Giveaway Winner

The winner of the Bible Study Workbook for Duty or Delight is...





















Thank you Diane for your entry and congratulations!!! I will be emailing you soon.

We pray that you will enJOY Duty or Delight and that it will strengthen your walk with Jesus!


Finding JOY in the JOurneY,



www.wendybender.blogspot.com

A Giveaway!

It's THAT time again... time for another book Giveaway here on The Journey!!!

I am super excited to announce our next Women of Thanks bible study!

Thursday evenings, beginning April 19, we will be offering a brand new bible study entitled Duty or Delight.

















This 6-week bible study written by bible teacher, Tammie Head, is sure to challenge us as we discover God's best for us.

God is not looking for us to perform for Him, He's looking for us to delight in Him. Many of us hit invisible barriers when we seek the Lord with questions like:

~ Is God happy with me?
~ Does He really love me?
~ Am I doing enough?
~ Why do I feel guilty all the time?
~ Why can't I seem to grow more spiritually?

We will embark on a journey together to overcome spiritual insecurity using six foundational truths from Ephesians 1:3-23. We will discover the beautiful news that God has not only chosen us for a deep, soul-satisfying relationship but He also constantly supplies everything we need to know Him this way.

ENTER TODAY to win your FREE COPY of Duty or Delight (a $12.95 value).

To register to win:
Leave a comment on the blog (below this post).
Tell us your name and contact information (email address).
Tell us the area you seem to struggle with most in your spiritual walk or one area you would like to see improved through this study.
Become a follower of The Journey (upper right hand portion of the blog).

Entries must be submitted NO LATER than midnight on Thursday, March 22. The winner will be announced via the blog and facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Women-of-Thanks/201699266562560) on Friday, March 23.

Below is Tammie talking about this new study. Check it out! (Make sure to pause the music below in order to hear the sound)...



I can't wait for this study!

Praying for YOU!

Finding JOY in the JOurneY,



www.wendybender.blogspot.com

Fifteen!

Today is my wedding anniversary. Fifteen years! I can hardly believe it! Where has the time gone? Wasn't it just yesterday when we walked down the aisle? Wasn't it just yesterday when I got butterflies in my stomach at the sight of you waiting for me in that church sanctuary? We were so young. We were so ridiculously in love. We didn't know then all that we know now, but yet I wouldn't trade these past 15 years for ANYTHING else in the world.

You have taught me more about love than any single person on this planet. You have loved me on the worst days of my life. You have forgiven me countless times. You have led our family courageously. You have given more than you have ever expected in return.

You save me every day of my life.

And I am grateful!

Today... I celebrate who we are together. I am convinced that I am better WITH you than I could ever be withOUT you. You... complete me.

Remembering when... and loving you for...

... The time you TOLD Rural Electric that we WOULD have a wedding reception at Sauk Valley in the middle of the worst ice storm this county had seen in a long time. No power... too bad. And guess what? We had a beautiful reception. With heat. And lights. :)

... The time you had Salsaria's deliver food to me when I was home from work and sick in bed. They don't deliver. They did for you!

... When I was in labor with Chloe, our nurse insisted that we have "birthing music" during the delivery. We didn't know what "birthing music" was but that didn't matter. You ran right home to get a CD player with 20+ CD's for me to choose a song for our sweet Chloe to be born to. I fell in love with you all over again that afternoon!

... That first Mother's Day. You went to Bath and Body Works and couldn't decide on which scents I'd like - so you got them all! A bag filled to the brim with years worth of goodies! You knew the way to my heart back then!

... The time you came to my rescue when I had my accident on Ridge Road. "How will I know where you are?" you asked me. "I'm pretty sure I'm the only blue car in the middle of the field." I cried in response. You have always been my Superman!

I love you for so many other reasons..

For always letting me choose where we're going to eat.

For always being on my side... no matter what.

For keeping me grounded.

For scratching my back.

For you honesty.

For the way you love Chloe.

For the way you surrender more bed space just for me.

For the way you love to surprise me.

For the way your eyes light up when I look at you.

For the way you care for me when I'm sick.

For supporting your girls.

For loving animals.

For loving long rides to the lake on Sunday afternoons.

For being real.

For being so selfless.

For being kind.

For leading by example.

For serving God.

For loving me so well.

I love you more than I will ever be able to say! I want to spend the rest of my life loving and serving you with all that I have and all that I am.

All Because Two People Fell In Love,



www.wendybender.blogspot.com

Even When We Can't See

It was a couple months ago and I was having one of "those" days. You probably know what I'm taking about. The kind where when about 9 in the morning you're reconsidering whether it was wise to have even gotten out of bed or not. There was nothing particularly wrong with the day. I felt fine. The sun was shining. But it was just one of those days when my to-do list was overwhelming me and I was all-consumed with the events of the day.

After dropping Chloe, my eleven-year-old, off at school, I began attacking my list. Laundry, dishes, mopping, vacuuming, dusting, organizing, planning for dinner, shopping and paying bills. I had books to return to the library, movies to return to the video store, shirts to drop off at the dry cleaners and tickets to pick up for the upcoming daddy daughter dance. Somewhere in the midst of all of this I had to remember to schedule an appointment to get the dog groomed, pick up a birthday gift for my nieces upcoming birthday party and reschedule a dentist appointment due to an overbooking conflict (their error). I had emails to respond to, homework to check up on and a meeting to prepare for all while trying to figure out IF and WHEN I might be able to get a shower in. (Tired yet even reading this??)

Aside from a few minor hiccups in my day, I managed to get everything on my list accomplished AND make a batch of chocolate chip cookies! Now - before you call me Superwoman, stop right here! In a hurry my lunch consisted of 2 of those cookies and a large Sprite. I'm pretty sure Superwoman would have had time to prepare a much more sensible meal for herself providing much more energy for the hecticness of the day!

When the kids arrived home later that day (my great niece and nephews were staying with us at the time) all they were really concerned about was "What's for dinner?" You see - they had arrived to a clean house. The came in to a vacuumed living room and a stocked pantry filled with food from the day's shopping trip to the market. They might have seen the mess that morning, but upon entering that house that afternoon, they came into a perfectly spotless environment.

What they didn't see was the work it took to get it like that. What they didn't realize was that their mama was working hard behind the scenes to make sure that they were taken care of. What they didn't see was that they had someone who cared so much for them that they were willing to sacrifice a day of sanity so that they could enjoy an evening of peace.

And it started me thinking... isn't that what our Heavenly Father does for us?

Think about it...

Think about all the work that is involved with making sure we are taken care of. Like that near-miss accident this morning on your way to work. That guy who swerved the center line just before passing you on the express way. Had you been a couple minutes earlier, he might not have missed you and things could have been so much different.

Or what about the storm that hit just as you arrived safely to your home?

Or all the green traffic lights you were able to hit on your way to the hospital to be with a loved one in an emergency?

You see God is constantly working behind the scenes to make sure we... His children... are taken care of.

He protects.
He provides.
He loves.

Oh how He loves!

One of my favorite passages of scripture is found in Exodus 33.

Moses was given clear instruction by God that he would be the one to lead God's people, the Israelites, out of Egypt. However, due to their disobedience and stubbornness, God was going to send an angel to travel with them. This displeased Moses and he responded to God saying, "If you don't personally go with us, don't make us leave this place." (vs 15). Moses knew how necessary it was for God to travel with them personally. He knew that God's presence among them set them apart from all other people on the earth. He knew that apart from God - he could do nothing.

Verses 20-23 just might be my favorite. These verses reflect God's amazing goodness as He changes his mind and decides to go personally with Moses on this journey.
"'But you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live.' The Lord continued, 'Look, stand near me on this rock. As my glorious presence passes by, I will hide you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and let you see me from behind. But my face will not be seen.'”

Moses was told not to look at God's face directly because God's face shown so brightly that anyone who looked upon His face would surely die. God allowed Moses a glorious experience - and to see a glimpse of His glory - but He would not allow His face to be seen. Instead, He would show Moses His goodness, and express His character, marked above all by mercy and compassion.

God did something so compassionate in verse 22, it nearly brings me to tears... "I will hide you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by."

Oh friends! Isn't this Good News?? Isn't this just like our gracious Father to protect us in this way? Isn't this God's working behind the scenes on our behalf?

We are on His mind constantly. I do believe that.
Our protection, our well-being... they are always on His to-do list.

"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." (Romans 8:28)

He is working it out girlfriend! He's got this! Give it over to Him and allow Him to show off His mercy, grace and love!

Hugs!

Finding JOY in the JOurneY,



www.wendybender.blogspot.com