get off balance with Him, just as clay can become imbalanced on the potters wheel, we may go flying every direction or simply slump in the middle of the wheel, just as clay that is out of touch with the potter’s hand does. God wants to mold, sculpt and caress us into the divine beauty that He has planned for us to be. Will you allow him to?

Every believer is in the hands of God and being shaped according to His perfect will. As the potter pats the clay for a purpose, so is the Lord in shaping us through chastisement, not to destroy us, but to teach, discipline and strengthen us. It is also a wonderful manifestation of His great love for His children.

When God has completed the sculpting process according to His perfect will, we are not done yet. It’s time to get refined – in the fire! This process makes us strong, giving us stamina to endure the pressures of the world. -But He knows the way that I take when he has tested me. I shall come forth as gold. Job 23:10

Caution: This is often when the enemy will come even stronger against us to get us to crack under the pressure of his lies and deceit. Stand firm child - God is there watching, strengthening, adorning and waiting to bring us up, through and out of that fire. On the other side of it you will be a piece of beautiful artwork, ready for His divine use. – Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time. 1 Peter 5:6

We encourage you to stay the course, even if the pressure is seemingly too much to handle – ask for God’s hand to move to relieve, to support so that you may keep moving toward what He plans for you. Coming out of the fire too soon can actually cause us to crumble when the next round of pressure comes. Then, the process starts over again at the wheel. We have to be patient, wait on the Lord and rebuke the attacks from the enemy. – Casting all your care upon Him, for he cares or you. 1 Peter 5:7

1. How many times do you need to go back to the wheel?
2. How many times do you crack under the pressure of the refining, which is when God puts the beauty on us for His glory and purpose?
3. What do you feel at this moment?
4. Where are you in the process?
5. Imagine the sculptor and the gentle touch it takes to create a beautiful piece of art.
6. What shape are you noticing you are taking on through the process?
7. How will you use your new shape, adorned with His best, in the world, your family and your life?

The Wonderful Result

The result is so amazing to the point that we could be led to sing “How Great Thou Art.”

The final piece is not just for viewing pleasure; no, God wants to use you. He may make you a vase to adorn you with flowers for sharing their scent and beauty. He may make you a bowl for holding fruit to feed and nurture others with. He may make you a cup for watering souls. It’s always something to be shared, not kept hidden.

So true to believers in Christ, as we are in the Master’s hands, we go through a progressive process and the time will come when the greatness of our Maker will be displayed through our lives in an awesome way.

Think of where you have come from, how He has sculpted you thus far. Resist the temptation to come out of the fire too early, causing crumbling under pressure. Allow Him to finish what He has started with you. Remember what you have learned, and advance to the next stage. God wants you to have victory!

Persecuted for Your Faith?

As a Christian businesswoman, I recently experienced some online persecution on a social networking site. Here is the irony - I was hoping to get feedback from other Christian business owners on the challenges they experience. With the abrupt hostility I faced, my own question was answered!

We in the U.S. experience "persecution" on a much smaller scale (usually) compared to Christians in other countries, where they experience financial, physical and even legal persecution for their faith. However, what we deal with is real none-the-less. Anti-Christian attitudes, unfair treatment, ignorance, slander, prejudice, and more rarely, attacks on property are realities of Christian life in the modern-day USA.

Realize this - the offenders, at the core, are against God, not us as individuals.

What can we do? Pray. Forgive. Do not let our hearts be troubled. Overcome the offense. Seek God on how to respond or if to respond at all. Sometimes the antagonist is actually seeking answers about God.

Are you wondering what I did? I did not respond - it was futile. These folks were questioning, yet not really wanting answers. "Light" and just the mentioning of "Christian" was offensive to their darkness. In this world we will have troubles, but He gives us His peace to see situations and people through His perspective. And now this situation can be shared to encourage others to press on towards the prize, no matter how many others want to trip you on the way!

Can God Bless the Work of Your Hands?

It's an interesting question, right? God says He will in many different scriptures. However, there are specific things potentially mixed with "work" which He cannot bless, such as:

• Lying, because He is truth,
• Laziness, because He gives us the power to get wealth,
• Lust, because He loves self-control,
• Selfish desires and fleshly ambition, because He cares for people and commands us to do the same,
• Pride (unteachable attitude or boastfulness), because He says He will lift up the humble,
• Indecision or unfulfilled promises, because He Himself makes promises and has covenants,
• Poverty mentality, because He's waiting to pour out the storehouses of Heaven,
• Bitterness, because He freely forgives you,
• Unfaithfulness, because He is faithful,
• Deceitfulness, because things done in secret will be brought into the open,
• Justifying wrong actions, because He searches and knows our hearts, and
• Worldly wisdom, because His ways are true wisdom.

We say "work" with quotes because your work is not solely what you get paid to do. It can include serving, a volunteer ministry, what you do at home for your family, any kind of effort you put forth (to of course include jobs, businesses, etc.). There is a character/attitude and a work ethic that is a very necessary ingredient of God being able to bless the work of your hands.

Keep coming back for more on this topic! Scroll down to subscribe to our Blog RSS feed and get alerted each time we post. Blessings...

Welcome to Koinonia Business Women's New Blog called "BLING"!

What is Koinonia Business Women?

Koinonia Business Women (KBW) is an organization originally created by two Christian business women in partnership for a joint purpose. We are "Building & Empowering Today's Christian Businesswomen".

What is this Blog for?

Ongoing conversation, encouragement, business skill building tips, Godly wisdom, and updates on KBW event information. We shift perspectives in thinking so that women stop under-living and start performing to their own personal greatness.

What does BLING stand for?

Building, Leading, Inspiring, & Nurturing Godly businesswomen! We liked the meaning behind BLING's word-play and we just like sparkly bling stuff too, so it was a perfect fit!

Who is this Blog for?

Professional women, aspiring entrepreneurs, business owners, ministry leaders, executives, women who run/manage a business for someone else, and women in business in general.

Some of you ladies may be 'none of the above' (right now). However, if you feel you belong here anyway - welcome!

What does the word Koinonia mean?

Hearts in fellowship with God and with like-minded believers: Expressing our depth & richness in joint participation.

Where can I get more information?

You can visit www.KBwomen.com, and www.koinoniabusinesswomen.ning.com for more information!