S.W.A.P. ABUNDANT LIFE SINGLES MINISTRY

Our church is experiencing the rainy season! This is an exceptionally good thing in the body of Christ. We pray for the rain to come to cleanse, refresh, renew and restore, wash away the dirt and debris, to bring new life. I love the rain. Have a nine year old son that I have to force to go outside and play, but when the rain comes he runs outside because he says he loves the way the drops feel when they hit his face and likes the smell of the rain and splashing in the puddles. This is the way I feel about God’s spiritual rain, when he is pouring out his favor and blessing as well as cleaning some mess from my life. Just like with the natural rain, when the rain stops there are still remnants; ponds, streams and rivers a fuller, there a puddles, the ground is wet and our rain barrels are full. One good rain can sustain us for quite a while. If this is the case with the natural, rain how much more so it is with the spiritual rain. It will water those dry places in us. It will cause us to overflow with the love of God. It will cause wells and springs of life to flow from us. It causes healing of all hurts and wounds. I hope that you will allow yourself to experience the rain. Be like my little boy and run out into God’s rain and dance in it and see how it feels as it hits your skin, allow yourself to be drenched in it.

Peace

I really like this song. I like the way it expresses the way that so many of us live out lives. We are so caught up in our own little worlds that we do not see what is happening around us. We have to realize that our life is not our own and most of the things we go thru in life, most of our experiences are not really for or about us, but are meant to be shared, are meant to help others. Here it is, My Own Little World by Matthew West (a great guy by-the-way). Take a good listen.

This weekend a very close friend, sister in Christ and co-worker got married. I was blessed to be a part of the wedding party and as such I was privy to a lot of the behind the scenes happenings.

My freind opted for a traditional style big wedding and by the big day she was so stressed out she could hardly stand it. For weeks her most used phrase was "I will be glad when this is over". However, thru it all her husband-to-be kept a calm and level head and was always able to calm her. As I watched the two of them throughout the whole process I could see how clearly God was at work in their relationship and it showed me that if I am willing to wait on God and the mate he has for me, I too will have that person there to calm me when I need it, to give support and strength, to portect and guide. I have seen all of thess qualities shine thru in both my friend and her new husband when needed. I see how God has given them both the desires of their hearts and I also see how my friend almost missed one of the best things to ever happen to her.

You see, when she first met her husband she was not interested in him. Oh, she liked that he was a Godly man, she liked what he had to say, but he did not have the "look" she wanted. But, the more she talked to him, the more time she spent with him the more she saw him the way God does. Her prespective began to change, she began to see that he processed all the qualities she wanted in a mate.

I think we would all do well to remember to see each other way God does. He says "man looks at the outward appearance while God looks at the heart".

Let's look at the heart.

Peace

I would like to share with you the story of a woman by the name of Heather Williams. She is a new artist with INO records. She has an amazing testimony and an awesome calling on her life.

Calling all singles! Friday, September 3rd we are having a singles movie night at Abundant Life Ministies. You will not want to miss this. This is a movie all singles should see. We are located at 890 Highway 19, Palatka Fl. The movie starts at 7pm. Come and have a good time of fun and fellowship with us.

I was talking to a male friend the other day about being a christian single and the struggles we face. Especially when it comes to sexual sin. He was sharing with me the way that men view things and how difficult it is for them to abstain and keep themselves pure for marriage. Now, my friend has not always been saved and has two children from prior relationships. He was telling me that sex was a natural, normal and abundant part of his life. However; since becoming totally devoted to God he has made the decision to live as God instructed and to abstain from sex until marriage. This is proving to be a bit difficult for him but, he is trusting God to keep him until the day he marries. I admire that not only is he trusting God and keeping in constant communication with him thru prayer, he is taking practical steps by not putting himself in situations that would cause him to give in to sexual sin. He is reading books and seeking answers to questions on how to remain pure. He has totally disselled that old myth that a man will be a man. Hey...wait a miunte, maybe he has actually just proved it; a man will be a real man!

Love ya,
Peace

A friend at work sent this to me and I thought it was something you should see too. It is time put compassion back into our lives.


Sometimes, a hug is all what we need.

Free hugs is a real life controversial story of Juan Mann, A man whos sole mission was to reach out and hug a stranger to brighten up their lives.

In this age of social disconnectivity and lack of human contact, the effects of the Free Hugs campaign became phenomenal.

As this symbol of human hope spread accross the city, police and officials ordered the Free Hugs campaign BANNED. What we then witness is the true spirit of humanity come together in what can only be described as awe inspiring.

In the Spirit of the free hugs campaign, PASS THIS TO A FRIEND and HUG A STRANGER! After all, If you can reach just one person
How it all started:

I'd been living in London when my world turned upside down and I'd had to come home. By the time my plane landed back in Sydney, all I had left was a carry on bag full of clothes and a world of troubles. No one to welcome me back, no place to call home. I was a tourist in my hometown.

Standing there in the arrivals terminal, watching other passengers meeting their waiting friends and family, with open arms and smiling faces, hugging and laughing together, I wanted someone out there to be waiting for me. To be happy to see me. To smile at me. To hug me.

So I got some cardboard and a marker and made a sign. I found the busiest pedestrian intersection in the city and held that sign aloft, with the words "Free Hugs" on both sides.

And for 15 minutes, people just stared right through me. The first person who stopped, tapped me on the shoulder and told me how her dog had just died that morning. How that morning had been the one year anniversary of her only daughter dying in a car accident. How what she needed now, when she felt most alone in the world, was a hug. I got down on one knee, we put our arms around each other and when we parted, she was smiling.

Everyone has problems and for sure mine haven't compared. But to see someone who was once frowning, smile even for a moment, is worth it every time.

Why Did it get banned?

Public liability fear and red tape. But its all okay now! Make sure tocheck your local laws before embarking on your Hugathon!

I am going to give it try, how about you.

Peace too You,
OOOO (for those that don't know the O's are hugs)








P E A C E - O N - E A R T H 1 2 3

A Friend from church recently sent me an email containing this story and I liked it so much I immediately knew that I had to share it with you.

When Your Hut's On Fire


The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited Island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him. Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect himself from the elements, and to store his few possessions.One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky. He felt the worst had happened, and everything was lost. He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger. He cried out, 'God! How could you do this to me?'

Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching the island! It had come to rescue him! 'How did you know I was here?' asked the weary man of his rescuers. 'We saw your smoke signal,' they replied.

The Moral of This Story: It's easy to get discouraged when things are going bad, but we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of our pain and suffering.

Remember that the next time your little hut seems to be burning to the ground. It just may be a smoke signal that summons the Grace of God.

P.S. Consider passing this on, because you never know who feels as if their hut is on fire today..


As my Bishop says "don't curse your crisis, it might be the thing that will bring you through".

Peace

Well as you may know I have journeyed into the world of online dating.So far it has been very interesting. I have run into some scammers and also into some genuinely nice people. Some have become new friends and some have a possibility of becoming more. All in all I have to say that it is good way to meet people. I do have a few tips to offer.

1) Find a reputable site to join. Christian Mingle is a very good site and moderately priced. eHarmony has the most in-depth screening process it is a very good site but can be rather expensive. There are also sites that cater to specific races.

2) Make sure that you know your requirements in a mate and stick to them.

3) Develope a thick skin. You may show an interest in someone that does not have an interest in you, or after a few conversations you may not hear from them again. There may be several reasons for this, perhaps they do not fit your requirements or you do not fit theirs. If this is the case it is probably best for both of you.

4) If you look at someone's profile and you are interested in the person say "hello". You would do the same if you met the individual in person. There is no harm in saying hi. If you are a female he will know you are interested and can take the lead from there.

5) Respond to all interest. If you are not interested in them thank them for their interest in you and wish them well in their search. It never hurts to be polite and wouldn't you want someone to do the same for you.

These are just a few things I have learned so far. I still have a lot to learn. If you decide to try it can be fun, just remember to stay safe.

I'll keep you informed,
Peace

Okay, I said that I would keep you updated on my online dating experiences. So I have joined five (yes 5) dating sites. I am only an actual paying member of one and that is Christian Mingle (I'll tell you why later). The topic of today's discussion is are these guys actually reading my requirements or just looking at my picture and going for it? I am 48 years old with 2 children at home, both boys, one a teenager and the other is eight. I set the age requirement 44-57. I figure that is a good age range to handle the activities I like as well as my very active boys. So why am I getting responses from 67 yr olds. Now I know some very active 67 yr olds, but they are not trying to raise boys the age of mine. After football, basketball, school and ministry functions and work, I'm tired and I am only 48!


Then there is the fact that on four of the sites I am not a paying member therefore I cannot receive nor send emails or communication of any kind thru their site. So, at the end of my most awesome profile ;) I specifically state this and give my personal email address as point of contact. So what happens next, I get 5 emails and a smile…thru the site, that of course I cannot read. Puzzled I view my profile to make sure that viewers see the profile as I wrote it and sure enough, there it is exactly as I wrote it, contact information and all. After this happens a few more times I decide to move this information to the very top of my profile knowing this will resolve the issue. The next day I check and I have 11 new emails, yep you guessed it, all thru their site that I cannot read! As frustrating as I find this, it tells me something about these men. They are only interested in what they see, the outward appearance and not, who I really am and what I am looking for in a mate since they obviously have not bothered to read my profile. That being the case I am not interested in what they have to say anyway.


Brothers and sisters there are some things that we just cannot compromise on. One of those is dating a person that does not respect or even care to know who you are! From these I say, don’t walk, run!


Now I do not want you to misunderstand, I have gotten some good response also (that I could actually read) and I am actually enjoying the process of meeting and getting to know new people. All in all I think this is a good way to meet people. I think done the right way you find out more about the person, then someone you may meet at church, work, the store, etc.


Next week I will tell you some of the sites I have tried and what I think of them. In the meantime won’t you please tell me what you think?

Peace

Hey Singles (and everybody else lol), I have been doing some research. We all know how difficult it is to meet Christian singles that share our faith and values. This is especially true if you happen to live in a rural area in Florida (of anywhere for that matter), so I have begun to research online Christian Dating sites. So far it has been very interesting to say the least. As with most things it has both its pro's and con's. I am just in the initial stages, but I will keep you informed of my progress. One thing that I do know is, you must know yourself, what you will and will not accept, what you do and do not like. Set you standards and stick to them. Be honest and state your requirements up front. Also discernment is a must and as in all things seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit!

Peace, holla back!

I recently came across an article I thought interesting. It falls right in line with the recent teaching of my Pastors Chad and Antoinette Willis on Idols. Here is an excerpt:

When Someone Else Gets What We Want
Nicole Whitacre and Carolyn Mahaney
Contributors
Nicole: What do we do with a good, yet unfulfilled longing that won't go away? First, we thank God that by His mercy we desire one of His good gifts.
However, we must also regulate our desires. We must not love or long for one of God's good gifts more than we love or long for God Himself. If we do, then we have essentially made an idol out of this good desire and we are worshipping it instead of God. As teacher David Powlison paraphrases the eminent John Calvin: "The evil in our desires often lies not in what we want but that we want it too much."
One sure indicator as to whether or not a good desire has morphed into an idol is how we respond when someone else gets the very thing that we want but don't have. When a close friend—who was perfectly happy to be single—up and gets married, and we are, literally, left behind. Or when, as is the case for a friend of mine, we know five other girls who are pregnant and we are not.
And what about the woman who gets married younger than us, whose job is more glamorous than ours, whose house is bigger than ours, whose marriage is better than ours, whose life is easier than ours, whose children are more well-behaved than ours, whose popularity is brighter than ours, whose intelligence is greater than ours? Need I go on?

Well she does go o and you can find the full article at http://www.crosswalk.com/spirituallife/women/11540457/
I encourage you to read the entire article. The thing that jumped out at me is when she talks about a close friend getting married while being literally left behind. This is something happening in my life. My friend I have actually discussed this and I continually thank God that I can be genuinely happy for her. Although, I like most women desire to marry someday. I must first fully devote myself to God, having no idols before Him and that includes idolizing marriage or the idea of it.

As always I would love to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment.
Peace

Are you struggling with life's purpose? A you wondering what the purpose of your life is? Have you consulted God for the answer? He is our maker, our creator, so the answer can only be found in him. So many go thru life searching for "themselves" and looking to every one and every thing except the one who created us. Ask God who you are and where you are going. Then listen for his answer, search his word for revelation and understanding of your purpose. You do have one.

Peace

The game was great. A lot of our singles group went and took our children. We had a great time. The next morning we had breakfast at IHOP and were then on our way back to Palatka. I look forward to doing it again (although next time without the adventures I personally experienced, but that's a story for another time lol.) I think our next out-of-town trip will may be to the Holy Land Experience. Tell me what you think. Oh, yeah I'll post pictures from the game later.

Peace.

Hey, hey , hey, let's get this outing underway! Come join us for a trip to Orlando to see the Magic/Nicks game. The game is Friday April 9th at 8pm. We will leave the church at 3:30pm which will allow plenty of time for traffic a maybe to get a bite to eat. Game tickets are $25.00. We will stay overnight; hotel cost is $60.00 per room ($30.00 if you share the room with another person). All money must be turned in no later than March 28th. You may pay through the donation button on the main church website at abundantlifepalatka.com or at the church.

If you have any questions please post it as a comment.

See ya there!

This is an excert of a message delivered by Pastor Jamal Byrant that someone sent to me. I think it is good enough to share with you. Although he addresses woman I think men will benefit from this also. Check it out.

I often warn women who are contemplating marriage to marry someone who can take care of them. When a woman marries, it ought to be to someone who is capable of taking her to the next level.

If she comes from poverty, there is no reason for her to get married and still be impoverished. The role of the man is to take her to another place.
When she gets married, she ought to dress better, drive better, live better, and eat better, not constantly be in a struggle over where her next meal is coming from. My grandmother used to say, 'I can do bad all by myself'.

For a woman desiring a mate, the objective, of course, would be to find a Christian man, who's settled, has goals, accomplishments and a job.
But a goal-oriented and focused man can't just be approached any kind of way. So the woman who seeks this type of stability must make sure that she stands out above the crowd:

1. Make sure your relationship with the Lord is strong and growing.

2. Make sure that you are presentable. Working from the inside out, your presentation should be representative of both who you are and whom you seek. Appearance is a reflection of how you see yourself.

3. Have the ability to hold an intelligent conversation.

4. And most importantly, allow the Holy Ghost to take control. You don't need to go after him.

He's going to come after you, because after he sees and smells you and knows that you're in his presence, he's going to want to know who you are! I know there's somebody reading this who has been chasing after the 'man of your dreams,' but God says, 'Just sit still and allow patience to have her perfect work through Me.' However, if he sees that you are dressed with quality, that you smell like you are somebody, that you look like you're doing fine without him, then that will attract the right attention from him. He'll have no choice but to give you his attention. Stop looking so needy, climbing into bed, trying in vain to capture a man's heart.

God woke me up in the middle of the night and said, 'The same thing that Naomi told Ruth to do is the same thing that I want them to do for me.' God is so sick of saints coming to Him trying to get a quickie and never romancing Him for Who he is - going to church screaming, shouting and hollering, but hadn't been intimate with God all week long!

Stop trying to treat God like a sugar daddy and start romancing Him with worship and praise: 'I'm yours Lord...everything I've got...everything I'm not!'
The God we serve, which is the God of love, demands and requires of us foreplay before He gives us what we need. In the book of Ruth, the mother-in-law tells Ruth, 'You have to wash.' John 15:3 reminds us, Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

When you sit in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, you are taking a shower. When you hear the unadulterated Word of God, then the dirt and grime that you've accumulated all week long begins to wash off of you. Ask God to 'create in you a clean heart and renew a right spirit.' Stand in the word. Then wait upon the Lord to renew your strength.

Pass this on to those who are seeking Mr. Right. This message is not
directed at the receiver, it is directed to women I know that touch other young women that can benefit from this information. We are to be Naomi's of the world today. Our young women need to be informed of how to catch and keep a man that will respect them.

P.S. Pass this on to every woman you know! 'THANK YOU LORD!'

Wow! Tell me what you think.

Peace!

I thought I would share a book with you that I have found to be very informative. Although it deals with Christian singles that are dating, courting or seeking to do so, I think others will benefit from it as well. It provides biblical and practical information on dating, covering everything from each person in the relationship having a spiritual covering, to the man protecting the woman's heart. It is easy to read and will make you think. I have included the link to the authors site. Check it out.

http://www.conwayandjadaedwards.com/

Peace to you.

Billie

The topic is about having intimacy (sex) before marriage to see if there is compatibility there. The reality is, it doesn’t matter what subject we are discussing, if you are a born again Christian and you are trusting God with your life, then you definitely must trust His Word, God’s Words must be trusted at all cost. Anytime we feel that our way is better than God’s way there is a huge problem. The thing that normally leads to this false independence is “pride.” God is the creator of everything and we must trust that His way is the only way, no matter what the topic!



Lets get back to the topic at hand. Why would God say don’t fornicate, don’t have sexual intimacy before marriage? I’m sure there are many reasons, one being, this is an expression of love that is to be done in a predetermined covenant of love (i.e. marriage.) Sex is not a window shopping, let’s see it, try it on, and see if it fits, decision. Intimacy glues, ties, and exchanges souls, the two shall become one, and you wouldn’t want to do that with just anybody… I hope. Taking a few moments to look at God’s way shows us how awesome this intimacy is suppose to be. Imagine two people, just married, knowing nothing about sexual intimacy, being new clay with no existing impressions, ready to mold and be molded, making a shape of love that only they share. Both being a student of the other, learning and expressing what has been learned, tailor making an intimacy, a fingerprint of their love alone, something that can’t be shared by anyone else…Wow! Learning each other and created to please each other, not bringing in something they learned from someone else or some fly-by relationship. Sex was never suppose to be a matter of experience but a creation of new love between husband and wife. This is completely contrary to the worlds way of thinking, but completely correspondent to the Word. In most areas in society we look for the person with the most experience to hire for a job, to fix our car, or to do handy work around our home, but sex and intimacy was meant to be a blank canvas…fresh, new, and ready for a masterpiece. The experience in true intimacy begins with the married couple, not beforehand. Being new, fresh, and a student is key in every aspect of the relationship, whether it is communication, emotional connections, or physical connections, all are meant to be learned, not something you could possibly know ahead of time. So what I am saying is, “trust God and His ways, His ways are always the best way!


P. Nette


Scriptures for reference:
1Thessalonians 4:3, Acts 15:20, Hebrews 4:15, Psalms 139:13-16

There are many stages of singleness. There are those that have never been married and anxiously await a mate. There are those who have been married or cohabitated at sometime or another, but now find themselves single and would like to marry again. Then there is that special group that are single and have no desire what –so- ever to marry (this is not me lol). I kind of laugh when I say that I do not have the gift of singleness because when I say this to someone, I often get the response, “you can’t tell, I thought you were happy the way you are”. I have thought about this and come to the conclusion that I am content (ready to accept) where I am because I believe this is where God intends for me to be at this time.
I think about where I was spiritually few years ago and where I am today and I can see how I have changed and grown, and how this has affected every other aspect of my life. Had I married then, I wonder what my marriage would be like today (if it survived at all). I certainly was not looking for the same qualities in a mate then as I am now, and I would not have attracted the same qualities in a mate then that I do now.
Depending upon which state of singleness you are in your desires will vary. But, if you are in the category that so many of us find ourselves in, looking for a mate (if you are a man) or waiting for a mate (if you are a woman), learn to be content where you are. Use this time of singleness to work on yourself, spiritually, physically and emotionally. Get involved with other Christian singles; find one that you can talk to openly and honestly about your concerns or what you may be experiencing. You will find the path a lot easier when you allow others to walk it with you.
I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment, ask a question or just say hi. Be blessed.

Billie

Is love a feeling? Is love the way you look at someone or the way they look at you? Do you use the same word to describe your favorite food or sport team that you do to describe your relationship with your children?

Something to think about. Love is the very nature of God. Love is so much more than an adjective. Love is a choice.

Hey guys, change of plans. We did not get our reservations for Bella Luna in, in time and they sold out :( So we will be going to Dave and Busters instead. If you have never been there before you will love it and if you have then you already know the great time that is in store. We will still meet at the church at 5:45. See you then.

Hey SWAP, we have finalized our Valentine's Day plans!

We will meet at the church (890 Hwy 19) at 5:30pm Saturday, Feb. 13th. We'll have dinner in Jacksonville and then head to MOSH for Bella Luna (dessert under the stars). It promises to be a great time. The price for dinner should be between $10-$20 and the price for Bella Luna is $18. If you are interested in going and have not already signed up please post a comment or email me at abundantlifeswap@gmail.com. See ya there!

Just thought I would post a little encouragement from my man Fred. Wait on the Lord!!!!

Alright singles are you ready for something new? I am. I am so excited about the vision God has for ABL, and of course I have to give props to our Pastors. They have really been bringing the word.

The baptism Sunday was awesome. Although it was a symbolic gesture, I felt new and renewed when I came out of that water. I have already begun to make life changes both spiritual and physical, this promises to be a year filled with new experiences (have I mentioned how excited I am!!).

I am looking for new things for the singles ministry to get involved in. I need your input. Tell me what you would like to see our ministry accomplish this year. We need some fun fellowship ideas as well as ideas for outreach. Oh...speaking of fellowship, Valentines Day is coming up, what do you guys want to do. Let me know.

Talk to you later..

Hey SWAP (remember, that stands for Single With A Purpose)!

I will kick this off right at a later date. For now, I just want to get us going, let you know how excited I'm about the direction of our ministry and to say hello. So hello!!!!

Get excited and geared up for the things to come!


Billie