Circle of Friends http://www.ourcircleoffriends.org Fri, 18 May 2012 05:12:52 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 A Love Like This http://www.ourcircleoffriends.org/a-love-like-this-20/ http://www.ourcircleoffriends.org/a-love-like-this-20/#comments Fri, 18 May 2012 05:12:52 +0000 Cari Bertolas http://www.ourcircleoffriends.org/?p=2663

My cleaning helper.

I’m going to tell you a little secret about being a military spouse: I don’t clean up until about 12 hours before my sailor gets home from the ship. Sometimes less.

I wish I was the kind of person who wrote out daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning tasks and stuck to them. I wish I could make Martha proud with my good housekeeping skills. But alas, one month ago when I dropped my handsome husband off at the ship, I not only kissed him

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]]> http://www.ourcircleoffriends.org/a-love-like-this-20/feed/ 0 Becoming http://www.ourcircleoffriends.org/becoming-7/ http://www.ourcircleoffriends.org/becoming-7/#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 10:34:14 +0000 Emily Smith http://www.ourcircleoffriends.org/?p=2635 My sister-in-law threw me the most incredible baby shower over the weekend.

From the decorations

 

 

 

 

To the food

 

 

 

Everything was thought out and so beautifully done.  More than I could have imagined.

Without a doubt the most special thing about my shower was the time spent in prayer over me, my  husband, and our baby.  It was a beautiful, precious time that I will always, always treasure.  So many heartfelt prayers were lifted

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]]> http://www.ourcircleoffriends.org/becoming-7/feed/ 0 A Plague of Doubt http://www.ourcircleoffriends.org/a-plague-of-doubt/ http://www.ourcircleoffriends.org/a-plague-of-doubt/#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 04:37:44 +0000 Geri Hoggard http://www.ourcircleoffriends.org/?p=2637 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.  2 Corinthians 1:20 (KJV)

I love reading and hearing the Exodus story of God defeating the Egyptian gods. Ten plagues resulted in the destruction of ten pagan gods. Starting with the plague of the Nile to the death of newborns, God proved himself sovereign.

In eight short passages in Exodus, God gives us ten “I will” statements. These are not comments they are definite promises.

-       Thou shalt see

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]]> http://www.ourcircleoffriends.org/a-plague-of-doubt/feed/ 0 Just BE It! http://www.ourcircleoffriends.org/just-be-it/ http://www.ourcircleoffriends.org/just-be-it/#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 11:00:10 +0000 Erica Stidham http://www.ourcircleoffriends.org/?p=2435 “Just do it,” became a cultural mantra as Michael Jordan made his way to the top of the basketball world. T-shirts, shoes, posters, and advertisements all monopolized on the catch phrase as we were encouraged to live life full out. For years I bought into similar thinking with one goal after the next being set and accomplished. Things that seemed like major milestones to others, no longer satisfied because of the lofty expectations I had for myself.

But recently, I began to pursue a different goal. BEing aware of God’s

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]]> http://www.ourcircleoffriends.org/just-be-it/feed/ 1 Looking at the Sky http://www.ourcircleoffriends.org/looking-at-the-sky/ http://www.ourcircleoffriends.org/looking-at-the-sky/#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 10:21:17 +0000 SusieF http://www.ourcircleoffriends.org/?p=2415

photo by Susie Finkbeiner

I taught Bible at an after school program for several years. Five days a week, the elementary aged kids would worship together and learn about Jesus. It was some of the best ministry I’ve ever experienced.

One of my students was named Kevin. He wiggled and rolled and fidgeted through Bible class every day. I was sure he just wasn’t listening.

“Hey, Kevin,” I would say.

“Yeah?” He wouldn’t look at me.

“Can you please sit still and pay attention?”

“Probably not.”

That

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