HE IS RISEN BY OUR GOOD GOOD FATHER

Welcome to Women of Valour which is about

YOU

experiencing your freedom in Christ, being set free,

experiencing the love of God, and opening your blinded eyes

Isaiah 61:1

IT IS RESURRECTION DAY!!!

Our Lord and Savior has been resurrected and brought back from the dead. Today we celebrate because Our Father has given HIS Son ALL power in heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18). The song Good Good Father is still with me.(Listen to song in previous post) The same Good Father that sent Jesus to the Cross is the same Good Father that brought Him back to life. Our Father is doing the exact same thing with each one of us. He is wanting to bury some things and HE is resurrecting some other things that we may have thought were dead. It could be within us, our families, spouse, boss, coworkers, children, etc. Are there some things that need to be buried and/or resurrected within you, your family, your spouse, your children, etc?

When I think about Jesus' Life, Death, and Resurrection, it shows me that what Jesus said is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING and TRUE. Just like HE suffered and had many troubles it is the same for us. We will go through troubles but HE has overcome the world. (John 16:33) When things are tossed around us and chaotic we can go through it if we look to Jesus. This is indeed a celebration but it came with a price tag none of us could pay individually or collectively.

This is the season in which we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But don't allow the season to leave you. I know for me I can get amped up during a particular season but after it is over I go back to the "norm". I am challenging myself this year to keep remembering what Jesus has done and keep doing on my behalf. Jesus is Real and alive in my life. I have to remember what HE endured on my behalf. This will give me the strength to KNOW that I can overcome it as well with HIM. HE IS RISEN!!!

TESTIMONY: I started to remember how often I would pray and ask God to show me that HE is real or loves me in the midst of a particular hard situation or circumstance. But then when things would seem to work out or going well for me again I would get the "I got this" mentality. I would conveniently forget how HE showed up in the midst. I would be thankful and everything for a little while but it was not lasting for me. I would handle my own life until I really needed HIM again. I know of some people who have walked away from Him for good. This puzzled me about myself and others until this week. God reminded me that HE is NOT a genie in a bottle that we can summon. HE is Our Eternal Father. HE is REAL and HE LOVES ME and YOU no matter what. Our Father is A REAL Father and HE loves us like a natural father would but infinitely more. This poem came from God reminding me Who HE really is: 

A REAL FATHER

by Andrea Monroe

A Real Father is with his child through thick and thin. 

A Real Father is with his child in good and bad times

A Real Father loves His child

A Real Father disciplines his child

A Real Father spends quality time with His Child

A Real Father provides for his child

A Real Father teaches his child

A Real Father plays with his child

A Real Father hugs his child

A Real Father kisses his child

A Real Father is proud of his child

A Real Father embraces the gifts in his child

A Real Father picks his child up when they fall down

A Real Father walks with the child through failure 

A Real Father pulls the potential out of his child

A Real Father pushes his child in the right direction

Our Father is with us through thick and thin

Our Father is with us in good and bad times

Our Father loves us

Our Father disciplines us

Our Father spends quality time with us

Our Father provides for us

Our Father teaches us

Our Father plays with us

Our Father hugs us

Our Father kisses us

Our Father is proud of us

Our Father embraces our gifts

Our Father picks us up when we fall down

Our Father walks with us through failure

Our Father pulls the potential out of us

Our Father pushes us in the right direction

Our Father God is a Real Father

HE loves us more than our limited minds can process
HIS Love is not based on our past, present, or future performance
HIS Love is based on who HE IS

I did not make a mistake when I said, "Our Father plays with us." My Father will give me a thought that will make me laugh. He will place things in my spirit that will make me just dance. He will bring something that I had forgotten which brings a smile to my face. HE will reveal a familiar verse to me in a brand new way. This will make me say: "Really, this has been here the whole time and I am just now seeing it." He gives me both little and BIG surprises. HE is playful with me.

I am VERY thankful today that Our REAL and  GOOD Father raised Jesus from the dead. It is indeed a day of CELEBRATION!!! Our Father knows ALL things. HE chose to wake you and I up to see and enjoy this beautiful day. It does NOT matter where you find yourself today. Jesus the Christ is waiting on each one of us to make a decision. HE wants us to accept and receive HIS Free Gift of ETERNAL Life which has been PAID IN FULL by HIM!!!

Prayer: Father God thank you for the PAID IN FULL gift of salvation given to me by Jesus the Christ. Open my eyes to see You as My Father, open my ears to hear You as My Father, and open my heart to understand that You are My Father. Thank You for showing me Your Love for me in a VERY REAL way by raising Jesus from the dead.
  

 QUESTIONS:

What needs to be buried and/or resurrected within you or the relationships around you?

Will you allow God to do it within you or the relationships around you?

I pray something you read or heard touched your heart to walk closer to God. 

Please share a comment or Email me

WHO IS JESUS TO ME?

Welcome to Women of Valour which is about

YOU

experiencing your freedom in Christ, being set free,

experiencing the love of God, and opening your blinded eyes

Isaiah 61:1

IT IS GOOD FRIDAY WOMEN OF VALOUR,

JESUS IS THE CHRIST!!! It does not matter what you believe about your background, lifestyle, attitude, past, present, or future. Jesus the Christ was beaten for you, hung on a cross, and died for each one of us. I am VERY thankful today that HE took my sins and punishment upon Himself. I could not have handled it on my best day. No one can handle it today, which is why HE was sent by HIS Father.

John 3:16-17King James Version (KJV)

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (Biblegateway.com) 

(**Bold and Highlights added to verses by Andrea)

I have been playing this song over and over and over again this week. I have been singing the chorus to myself: You're a Good Good Father and I am loved by You. God, Our Father, loved each one of us soooooo much that HE sent HIS Son to take our punishment. My earthly Father has entered eternity but my Eternal Father is GOOD to me. HE loves me more than my finite mind will ever be able to understand. HE loves you the same way. Let the words of this song wash away any doubt or fear you may have to stop you from realizing and believing who Jesus really is to you.

Link to Video: https://youtu.be/-_m5ZWchiZo

At church on Sunday, we were asked the question: "Who is Jesus to Me?" (Mark 8: 29 - 31)  Pastor Mark had us take a moment to ponder the question. I have been continuously pondering this question this week. I am thankful that I know Jesus for myself. I do not know my Momma's Jesus, my Father's Jesus, my Grandma's Jesus. But MY JESUS is personal to me and I have an ongoing relationship with HIM. I came up with many answers to the question. I am going to share some of them with you.

JESUS THE CHRIST IS:

My Salvation - HE chose to save a wreck like me. I did not deserve it but HE chose me. It was HIS Blood that was shed and Body that was broken to give me life. I needed to be saved from my sin. I kept trying to do it myself and failed miserably every time.

My Voice - HE heard my silent scream. For sooooooo many years, I was screaming and needing help but no one heard me. I did not know that I actually had a voice. I did not believe I had anything worthwhile to say. So I was quiet with no real opinions about anything. I was told what to think and how to act.

My Love - HE loved me when I was unlovable. He showed me that HE loved me because of my sins and took them away from me on HIS Body. HE cared when I did not even care for myself. I allowed people to abuse me because I thought they would fulfill my desire for love. But it NEVER worked!

My Guide - HE is "the way" that I am supposed to follow. Even when I fall down, HE is there to pick me back up again and again and again to show me the right path. I have learned and still learning that my way will always lead me along the wrong path. But when I trust in HIM it ALWAYS works out for the best.

My Healer - He breathed into me the breath of life. HE healed me when I was sick. HE healed my broken heart. HE healed my invisible wounds that hurt me continuously inside. He healed the brokenness which I was trying to pretend was fixed. HE healed me inside so that the healing could show up on the outside.

My Freedom - HE showed me that I was in prisons in my own mind. Then HE showed me that the door was not locked. I could have walked out at anytime. HE then opened the door and walked me out through my prison block. We walked out of my prisons and through the open doors into the great BIG world that was foreign to me. A world FULL of FREEDOM.

My Comforter - HE was there with me when my Father entered into eternity. I thought I would be broken but HE showed me that HE would never leave me. He was with me when I had a miscarriage. He was with me as I walked through deliverance from a failed marriage.

My Protector - HE kept me safe during 9/11 by HIS Mighty Hand. HE kept me safe during fender benders. HE kept me safe when the man came into my house to take my innocence. HE has kept me safe in soooooo many ways that I cannot even count. I know there are ways that I do not know about as well.

My Refuge - HE has been and is my 'safe place' when my world seems to be breaking down around me. I can and do trust in Him because HE has brought and is bringing me a mighty long way. He is the ONE that I run to instead of my best girlfriend, family, husband, etc. HE understands me even when I may seem to be babbling about what I think is wrong.

MY EVERYTHING - this one sums it up quite nicely!!!

You may be able to identify with some, most, or all of my answers. As you have walked through this day and into Easter weekend, remember what Jesus has already done for you. We may be "waiting on" our miracle but we have to recognize and believe that the real miracle has already happened and continues to happen each time you share about Jesus Christ to another person. It also happens each day that HE decides to wake you up to see a brand new day. I love you Women of Valour but Jesus loves you more!!!

Prayer: Father God, thank you for the gift of salvation and forgiveness You have given to me through Jesus Christ. Thank You for showing me Your Love for me in a VERY REAL way on the cross.
  

 QUESTIONS:

Who is Jesus to you today?

Will you share your Gift with another person?

I pray something you read or heard touched your heart to walk closer to God. 

Please share a comment or Email me

INTERRUPTED

Welcome to Women of Valour which is about

YOU

experiencing your freedom in Christ, being set free,

experiencing the love of God, and opening your blinded eyes

Isaiah 61:1

Hello Women of Valour,

On Wednesday, I knew how my day would flow. I would go to work. I would go to 3D Bible Study which is apart of Adopt-A-Block Ministry (see my previous post). I was not teaching I was just going to be a support for our leader. Well, that is NOT what happened. Can you say INTERRUPTED? Have you ever had a plan for your day and it got interrupted by God? This is what happened to me.

So, I text my leader of Bible Study to see if she wanted me to continue teaching the Bible Study. Her response was I am good. My thought process: Okay then I am in my support role. No problem. Support is what I do, so I am good. We cannot have our phones at work and when I went to lunch at 2:00 pm. I have 8 texts. 4 of them are a convo from another support person for our Bible Study. She is sick and will not be there. Okay God you got this and her.

So I receive another text from the JKDZ leader (see my previous post). She asked if I am teaching the 3D Bible Study tonight; to which I respond no and what's up? I do not think anything else about it. So I finish my work day and head to my car. I check my phone again and have another message stating they want to break the kids up into smaller groups this evening to receive Christ if they desire. They want another adult but one that in tune with the Spirit. I responded, Oh, WOW!!!

As I am driving up to York City for Bible Study I receive another text. A sister who is fixing dinner for us texts me and asks if I can give her a ride to the store to pick up a couple of items for our dinner. I respond yes via hands free mode in my car. (Don't text and drive.) I make it to our Bible Study and go in and greet our leader and the leader for JKDZ. The leader from JKDZ tells me she wants me to help her husband with the older girls. My thought process: Okay not a problem. I am still in the mode of just supporting. I am basically just going to be in the room while he takes them through the process.

The sister comes to Bible Study and we leave and go to the store. We get a chance to catch up. We get back to the house. I am helping her make dinner which entails cutting up the tomatoes and the lettuce for the taco salad. She is cooking the ground beef and we are chatting. She was sharing how much she has changed. She really has and I told her that is called "growth". I was sharing how I have changed and she said it back to me "growth".

Everything is finally ready and after serving everybody else. The sister and I get a chance to eat. The fellowship is AMAZING as always.

Then I go upstairs with the kids. They are just beginning a cartoon and muppet video clip. It is about Jesus and what HE did for each one of us. He took ALL of our sin upon HIMSELF on the cross and was separated from HIS Father.

After the video, we split into two groups. I stayed with the older group and the leader's husband. He asked me to share my testimony with them of me getting saved. I shared how if felt ugly, unloved, and how I had to get saved over and over again because of the bad things I had done. Then finally understanding that God loves me period. I accepted Him and HE changed my life.

He then asked the children exploratory questions like:

• What does it mean to be saved?
• What does it mean to be born again?
• Have you accepted or received Jesus into your heart?

All but 3 kids raised their hands. So he asked those 3 individually and 2 said yes they have. One said she prays to God does that count. So, he said not necessarily. Would you like to accept Jesus into your heart? She says yes. Then he says Andrea is going to lead you. Can you say INTERRUPTED? I just said okay and then a friend coming to hold her hand turned into all of the kids except 1 in a circle with me leading this your girl to Christ and back to her Father and mine. 

I also explained to her that the enemy which is the devil is mad right now. He is mad because you are not on his team anymore. Just like God uses your teachers in Bible Study to reach you. The devil uses people too. I asked her what was one thing that gets on her nerves. She said people getting smart. I told her that there is going to be someone that is going to get smart with you and instead of you popping them with your fist you can now say, "Help me Holy Spirit." She said I always say: "Help me God." I said that's good keep saying it.

My life was INTERRUPTED and now God is showing me that I should embrace the changes and interruptions. The ones from God and even the ones the devil throws at me. Both of them allow me to grow and become more and more of who God wants me to be. This apply to all of us Women of Valour.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, Let me see the interruptions in my life as opportunities. Change my eyesight to see them as setups and not setbacks.
  

 QUESTIONS:

Have you experienced an interruption in your life?

How did you handle it?

I pray something you read or heard touched your heart to walk closer to God. 

Please share a comment or Email me

HANDS AND FEET OF JESUS

Welcome to Women of Valour which is about

YOU

experiencing your freedom in Christ, being set free,

experiencing the love of God, and opening your blinded eyes

Isaiah 61:1

At my church, Grace Fellowship Church, on Sunday I was part of an AMAZING service. We have a ministry called Adopt-A-Block. The entire service was dedicated to testimonies of what has happened in peoples lives because of this ministry. Our leader leads with a servant's heart. When she is not there the ministry still operates and grows stronger. Her heart is to serve us and the people on the blocks.

Listen to the stories of HOPE, HELP, and HEALING of how ministry looks outside the four walls of "church": (Click the Link)

Messages-from-the-heart-adopt-a-block-stories/

TESTIMONY: When my husband and I first visited this church, they were doing a commercial to showcase this ministry. I was inspired by what they shared in about 15 minutes. After service, I went to their table and asked if I could participate. The man said yes. I told him I was not a member of the church and he said it was okay. He said to meet the rest of the people in the parking lot of the church the next day. So, I did and it was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! We knocked on people's doors in York City, PA. At first, I was just there and watching these AMAZING men and women of God being the hands and feet of Jesus! They asked them if they needed anything like food, clothing, furniture, repairs, prayer, etc. Many of the people we encountered that day had already embraced this ministry. I was in AWE of what God was doing. It was not long before I was praying for and asking for needs and becoming a part of the families in York City. I was HOOKED then and still is now. 

This ministry has touched sooooo many lives but it has touched the men and women that are apart of it even more. I had downloaded the audio to listen to because it is VERY inspiring to me hear. But as I thought about it. It hit me that I can share with you all. 

It is my prayer that something you heard or read has and is blessing your life today. God sees each one of us. He can reach us at our lowest point and our highest one and everywhere in between. I love you, Ladies!!! God loves you even more!!! It is my prayer that God will use each one of you to be the hands and feet of Jesus in your neighborhood, job, ministry, etc.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, show me how to be the hands and feet of Jesus where I am.  

 QUESTIONS:

Do you believe God is using ordinary people 
to do extraordinary things?

What part of the message impacted you the most?

I pray something you read or heard touched your heart to walk closer to God. 

Please share a comment or Email me

HEAVEN

Welcome to Women of Valour which is about

YOU

experiencing your freedom in Christ, being set free,

experiencing the love of God, and opening your blinded eyes

Isaiah 61:1

Hello Women of Valour,

Have you ever been really curious about someone or something? It makes you want to know more about them or it. The more you dig the more you find. Your search leads you to some places and you are like how did I get 'here' from 'there'. Well, lately I have been really curious about Heaven. I read and experience the Bible, I believe in God the Father, Jesus the Christ, and the Holy Spirit. I believe Heaven is a real place. It is where I am going to live when I enter eternity. 

Lately, I have been watching videos about people having life and death experiences and being taken to heaven and brought back. I have also been watching videos of people doing normal everyday things and being taken to Heaven. I have heard stories of how God has just supernaturally intervened in someone's life. The people had cut HIM off due to different traumatic experiences. But HIS LOVE and ACCEPTANCE are the common threads that they walk away with. They are forever changed within the moments. Their stories are VERY powerful and fascinating to me. Can you identify with them of how God changed your life or thought process in a moment? You know I can. That is what this blog and ministry is about.

You may be asking what brought this on? Well, I went to a "Tea and Testimony" service at my church a couple of weeks ago. I sat at a table with our church interpreters whom I knew. There were a couple of ladies already sitting there. There was a lady sitting at our table who could not hear. So the interpreters were speaking via sign language to include her in on the table conversation. I later found out her name and that she had a dream about me. She said, "You are the lady in my dream." She had never seen or met me before. I asked her: "What was the dream about?" She said she saw me in that setting sitting at a table. She shared with me about her family and her life. She asked me if I had ever heard of Kat Kerr. I told her "no" but I would look her up. She said she has pink hair. I wrote her name down so I could look her up later.

Three things: 
1) She had never seen me before. 
2) This was the very first time we had a Tea and Testimony service. 
3) I almost did not go because there was ALOT going on that weekend.

Well, this week I have been looking Kat Kerr up. She has some amazing things to say about Heaven. It is one of those either you are open to it or closed. Of course, I was open to it and still is open to it. This lead me to seek out other videos of her. In my searching, I came across other people and their testimonies about Heaven. 

Kat Kerr had some powerful things to say about Heaven, children who were aborted or miscarried, birth, angels, holiness, etc. She has many, many videos on Youtube. She even has a channel to which you can subscribe. This is one video of Kat Kerr, the lady with the pink hair: 

Link to Video:  https://youtu.be/SG69uzzPVi4

Prayer: Holy Spirit, if what Kat Kerr is saying is real. Make it real to me as well. because You do not have any favorites. I thank you in advance for showing me. 

 QUESTIONS:

Do you believe that heaven is a real place?

What part of the video impacted you the most?

I pray something you read or heard touched your heart to walk closer to God. 

Please share a comment or Email me

THANKFUL

Welcome to Women of Valour which is about

YOU

experiencing your freedom in Christ, being set free,

experiencing the love of God, and opening your blinded eyes

Isaiah 61:1

Hello Women of Valour,

Today I am very thankful so I wanted to share this poem I wrote.

THANKFUL

by Andrea Monroe

Thankful for another day to get it right

Thankful for another day to say "I love you"

Thankful for another day to do it differently

Thankful for another day to apologize

Thankful for anther day to be forgive

Thankful for my my life

Thankful for my spouse

Thankful for my home

Thankful for transportation

Thankful for employment

Thankful for family

Thankful for friends

Thankful for associates

Thankful for co-workers

Thankful for enemies

Thankful for food

Thankful for water

Thankful for clothes

Thankful for shoes

Thankful for another breath

Thankful for peace

Thankful for joy

Thankful for love

Thankful for power

Thankful for freedom

Thankful most of all for My Father and 

Thankful for Jesus the Christ and

Thankful for the Holy Spirit

Thankful I accepted the free gift of salvation

Thankful for EVERYTHING given to me

Today, I am looking at my life and back to where I came from. I am truly blessed and thankful for each day. I am walking further and further away from the little girl and woman I used to be. I am walking closer and closer to my destiny each and every day. Do not get me wrong I have not forgotten where I came from. I am choosing not to live there any longer. My past has had it's turn with keeping me in prison. Now I am choosing to look to my future and continuously walking in my freedom. 

This song has and continue to motivate me. I hope it does the same for you.

Link to video:https://youtu.be/Jr78vtLPMTo 

Prayer: Holy Spirit, I do have things in my life to be thankful for. Help me shake my past and know that you have a plan for my life. 

 QUESTIONS:

What do you have to be thankful for today? 

I pray something you read touched your heart to walk closer to God. 

Please share a comment or Email me