This month for September we are looking at what Jesus said about His people being More Valuable than Sparrows

Jesus said Aren’t five sparrows sold for two assaria coins? Not one of them is forgotten by God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore don’t be afraid. You are of more value than many sparrows. (Luke 12:6-7)

So often we so easily forget that God has our total care in His control, that He loves us to bits and that we are worth so much to Him. This month we want you to reflect on just how precious you are to God, that He wants to have a relationship with you and spend eternity with you

Spiritual Challenges
Week 1: Journal where God has shown you his love for you, that you are more value than the sparrows.
Week 2: Pray that God will reveal to you someone that is not feeling "valuable" right now. Send them a card or a note with Luke 12:6-7. Remind them that God does care & love them.

Craft Theme
If there is a project you have been wanting to do, just for you and have been putting it off, spend some time this month doing it. While you are working on the project remember that you are not forgotten by God, he loves you, you are valuable to Him and He wants you to come to Him and be with Him.

Week 10 - Somewhere in The Middle

This song from Casting Crowns has really been on my heart this past week. Each time I listen to it I'm amazed at just how well the lyrics capture our human walk with God.

Somewhere between the hot and the cold
Somewhere between the new and the old
Somewhere between who I am and who I used to be
Somewhere in the middle, You'll find me

Somewhere between the wrong and the right
Somewhere between the darkness and the light
Somewhere between who I was and who You're making me
Somewhere in the middle, You'll find me

Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control

Fearless warriors in a picket fence, reckless abandon wrapped in common sense
Deep water faith in the shallow end and we are caught in the middle
With eyes wide open to the differences, the God we want and the God who is
But will we trade our dreams for His or are we caught in the middle
Are we caught in the middle

Somewhere between my heart and my hands
Somewhere between my faith and my plans
Somewhere between the safety of the boat and the crashing waves

Somewhere between a whisper and a roar
Somewhere between the altar and the door
Somewhere between contented peace and always wanting more
Somewhere in the middle You'll find me

Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control

Lord, I feel You in this place and I know You're by my side
Loving me even on these nights when I'm caught in the middle

(song written by Mark Hall of Casting Crowns)

The line that does it for me is "Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control". WOW!! I know myself I desires so much to follow God's path, yet want to hold onto the control. Driving in the car the other night I said to Mark, we've got to listen to this song. We turned it up loud and cruised along. After I sat there silently praying and saying "Lord where do you really want me to go, am I to sell up everythign and just get a van and go around the country ministering to people, am I to give up work and concentrate on kids, am I to start a home church? What Lord!?" and then the answer hit me straight away, and it was so simple "Just spend some time with me". I've been slack on the prayer and bible study and God was just saying "Come and meet me, spend time with me, have a relationship with me, then we'll deal with your questions". What a discussion and answer just from a song.

So after that "Long" intro, the point of this week is what worship song speaks to you and why?

Verse: Psalm 32:7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah

Prayer: Lord thank you for the people in our world who have been anointed with the gift of music Lord. Thank you that we are free to worship you, celebrate you and have a life free to be followers of Jesus Christ.

Application: Paste the lyrics of a song into your journal that is impacting you now, or has impacted on your Christian walk at any stage. Journal why it had such an influence.

Don't forget to share here too

Week 9 - Count your Blessings

I watched Facing The Giants this weekend and the line "We will give praise when we win, we will give praise when we loose" really struck deep with me. No matter the situation, no matter how grim life can get, there is ALWAYS something to praise God for. Sometimes we can get focused on a problem we end up with blinkers on and can't see the good all around us. Once we step back and see the whole situation, the problem often becomes insignificant.

Verses : Psalm 128:2 You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.

Proverbs 10:22 The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it.

Prayer : Thank God for all the blessings and provisions in your life. Ask Him to forgive you where you have claimed His work as your own and to show you where you have been blinded to His blessings.

Application : Count your blessings. Journal your blessings and keep a watchful eye this week to see all the good things that God is doing in your life. Keep a journal of praise. When times get tough you will have a quick place to go to see the wonders that God does in your life. & share the joy here, It's not boastful to share His works

Week 8 - Trust

I know so many times in my life when I'm struggling it's often because of one simple reason. I failed to trust God I know when He is speaking to me, giving me direction, but often I fail to do my bit. Today I had a big realisation that these acts of "going my own way" are based on my failure to trust God and His plan for me. The laziness and the dragging my heals are rooted in not Trusting Him to make my paths straight. And what's shocking is I never thought I had a trust issue.

Verses : 2 Samuel 7:28 O Sovereign LORD, you are God! Your words are trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant.

Psalm 9:10 Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.

Psalm 62:8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Selah
John 14:1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God ; trust also in me.

Prayer : Ask God to show you the areas in your life where you have failed to Trust Him. Ask for forgiveness in not handing over the control to Him.

Application: Identify those areas in your life where you have doubted God, gotten impatient that He hasn't moved yet, or you have failed to move on His calling.

Week 5 - Audit Time

I have just been so encouraged and blessed by the last 4 weeks, sharing this journey with you girls has just been such a delight! Some of the words spoken and seeing God working in your lives has been a HUGE encouragement and blessing. God is just so good.

I know a lot of us have commented on either wanting to be cleaner, have life more simplified, our home more welcoming etc. I think to achieve those things we need to take a step and "Audit" our home. I saw this idea on the "Down to Earth" blog a while back and thought "I really must do that one day". So how does this fit in with our Christian Walk. God called us to be stewards of all he has placed us charge over. That's both physical and spiritual. And through doing the Audit you may recognise things that are cluttering your life, find ways you could do something better, or realise that your pantry has a lot more in it than you thought But the more we take stock of the physical, hopefully that will free up more for the spiritual.

There will be two audits going on this week, a Spiritual and a Physical.

Verse - Ephesians 4:22-24 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Prayer - Ask God to show you what to keep and what to let go, both in the physical and the spiritual.

Also this prayer from Stormie Omartian - The Power of a Praying Woman, Harvest House Publishers

Lord, help me to never exchange Your truth for a lie. Where I have accepted a lie as truth, reveal that to me. Help me to clearly discern when it is the enemy who is speaking. I don't want to think futile and foolish thoughts or give place to thoughts that are not glorifying to You (Romans 1:21). I don't want to walk according to my own thinking (Isaiah 65:2). I want to bring every thought captive and control my mind.

Your Word is "a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12). As I read Your Word, may it reveal any wrong thinking in me. May Your Word be so etched in my mind that I will be able to identify a lie of the enemy the minute I hear it. Spirit of Truth, keep me undeceived. I know You have given me authority "over all the power of the enemy" (Luke 10:19). and so I command the enemy to get away from my mind. I refuse to listen to lies.

Thank You, Lord, that I "have the mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:16). I want Your thoughts to be my thoughts. Show me where I have filled my mind with anything that is ungodly. Help me to resist doing that and instead fill my mind with thoughts, words, music, and images that are glorifying to You. Help me to think upon what is true, noble, just, pure, lovely of good report, righteous, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8). I lay claim to the "sound mind" that You have given me (2 Timothy 1:7).

Application - Record you Audits in your journal. The list of tasks can be done one a day, one a week or every second day. Ask God to lead you in the timing of this exercise. As you go about your physical audit pray the prayer from Stormie Omartain first and keep your mind "captive" on the Lord as you go about your task. Perhaps play a worship CD as you go about it, or just keep the dialogue open with God and chat to Him as you go about your tasks.

Day 1 - Where are the hotspots in your home? Where do you accumulate clutter and junk?
What are your spiritual hotspots? Where do you accumulate clutter and junk in your spiritual life?

Day 2 - When is enough, enough? What do you hoard, have to much of, can cull out of your life, give to others? To many clothes in those drawers.
What spiritual truths are you hoarding or holding close to your chest. Do you share the love of Christ with others?

Day 3 - Budget, do you have one? When did you last overhaul it? Do you have any idea where your money goes? Are you able to give to others?
Are you being a good steward with the blessings that have come from God? How does God want you to use His gifts.

Day 4 - What's cooking? Is there a plan to your kitchen? Do you do your grocery shop according to your needs, or your wants? Is your pantry in a bad shape? Do you know what you are eating this week?
What food does your soul need? Is there anything in the house to feed your soul. Do you have junk food around the house to inspire you, or God's word?

Day 5 - What does your home say to others? Take a look at your home from a visitors perspective, what does it say about the occupants.
What does your home for the Holy Spirit say to others? Take a look at yourself from another's perspective, would they know you were Christian?

Week 4 - Way Out of the Muddle

Wow we've had 3 pretty big weeks. Praying for our calling, getting deeper in the word and identifying our temptation; really essential and positive changes to restoring our relationship with God and others. There is also a lot of other "goings on" that keep us from God and our calling. I know personally for me a clean house is one of those areas. I want to be able to minister to others and have an open home. I worry that people won't call in because of the state of my house or that I stop inviting people because I'm embarrassed. Once I went into a home that you couldn't walk through any of the rooms it was such a mess. It was pointed out to me that often the physical represents the spiritual that perhaps the clutter in the home represented the clutter and muddle in their spiritual life. Do you have things in your home that bring you down? It could be anything from a messy house, lack of routine, health issue etc, or holding onto something that could be let go. What is your Muddle? I want you to remember though that God did not send Jesus because we were perfect & it's not being perfect that gets us saved. The main purpose of this weeks challenge is to take these things to God, ask Him to help us get our struggles in order & His strength to guide us.

Verse - 2 Corinthians 12:9 My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness

Prayer - Ask God to help you prioritise your life and set a plan for getting things in order. To show you what things need improving and what things need letting go.

Application - Record in your journal areas that you want to improve and work out a plan to get out of the muddle. And take baby steps to get out of it. Only tackle one area each week or two weeks. It could be something practical like "get washing done Machine to Put away each day" do that for two weeks then apply another change. Also keep going on weeks 1, 2 & 3 praying for your calling to be clearly revealed and working out how you can get into God's word more and to keep identifying temptations that keep you from God's word and your calling.

Week 3 - Identifying Tempation

The first 4 weeks we are really looking at our relationship with God and His purpose for us. Being daughters of the King, being his princeses it's really important to restore that relationship and look at our own walk before we start "taking it to the streets" and getting our home in order. This week we need to focus on our tempations. What stops us from being able to answer God's call and what stops us from being the Christian woman we desire to be. I know myself I can get so easily distracted with stuff and put off what I know I should be doing.

Verses - Matthew 26:41 "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
- Luke 11:4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.

Prayer - Ask God to help you identify the temptations in your life. As for strength to overcome those temptations and to "not be lead into temptation" to help remove them from your life.

Application - Record in your journal areas of temptation & some stragegies to overcome them. Also keep going on weeks 1 & 2, praying for your calling to be clearly revealed and working out how you can get into God's word more. Also what temptations keep you from God's word?


Here's a layout share from Week 1 to create your journal. I'm doing mine in a folder, with this slipped in the cover.






















(Click image for larger)

Flowers, bling & swirls - Willro&co Sweet Things
Photo corner rounding - Kellie Mize template
Paper - Mindy terasawa
Fonts - Book Antiqua, Kuntsler Script & Edwardian Script

Week 2 - Firm Foundation

I hope you are starting to get a little closer to God and your walk with Him as a Christian Woman. That God is starting to reveal to you His plan for you I hope that one of the callings is to draw closer to God. Last week we were having devotions with our kiddos and a neighbour and we were looking at the story of the house on the sand and the house on the rock. It occoured to me that before we can even look at practical changes in our life like visiting a neighbour etc, we have to make sure we are spending time with God, getting that foundation right. God is our rock and one of the best ways to build our foundation on him is not only through prayer but through spending time in His word.

Verses - Matthew 7:24-27 24"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

Prayer - Continue to pray for direction in your walk and God's plan for you over the coming months. Pray also that God will reveal His plan for you in His word and that you will find the time to spend in His word and find His treasures. Thank God for the freedom that we have to have His word in our homes.

Application - Start making it a habit to spend some time each day in His word. How about setting your alarm 10 min early and start the day with God's word. When you find a treasure right it down in your Restoring our Womanhood journal and why it is a treasure to you.



I also came across this devotion from Ellel Ministries which is perfect for this week :-D


Called to be with Jesus

Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve … that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.Mark 3:13-14, NIV

We are often encouraged to identify our particular calling - to preach, to teach, or to evangelise. But I wonder if you've noticed that in Mark's gospel the first call of the disciples was to be with Jesus, and then He sent them out to preach and to cast out demons. For each of us our prime call is to be with Jesus, set apart for Him, spending time with Him. All else will follow from our relationship with Him.

In this account Jesus went up on a mountainside and called those He wanted to come to Him. Presumably in order to respond to Him they had to leave the clamour of the crowds and the demands of the people below and go up higher to be separated and alone with Jesus.

Is Jesus calling you to go up the mountain to a higher level of intimacy with Him? That may mean temporarily separating yourself from the hubbub of life, leaving those things that clamour for your attention - even the good and worthwhile concerns that God may have given you in the past - in order to be with Jesus, to listen to Him and to hear His heart. If you do this as a priority, you'll be able to do the things He is calling you to do.

In the story of Martha and Mary, Jesus told Martha that Mary had “chosen what is better” as she sat at Jesus' feet and listened to Him (Luke 10:42). Will you choose what is better today, to go up the mountain to be with Jesus?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, please forgive me for the times I have ignored Your call to be with You. I want to make it a priority to respond to You, to come up the mountain to be with You. Thank You that You want to be with me. Amen.

Today's Writer : Jilly Lyon Taylor Jilly Lyon Taylor is part of the Leadership Team at Ellel Pierrepont. She worked in publishing and then with children in Hong Kong before concentrating on being a full-time mother and serving in the local church. Her desire to see people healed led her to the Luke Nine Eleven Training School (NETS) at Pierrepont, and now she teaches and ministers there.

Related LinksSitting at the Feet of Jesus - Teaching CDPlease feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship. Provided full acknowledgement is made to Seeds of the Kingdom as the source, you are also welcome to use it in a non-commercial way and reproduce it in magazines or other Christian websites. The copyright for any commercial use of the material remains with Ellel Ministries International.To see archive copies or sign up to receive an email copy of this daily devotional please click www.seedsofthekingdom.com

Week 1 - His plan

It's so easy to get carried away, for the first week of Restoring our Womanhood we can have grand plans about all the things we want to acheive, make better in our life and who we think we'll be at the end of the program. But first things first, we need to go right back to the begining, back to The Creator and ask Him.

Verses - Psalm 128:3a Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house;

Jeremiah 29:11For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Prayer - In your prayers ask God to lead you in your role as a Christian Woman. Ask the Lord to reveal to you the dark spots in our heart that need cleaning up and to prepare us on our journey of restoring our womanhood. Pray also that the challenges will be an encouragement and that blessings will come from following the course. Ask for an open heart to accept our role as women. Also pray that he will show you how to be a fruitful vine in your home. It doesn't matter if you are a sister, daughter, mother, flatemate etc. Ask how you can be fruitful in your houeshold, regardless of it's makeup.

Application - Create a journal to document your journey in restoring your role as a Christian Woman.