Getting to Know.....Tammy Price

Recently, I sent Tammy Price our "Getting to Know You" questionnaire. This mom is equipped with a wonderful personality and a beautiful smile. I have really enjoyed getting to know her and I think that you will too.

Tammy loves to read a good mystery book in her spare time. Her favorite kind of music is contemporary christian and she enjoys listening to Toby Mac and Third Day. Her favorite movie is "Fried Green Tomatoes" and her favorite actress is Jodie Foster. Some fun activities she likes to do with her children include swimming and watching movies. Her food of choice is raspberries...yum!

She has been married for 18 years to Jimmie. They met when her father and Jimmie worked at IGA in Winchester. Her dad thought Jimmie would be the perfect match for her and he invited him over to watch basketball at their house. Tammy thought Jimmie was cute, she offered him a Pepsi and "the rest is history".

Her favorite thing about Mom's Connection is meeting other mom's would love Jesus. She chose to be in the "Being a Great Mom Raising Great Kids" group because she is always wanting to better herself as a mother and learn new things.

I asked her what a relationship with the Lord means to her and she answered, "God is my Saviour and my best friend. He is the only one I can truly tell anything to and He already knows everything about me and still loves me! I love just talking things over with God and thanking Him for everything he's done for me. I love God so much and I am so thankful Jesus died for me. God is truly my best friend. "

When asked about her biggest inspiration she replied, "Joyce Meyer. I have watched Joyce for many years on t.v. She had an abusive childhood and many problems even into her adult life. She prayed and studied the bible and cried out to God for help. She gives real down to earth teaching and advice on how to live a victorious and joy-filled Christian life. She helps people all around the world with such things as clean drinking water, food, housing, medical help, etc. She helps troubled teen girls and also has many prison ministries. Joyce has definitely helped me grow closer to Christ. I think she is a remarkable woman used by God to bless and help others."

Tina Burton

Ambassadors for Christ

Over the last three weeks I have written about who we are in Christ. My goal is that many will discover their new identity in Christ and what that means, or for some to be gently reminded of their privilege and responsibility. Today I am going to reflect on how we are ambassadors.

In the secular world an ambassador would be someone who represents a country. This person goes to other countries as a representation of the appearance, attitude, political viewpoint and religion of their people. As Christians we have the same responsibility to the world around us. As a member of God's family with our position firmly established as saints and soldiers for Christ, we represent "our family" (which includes God, Jesus Christ, our church, and all fellow believers) to the world around us. Our responsibility is spelled our very clear in God's Word when it says, "So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf. Be reconciled to God." (2 Corinthians 5:16-20) We are not just representing God but are also responsible for getting His message across to others. But how are we doing it?

Some are not representing God to the world at all. They are what I like to call secret ambassadors. "Shhhhhhhhhhhhh. Let's not tell anyone who we are." Secret ambassadors don't hurt the cause for Christ but they don't help it either. They like to spend time with only fellow embassy employees. They seldom mix with the citizens of the country they are in. They might feel uncomfortable around people in the world because of their different language (cursing), strange customs (tattoos, piercings), and hold different values (drinking, cheating, not honoring the Sabbath day). These type of ambassadors prefer to associate with people they already know and feel comfortable. They do not recognize spirit-led opportunities to reach out to the citizens of this world even when they walk right in their own church. This makes their responsibility of reconciliation IMPOSSIBLE.

Then we go to the opposite end of the spectrum to overzealous ambassadors. They blare their thoughts and feelings of this world from their mountain top banging the Bible over the citizen's heads. Instead of being spirit-led, they push themselves and the message into places they were not welcomed. They are not interested in getting close to people, being involved in their lives, loving them, resolving doubts, or working through conflicts. Sometimes they do good but often they do more harm. Overzealous ambassadors can cause a bigger gap with seekers of the kingdom using intimidation and high-pressure tactics.

Then of course there are the spirit-led ambassadors who are effective in representing Christ and getting the message of reconciliation across to the citizens of this world. They long for opportunities to be a witness and pray for divine wisdom on how to do it. They ask God to help them "be wise in the way I act toward outsiders; making the most of every opportunity" (Colossians 4:5). They pray "help 'my conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that I may know how to answer everyone'" (Colossians 4:6) They take seriously the words of Peter when he said, "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15).

What do we do with this knowledge that we are ambassadors? We look for opportunities to build bridges of reconciliation with our neighbors, coworkers, family members, all acquaintances, and even those who consider themselves our enemies. Pray for a heart filled with God's love for others and a hunger to see them reconciled to God. Then take notice on how you behave around others. Do you give off a friendly, approachable vibe? Be aware that many times the world views God through what they see in you. How are you representing God?

Blessings,
Lisa

Homemade White Bread

This recipe is a lot of work (mostly waiting) but a lot of fun--and the taste makes it worth the effort.


Ingredients: 6 cups of flour (divided)
1 Tbsp sugar
2 1/2 tsp salt
1 envelope dry active yeast
2 cups very hot water (120 degrees or more)
2 Tbsp melted butter




-Combine 2 cups flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a large mixing bowl.
-Beat in water and butter.
-Continue beating for 3 minutes at high speed.
-Add 1/2 cup flour and beat 4 minutes longer at high speed.
-Stir in 3 cups flour or enough to make a soft dough.
-Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 8-10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic, adding flour as needed.
-Put dough in a large buttered bowl turning the dough to butter the top.
-Cover with a clean towl and let rise for an hour in a warm place, free of drafts.
-Punch dough down and knead until smooth then cut dough in half, cover with the buttered bowl and let stand for 15 minutes.
-Separate each half into thirds. Roll each piece into a rope about 10-12 inches long and then braid 3 of the rope pieces together. (you should have 2 braided loaves when finished) Place each loaf on a baking stone then cover the stones with a clean towel and allow to rise 45 minutes or until they have doubled in size.

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
-Bake loaves for 20-25 minutes or until they sound hollow when tapped with fingers.
-Remove from pans to cooling racks, brush with melted butter (will make dough shiny and soft).
-After completely cool, either wrap with aluminum foil or place in a freezer bag to keep fresh. Will stay fresh for 3-4 days (but usually it is non-existant around hubby after 2 days).

Tina Burton
Hospitality Coordinator

Getting Skunked

I have always been a dog lover. I have always been blessed with good dogs. But all that changed in 1998. That is when Bubba came into my life. Then, a few years later, Ebony joined our family. Bubba and Ebony – those are their names. But that is not how my family and close friends know them. They are more famously known as "The Village Idiots". Now you may be wondering why, as a self-proclaimed dog lover, I would call my dogs such an offensive nickname. Let me assure you, they have earned their title. They are both very smart animals, but there is one lesson they have never grasped. And that very important lesson is this – do not corner a skunk!

After their first "skunking" I felt confident they had learned their lesson. I knew I had. It’s one thing to catch a waft of skunk aroma as you drive down the road. It’s another thing altogether to have 2 fifty-five pound dogs barrel into your home after taking a "direct hit". The odor permeates everything. And whatever they come in contact with has to be "de-skunked" as well, including the unfortunate human who has to clean them. So after this unfortunate incident had passed, I felt sure the lesson had been learned, especially due to the fact that the dogs endured some pain as a result of being sprayed in the eyes by the skunk. Imagine my surprise when 3 weeks later they were skunked again! I was dumbfounded. How could they make the same mistake again? Didn’t they learn anything the first time? The entire process was repeated to remove the obnoxious odor from all it had permeated again.

So were 2 episodes of getting skunked enough to earn the nickname "The Village Idiots"? Probably not, but my dogs didn’t get skunked twice. The magic number for these dogs is 6. Yes, you read that correctly – 6. The last episode occurred just two weeks ago. Now the nickname was bestowed on them at skunking episode 3. But their good favor with me just expired two weeks ago. I have been patient. I have forgiven. I have scrubbed, and scrubbed, and scrubbed… I have scrubbed my floors, furniture, walls, clothes, the dogs and myself time after time to be rid of their obnoxious odor. But not anymore; on that Wednesday night 2 weeks ago, I did not scrub my dogs. I tied them outside by their doghouses and that is where they have stayed. I scrubbed myself and the clothes I was wearing, but I decided that night to never allow their odor to rub off on me again. If they refuse to learn their lesson, fine. They can live with the smell, but I refuse to.

How many times do we, as Christians, get "skunked" by life? My dogs have a weakness for a member of the weasel family with a white stripe down its back. There are days when I feel like one of the "Village Idiots". I know what my personal "skunk" is. What is your weakness? Is it a bad tempera; tendency to gossip? What is the one thing you find yourself asking God to forgive you for over and over again? If you’re like me, you have more than one "skunk" to pray about. But how blessed we are! God doesn’t send us to the doghouse and wash His hands of us. Instead, He lovingly forgives us and washes our sins away. "Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight". Romans 4:7 (NLT) So the next time something in life "skunks" you, don’t be discouraged. Take it to God! He will wash it away.

May God Bless You!
Donnis L. Lloyd

What's Up, Wednesday!

The Easter Egg Hunt at Bethel Assembly of God was awesome! We met in the Sanctuary where Pastor Rick did a skit for the kids reminding us all what Easter is about. We sang some songs led by the children's worship leader, Amy Brooks. Then after it was dark we headed outside with the older children for their night time egg hunt and inside the Mace building for the under 5 age. Every child found lots of eggs filled with candy! After the egg hunt we headed indoors for refreshments and to check out our eggs. Several "special eggs" were found which awarded you with a prize. We were blessed with good weather and a great time!

Our upcoming events for April are as follows:

Friday, April 17 Pajama & Movie Night- Tender Touch Ministries at Bethel Assembly of God in Martinsburg, WV Event. Meet in the upper center room of the MACE building at 6 pm. Movie snacks and childcare will be provided. The movie "The Ultimate Gift" will be presented for viewing.

Friday, April 24 Times of Refreshing Prayer Time-Join us at Kim Ratcliffe's home for an opportunity to have your needs prayed over and brought before God Almighty! Open House Format between 9:30 am- 2:30 pm.

Tuesday, April 28 Topic Meeting-Join us at Bethel Assembly of God in the Mace building rm 109 from 10-11:45 am for our topic meeting. Grace Mueller from Babymoon Doulas will be our guest speaker during our opening. Then we will join our care circles for discussion.

Our upcoming events for May are as follows:

Tuesday, May 12 Mother's Day Breakfast- Join us at Shoney's Restuarant in Martinsburg, WV at 10 am for the all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet starting at $6.99 each, drinks not included. Childcare available at Bethel A/G from 9:45-11:45 am. Please RSVP with Lisa Fraley if you are planning to attend and if using our childcare.

Friday, May 15 Mom's Game Night- Meet at Amanda Dagostino's house at 6 pm. Bring a favorite game to play and $5 towards pizza.

Tuesday, May 26 Topic Meeting-Join us at Bethel Assembly of God in the Mace building rm 109 from 10-11:45 am for our topic meeting. Rochelle Lushbaugh with YoungLives Ministry will be our guest speaker during our opening. Then we will join our care circles for discussion

Testimony Tuesday

With the month of May approaching and the planning of my son's 9th birthday party, I wanted to share with you this testimony of God's goodness to me!

My husband and I were married four years before our son Lee was born. Before my pregnancy I was asked constantly when we were going to have children. Every time I acted like it wasn't a big deal and we were not in a rush to be parents. But that was far from the truth. We tried having children as soon as we were married. Every month I was left disappointed. We eventually saw an infertility specialist after three years of trying on our own.
We started that wonderful process of infertility treatments. During this time my father died. That did not deter me from wanting a child and we were pregnant four months later. It was amazing to have gotten pregnant so quickly but that isn't what my testimony is about today. Instead I want to praise God for His timing.
The day I found out I was pregnant was my mother's birthday, Aug. 30. My family needed some good news. We were all struggling SO HARD with the death of my father. We shared in the joy of expecting this wonderful boy, my mom's first grandchild. Then on May 2, 2000 Lee was born. Being born in May had great significance for my family. My dad's birthday was May 23. My parent's 24th wedding anniversary would have been that May 24, 2000. My dad died on May 13 and was buried on my brother's birthday, May 16.
When my father died, the month of May was left empty for me. I thought this normally joyous month was gone. But Lee was born one year after my dad's death in May. But God's goodness does not end there. My daughter was born three years later on May 28! Then my brother had his first son on May 22!
I know God created this universe and all mankind but what makes Him BIG to me is that He cares about the little things in my life. What might seem insignificant to others is not to Him! I praise God for His timing!!! It was worth the wait!

Thank you God for always making me feel valued in this enormous world!
Lisa Fraley

Onward Soldier, Onward!

When we become Christians, we become sons and daughters, and we become saints, but we also become soldiers. We are automatically listed into God's army. For some of us the thought of ourselves as soldiers is just plain funny. If you're anything like me, maybe you're just a little too much on the prissy side to think of yourself as a soldier. However, I didn't know how strong I was until I had my first child. And I'm not talking just about the pain of childbirth. As mothers we have all been put on the front lines of a spiritual battle. God's Word says, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:12) And as soldiers we are supposed to defend ourselves and our families against evil, but also capture enemy territory.

However, its not just our loved ones we are here to reach, protect, and serve. But we are fighting over the destiny of human beings who matter to God! " For God doesn't want anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9) So I'm going to challenge you today to think about what kind of soldier you are.

There are some people who I will call Sunday soldiers. They drag themselves out of bed, put on their uniforms (their Sunday best), and do their weekly duty for God. They can't be counted on for more than that. These people are content to sit back and leave the real battles to others. They believe in the fight for Christ but don't want to get dirty.

Then there are those soldiers who go AWOL. When it starts to get hard, they tuck their tails between their legs and run. The battle continues to rage but they sit back in safe territory and avoid any conflicts or confrontations. When serving God starts to challenge them, change them, or cost them something, they're no where to be found. Paul said to Timothy, "Endure hardships with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:3) How would you feel if in a military battle your comrade leaves you to face the enemy alone? But that's exactly what many do when they leave a church or a ministry behind. Now many times a soldier becomes AWOL due to hurts that are caused by other soldiers. We must remember Jesus willingly bled and died on a cross to gain victory over Satan, and He expects us to pay a price for the victories that we gain as well. Sometimes the price we pay are hurts we incur on the battlefield. But Jesus said, "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28)

Now this next soldier is the one I want to be. The soldier who says to God just as Isaiah did, "Here I am, send me." (Isaiah 6:8) They stand in attention with their hands at their brow and say "Yes sir"! They acknowledge their submission to the Commander in Chief of their soul, Jesus Christ. They are ready for battle at any moment. I want to surround myself with these types of soldiers. I don't want to be a single person fighting the good fight alone, but together with an army of obedient Christian believers. When we are these kind of soldiers, God will use us, bless us, and do miracles in our lives.

Let me encourage you today on how you can be a "Yes, Lord" soldier. When you are going about your daily business and the Lord gives you clear direction to smile, pray, show love, or reach out to a specific person, do it!! When God asks you to get involved at a church, in a ministry, or in another cause, do it!! It's in those moments of truth, that the battles are won and lost.

Remember we are all soldiers for Christ and every Easter reminds us, we are victorious!

Blessings,
Lisa