If I can do all things through Christ, why can't I find my car keys? Sample Chapter

52 Devotions for Busy Women Who Need a Moment With God

Loveland, Colorado

If I Can Do all ThIngs Through ChrIsT…

IcanDoAllThingsThroughChrist_Sec1.indd 1 7/6/12 12:36 PM

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You Can Do It, Girlfriend!

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

—Philippians 4:13 (King James 2000)

If anyone needs strength to do ALL things, it’s we women. Strength to face challenges. Deal with stress. Care for others. And, yes, find our car keys!

We need daily (or maybe hourly) reminders that Jesus is our strength. He’s the one who helps us find peace and joy in the midst of our busy lives.

One of the ways God strengthens us is through the support of our friends. They need us, and we need them! This book celebrates the encouragement and strength we receive through our relationships—especially with other women. It recognizes that life is sometimes difficult. Yet with God (and our girlfriends) on our side, we can do all things!

There are 52 devotions in this book, enough to last you a year if you only read one a week (but we won’t discourage you from reading them more quickly)! Each includes a Bible passage and a reading, as well as a “Find the Joy” idea to put that concept into action right away.

And mixed in with these devotions, you’ll find “When Girlfriends Gather” pages, which will help you discuss with other women what you’re learning. Use them when you get together with a friend for coffee (or dessert), in your small group, or in a Bible study. Throughout the book, you’ll also find tips and ideas to bring balance back to your home and life. Be sure to try these proven “stress-busters” and time savers!


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As you spend time with God through these pages, remember that this is your time. Take a deep breath. Relax. And let his presence strengthen and encourage you.

“But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you.”—2 Thessalonians 3:3

If I Can Do All Things Through Christ…Why Can’t I Find My Car Keys?


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A Life That Spills Over

“I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!”

—John 15:11

I’ve never been on great terms with librarians. I guess I’m not that good at following rules—like returning books on time or being quiet! Regardless,

I have always loved the library and the hunt for just the right book. My latest find was Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

I eagerly opened my treasure, only to find one of those library notices stamped inside the front cover. Apparently this edition was already damaged. I figured that out by the large frowny face! Then I read the description of the damage: “Stains throughout.”

I smiled. As I flipped through the pages, I discovered a fudgy-looking smudge by the recipe for Crêpes Fourrées. Now I was laughing. What the librarian had seen as damage I saw as delicious! Whoever checked out Julia’s masterpiece before me did exactly what she should have done: she cooked with it. To me, that deserves a smiley face. It would have been much more tragic to have borrowed this book and not tried any of the recipes. I don’t think even Julia Child would mind a few stains left in the process.

What a poignant picture this is! Often we spend too much energy trying to keep the pages of our life from getting messy when we could be living a life that overflows, one that spills over onto others.


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We may be afraid to try a new recipe or join a new group. We may hesitate to invite our neighbor over for coffee. Fear may hold us back from introducing ourselves to someone new at church or signing up for a foreign missions trip. We shy away from anything that might soil the pristine pages of our carefully planned lives.

Life is messy. It spills over onto people, pages, and places we would prefer to keep clean, things we would like to control. God is not that stern librarian just waiting to stamp a negative message on our lives if we do make a mistake and spill a little. Just the opposite! I imagine Jesus smiling at our willingness to risk, to embrace life, and to extend to others the same grace and freedom. Let’s lighten up and give each other permission to make a mess or two. The reward will be sweet, satisfying, and totally worth it!

| Sue Brage |

Find the Joy

As a reminder of how pleased God is with you, find a French bakery near you, and enjoy a rich pastry. Or pick up a croissant at the grocery store, and think about God’s grace and love even in the midst of our messes.


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Put It to Rest

“ ‘My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.’ ”

—Isaiah 55:8-9

As a little girl, I didn’t understand why grown-ups always said that a woman’s work was never done. I get it now. Believe me, I get it.

I thought about this the other day as I watched the minutes of my scheduled Sabbath day get consumed by tiny chores that just “had” to be done. Before I knew it, I had wasted God’s precious gift of rest by obeying the voice in my head that told me my counters had to be cleaned, my trash had to be emptied, my clothes had to be folded, and my coffee had to be ground. After all, if I didn’t do it then, I wouldn’t be prepared to start the week!

But oh, how I regretted it. Not a second went by on Monday that I didn’t wish I’d just let the counters collect a few crumbs so that I could have actually enjoyed the R&R that wouldn’t be available again for another week.

Sadly, this wasn’t the first time this had happened. In fact, it is regrettably more of the norm for me. I feel so compelled to constantly “do” that I never just let myself “be.” And for what? For my own peace of mind in having an empty trash can? What about the peace of mind that could come from following God’s design for rest? That, my sisters, is the kind of peace that trumps an organized kitchen every time.


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The truth is that there will always be something to do. A woman’s work really never will be done. But that’s okay. It doesn’t have to be. What does have to be done, however, is our ability to lay aside our personal to-do list and embrace the Lord’s design for a Sabbath. He didn’t create us to be super-women who never needed breaks. He designed us to be ladies of limited strength who would need to come to him for all things—both work and rest.

When we ignore God’s calling on us to rest, we essentially tell him that we know better than he does—that we can handle anything on our own and in our own way. But nothing could be further from the truth, and deep down, we know it. We know we need him in order to make it through every day and every task. And we know we need him to fill us up when we are tired and weary. But that can only happen if we stop long enough to let him.

Today let’s consider our to-do lists and line them up with God’s design. Let’s consider how we might better obey his call to be still for a moment and finally put that old adage to rest.

| Jill Ewert |

Find the Joy

Take a look at your calendar, and schedule a time of actual, real rest in his presence.


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Ambassador

“So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, ‘Come back to God!’ ”

—2 Corinthians 5:20

I have a card in my purse that looks like a business card. It says “Ambassador” on the top and includes the verse from 2 Corinthians 5:20. It reminds me

that no matter what else I am doing, I am first and foremost representing Christ. I love those days when I am dressed in casual business attire and leading a women’s Bible study or teaching a group of children. Those are the days I feel like an ambassador.

This was not one of those days. It began way too early, at 4 a.m., with the phone announcing a wrong number. Before I was fully awake, I ran for the offensive ringing and slammed my foot into a stack of chairs. I knew instantly I had broken something, and it was not a chair.

As I slid to the floor groaning, I thought of the time I would waste having to get an X-ray. It would not be a good day. I dragged myself to the computer, Googled the urgent care facility, and rearranged my schedule. My husband brought me the rarely used crutches we kept in the garage. After dressing and pulling a brush through my hair, I ate a cup of yogurt, grabbed my purse and a book off of the end table, and painfully hobbled out the door.

The waiting room was exceptionally full. As I waited, I completed the final chapter that I had left to read in my book. I closed it and looked around, bored. How would I pass the time now? Perhaps I was there to encourage someone.


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I tried to talk to the receptionist who called me up for more information, but she was very busy. The nurse who registered my blood pressure gave me only disinterested grunts when I attempted light conversation. Even the strangers sitting beside me made it clear they did not want to talk. I resigned myself to sitting and suffering in silence. This day would be a total waste!

Finally I was escorted into the inner sanctum of the care facility where the X-ray room was hidden. I set my crutches, purse, and book down on the chair, and Fausta, the technician, helped me onto the table. He gently turned my foot different ways between each shot. When Fausta helped me off the table, he pointed to my book and asked, “What is that about?”

I perked up and told him about how it was a collection of stories telling of God’s goodness and provision during the tragedies of 9/11/2001. I asked if he would like to have it. He was delighted and insisted he would read it during his lunch hour.

As I hobbled away that day, I realized that ambassadors dress in many different ways. Sometimes a business suit will get you in the door to share your testimony at a luncheon, but this day it was wearing a pair of crutches that got me into the X-ray room to share God’s goodness with a man named Fausta.

| Lindy Schneider |

Find the Joy

Once you finish reading an uplifting book slip it into your car or purse to pass along and bless someone else.


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God’s Best, Unleashed

“Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

—Matthew 11:29-30

As I explained to the dog trainer that we would miss the last scheduled class due to travel plans, I saw a look of concern wash over her face.

She quickly covered the remaining material and reluctantly presented us with our certificate of completion, along with her phone number to call when we needed her.

The reality is that I failed the loose-leash-walking portion of doggie obedience school and scored poorly in several other areas, as well. In loose-leash-walking, the leash should remain loose—not stretched and strained as the dog pulls. Walks with my dog, Duke, clearly demonstrate my lack of mastery skills. He takes control. He darts. He stops. He pulls. Wherever he wants to go, he attempts to make me follow.

And while he’s the one behaving badly, I accept the blame. I have failed to invest the time, energy, and patience to train him in this area. I have failed to take control, while I continue to allow the behavior.

Duke reminds me of my commitments in life. At times, I allow them to shape my day. When I don’t say no and don’t exercise control of my schedule, other things dictate my direction and consume my time. They may be good things but not necessarily the things God intended for me. And so I get


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jerked around from task to task, missing out on God’s best as I collapse in exhaustion at the end of the day.

My life remains out of balance until I prioritize and practice the art of graciously declining new opportunities that aren’t intended for me. I have to painfully prune my schedule at times to make space for what’s most important. When I start my day with God and I invite him to show me his way throughout the day, I’m better equipped to hear where he’s calling and see where he’s leading. When I’m following him instead of blazing my own trail, I find peace, productivity, and rest.

How about you? Are you seeking God’s direction for your life even in the small things? Are you allowing him to shape your day, or is your to-do list dragging you along? I pray that we’ll look to him for direction and find peace, joy, and contentment as we experience his best for us.

| Cindy Shufflebarger |

Find the Joy

Draw a picture of a dog on a leash. Think about how your to-do list feels like that leash. Now fold the paper in half and surrender it to God. Ask him to take charge of your day and to help you follow his leading, not the demands of your agenda.


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When Girlfriends Gather 1

Get together with one, two, or even more of your girlfriends, and celebrate your friendship. Here’s stuff to do together.

Take time to share which of the devotions you read in the past few weeks was most meaningful to you, and why. It’s OK if you all are at different places in the book—just share what God is putting on your heart.

Share an area of your life that you need your friends to be praying for you. And listen to the needs of your friends so you can pray for them. Remember to keep these confidential. Write each person’s name and one word beside it to prompt you in prayer for her this week.

Go for a walk. If the weather’s great, go outdoors. If it’s not so great, head to a mall, the gym, your church, a school, or anyplace where you can walk and talk indoors. Enjoy sharing life together!

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Meal in a MinuteEasy Asian Bowls: These rice-and-veggie-based bowls

make supper a snap.

Buy ahead: shredded carrots and cabbage, broccoli slaw,

mung beans (or other sprouts you like), green onions, and

an assortment of Asian sauces. Try Thai-peanut, teriyaki,

or sweet & sour.

When it’s time to eat, simply prepare some quick rice (can

be made ahead of time!), layer the veggies, and toss with

your choice of sauce. Feel free to add in any leftover

chicken (rotisserie from the grocery works perfectly)!

These are delicious as is, but if you prefer them hot,

simply toss ingredients into a small wok or microwave for

a minute or two. Top with peanuts and green onions and…

dinner’s ready!


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If I can do all things through Christ, why can't I find my car keys? Sample Chapter

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