Conference Follow-up - Day 1

Do you remember the chocolate illustration?

It is when we personally taste the Lord for ourselves that we see that He is good! Then we can’t help but love Him and glorify Him! THAT is what life is all about!

Here is your opportunity for today!
Spend 5 minutes (or more!) before the Lord:
~ Read Psalm 34:8
~ Record ways you have already personally tasted the Lord.
~ Praise Him for those things!
~ Ask Him to help you know Him more.
~ Decide on one thing you will do today to seek to taste the Lord!

Know that the more you taste Him, the more you will know that He is good!

"Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!" Psalm 34:8

Conference 30 Day Follow-up!

We are thrilled to introduce a special follow-up opportunity to the Washington Conferences that took place this past weekend!

We are excited for this opportunity to keep seeking the Lord together and to put into practice the things we talked about! (For those of you who were not able to attend the conference, we so believe that you will be richly blessed if you choose to take part right along with us!)

You can look forward to a meaningful, fun, and growing time of seeking the Lord and becoming beautiful to Him!

The 30 Day Follow-up begins today!

*For conference attendees:
Today ~ Think back over the weekend. What was the biggest thing the Lord taught you? How are you going to apply it? As you ask the Lord for His help, and step out in obedience, He will do great things!

"Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious." ~ 1 Peter 3:3-4

Washington Conference Report

This past Friday and Saturday, girls, young women, and woman aging from preteens to eighties gathered at Cedar Springs Christian Retreat Center in Sumas, Washington for 2 one day events hosted by Biblical Womanhood Seminars.


The Lord faithfully and powerfully moved in our midst.

Amy spoke on: Embracing a Transforming Relationship with the Lord, Becoming Beautiful to God, Living a Life of Truth and Impact for Christ, Mentoring in Action, and more.

Hearts were stirred to love Jesus above all, fresh resolve was made to live lives of Truth, and vision was received to disciple others in the same pursuit.


Many are excitedly starting groups, hosting conferences, and teaching Sunday School classes in their area using the LTLM materials.


We praise the Lord, give Him all the glory for His work, and joyfully press on together to know Him more!

“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20


We are claiming the promise of Philippians 1:6 that “...He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Washington "Beautiful to God" Conferences - October 2nd and 3rd!

We are so excited for all that the Lord has in store for the 2 upcoming Washington "Beautiful to God" Conferences on October 2nd and 3rd!

These will be powerful one-day events covering key topics crucial for young women today:

- Embracing a life-changing relationship with Christ
- The importance of inner beauty
- Finding your identity in Christ
- Keys for growth
- Gaining a vision for your life
- Living a life of truth and impact for Christ
... and more!

We would love to see you and your friends there!

Date:	Friday, October 2nd, or Saturday, October 3, 2009
Time:	8:30am - 8:00pm
Location:	Cedar Springs Retreat Center
Street:	4700 Minaker Road
City:	Sumas, WA

For more information or to register, you can call Cedar Springs Retreat Center at (360)988-6674.

More Summer Challenge Testimonies

Here are some more powerful testimonies from the Summer Challenge! We hope they encourage you as much as they did us!

"I am so glad that I got to do the Summer Challenge. I learned more about God than I ever knew. Before this challenge I never really read the Bible. I would read it, but I never thought about what the Lord was saying, and how it applied to my life. I also thought that the Old Testament was boring and irrelevant to my life. Now I know that there are some awesome lessons to be learned from it.

By spending time with the Lord each day, I was able to clearly hear His instructions for my life. He showed me parts of my life that needed attention. With His help I was able to work on it and make a change. I am amazed by how much I grew in the Lord and how much He taught me...

I plan to continue in devotions and memorizing verses."

~ A.G.

~

"God has really blessed me through the Summer Challenge! There is no way that I would have spent 1,715 minutes in His Word without this incentive to spend time with Him. This challenge motivated me to read my Bible every day and memorize Scripture. I will keep doing this, by God’s grace, for the rest of my life!"

~ Sarah

~

"This summer challenge has really blessed me! I feel like I’ve gotten closer to God during this time. I’m still gonna do devotions even though its done (The Summer Challenge).

I have verses that helped me when I wasn’t able to go to sleep. Psalm 4:8 “I will both lay me down in peace and sleep; for Thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.” The other is Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” These Bible verses were an encouragement to me."

~ Krista

Announcing the 2009-2010 Young Woman's Monthly Gatherings!

It is with much joy and anticipation for what the Lord is doing that we invite you to the Young Women's Discipleship Gatherings! It is our prayer that these times will be a source of encouragement, spiritual enrichment, fellowship with like-minded girls, and accountability in following the Lord. We also desire to aid the girls in turning their hearts to their parents, in growing to love their family more, and in seeking to fulfill God's special plan for their lives.

Girls and young women ages 11 on up are welcome to attend. Below is a sample of what takes place at the gatherings.

Schedule:
10:00 a.m. Singing and Opening Prayer
10:15 a.m. Message*
11:10 a.m. Small group prayer time led by godly older girls
11:45 a.m. Testimonies
12: 10 a.m. Singing and Challenge for the month
12: 30 a.m. Fellowship

*Most messages will be given by Amy Vest, with occasional guest speakers with the same heart.

This year's Monthly Gatherings will run from October 2009 - April 2010 on the second Saturday of every month.

The Gatherings will be held again at Vision of Glory Church in Plymouth, Minnesota.

This year we will be studying Amy Vest's series on "Changing Your World for Christ" and are so excited for what the Lord is going to do in our hearts!

Amy's assistant, Elizabeth will be leading these gatherings and is so looking forward to the time with everyone who attends.

We hope to see you this fall and look forward to all that the Lord has in store!

There will be no cost for these gatherings and we encourage you to invite your friends! We want this to be open to any girls who are desiring to grow in their walk with the Lord!

You are welcome to attend any or all of the gatherings as your schedule allows. You are not required to make a commitment to attend consistently. We are glad to have you for as many times as you can work out!

Please feel free to contact the Monthly Gatherings coordinator Elizabeth at elizabeth@lovingthelordministries.org with any questions you may have.

"The Lord is good to... the soul that seeks Him."

This Summer Challenge testimony is from a 14 year old young women named Isabella:

"...Most of all, the Lord has drawn me so much closer to Himself during this. (The Summer Challenge) The Lord has given me such a desire to just live for Him, and breath every breath to glorify His name.
He has also given me such a love for Him, His Word (the Bible) and has given me such a love to spend time with Him. (I used to spend about 10 minutes a day reading the Bible, but now hours will go by.)...
Lamentations 3:25, "The Lord is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him." (emphasis added) This verse has been so true in my life these past few months. The more I seek the Lord with all my heart, the more He has blessed me!"

God Rewards Those Who Seek Him

"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
~ Hebrews 11:6

Summer Challenge Testimonies

It has been AMAZING to receive your Summer Challenge charts and to read what the Lord has done in your hearts this summer! We are excited beyond words!!! The Lord truly did amazing things as a result of your dedication to seek Him! So many of you are telling us that you are going to continue having your personal devotions for the rest of your lives. It truly is the most important thing you can do - because your relationship with the Lord is the most important thing in the world!!!

We will be sharing a few of the testimonies we have received over the next few days, so you can be encouraged by the rewards that come from seeking the Lord and seek Him even more yourself!!!

Summer Challenge Ends Today!

Today is the last day of the Summer Devotions Challenge 2009!

We pray that this has been a rich summer of seeking the Lord and can't wait to hear what He has done in your hearts!

Please be sure to send your charts to us by September 6th, in order to receive your reward! For more details, you can visit www.lovingthelordministries.org! (Please be sure to write a testimony on the back of the chart sheet!)

Know that the greatest reward is a deeper walk with the Lord and the riches of spending time with Him!

May He richly bless you as you continue to seek His face!

Here is a special verse to ponder as we conclude this challenge, but allow it to be only a springboard into a life of seeking the Lord -

“Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.” Hosea 6:3

Who Holds First Place?

Stop at this moment... and ask yourself, "Who - or what - holds first place in my heart?"

Let's allow NOTHING to take the Lord's rightful place as first in our hearts!!!

Colossians 1:18, "...that in all things he [Jesus] might have the preeminence."

Nothing is too hard for the Lord

"Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?"

~ Jeremiah 32:27

Last week of the Summer Devotions Challenge!

This is the last week of the 2009 Summer Devotions Challenge, friends! (The last day is August 31st.) We love hearing your reports of what the Lord is doing and encourage you to finish strong!!!

This is a powerful testimony we received from a young woman named Emma who has been doing the Summer Challenge:

"The Lord really showed me a few times throughout this summer, that I really need to trust Him more and not rely on my own understanding and what I think is right. He also showed me that He wasn't first in my life, and that I had competing affections, mostly fictional books. After I prayed about this and asked Him to help me have more of a desire to read His word (and not other books) and seek Him more, I realized I actually started spending more time in the Bible without trying too, I started learning more then I was before, and I wanted to read more because all of the sudden it seemed easier to understand. I'm so thankful that the Lord answered my prayer, because it has made me see some things in His word and learn more then I thought I could!" :)

May the Lord richly bless your last week of the Challenge!

Hebrews 11:6, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

Start Your Own Loving the Lord Fellowship Group!

We are thrilled to announce the launch of the Loving the Lord Girls Fellowship Groups Network! Many young women, mothers and daughters, and church groups have already started these groups and it has been so beautiful to see the results. Now we are launching a Network to support you in this quest!

We strongly believe in the importance and power of seeking the Lord, studying His Word, and sharing fellowship with others who are seeking to love Him. After conferences, we continually hear people express the desire for continued encouragement in seeking the Lord and fellowship with others heading in the same direction. We have found these groups fulfill all of these things and constantly hear incredible responses from those who have participated in them!

These groups take many forms:
- young women's fellowship groups - an older young woman discipling a group of girls
- small groups - mother and daughter groups -one-on-one discipleship study
- Sunday School classes - and more!

So, we encourage you to seriously seek the Lord and consider if you should start a LTL Fellowship Group in your area! Below we are providing information on how to go about starting a group!

You can visit our website and read the information on how to start a group under the LTL Groups section. www.lovingthelordministries.org

The LTLM staff is here to support you in any way as you look at starting a group. If you have specific questions or prayer requests, feel free to contact the Loving the Lord Fellowship Group Facilitator, Elizabeth at elizabeth@lovingthelordministries.org !

Know that you are in our prayers!!! May the Lord richly bless you as you seek His face.

Introducing Amy's Assistant - Elizabeth

It is with so much praise to the Lord that I introduce you to my new assistant, Elizabeth! She is a precious young woman with a heart for Christ, a desire to live a life that is set apart for Him, and a passion to reach young women for His glory. She has been a sweet part of LTL Ministries in the past and it is going to be an incredible blessing to have her even more involved in the days to come! I am so grateful to the Lord for providing for the increasing needs of the ministry through her willingness to serve. So, please join us in welcoming Elizabeth to the LTLM staff team!

Walking with the Lord and Knowing His Love

We are always thrilled to receive testimonies and articles from young women who are following after the Lord! This is an article from a 17 year old young women named Rose, who writes to us from Austin, Texas. Thank you so much for sharing with us, Rose!

Walking and Tripping

This afternoon I took a walk with my four-year-old niece through the woods behind our house. She was so cute and seemed to enjoy every minute of the walk.

As we were coming out of the woods and down a slope in the path she tripped. I pulled up my hand so that she wouldn't fall. She quickly regained her footing and we finished our walk without further incident.

It hit me that this is similar to what God does for us. We reach up with all our might to find the hand of God. He joyfully takes our hand. “Let’s walk together,” He says with a smile. I readily agree. We begin to walk, hand in hand. I'm filled with joy and love.

At first He leads me through woods. “Stay on the path.” He gently reminds me. “And you won't get hurt. Remember that I love you.”

We continue to walk. I get a little tired. The way gets dark. But I still keep in step with Him. Then the trees begin to thin. The sun hits my face like the heat from an oven. The ground slopes down. We begin to walk a little faster. My heart begins to race. Yet His voice and hand lead me on, “Come, this is the way home.” I walk on, beginning to lose my breath.

Then I trip. I forgot the hand that holds mine so firmly. I sin.

Yet His hand still holds mine firmly. Instead of slipping away His hand pulls me up. He lifts me up so that I don't fall. “I'm here,” He says. “I'll keep you.”

So we keep walking together.

Even in those times when I let go of His hand and utterly fall, He stops and calls to me with love. He gently picks me up and carries me close to His heart until I can walk again.

How great and unsearchable is this love that God has given to me, that He holds my hand and walks with me. And He carries me when I fall, no matter what I've done. How great is this love that the Father has lavished on me!

So glad to be in touch...

Dear Friends,

It has been a full and fast summer - and, I trust, a good one for all of you! It blesses us so much to continue to hear about the amazing things the Lord is doing in your hearts and lives!!! Our Lord is so amazing and wants to draw us so near to Himself! Please keep writing and sharing!!! Know that you are always close in heart and we are praying for you!

This summer has been a good and very full one for me. With a different schedule, travels, family time, weddings, etc. in addition to ministry preparation for the coming year, I have not been as available to post on the blog as I would like. But, you can start looking for more regular posts again in the days to come! There is so much to share with you about what the Lord has been and is doing!

Here is a glimpse of what we at LTL Ministries have been up to this summer:
- Concluding so many sweet things from the past year of ministry
- Seeking the Lord for a vision and His will for the coming year
- Planning for the coming ministry year
- Setting up conferences, studies, etc.
- Helping young women start their own LTL groups, host conferences, ministries, etc.
- Updating our records and mailing lists
- Preparing all kinds of new things for Loving the Lord Ministries
- and more!

So, we are so happy to be in touch and look forward to posting much more soon!

On to love our Savior more together!

With so much love in Jesus,
Your sister
Amy

"Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth." Hosea 6:3

No eye has seen...

Isaiah 64:4, "For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him."

We want to hear from you!

It makes us so excited as we keep hearing from so many girls, young women, and women who are doing the Summer Devotions Challenge!!! We know the Lord is revealing Himself and working in mighty ways among us.

We would love to hear what the Lord has been showing you as you are seeking Him this summer! Please send us your testimonies at lovingthelordministries@gmail.com! We hope to post as many testimonies as possible on the blog in the days to come.

A Bigger Picture of God

Recently in my devotions, I was reading in Luke about the birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1). It tells about the miracle the Lord performed in bringing about John’s birth... It is an amazing record of God’s incredible work in preparing the way for Jesus to come and there is so much in this chapter. (I encourage you to read it for yourself!)

As I was reading it this time, this is what really stood out to me - The people who knew Zacharias and Elisabeth (John’s parents) marveled at what the Lord had done in their lives. Everyone who knew them had a bigger picture of God as a result of what they saw Him do in their lives.

It can be the same with our lives! God wants to show those around you and the world Who He is, what He can do, and cause them to marvel.

To do this - “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

We must do this - “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12

The key is that we are seeking Him, walking in obedience to Him, and allowing Him to work in and through our lives. (Luke 1:6)

As we do this, not only will we have the treasure of knowing Him more, but He will give the world a bigger picture of Who He is through our lives!

Embrace the beauty of today

Embrace the beauty of this day. This is a day that the Lord has given you to live, breathe, know Him, and walk in His perfect plan for you.

Psalms 118:24, "This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."

How is your summer going?

Dear Friends,

How is your summer going? I have been thinking of you often and wanting to post. This summer has been made up of amazingly full days. The Lord has been doing incredible things and we are so excited to share more with you in the days to come!

Please check back for more posts coming soon!

We are praying for you and rejoice to seek the Lord together!

With love in Jesus,
Amy

Hebrews 11:6, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

Mailing List Update!

We are currently in the process of updating our mailing list information.  

We would love for you to contact us:
- If you have any changes to your contact information
- If you have additional e-mail addresses to add for specific members of your family 
- With friends addresses who would like to be added to the list

Please e-mail us at lovingthelordministries@gmail.com!

We look forward to continuing to keep in touch with you and seek the Lord together!

Your friends at Loving the Lord Ministries

2 Chronicles 16:9,  "For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him..."

Summer Challenge Begins Today!!!

Just a reminder that the Summer Devotions Challenge begins today!

For more information, you can view the earlier post announcing the challenge and visit our website to download the chart! We encourage you to invite your family, friends, and church to join you in this challenge! Some young women are putting together special groups for this! Please be sure to contact us at summerchallenge09@gmail.com when you begin the challenge, so that we can pray for you and keep you posted on new information! Please also stay posted on the blog for special updates on the Summer Devotions Challenge!

We are so excited to have heard already of so many girls, young women, and women across the country taking this challenge!!!

We encourage you to read the posts from March 11-14 for special ideas on how to make your devotions with the Lord rich and meaningful.

We are looking forward to all that the Lord has in store as we seek Him together this summer!!!

Hebrews 11:6, "...he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

A reminder of the Lord's love

The other day I was outside spending some time with the Lord and look what I saw!



1 John 4:19, "We love him, because he first loved us."

"If I live until tomorrow..." [Remembering God's faithfulness]

One year ago tonight...



I was lying on the emergency room bed - in intense pain, with IVs in my hand, and a fever of 103.8. My mom was sitting beside me. The infection I had been battling had become so serious. The nurses were running blood tests to see if the infection had gotten into my blood. If it had, they said things could be very critical.

As I lay there feeling as if the infection was taking over my body, for the first time in my life I truly wondered if I would make it through the night. It was an incredible thing.

The Lord was so near and real to me as I lay there... I had such peace in Him. I said to Him, “Lord, if I die in 30 minutes, I am going to see You face-to-face and that would be SO wonderful!” (I truly was so excited at this thought.) “Yet, if You are not finished with me on this earth and You want me to live to see tomorrow, I want to live every breath for You.”

(There is nothing like being faced with potentially being at the end of your life to make very clear what is important and to help you identify the areas that need to be fully given to the Lord!)

By His grace and perfect will, the Lord allowed me to live to see the next morning. I will never forget the ride home a few hours (and many medical details of which I will spare you!) later. The sun was just rising, the birds were beginning to sing... and my Creator had given me another day to breathe and live for Him. Even more precious than this, I had come to know His faithfulness, care, and presence in a new way.

So, as we celebrate Memorial Day each year, it is now a special memorial to me of God’s faithfulness!

“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.” Lamentations 3:21-24

May you have a special weekend remembering God’s faithfulness to you!!!

~

(After the night in the emergency room, I ended up in bed for about 6 weeks recovering... Through this time, the Lord taught me so many beautiful lessons that I would not trade for anything! You can watch for them in future blog posts!)

Announcing the Summer Devotions Challenge 2009!

It is with great excitement that we invite all girls and young women to take part in the 2009 Loving the Lord Girls Summer Devotions Challenge!  We know that the Lord has awesome things in store!

Summer is a wonderful time of year.  We enjoy beautiful weather, a more relaxed schedule, lots of fun activities, etc.  Yet, with all of the busyness of running from one thing to the next, irregular schedules, etc. we can sometimes become distracted from what is really important, get disillusioned, and feel discouraged.  We can so often come to the end of the summer and feel a kind of emptiness that results from getting off track in our walk with the Lord.  Just as the grass needs to be watered to keep from drying out in the bright sunlight, so our souls need constant refreshment from time with the Lord and His Word to grow and keep our priorities straight in the midst of many often pleasure oriented activities.

Now that summer is almost here, bringing with it a change of pace, it is the perfect time to begin!  So, we want to invite you to join a bunch of other young women across the country in taking part in this challenge!  We promise you that it will make your summer so much more meaningful and that you will look back at the end of your summer and be so grateful for every moment that you spent with the Lord!  The greatest rewards will be a closer walk with the Lord and knowing His Word and ways in a much better way.   

The Challenge begins June 1st.  We invite you to join us in making this the best summer yet!  

For more details, visit the "Events" section on our ministry website at www.lovingthelordministries.org! 

Hebrews 11:6,  "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

May Ministry Update - Discipleship Training Program Graduation

The Loving the Lord Discipleship Training Program Commencement Ceremony took place on May 2nd, 2009.  It was a powerful time of thanking the Lord for the deep work that He has done in this class over the past 8 months of the course.

Jeff Vest opened the ceremony and offered a word of prayer for the event.

Amy Vest shared the commencement address to the young women on "The Joy of a Life of Loving the Lord, Learning from Him, and Letting Him Shine from Your Life."

Each young woman shared a testimony of what the Lord had done in their hearts over the past months of the course.  These testimonies were dynamic, heart-felt, tear jerking, and God-glorifying.

Each father came up and prayed for his daughter.  These prayers were priceless...

The young women received their diplomas signifying their completion of the DTP course.

Together, we will all press on to know, love, and live for our Lord more each day!

1 Corinthians 2:9,  "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."

What Are You Feeding On?

One morning recently, I was running around the house, getting ready to leave for something. (These have been very full days, which have not allowed much time to post on the blog!) As I was getting ready, I was quickly eating some grapes for breakfast. I was getting ready so fast that I wasn’t really paying attention to the grapes I was eating... but, I thank the Lord that I quickly looked at one right before I ate it - and it was going bad. I was so grateful to have looked at what I was eating at that moment!

It made me think of our lives... We are constantly feeding our hearts, minds, and souls on something and it is impacting our lives. Often we don’t think about what we are feeding ourselves, but it is making a big difference. Just like what we physically eat impacts our physical body, so what we “feed on” internally impacts us internally.

This includes what we:
- Think about - Read - Watch - Listen to - Etc.

We want the things that we are feeding our mind, soul, and hearts upon to be things that will nourish us and cause us to grow in our walk with the Lord - not things that will do us no good, or even damage us spiritually!

Things that will help us include:
- His Word
- His character
- What He has done in our lives
- Hymns and songs of worship
- Prayer
- Things that point us to Jesus

Let’s ask ourselves these questions today -
What am I feeding on?
What is the quality of the things I am feeding on?
What will the results of feeding on this be?
What is my goal in life?
Am I feeding on things that will help me with this goal?

Let’s feed ourselves on things that will help us towards our goal to love the Lord more!

Psalm 37:3, (NKJV) “Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.”

Seeking Him Together

It has been so wonderful to see and get to meet many of you at different events over the past weeks...





Your hearts to follow and love the Lord are such a blessing...











Together, we will continue to seek to know Him more!











“Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.” ~ Hosea 6:3

Romans 11:33-36

“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.”
~ Romans 11:33-36

True Satisfaction

There is no joy in selfish ambition.
Yes, shallow pleasure, but not the deepest, soul-satisfying type.
The only true pleasure comes from pursuit of, and fulfillment in, first Christ and then in His will.
This is what we were created for, and is the only place we will find true satisfaction.

Psalms 37:4, "Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart."

Trust in the Lord

"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."
~ Proverbs 3:5-6

April Ministry Update #2 - Discipleship Training Program

Last Saturday was the final LTL Discipleship Training Program meeting for the class of 2008-2009. We looked at "Gaining a Clear Vision for Your Life" and the importance that we allow Christ to be our vision/purpose in life, walk with Him, and THEN allow HIM to give us a vision for our lives.

Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

It was a powerful time of looking at God's Word, seeking His heart, understanding His ways, and learning how to set goals to make the visions He gives us a reality!

This DTP class has been marked by hearts earnestly seeking God, rich encouragement in following Him, sweet friendships, and honest accountability in seeking the Lord!

We concluded with DTP young women sharing short speeches and personal testimonies from their lives with the rest of the group. It was powerful to hear the special work that the Lord has done and is doing in each life - and the unique message He is giving each young woman to share as a result!

Hebrews 11:6, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

The Love of God

Today I spent a few moments near the lake watching the sunlight sparkle on the water... This always makes me think of the Lord's love.
As I thought about His love, the words to "The Love of God" came to my heart.

The Love of God

The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.

Refrain:
Oh, love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

When hoary time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above,
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.

~ by Frederick M. Lehman

Have a beautiful day rejoicing in the Lord's love for you!

Because Jesus Lives

What we remember today is the most important event of all time!

This event was Jesus dying on the cross, taking the punishment for our sins, and rising victoriously from the dead.

Because of what Jesus did, we can:
- be forgiven and cleansed from our sins
- be made right with God
- walk with Him
- live with Him in Heaven for all of eternity

Jesus’ saving work on the cross is open to everyone - IF we will personally realize our need for a Savior, confess our sins to Him, trust in Him to save us, and receive Him as our Lord and Savior.

Romans 10:9, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."

When this is real in our lives, then we can have the relationship with the Lord that we were created for and grow in knowing, loving, and living for Him!

There is nothing greater about which to rejoice!!!

May today be a meaningful day of rejoicing in Jesus’ resurrection, treasuring your salvation, and standing in awe of the love the Lord had to reach out to us that we might walk with Him and live with Him forever!

Romans 5:8, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

Jesus, Thank You For The Cross

Jesus, thank You for the cross.
Where You hung for me.
The place You suffered utmost loss,
That ransomed I may be.

You gave Your all and suffered,
That through You I may live.
Compared with this no thing,
I have is too much to give.

When you suffered, bled, and died,
To pay my sins penalty.
The wrath of God was satisfied,
And my soul could be set free.

Oh, Jesus, thank You for the cross,
The picture of Love so true.
For through Your perfect sacrifice,
I can know and walk with You.

~ A. Vest 4/9/09

April Ministry Update #1 - MACHE Conference

This past weekend, Loving the Lord Ministries hosted a booth at the MACHE Conference in St. Paul, Minnesota. The Lord met with us in special ways over the weekend.



Amy Vest gave a workshop on "The Power and Potential of Your Youth for God," encouraging young people to live their youth to the fullest with, and for, the Lord. Many parents also attended with the desire to encourage their children towards this goal.



We offered our spiritual growth materials and were blessed as people brought it home with a desire to seek the Lord.

We had the joy of meeting wonderful new friends...

...enjoying great conversations, sharing information, praying with people about specific situations...

...and getting to be with many of you!

"For he established a testimony... That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments." ~ Psalms 78:5-7

Psalm 63:1&3

"O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee... Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee."
~ Psalm 63:1&3