Seasons of the Soul

We're women. We have good days, we have bad. Sometimes it may seem that the bad will never come full circle to good again. If you're going through a difficult time, remember that God has a plan and if we're faithful to Him, He will be faithful to us. How can we stay faithful to Him?

1. Be committed to reading His Word.
2. Attend church and small groups on a regular basis.
3. Surround yourself with godly friends.
4. Help someone else whose need is greater than yours.
   
5. Whether your problem seems small or impossible, there's nothing to be ashamed of, so DON'T be afraid to ask for help.

It may seem like a hopeless situation now, but Romans 8:28 reminds us, "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them". Following is a poem I wrote after going through a difficult time and a season of depression.

Seasons of the Soul
Color blooms
A fresh, new start
Excitement lingers strong
New life carries hope and promise
My heart bursts out in song

The sun is hot and burns the sky
The heat now takes its toll
A thirst for something deep and real
Overwhelms my soul

Then, as the rain begins to blow
And leaves fall to the ground
My hope of new beginnings fades
The sense of loss, profound

The frigid winds blow fierce and strong
Words cut icy, deep
Depression sinks into my heart
My withered dreams now sleep

But I'm reminded of His promise
To everything a season
This too, will pass
New Spring will bloom
For all He has a reason

Staying Strong with Study Time

Can you believe it? We've had more than 30 of our very own girlfriends join us for one of the weekly Bible studies since March! I love the fact that our women are getting into God's word, leaning on each other, and looking for opportunities to grow in our faith. That's something to celebrate!

I just want to encourage each of you to continue with your daily Bible reading as often as possible. If you're like me, it's easy to stop that habit when you don't have a study book or guide to tell you what to read. This summer, pastor Jeff shared some great Bible study tips with us in one of his Next Step classes and I thought this would be a great time to pass them on. There are many methods you can use to read the Bible and study God's word. While I don't have the space to share everything he talked about, take a look at the following quick tips for a method called "holy reading".

• Pray - ask God to speak to you through His word.
• Pick a passage - a few paragraphs or a chapter or two.
• Read expectantly (knowing that God has a message for you).
• Read it through twice.
• Pray again.
• Read it again and allow words or phrases to jump out at you.
• As a particular word or phrase stands out to you, spend time meditating on that.
• Allow the Holy Spirit to speak to your spirit through His word to you.
• Pray - ask God what he wants you to do with His word.
• Meditate on the phrase or word that He spoke to you throughout the day.

I hope that these pointers will be helpful to make Bible reading a part of your regular schedule. Be sure to find a close friend and ask her to keep you accountable by checking in and making sure you're keeping up your commitment. I'm happy to help if you have any questions!

On another note, weekly small groups will be starting soon and I hope you'll make a decision to get involved in one. We don't want to overload any one's schedule or take away important time with family, so we'll take a break from our girlfriends study for now.

The Cross & The Crescent - Missions Seminar

Girlfriends - it's time to stop talking about our faith and start living it! Missions work is NOT just for pastors, elders, or "super-spiritual" people. It's a command that Christ gave us ALL to take part in. This is your chance to learn more about one of the missionary families that Living Hope Church supports. It's also a time to learn about the Muslim religion and how we (yes, that means you and I) can share our faith with them! The Muslim faith is far more prominent than you may realize in today's culture.

Can they be reached?
Living Hope Church presents
The Cross & The Crescent

An evening with Nabil and Mimi Khoury,
Missionaries to Lebanon

THIS FRIDAY - Aug. 29th @ 6:30 p.m.
Valley Church in Vacaville
(5063 Maple Road)

I urge you to mark your calendars and prioritize your time so that you can attend this exciting event sponsored by Living Hope, along with our sister church, Valley Church in Vacaville. Find a girlfriend to join you or bring your entire family. Call pastor Jeff if you have any questions. We really want to see as many Living Hope-ers as we can!

Jessi Bessighini's Baby Shower!

All Girlfriends are invited to join us on Sunday, September 7th for Jessi Bessighini's baby shower luncheon! We'll meet at the home of Theresa Heil at 1:00 p.m. to celebrate Wes & Jessi's baby boy! Bring a package of diapers and you could win a prize! Jessi is registered at mygiftlist.com, Target, and Baby's-R-Us. If you're on our Girlfriend's email list, you'll receive an Evite invitation to RSVP via email. If not, let Collette or Theresa know if you plan to attend. Happy Shopping and we look forward to a fun afternoon together!

Peer Pressure at Church?

Our family went shopping for school supplies last weekend and a few new clothes for the first day. Isaiah especially wanted a backpack and t-shirt from "Tilly's", a high-priced department store that all the kids at school are talking about. As most families do, we live on a budget. So, we explained to Isaiah that we were willing to pay a specific amount for the necessities, and if he wanted anything at a higher price, he could use his allowance to buy it. He decided to give 3 weeks of savings to get the coolest backpack he could find.

Yes - school is back in session and everything that goes along with it! For some, that means new friendships, lots of homework, learning and growing... but for others, it means peer pressure, frustration, and a need to fit in. A couple of days after this new purchase, Isaiah told me that a certain "cool kid" wanted to hang out with him and that along with his new t-shirt and backpack, he was probably going to be more popular now. It's amazing how the need to belong is part of our nature. Unfortunately, it doesn't always go away when we enter adult-hood.

How do you think this correlates with guests who come to visit Living Hope Church for the first time? Do you think they have the same set of feelings? Can you imagine some of their thoughts? Am I dressed okay? Will I know the songs they sing? Will I have to talk in front of anyone or will they ask me questions about my life? I wonder if they know about my past? If they really knew me, they wouldn't accept me.

Of course, Jeff and I spoke with Isaiah about his true identity being in Jesus and reminded him that we need not care so much what others think. We don't want to live under the weight of always trying to please other people. But even as an adult or a person who seems outgoing and carefree, a visit to church can be a scary or uncomfortable thing. What can we do to make our church a place that is comfortable for everyone? We want to create an environment where people feel loved and accepted, regardless of their circumstances. How would God have us handle this? From a friendly smile and directions to the nursery to an invitation to sit with you, there are many ways we can show we care and accept all the people in our community.

I would love your thoughts and ideas. What can WE, as Girlfriends, do to make a difference? Click on comments below and let me know what you think!

Girlfriends Spotlight on Cindy Minatre!

It's time once again to get to know one of our girlfriends better. Enjoy reading as you get a closer look at Cindy.

What is your full name? Cynthia Marie Minatre (AKA: Gloria)
Do you have any brothers or sisters? Two brothers (one older, one younger) I really wanted a sister.
Where did you grow up? I grew up out in the country near Linden, CA
Are you married? Yes, I have been married to Rich for 34 years.
Do you have any kids or grand kids? Two daughters, Angela Lockwood who is 30 years old and Susan Nelson who is almost 29 years old. I have two grandsons. Ethan Lockwood who is almost 6 years old and Colton Nelson who is 2 years old. Colton and Susan live in Oak Harbor, Washington.
Name a favorite thing about someone in your family. I love talking and spending time with Ethan. He amazes me and brings me lots of joy!
What is your current job? Home manager. I also get to watch Ethan when he is not at school and his mom is working.
What profession would you like to attempt? When I was in high school I wanted to be a flight attendent. I was told that I wasn't tall enough. I then chose to be a Dental Assistant.
If you could have an endless supply of any food, what would you get? Chocolate
What is one goal you’d like to accomplish during your lifetime? To be more like Jesus and less selfish. To reach my goal weight.
Who is your hero? I would have to say it was my maternal grandmother. Her name was Angelina. Angela was named after her.
What’s your favorite thing to do in the summer? Go somewhere where it is cool...like the coast or to Washington to see Colton.
Are you a morning or night person? I am an early morning person
What are your favorite hobbies? Quilting and RVing
What are your pet peeves? Clutter (my own), ungrateful people and critical people
What turns you on? A good sale. Going shopping with Angela. A clean house
What turns you off? A cluttered house (mine), gaining weight, criticism
Tell us about a unique or quirky habit of yours. Doing housework in the middle of the night. (I know, I need help!!! And I don't mean a housekeeper, although that sounds nice.)
If you had to describe yourself using three words, it would be… Focused, caring and fun loving.
If I could be anybody besides myself, I would be… I wouldn't change who I am. I would like to be more like Mary (Martha's sister).
When, how, why did you start attending Living Hope? I started going to Living Hope when Charlene Haugen was in charge of Children's Church. Angela and Phil started attending Living Hope and I wanted to go where my family was going. I gave it a try and liked it once I started going to Home Groups and feeling connected. Now I love it especially since we got this awesome Pastor and Pastor's wife.
What message do you want to send to your LH friends? Thank you for being my church family. If you are not feeling connected: Get in on a Home Group and Women's Bible Study.

Very cool to get to know you better, Cindy! You've been married for 34 years - wow - you rock! What a legacy to leave to your children! We love you!

Big Give Ministry Follow Up

We have some tremendous ministry opportunities for anyone in the church. We need to follow up with all families who attended the Big Give last Sunday. We especially need to work on reaching 90+ families who received school supplies, but no backpack, and others who received nothing. Here are your options for ministry:

1. Give money to assist in purchasing additional backpacks and school supplies.
   
2. Make phone calls to confirm addresses and backpack/supply needs.
3. Make phone calls to thank families for coming to the Big Give and invite them to attend our services.
4. Type contact information into an excel spreadsheet for all attendees.
5. Prepare/stuff envelopes for a follow-up mailer to attendees.
   
6. Deliver backpacks early this week before school starts on Wednesday. (We expect a shipment to arrive any day).
7. Stuff additional packs with supplies late this week or early next week (week of Aug. 17th).
8. Deliver additional packs NEXT week (week of Aug. 17th) to waiting families.
   

I would encourage you to team up with your husband or a friend for deliveries. This will give us an opportunity to say hello and extend Christ's love. Don't worry - you don't have to deliver a speech or ask a million questions, just hand them a backpack with a smile. I can't wait to see what God is going to do through each of you! If you're interested in helping with any of these jobs, please email me at ragamuffin_kids@yahoo.com. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Olympic Gold

The Olympics have begun! Here we are on 8-8-08 and everyone's making a fuss of these incredibly lucky numbers as the Chinese believe. The number 8 in Mandarin sounds similar to other Chinese words that mean "wealth" and "prosper". The number is believed to hold so much luck or power that the casinos are full of people hoping to cash in on this myth. Because of the supposed auspiciousness of certain numbers, some people will often choose, attempt to obtain, or pay large sums of money for numbers that are considered to be lucky for their phone numbers, street addresses, driver's license number, vehicle license plate number, bank account number, etc. The telephone number 8888-8888 was sold for $270,723 USD in Chengdu, China. A man in Hangzhou offered to sell his license plate reading A88888 for 1.12 million. Wow! Some people are willing to believe anything or do anything to obtain wealth.

Our Olympic athletes are doing everything they can to win the gold medal at this year's Olympic games. They put their heart, soul, and mind into their sport as they live, breath, and revolve around their training schedules and routine.

The Bible has a bit of a different perspective on wealth, success, and gold, however. Philippians 3: 13-14 reads, "Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." There's nothing wrong with wealth, prosperity, success, or gold medals. However, Paul reminds us that as a Christian, our prize is in the call of Jesus on our lives. Are you pressing on toward the call Jesus has put on your life? Are you going for the gold? Make this your priority today!

Girlfriend Spotlight on Jessi Besseghini!

It's time for a new spotlight. This week, we have the opportunity to get to know Jessi Bessighini, our fearless leader of the Living Hope Youth Group! Have fun getting to know her better, girlfriends!

What is your full name? Jessi Mari (Boicelli) Besseghini

Do you have any brothers or sisters?
Yep--Brandon, Curt and Jaymi Boicelli

Where did you grow up? Vacaville and Dixon

Are you married? Yes, to my high school sweetheart, Wes... we've been married for 2 years now.

Do you have any kids or grand kids? I'm incubating my first kid right now!! :-) He's due Sept. 18.

Name a favorite thing about someone in your family. I love my mom's willingness to use her life to serve other people.

What is your current job? I'm the youth minister at Living Hope. However, I also coach softball and give private softball lessons, and I'm a football coach's wife, which should be considered a full-time job in itself... I'll also probably start substitute teaching this fall.

What profession would you like to attempt? I like to write and do creative stuff, but for now, I think I'll be pretty content in doing part-time work and being a full-time mommy. :-)

If you could have an endless supply of any food, what would you get? Mashed potatoes. Mmmmmm.

What is one goal you'd like to accomplish during your lifetime? I would like to keep my house spotless for a week. (Ha ha, good luck with a baby coming, right?!)

Who is your hero? My mommy. She treats others how they're supposed to be treated, and she does so much work behind the scenes wherever she goes. She rocks.

What's your favorite thing to do in the summer? Sit outside around a fire, just talking and relaxing with friends and family.

Are you a morning or night person? Both. In college I would go to bed at 1am and get up at 5am. I love both the craziness of nighttime and the coolness and peace of the morning.

What are your favorite hobbies? Coaching softball, watching football (whether it's Wes coaching Dixon's JV team or the Raiders on TV), hanging out with family and friends, cooking/baking, watching movies...

What are your pet peeves? People who mistreat other people because they appear to be of a lower social/economic/educational class. I've worked at an ice cream shop, a coffee shop, and a pizza place, and no matter how nice you are to the customers, you'd be amazed at how many still treat you like you're stupid because they ASSUME you must be an uneducated, ambitionless idiot if you're working there. Just be nice, people!

What turns you on? Acts of service (when I come home and find Wes has done laundry and dishes, etc. He's amazing.)

What turns you off? Someone not opening up to me.

Tell us about a unique or quirky habit of yours. I can't stand sleeping alone (that is, in a house by myself). If Wes has to go out of town for something, I still go to my parents' house and have a sleepover with my sister. :-)

If you had to describe yourself using three words, it would be… well-intentioned, faithful, skeptical

If I could be anybody besides myself, I would be… I have no idea. All the really good and admirable people (Mother Teresa, etc.) have to sacrifice so much and work so hard, and to be totally honest, I'm not so sure I could do what they've done... but then again, I don't really want to be Paris Hilton, either. How about Belle from "Beauty and the Beast"? That sounds good.

When, how, why did you start attending Living Hope? Started attending in 2001 when the church first opened its doors, over at Anderson. My family had attended Valley EV Free for forever, but we were looking to start attending church in Dixon. This was right after Wes and I had started dating, and he informed me after our first week here that Living Hope was where he would be attending church, with or without me. So of course, this is where I went. :-)

What message do you want to send to your LH friends? I love you all! Thanks for making Living Hope such a warm, welcoming place. :-) (Special shout-out to the youth staff... they are AMAZING!)

Thanks, Jessi! A writer, huh? I may have to solicit you for some additions to our blog! We love you Jessi. Thanks for everything you do to make Living Hope (and our youth) so amazing! Can't wait to see little Besseghini and hold him soon! We're keeping you in our prayers.

Big Give - Big Success!

Our Back-to-School Big Give was held on Sunday, August 3rd, with fantastic results! We had well over 500 in attendance and had the opportunity to love on each person there! Living Hope was well represented with many volunteers who gave selflessly to see that those less-fortunate had backpacks, school supplies, hair cuts, and all the essentials. We gave away a couple of iPod Shuffles, dinner gift cards, $50 for jewelry at Thornton and Sons and much more. Our 2 hard working stylists cut 32 heads of hair and our artists painted children's faces as if they were the Sistine Chapel! We're not talking hearts and balloons... these kids were decked out! We handed out 168 packs and supplies to fill 48 more. Now, we'll be doing all we can to get additional packs out to 45 or 50 more kids who were left in hope.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for all your hard work getting the packs filled, raising money, making phone calls, and serving people with the love of Christ. In the coming weeks, we'll need your help still as we reach out to the contacts we made and invite them to join us for services on Sundays. I know our girlfriends will be on the lookout for them at church and do what we can to make them feel welcome.

Watch for pictures to come... our event photographer is working on them! Love you, girlfriends!

Big Give Backpack Party!

Alright, girlfriends! We're meeting at my house (Jamie Myers) at 7 p.m. on Saturday evening, Aug. 2nd, to stuff backpacks for the Big Give! We'll have an assembly line with plenty of room for you to jump in. Bring a snack and we'll relax a bit when the work is done. Hope to see you there! Need directions? Send an email to me at ragamuffin_kids@yahoo.com.