Fasting Focus this Week

At the women's retreat, Traci Coursey shared some tips and strategies for fasting with us. One of the resources she directed us to is Jentezen Franklin's website: http://www.jentezenfranklin.org/quicktips.html. From his website, here are the list of reasons one should consider fasting that Pastor Ted highlighted yesterday during the service:

Why should I fast?

Are you in need of healing or a miracle?
Do you need the tender touch of God in your life?
Is there a dream inside you that only He can make possible?
Are you in need of a fresh encounter?
Do you desire a deeper, more intimate and powerful relationship with the Lord?
Are you ready to have heightened sensitivity to the desires of God?
Do you need to break away from bondages that have been holding you hostage?
Is there a friend or loved one that needs Salvation?
9. Do you desire to know God's will for your life?

Here are some verses that could be a good place to start as we week God's face this week:

"Is not this the fast that I have chosen to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the opressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?" ISAIAH 58:6

"And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar..." [JOEL 2:25]

"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

[2 CHRONICLES 7:14]
Hope to see you at church Sunday night as we ask God to move in a mighty way to address so many needs in our body...

Next Bible Study...time to decide

Last night at the women's Bible study we started discussing potential topics/books for our next study. Here are three we are considering. We need to make a decision in the next two weeks, so now's the time to weigh in if you have ideas on a book or a leader.

One option that appealed to several of us is No Other Gods by Kelly Minter. It is an eight-week study that is described to be for young women, but appealed to many of us looking at the little information I had about it. I have ordered a copy of the book and will bring it to church when it arrives. It's designed to be an in-home study with groups of 6 people, so we'd change our approach a bit for it, but that could be a good thing. :-)

Another option is Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World. Clicking on the link will take you to CBD's website where you can see the table of contents as well as the first chapter. I always cringe at titles like this, because I expect Martha to be given a bad rap, but this book is very balanced, and easy to read. I think many of us could learn a lot about balance without ignoring who God created us to be. Some Mary's and some Martha's.

A Woman After God's Own Heart is the third option. Again on CBD's site you can read an excerpt, scan the table of contents, etc. This book looks like it has some great principles that apply to just about every one of us. If we choose this one, we might skip the chapters that are specific to having children or being married -- depending on the make-up of the class. But there seems to be a lot of great information that would apply to all of us.

Please email me, leave a comment here, or grab me at church and let me know if you have a preference or additional thoughts.

Thanks! Cara

Rhubarb Custard Cake

So last week at our Wednesday night Bible study, my friend DJ came in raving about a rhubarb custard cake she had helped a friend make. I asked that friend if she had any extra rhubarb -- hence the strawberry-rhubarb pie I made early this week that symoblized the arrival of summer. Then Wednesday I made the rhubarb custard cake to take to Bible study. I decided we all had to try it since DJ had raved so much about it -- and I just happened to have enough rhubarb left to make it.

YUMMY!!!

I have no idea where Beth originally got this recipe, but I had to share it with you since so many ladies from class asked for the recipe.

Rhubarb Custard Cake

1 yellow cake mix
4 cups rhubarb, chopped
1 cup sugar
1 cup whipping cream

Mix cake mix according to package instructions. Pour into greased 13 x9 pan. Sprinkle rhubarb and sugar over the top of the cake (I mixed the two together to make sure the rhubarb was coated). Pour whipping cream over the top. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown in 350 oven. Loosen sides and flip onto serving platter. Serve warm.

Can be served with whipping cream and mint.

Easy and oh so good! Enjoy.

This week in the Wednesday Study

Hey everyone. This week we will watch the video for week eight of Beth Moore's Patriarchs study. We are well into Joseph, so I anticipate this will be a great video!

Also, Carpenter's Son is starting a fiction bookclub. The first meeting will be June 10th at 1 p.m. and they will start with one of Diann Hunt's books. You can contact them for more information.

Hope to see you Wednesday.

Cara