NFY!

by Roy Lessin
Meet Me in the Meadow
http://roy.dayspring.com/
 
We need a new button, t-shirt, bumper sticker, or cap that reads…NFY!

It stands for “Not Finished Yet!”

Regardless of the label people put on you (senior, baby-boomer, retired person), regardless of the number of birthdays you’ve celebrated, you are still here. And as long as you are here, you are not there, and as long as you are not there, it means God still has a purpose for you here.

When Jesus was on the cross, the last thing He said was, “It is finished.” After He made that statement He died. When is God’s purpose for you on this earth finished? It is finished when you die…until then, you are “not finished yet!” (NFY!)

The way in which He uses you may change, but He will never consider you useless, no matter what your age.

A few years ago, I remember someone telling me that my writing days were behind me and my creative work was a thing of the past. Those words did not discourage me, because a few weeks before those comments were made, I heard God saying the very opposite to my spirit. The Scripture God used to assure me things were “not finished yet” was from Psalm 92…

I have been anointed with fresh oil…The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the LORD Shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing, To declare that the LORD is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him. Psalm 92:10, 12-15

This passage helped me realize that my ability to flourish in life, to be fruitful in ministry, and to be fresh in creativity, had nothing to do with my age, but with the anointing oil of the Holy Spirit upon my life.

Many define “the retirement years” as the time when our work is done and we settle into an easy chair as a reward for our productive years. For the child of God, our best years do not have to be a thing of the past. God called Abraham to leave Haran and go to the Promised Land when he was seventy-five years old; God commissioned Moses to deliver Israel from Egypt when he was eighty; God gave Zachariah and Elizabeth a child when they were “well advanced in years;” Paul was still ministering to the body of Christ from prison when he called himself the “aged one;” the 2nd and 3rd books of John are written by the “elder” John; Caleb, at the age of eighty-five was still a mighty warrior and received Hebron as an inheritance; Anna, a prophetess who was well past 80, continued to maintain a powerful prayer ministry, and was one of the earliest believers to see the Lord with her own eyes.

Does the thought of getting older discourage you or make you fearful? Consider these words the Lord spoke to Isaiah…

I will be your God throughout your lifetime— until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. Isaiah 46:4

NFY!

Sisters, have courage!  Not Finished Yet!  Yes, we are a work in progress.  If you listen closely you can hear us cheering for you!  Don't give up!

 

10 Reasons You Can't Afford Not to Be Hospitable

by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

© Revive Our Hearts. Used with permission. www.ReviveOurHearts.com Info@ReviveOurHearts.com

 

1. Hospitality is one of the most practical ways to express the love of Christ.

2. Hospitality reflects the hospitable heart of God.

3. Hospitality is a great way to build unity and community with other believers.

4. The Bible promises rewards for those who practice hospitality.

5. Hospitality is one of the most effective ways to create a hunger for Christ in the hearts of non-believers.

6. Hospitality will help you deal with loneliness and depression.

7. Hospitality will help us deal with selfishness.

8. Hospitality will help you deal with materialism and help you get values that are eternal.

9. If you have children, hospitality is a great way to cultivate in their hearts a passion for ministry and a heart for serving other people.

10. God commands us to be hospitable.

Dear YaYa Sisters, lets always have open hearts and open homes for each other.  It's good for us and it pleases our Lord.  You are the best!

 

Five Areas of a Woman’s Life That Need God's Touch

by Cindi McMenamin

(2008 WM Spiritual Retreat Speaker)
- Strengthforthesoul.com

The following devotional is from Cindi's new book, "Women on the Edge".  Many of you answered questionaires for Cindi during our 2008 WM Spiritual Retreat that ultimately became her book material.  Your honesty and transparency helped her write a very real and effective book to encourage women in their walk with the Lord.  Way to go YaYa's!

Please read the following devotional/excerpt from "Women on the Edge"

Five Areas of a Woman's Life That Need God's Touch...

1. Our Hearts – So They Can Be “Set On Things Above”
Women often stress over the temporal – bills that must be paid, whether or not a man
will come into our lives, if we’ll be able to have a child, what someone is saying about us, how
our body looks, and so on. At times we are more concerned about what the scales say than what
God says. Our heart is closely attuned to our bank balance, rather than our life’s balance. Yet
God instructs us in Colossians 3:1-2: “set your hearts on things above.” If our priorities were in
heaven, not on this earth, we would not only be happier and healthier, but less financially drained
and emotionally spent. Matthew 6:19-21 tells us not to “store up treasures here on earth where
moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures
in heaven ….For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” It takes God’s touch to
clear our hearts of what this world says is important and focus it on the things above.

2. Our Minds – So They Are Transformed and Renewed
It’s amazing how many women profess to know God and follow Him, yet their thinking
patterns are just like those of anyone else in the world. Scripture commands us: “Don’t copy the
behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the
way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and
pleasing and perfect his will really is” (Romans 12:2, NLT). Furthermore, God’s Word instructs:
“fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure
and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise…and the
God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:8-9, NLT). What mental anguish we would spare
ourselves from if we would let God transform our mind and renew our thoughts to think as He
would.

3. Our Mouths – To Be Wholesome and Pleasing to God
Because women tend to be communicators, we can cause much damage with our mouths
if we do not bring them under God’s control. Whether it is gossip, criticism or unkind remarks,
our mouths can be instruments of righteousness or unrighteousness. In Ephesians 4:29 we are
told to “not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for
building others up, according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” God’s touch on
our lives can make us women whose words heal and encourage, rather than distract and destroy.

4. Our Bodies – To Be Pure and Holy for Him
Are you one to worry and stress about what the scale says, how many calories you took
in, and whether or not you can still fit into a certain size? God’s command to us is “Give your
bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice – the kind he will accept. When you think
of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask?” (Romans 12:1, NLT). It is important that
we keep our bodies healthy and in good shape (as we are His temple), but God says our most
prevalent concern should be that we keep them holy. In fact, God calls keeping our bodies holy
our “spiritual act of worship” (Romans 12:1, NIV). One of the ways we can keep our bodies holy
is how we dress. People can tell much about us, and whom we love, by how we dress. Do we call
attention to ourselves or the God who made us? If the way we dress says “Look at me!” we may
want to rethink how we dress so that others can see Christ through us. Can others see Christ in
you or are you getting in the way?

5. Our Emotions – To Be Calmed with the Peace of God
There are days when, hormonally or just circumstantially, we need God’s touch to
calm our frazzled emotions and level out our lives. Philippians 4:6-7 says “Don’t’ worry about
anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and request to
God. Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can
completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.” (CEV) A woman
who is controlled by God’s peace is not on the edge, but in the spacious place of His embrace.
I truly believe if we sought God’s touch in those five areas of our lives we would rarely have
reason to feel we are going over the edge. For instance, when you get frustrated in a relationship,
go back to the principle of letting God transform and renew your mind to only think on whatever
is pure, right, lovely and good and so on. And when you are about to lose it over finances or
something that takes you by surprise, remember to not be anxious about anything, but to pray
about everything…keeping a heart of thanksgiving for what you’ve been given. And when your
heart begins to desire something that you cannot attain, remember to set your heart on things
above.

Excerpted from Cindi McMenamin’s book, Women on the Edge, © 2010 by Harvest House
Publishers. To order the book, visit www. StrengthForTheSoul.com.
Cindi McMenamin - Strengthforthesoul.com