You are Priceless! You are Saved! That is the theme of this month’s newsletter.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23
Included in this month’s newsletter is a devotion, prayer idea, conversation starters, and a Bible reading plan that traces the salvation story through the lives of women. Also included are “Identity Statements,” verses that proclaim who you are in Christ for you to memorize, meditate on and claim in your life.
By Major Jessyca Carr Education Officer College for Officer Training
There are so many different combinations of fabric or ribbon and lights; you can check out YouTube for other options. Using fabric is the MOST economical way to do this craft, but it may take more time. I had several rolls of Costco ribbon, so I used what I had. Last year I used a combination of fabric and ribbon. That was pretty too. NOTE: If you plan to do this with your ladies, I suggest precutting the ribbon/fabric. I had our ladies bring me their selections two weeks before the meeting. I cut all the ribbon/fabric and placed them in baggies for each lady. During our meeting, we began our garland and got 1/3 done. (We chatted a lot!) What was not finished during the meeting they were able to complete at home. Below are instructions to make a 100 Light Ribbon Garland. You can follow these instructions for the fabric style, just the sizes used will be different. See fabric notes at the end.
Supplies: ⦁ Christmas lights – 100 lights ⦁ 12 -15 small zip ties (You can use yarn) ⦁ At least 400 8”-10” strips of ribbon – This will vary depending on the size of the ribbon or fabric.
⦁ Pictured: 7 ribbons used – 5 were 2.5’ and 2 were 1”. If you use a smaller ribbon, you will need more strips. ⦁ If you use a set of 50 lights you will need fewer ribbons/fabric. See below for Fabric details.
Preparation: ⦁ Cut the ribbon – I removed the wire from my ribbon that was wired. ⦁ Place the ribbons in a pattern you like best.
Process:
Fold the strand of lights in half.
Using zip ties or yarn connect the two sides of the lights together.
Cut off the excess zip tie or yarn.
Begin to tie the ribbons around the two strands of lights – only one knot.
Keep the pattern going until you reach the end.
Fabric notes: ⦁ ¾ of a yard of at least 3 coordinating fabrics. ⦁ Use pinking shears or a rotary cutter to cut fabric 1” strips. ⦁ In the picture I didn’t use traditional Christmas lights. These are battery-operated.
Here is a coordinating devotional, way you can pray for people as you make this craft.
As we prepare for the holiday season, consider adding a homemade decoration that also helps you focus on the Reason for the Season! Do you ever think to yourself, “Man, I have a lot of people to pray for lately”? Do you need a reminder to pray for those people you said you would lift up in prayer but actually forget to pray for? Or perhaps you want to spend some significant amount of time in prayer but are easily distracted. This craft may just help you. Using fabric and or ribbon, tie a knot around Christmas lights for a beautiful fabric garland.
Prayer Focus Options:
As you tie knots you can:
Designate each color for a different prayer focus.
Designate each set of knots to a prayer focus.
Designate each light to a different prayer focus.
As you tie the knots pray for the person you plan to give the garland to as a gift.
Color Example:
Red – Pray for the Salvation of those who don’t know Jesus.
Green – Pray for the spiritual growth of those who do know Him.
Gold – Pray for the corps.
White – Holiness within yourself, Your walk with God.
Patterned – Pray for your community.
Each time you look at the garland throughout the season, you will be reminded to say a quick prayer for those who you covered in prayer as you made the garland.
Enjoy the song “God Came to Save Us” as you make this beautiful craft.
As we prepare for the holiday season, consider adding a homemade decoration that also helps you focus on the Reason for the Season! Do you ever think to yourself, “Man, I have a lot of people to pray for lately”? Do you need a reminder to pray for those people you said you would lift up in prayer but actually forget to pray for? Or perhaps you want to spend some significant amount of time in prayer but are easily distracted. This craft may just help you. Using fabric and or ribbon, tie a knot around Christmas lights for a beautiful fabric garland.Check-out the details of how to make the Lighted Garland Craft.
Prayer Focus Options:
As you tie knots you can:
Designate each color for a different prayer focus.
Designate each set of knots to a prayer focus.
Designate each light to a different prayer focus.
As you tie the knots pray for the person you plan to give the garland to as a gift.
Color Example:
Red – Pray for the Salvation of those who don’t know Jesus.
Green – Pray for the spiritual growth of those who do know Him.
Gold – Pray for the corps.
White – Holiness within yourself, Your walk with God.
Patterned – Pray for your community.
Each time you look at the garland throughout the season, you will be reminded to say a quick prayer for those who you covered in prayer as you made the garland.
By Major Rutendo Masango Director of Continuing Education College for Officer Training
Do you know you are loved by our Creator? You are valuable and you are such a huge part of this world. When God created Adam and Eve, he put them in the garden of Eden, a beautiful and perfect place, they could talk with God at any time. Well until the serpent came to distract that perfect life. We read in Genesis 3:
“Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” Genesis 3:1
Of course the serpent twisted God’s command and with that Eve fell into the temptation, together with Adam. Sin entered the world through our first parents which means the rest of humanity has inherited this sin. But we have a God who is so loving and kind, that even though we were separated from him, he had a way for us to stay connected to him, he sent his one and only son, Jesus Christ to the earth, as a baby and grew and yet his mission was to die on the cross for the sins of all humanity.
What an amazing plan of redemption that is, for God is truly amazing!
Well this Bible study theme is: You are saved. And really the important reminder is that God saw that sin separated us from him and his plan was to send Jesus to save us. John 3: 16 we read: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son into the world, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”
What a beautiful promise that if we believe in him we will be saved. Being saved also include turning away from sin, confessing our sins to God and asking for forgiveness and truly believing that we are saved.
Maybe you are here are struggling with really accepting that you are loved and that your sins are forgiven, I would like to encourage you to know and believe that yes you are forgiven. 1 John 1:9 says: “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to purify us from all unrighteousness.” The enemy may whisper inside your heard that you are never forgiven, how can God love a sinner like you? You are not worthy to be saved, or any other lies, well I would like to encourage you that there is no sin that is too hard for God to forgive.
“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” Isaiah 1:18
Digging Deeper:
1. What does 1 John 5:11-12 mean to you?
“And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
2. We are not saved by our good works. What does this verse mean to you?
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
This Christmas season, as we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, let us be reminded about the reason why he came to this earth, he came to seek and save the lost.
3. Read Luke 2:25-32
“Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”
What do these verse tell you about God’s faithfulness and his promises?
Today, be encouraged and know you are loved and God cares enough for you that he sent his son to save you and me.
By Margaret Grieco Territorial Women’s Ministries Department
Philemon 1:4-5 – “I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus.”
The celebration of our Savior’s birth always brings along with the season a beautiful sharing of gifts with those we love and cherish. As a special “thank you” to our family and friends, why not create a card for them that’s personal and very unique!
Supplies: Plastic gems (I use 1-inch in size, but you can go smaller too) Cardstock (8.5 x 11 – in any color) Glue Dots (or Tacky Glue) Gel Pen (or calligraphy pen) Envelopes (4 x 6 – thicker paper would be better for mailing) Paper Cutter Ruler (optional)
Step 1: Turn your cardstock to landscape and use a paper cutter to cut each sheet down the middle.
Step 2: Turn your half sheets longwise and fold them in half (the fold should be a top).
Step 3: Using a ruler, mark the center of the top of the card and line up your gems as you would like them to look on the card. Using Glue Dots, place a Dot on the back of each gem and secure it to your card, placing the gem where you lined it up originally.
Step 4: Starting at the top of the card, draw a line (straight or curvy) from the top to the card to the gem and add a little bow anywhere on the line.
Step 5: You can write “Thank You!” or “Thank You So Much!” at the bottom of the card, write a simple note on the inside and place it in your envelope for mailing to your intended recipient.
Each card will be unique and a fun surprise for those who didn’t expect a fabulous “Thank You” card!
As you write out your thank you cards for all the wonderful gifts that you receive during this Christmas season, spend some time thanking God for His salvation.
“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11.
This time of the year is especially poignant for Christians. It is the beginning of the story as it were. Thousands of years ago, in a small town, in the most unlikely way, the Savior was born, not for His benefit, but for ours.
I imagine that it was both a frightening and amazing night for Mary and Joseph. The birth of your first child is something awe inspiring and a little scary at the same time. Picturing myself in a stable on what I assume to be a very cold night, surrounded by animals, giving birth to not just my son, but the Savior, is something I can’t quite grasp. But Mary did. Mary in those moments, was just looking at the face of her son, her first child, the one she deeply loved. Then the angel of the Lord appeared, the shepherds stopped by and gave honor to this child that they had been told about, but Mary, pondered in her heart all that she had seen and heard. The Savior had been born. The beginning of the story.
This boy would grow up with a carpenter father and a virgin mother to become a sacrifice for each of us. Luke Chapter 2:40 tells us “And the child grew and became strong; He was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him.” God sent His one and only Son to live as a man, to understand how you and I live, to have feelings and emotions, to be tempted, heal others, have joy, share sorrow, and to raise people from the dead. And, He was to be a living sacrifice for you and me.
It is not enough to read about Jesus. We must know Him and to accept Him as our personal Savior. John chapter 14, Jesus is speaking to His disciples, even though they were with Him and learned from Him, still did not KNOW Him. In verse 6 He answers them “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus was born so be in relationship with you and I and to draw us closer to Himself. We are saved by the beautiful and unending grace of God in our lives when we confess our sins, and turn to Him, he is faithful and forgives us.
We can thrive and flourish in our identity in Christ. You and I, made in the image of Christ, have our identity in Him. As you celebrate the birth of Jesus this Christmas, look further than the stable. Take a deep reflection on this very beginning of the journey to our salvation. Jesus came, he grew in strength and wisdom. Jesus taught and healed and was loved and put to death on a cross for you and for me. There is joy in our celebration not just because of the birth, but where this birth took Jesus, for our sake. It is the greatest gift of all – salvation! I pray that you will accept this gift, if you haven’t already. It will change your life. And if you have a relationship with Him, that this year will be another reminder of His perfect and sacrificial love for you. God bless you!
https://usw-womensministries.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/dan-kiefer-uPl8fJ5Ce2M-unsplash-1-scaled.jpg17072560Beth Desplanckehttps://usw-womensministries.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/uswLogo-300x75-300x75.pngBeth Desplancke2024-11-19 09:34:062024-11-20 09:50:31You Are Saved
We are excited to announce a brand-new series of daily devotionals produced by the IHQ Women’s Ministries Department, “Reflections on Justice.”
The series contains 31 devotionals, written by women of different ages and stages of life from across the international Army, making it perfect as a daily reading for an individual or a group. Each daily reading contains Scripture, a devotional reflection, a prayer and a challenge to bring goodness, justice and light into the dark places in this world.
As well as being available to download and print for individual use, “Reflections on Justice” will be available as a reading plan on the Bible App by YouVersion. We are inviting you to read the devotional series with us as part of a global reading event, starting on 1st November and ending on 1st December.
You are Priceless! You are Fully Known by God! That is the theme of this month’s newsletter.
O Eternal One, You have explored my heart and know exactly who I am; You even know the small details like when I take a seat and when I stand up again. Even when I am far away, You know what I’m thinking. Psalm 139:1-2 (VOICE)
Included in this month’s newsletter is a devotion, prayer idea, conversation starters, and Bible reading plan to help you focus on your identity as being fully known by God. As included are “Identity Statements,” verses that proclaim who you are in Christ for you to memorize, meditate on and claim in your life.
By Major Gaylene Yardley Divisional Women’s Ministries Secretary – Southwest Division
This craft is a tree with all the lady’s fingerprints as leaves in fall colors. You can make one print together and display it in your meeting room, or provide enough canvas so each lady can have their own tree to take home.
Put the Scripture Verse on it: “How precious to me are your thoughts O God. How vast the sum of them!” Psalm 139:17
You can put each woman’s name by their fingerprints and then put the scripture at the bottom. Perhaps you want to put the words “He Knows My Name” on the bottom.
Supplies needed
Finished project
Enjoy yourself and be thankful that God knows you fully and you are not one the same.
As you craft, perhaps play the song “He Knows My Name” by Francesca Battistelli
Download the printable version of this month’s Devotional, Craft & Bible Study:
By Major Gaylene Yardley Divisional Women’s Ministries Secretary – Southwest Division
Begin by meditating on the song “Known” by Tauren Wells
Read Psalm 139:1-24
Questions for discussion:
Am I important to God? Yes! Romans 8:27 – “God already knows our deepest thoughts. And He understands what the Spirit is saying, because the Spirit speaks for His people in the way that agrees with what God wants.” (ERV)
Why am I important to God? Because He loves you! Romans 5:8 – “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 1 John 3:1 – “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” Jeremiah 31:3 – “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” How is it that He knows me so well?
Because the scriptures tell us so. Psalm 119:73 “ Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands.” As we look at Psalm 139:13 and 14 we find that we are made and knit together in our mothers’ womb. In looking at Psalm 119:73 we also see that we that we were made and formed by God the Father. What a joy to know the creator and the creation He made us to be.
What are some scriptures about being fully known?
Luke 12:7 Hairs on your head are numbered.
Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.
Psalm 139:16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
Being fully known by God is one of the best things we have going for us. Because of this verse we can understand that God loved us so much that He sent Jesus to die and to rise again for us. I pray that you know how important you are to God and that you are blessed to be fully known.
John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Let’s sing to close out this time of study, Jesus Loves Me
Jesus loves me, this I know. For the bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong, They are weak but HE is strong! Yes, Jesus loves me, Yes, Jesus loves me, Yes, Jesus loves me, The bible tells me so!
Download the printable version of this month’s Devotional, Craft & Bible Study:
https://usw-womensministries.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/adrian-fernandez-t1jlLrsMpjc-unsplash.jpg25532552Beth Desplanckehttps://usw-womensministries.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/uswLogo-300x75-300x75.pngBeth Desplancke2024-11-06 13:18:042024-11-06 13:18:24November 2024 Bible Study: I am Known
