Author: kelley

Anything worth doing is worth doing right.  I’m not sure where that quote is from, but my Dad gets credit for saying it millions of times while I was growing up. Hi, this is Dorette Schaal with your daily eword.   Whether it was cleaning my room, arranging some flowers, or mowing a lawn, you do it right the first time, and do it with excellence, because Dad said so!  Our heavenly Father likes excellence too.  Let’s do our best for God!  Here is your encouraging word for today!

 

Monday

I’ve been thinking a lot about excellence lately, and how important it is for believers to realize that we represent Christ on the earth.  We are his ambassadors, or representatives, and when the world (those who don’t know Christ yet) looks at us, they should see a good facsimile of who Jesus is. That kind of puts the pressure on – but in this case, it is good pressure!  We should be much more than mediocre.  We should be much more committed than average.  We should be people of impeccable integrity and character. We should be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, not only when people are watching, but every moment of every day.

 

As big as I am on making things look good on the outside, that certainly isn’t the heart of the issue.  The heart is the most important issue. We all know that just changing outward circumstances doesn’t make a change on the inside.  Real, lasting, effective change happens from the inside out.  That usually means making some adjustments, changing our thinking, controlling our thought life, and making the decision to live and serve others with excellence.  When that happens on the inside, there will be dramatic change in what people see on the outside.  That is the Word at work within you!

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For many years women have felt confined, restricted or bound because they are female. Those days are over!  Rejoice! Jesus came to break down walls, and bring freedom!  What a great thing to be free! Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, everyone is free to be all that God has called each of them to be. You don’t have to go visit a foreign country to know how blessed we are in America.  There are many women in other cultures and religions that do not know the freedom we know.  We still have a long way to go around the world to see that all women can walk in the freedom that we know in Christ and in our great country.  Last week was Rejoice Ladies Conference and our theme this year was MORE.  God has empowered us to walk strong in MORE of His power and  His might.  We can walk in that freedom and spread the good news of freedom in Christ wherever we go. Let’s not forget those women around the world who still are confined, restricted and bound, because of their gender. Don’t let anyone ever underestimate you, and certainly never underestimate yourself.  Let’s be people who make a difference on the earth. We all can say this  – No matter what I’m called (male or female), I going to do what I’m called to do.  Let’s believe God for MORE and change our world!

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Hi Kids, this is Dorette Schaal with an encouraging word for you day.  I hope you know how much God loves you and has an amazing future planned for you.  As kids full of faith, we get to believe God’s Word and see it come to pass in our lives.  I want to encourage you today to believe for the MORE that God has for you.  Here is your encouraging word for kids today.

Eword for Kids

There is a scripture in I Timothy 4:12 about never letting anyone think less of you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. Sometimes kids think life really begins when they grow up, but this scripture gives you great encouragement to remember that even as a kids you can set a good example in how you talk, how you act, how you love others, by your faith, and by how pure you are. That is really cool!  I think there are some big things to think about.  You can set an example to your friends who don’t know Jesus yet on the right way to live.  You can be the influencer instead of being influenced negatively by the world’s system.  I love the picture this puts in my mind.  The pull of heaven is stronger than the pull of this world. That means that we want so much to please God, that we aren’t influenced at all by the things that try to pull on you from the world.  That is a great thing to believe!

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Women are givers!  So many of the women in my world are the most giving people I know! Women with giving hearts are everywhere.  As we continue to celebrate wonderful women, I think we need to value and appreciate how much women have done for our world. Women usually think of themselves after everyone else’s needs are met. Three women in my life who demonstrate God’s giving nature are Ginger Behrman, Ruth Baker and Suzy Beer.  Ginger served as a pastor’s wife for many years and in her retirement years travels the world ministering and giving selflessly, to the most needy of the world.  In the process she raised 5 awesome kids who are all serving in full time thriving ministries.  Ruth Baker served along side her husband in the Philippines as a Bible School administrator and missionary.  She remained there even after her husband’s death and impacted thousands of Pilipinos  who now serve in full time ministry around the world.  Suzy Beer is my mom!  She is a godly woman who raised 3 kids with a love for God, a love for the body of Christ and a love for the world.  She loves and gives in her church, in her neighborhood and in our family. She speaks up for those without a voice, and has always had a heart for the elderly, the disabled, and the disadvantaged.  Who are the wonderful women in your world?  Thank God for them and their impact in your life!!!

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We’re still talking this week about how wonderful women are, and today, I’m going to addressing the subject of dress. How many people do you know who need to go on the show “What Not to Wear”? Are you a good candidate for the show? YIKES! Do you dress for success?  Whether a man or a woman, what people first see when we meet them, is how we dress.  As representatives of Jesus, we should dress our best, not to impress others, but to be excellent for God. It is very evident where ever you go that there is a laxity about clothing. What is worn on a regular basis now, (like pj’s in public, or revealing clothes, exposed lingerie, or pants hanging off their bottoms) even 20 years ago wouldn’t have been worn in public. I know all about comfort, and I love sweats, and comfortable clothes, and they do have a place. But we can be comfortable and modest and still look good!  We should look our best not just at work, or for church, but we should make sure we look our best for our spouse and our family. Caring how we look and taking time to look good even builds our own self esteem. It doesn’t take a lot of money to dress your best.  If you need some “how to dress” tips, ask someone you know – who knows how to look great. (Or Watch What Not to Wear!) Let’s do our best to dress our best for the King of Kings.

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One of the nicest compliments one of my parent’s friends gave me years ago was that I was so much like my dad. Do you think we can be daughters or sons that look like our Father? (Like our Father God)? I think the most wonderful compliment we could ever have is that we look just like, act like, or resemble – Jesus.  One of my favorite songs has a line in it that says, I see the work of Calvary in you. What Jesus did on the cross has made a difference in you and me. That means that I can see Jesus showing through you.  We are demonstrating Jesus.  We are reflecting Him.  We are giving the world a mirror image of what Jesus looks like. So what should a mirror image of Jesus look like? That’s a good question. The best answer to that is LOVE. The main thing that Jesus emanates is love.  For us as believers, it is love that makes faith work.  Love is who God is, and love is something we can do, walk and operate in.  The best way we can look like Jesus is to love others. Isn’t it amazing the Word says, they will know we are Christians (Christ- like) by our LOVE?  As men and women, we can love lavishly. That’s when we look the most like our Father!

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Do you want to be known as a woman (or a man) of the Word?  You can be!  All we have to do is – be a doer of what it says  I love it when someone says to me that they wish they knew the Word like I do.  What a compliment!  Whenever I forget to bring my Bible to some event, I always joke that I have it memorized, so I didn’t need to bring it along!  Wouldn’t that be great to have the Word so deeply imbedded in our life that it just spilled out! Truly what we put in is what will come out, because it is out of the abundance of your heart that your mouth will speak.  We need to put a guard over our heart, and only let in what we want to come out.  If we want to be “Women (or men) of the Word” a good thing to fill up on is – the Word.  In John chapter 1, it says that the “Word” became flesh and dwelt among us.  Jesus is the Word.  He and His Word are one.  To be a Word person, we really need to be a Jesus person!  I guess that makes us Jesus people!!!!  Let’s be authentic Jesus people, Him living in us, us living in Him! Let’s be people after God’s own heart by hearing and doing His Word, and acting like Jesus.

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We are have just finished our Rejoice 2012 Ladies Conference with hundreds of women, worshipping God, and growing in the Word. Hi this is Dorette Schaal with an your daily eword. If you were there, thank you so much for coming.  One thing that makes women so wonderful is that they are worshippers! One of the things I enjoy most about being at our Rejoice Ladies Conference is hearing the beautiful voices of women blending together to magnify God. Be encouraged today with your dailyeword!

Monday

Women through the centuries have been committed, devoted God seekers and God followers, who are worshippers.  My husband always jokes about the fact that Jesus didn’t travel with a band (drummer, bass player, guitars, etc) but we do know that Jesus was followed around by a band of women!  Maybe they were known as the Spice Girls! We know at least some of the women following Jesus had access to some beautiful, fragrant spices! And women are known to spice things up!  We probably don’t want to be known as the Spice Girls, but women who love God know how to bring color and spice to life! Actually, any one who comes to know Christ goes from life in black and white, to full color. Life goes from bland and average to spicy and exceptional!  It’s part of receiving the abundant life that Jesus came to give.  Knowing Jesus makes life beautiful!  It doesn’t mean that trouble or persecution won’t come, but because we have this incredible source of strength on the inside, we can overcome anything that tries to over throw us! How amazing!  We go from living life half empty, to living in the overflow of the goodness of God.

What about the women in your life?  Do they amaze you by the things they do? Have they added life, color and spice to your world?  Are you encouraged by their words?  Do you feel nurtured in their presence?  Do you want to be more like them?  Do they give you strength?  I want you to do something big for the women in your life this week.  Why not tell them how wonderful they are.  Tell your mom, you appreciate her.  Let your sisters know how they have impacted your life.  Tell your daughters they are amazing and beautiful.  Let the women who surround you know that they bring life, beauty and wonder to your world.  Let’s always celebrate women!  Women really are wonderful!

 

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Jesus received the sign of the Holy Spirit at his baptism.  He was God, He was anointed, but he didn’t begin his ministry until he received the Holy Spirit.  Miracles began to flow through His life.  Why would we want to try to accomplish anything without the power of the Holy Spirit in our life? The Holy Spirit is important!  Jesus last words were of great importance! His last lecture was transformational! We should listen to his words and receive the Holy Spirit.  When Paul asked the people who were already Jesus followers if they were filled with the Holy Spirit, they said they had not even heard there is a Holy Spirit.  Does that sound like He was ignored, unnoticed, unappreciated, even forgotten, even within such a short time since the Holy Spirit first came and filled believers.  This should not be!  We need MORE, not less of the Holy Spirit! Let’s get it all! What part of you prays when you pray in tongues?  It is your spirit!   That is how the Holy Spirit prays through you as it says in Romans 8:26. You speak mysteries and edify yourself.  Speaking in tongues bypasses the unbelief that is in your brain! It allows us to talk directly to God.When we get to heaven, we will see perfectly and know perfectly because our minds will be completely renewed and will be able to pray perfectly. Until that time we need the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives and specifically the power of  speaking in tongues.  We need it now!!!

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