| Executive Director's Monthly Message |
| August 10, 2009 |
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Ephesians 5:15, “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise, but as wise, making the
most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” (NIV)
Dear Powerful Women of Praise Members,
I hope that everyone had a blessed and well rested summer. While it was nice to keep cool
during the dog days of summer, I must say I missed the company and love of my fellow book
club ladies! Then I asked myself, why are we breaking from fellowship? We should be
fellowshipping all year long! God does not take breaks when it comes to us, neither should we
break when it comes to Him. We should not minimize the good things in our life, but make ways
to keep them a mainstay. This summer was a time of reflection for me. Many of you may not
know that over five years ago when I received the call to work with women, I did not think I was at
all qualified. After a couple of years of fighting what God had repeatedly asked me to do, I finally
began to do some but not all of what he asked, primarily because I really didn’t understand.
Ladies, how many of you know that there are going to be times when God asks us to do
something we don’t understand? It might seem unnecessary. It might seem crazy. Or it might
seem like something God shouldn’t need us to do because He is capable of doing it without our
involvement. So why does He require our action? When Jesus was asked to pay a tax, He told
Peter to go catch a fish. Miraculously, the exact amount He needed was found in the mouth of the
fish he caught. Peter had a moment where he had to either accept Jesus’ methods or question
them. In our limited human understanding it’s easier to question, “Why didn’t He just make that
coin appear?” But Peter knew Jesus, and he knew he was better off to just do whatever Jesus
had asked of him (Matthew 17:24-27). Sometimes we have moments like Peter had. We stand
there blinking, wondering if we heard Him right. In those moments we have to make a decision
to just DO IT:
Deliberate
Obedience
Intentional
Trust
Certainly Jesus could have produced the amount needed in many different ways, but He
required Peter to be involved. He required Peter to take action, just as He does with us at times.
When God challenged me to stick with my marriage when it seemed over, I wondered if He
realized what He was asking. He wanted me to deliberately obey Him and intentionally trust Him.
He didn’t want me to look for the easy button. He wasn’t offering a supernatural rescue. He
needed me to walk through the process, learning lessons along the way. Instead of handing me
a solution, He allowed me to be involved in it. Is there something He is asking you to do that
doesn’t seem right, or normal, or natural from your human perspective? Are you ignoring His still
small voice urging you to just trust and obey? Whether it’s catching a fish or building an ark, you
can rest assured that you are in good company. God has a plan—even when you can’t see it.
Sometimes you have to DO IT to reveal that plan. As we continue with Powerful Women of
Praise, my charge is to DO IT and to help you DO IT so we can all be on God’s Plan in everything
that we do! So be prepared to be encouraged, edified, equipped, and held accountable at our
book club meetings as we begin to close 2009 and move into 2010! You will see some
changes in PWOP that are based on God’s plan for this group. Remember---CHANGE IS
GOOD! WITHOUT CHANGE THERE IS NO GROWTH! I look forward to seeing everyone and
their guests for our first meeting on Friday, September 4th at 6:00 p.m. to be held at home
located on 505 Sparrow Lane San Jacinto, CA 92582.
With love,
Marcella A. Tarpley
Passion starts with God---He’s waiting for you to get stirred up so he can bless you!
most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” (NIV)
Dear Powerful Women of Praise Members,
I hope that everyone had a blessed and well rested summer. While it was nice to keep cool
during the dog days of summer, I must say I missed the company and love of my fellow book
club ladies! Then I asked myself, why are we breaking from fellowship? We should be
fellowshipping all year long! God does not take breaks when it comes to us, neither should we
break when it comes to Him. We should not minimize the good things in our life, but make ways
to keep them a mainstay. This summer was a time of reflection for me. Many of you may not
know that over five years ago when I received the call to work with women, I did not think I was at
all qualified. After a couple of years of fighting what God had repeatedly asked me to do, I finally
began to do some but not all of what he asked, primarily because I really didn’t understand.
Ladies, how many of you know that there are going to be times when God asks us to do
something we don’t understand? It might seem unnecessary. It might seem crazy. Or it might
seem like something God shouldn’t need us to do because He is capable of doing it without our
involvement. So why does He require our action? When Jesus was asked to pay a tax, He told
Peter to go catch a fish. Miraculously, the exact amount He needed was found in the mouth of the
fish he caught. Peter had a moment where he had to either accept Jesus’ methods or question
them. In our limited human understanding it’s easier to question, “Why didn’t He just make that
coin appear?” But Peter knew Jesus, and he knew he was better off to just do whatever Jesus
had asked of him (Matthew 17:24-27). Sometimes we have moments like Peter had. We stand
there blinking, wondering if we heard Him right. In those moments we have to make a decision
to just DO IT:
Deliberate
Obedience
Intentional
Trust
Certainly Jesus could have produced the amount needed in many different ways, but He
required Peter to be involved. He required Peter to take action, just as He does with us at times.
When God challenged me to stick with my marriage when it seemed over, I wondered if He
realized what He was asking. He wanted me to deliberately obey Him and intentionally trust Him.
He didn’t want me to look for the easy button. He wasn’t offering a supernatural rescue. He
needed me to walk through the process, learning lessons along the way. Instead of handing me
a solution, He allowed me to be involved in it. Is there something He is asking you to do that
doesn’t seem right, or normal, or natural from your human perspective? Are you ignoring His still
small voice urging you to just trust and obey? Whether it’s catching a fish or building an ark, you
can rest assured that you are in good company. God has a plan—even when you can’t see it.
Sometimes you have to DO IT to reveal that plan. As we continue with Powerful Women of
Praise, my charge is to DO IT and to help you DO IT so we can all be on God’s Plan in everything
that we do! So be prepared to be encouraged, edified, equipped, and held accountable at our
book club meetings as we begin to close 2009 and move into 2010! You will see some
changes in PWOP that are based on God’s plan for this group. Remember---CHANGE IS
GOOD! WITHOUT CHANGE THERE IS NO GROWTH! I look forward to seeing everyone and
their guests for our first meeting on Friday, September 4th at 6:00 p.m. to be held at home
located on 505 Sparrow Lane San Jacinto, CA 92582.
With love,
Marcella A. Tarpley
Passion starts with God---He’s waiting for you to get stirred up so he can bless you!
