Thanksgiving Blessings!

It is Thanksgiving day and I am overwhelmed with God's many blessings! How about you?

I am thankful for my loving Savior who willingly died in my place. Even though my mind fully comprehends the actions Jesus took, I am not sure my heart will ever be able to understand the pain Jesus bore when He took God's wrath for my sin. Today, all I know to say is "Thank you, Lord!"

I am thankful for my family. Jay, Jake, and Andrew are a blessing to me. Jay is a rock in my life and my boys keep me real. I am also thankful for my parents and siblings. Mom, Dad, Jason, and Shannon have put up with me for 34 years. I love them more every day. I have wonderful in-laws who are so very supportive of me and True Vine Ministry. (in fact, I am posting this blog from their house!) Thank you Joe and Cindy!

I am thankful for my friends. Wow! I am blessed in this area of my life. Life would not be the same without my circle of friends. This circle includes friends that I have known for many years as well as friends I have met in recent years. Life is richer with all of my friends in it! I love you all!!

I am thankful for my church family. As I think back over the last year, I am amazed at God's hand of direction. The Lord has walked us through so much and I am thankful for my church family who has remained steadfast in their hearts for God. I can't imagine walking through life without this important group of people in my life.

I am thankful for my community. I love Conway! I hope the Lord allows us to live in Conway for many years. I love writing for Women's Inc. To me, this is one way I can give back to a community who has given so much to me and my family.

I hope as you read this entry, you are reminded of the many blessings in your life. Feel free to share your thoughts of thanks!

Blessings to you and yours!

Love!
Andrea

Shopping and Friends!

Hello from Branson, Mo. I am on a shopping trip with a few girlfriends from my Small Group. We are ready to take Branson by storm. As I spend time with my friends, I am reminded about the importance of friends. Friends are there for you in good times and bad. The Bible teaches that we should have at least three types of friendships in our lives. First, we should have Close Friends who hold us accountable to God's Word. This type of friendship was demonstrated in the life of David and Jonathan. Next, we should have Caring Friends who are fun to spend time with and encourage us in our faith. This type of friendship was demonstrated in the Early Church. Finally, we should have Casual Friends that we are willing to invest our lives in so we can share the love of Jesus Christ. This type of friendship was seen in the life and ministry of Jesus who looked for ways to invest in the lives of those around Him as He walked on this earth.

Tonight, before I go to bed, I want to ask you a question. "What kind of friend are you?" I hope you can say that you are the type of friend who points others towards Jesus. If so, you can know that God is being honored in your friendships. If not, take a hard look at your friendships and ask the Lord to help you be the kind of friend that brings honor to Him!

Good night, my sweet friend!

Andrea

P.S. I will let you know what kind of deals I find in Branson! I am excited :)

Busy Days!

WOW! Life is busy but good! I do not know about you, but I cannot believe it is the middle of November. I will confess, my Christmas tree is up and I am ready to spend time with my sweet family.

Last week I wrapped up TVM's speaking schedule for 2010. What a great year! As I reflect on the year, I am so thankful for all the opportunities to share God's Word as well as meet so many new friends.

This week, I finished up the first group study of Reflecting His Glory at my home church. What a blessing! The feedback has been wonderful. I am thankful for all the ladies that took part in the study. Speaking of Reflecting His Glory, it along with our family, will be featured in the December issue of Women's Inc. I can't wait to see the magazine. I will share the link with you when it comes out.

Now that things have slowed down at TVM, I am working on finishing up Free To Thrive! I hope to finish the manuscript this week and send it off to the editor by the end of the month. I am so excited about this resource. As I write, I see the great potential for a devotion type study focusing on our freedom in Christ. The great thing about this devotion is the fact that it is designed for women who are bound up in the craziness of life. Can you relate? It is my hope that this tool will help women get free from the trappings of this world and long to have a balanced, meaningful life in Christ.

Jay and I are doing a little remodel work in our home. When we bought our home eight years ago, we made a list of things we hoped to improve. We had no idea it would take 8 years to get to many of the things on our list but it did! RIght now we are tackling the kitchen. We have painted the ceiling, changed out the appliances, and put up new light fixtures. Next we are putting in a new sink and new countertops. After that we will install a tile backsplash and tile flooring. It will look like a new kitchen when we are done. We are so excited to see it all come together. The kitchen remodel will also be featured in an upcoming Women's Inc. So stay tuned for pictures.

So, I am trying to make this blog more interactive so I have a question for you--- "Have you ever remodeled a room in your home? What advice do you have for me and Jay?

Love!
Andrea

Camping Trip! Help!

I am leaving tomorrow morning bright and early to go backpacking/camping with my good friend Janet. If you know me very well, you know that Janet must be a good friend if I am going backpacking/camping with her. Bottom line--- I am not an outdoor girl! My idea of fun is going to a nice hotel, taking in a movie, enjoying a nice meal, and sleeping on an extra soft mattress with lots of pillows! So the thought of carrying my bed into the back country and sleeping with the critters makes me a little nervous.

I knew I was in trouble when I found out that I cannot wear deodorant or smelly hand lotion because it might attract the bears. It was at this point that I decided I better get serious about my approach to my backpacking adventure. So let me share my approach with you. I am going to approach this adventure like a mission trip. From the beginning, I am going to know that I will do things I do not normally do. I will live in ways I do not normally live. And by God's grace, I hope to share the love of Jesus with someone along the way.

I plan to take my camera and I will post pictures when I return. Pray for me and especially Janet. I do not think she has a clue what she has gotten herself in to!


Love,
Andrea

FBC Manila Retreat

Last weekend I had the great honor of leading a women's retreat for First Baptist Church Manila, AR. What a great weekend!! We gathered in the beautiful town of Ponca, AR. If you have not been to Ponca, you need to go! God's creation just cries out to Him! The trees, the animals, the streams, and the mountains proclaim that God is our creator God.

During our time in Ponca, we looked at the topic Free To Thrive! God's Word challenged us to Thrive no matter the circumstances going on in our lives. Galatians 5:1 served as our focal verse, "It is for freedom Christ set us free, stand firm then and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." It was a great weekend with a great group of ladies. Check out the pictures below!

Reflecting His Glory Update

Well, it has been awhile! I just wanted to let you know that Reflecting His Glory has been published!! I am in the middle of teaching the study at my home church. It has been so exciting to see God use this study to challenge women to really examine their hearts desire. Each week we have placed ourselves before the Lord and asked Him to show us areas where we fail to reflect Him. God certainly has been working in my heart and I hear the same from my sisters. No doubt, reflecting requires hard work and daily surrender. We ultimately reflect Him when others see Jesus in us.

As I teach the study, I am writing the leaders guide. This guide will be available in the next few weeks for any church or women's group. It is my hope that the leaders guide will make the study more user friendly for groups. Please join me in prayer for God's plan for this study. "Lord, may Your will be done!"

You can order your copy of Reflecting His Glory today. Click on the RHG link at www.andrealennon.net

More soon!

Love,
Andrea

WellSpring

I had a great time this weekend at WellSpring Women's Event in Arkadelphia, AR. The women were so warm and open to God's Word. Thanks to everyone who worked hard to make the event a huge success!!

I want to share with you the key points from the two sessions I led.

The first session was on simplifying our life. Wow! We need to hear what God's Word has to say on this important topic. The key verse for this session was Psalm 25:15, "My eyes are ever on the Lord for only He will release my feet from the snare." Scripture taught that a life that pleases God focuses on the Him. We learned the difference between a glance and a gaze. When we gaze, we are released from the traps in our life.

The second session was Free to Thrive! We saw in God's Word that we do not have to live a life that merely survives. We are called and equipped to Thrive! To thrive means to progress towards a certain goal. As believers in Jesus Christ, our goal in life must be conformity to Jesus. God’s Word plays a key role in this process. Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 If we are going to Thrive, we must ask ourselves--- “What am I holding on to?” And, “Is it setting me free?”

If you attended WellSpring, I want to encourage you to post your "take home" lessons. What did you learn this weekend and how are you going to incorporate these truths into your daily life? Remember, the truths God speaks into our lives must be more than head level knowledge. We must surrender to His teachings and ask Him to write them on our hearts.

I love you and I am praying for you! May your walk with Christ be filled with love as you walk in step with Him! I hope to see you again soon.

When it is one of those days....

Today is one of those days when I want to crawl back in bed, pull the covers over my head, and come out when the sun is shinning and the snow is gone! Do I hear an "amen" out there?

To make things worse, I did not sleep very much last night. My throat started hurting yesterday around 7:00p.m. and my head just kept pounding and pounding. I was totally surprised by this cold because last week I struggled with the flu. Surely, I will not be sick two weeks in a row!

This morning as I thought about my options, crawling back in bed or facing my day, I picked up my Bible and read John 1:1-5. As I read, I was faced with Truth. This passage states, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created. Life was in Him, and that life was the light of men. (this is the best part--- are you ready?) That light shines in the darkness yet the darkness did not overcome it."

This morning, as I read verse five, I just stopped and thought about the fact that light can not be overcome by darkness. No. Light always wins. Think about it--- you can be in the middle of a vast room that is totally dark. Yet, if a tiny little shines, your eyes immediately look to the light. If you are not sure about this tendency, go to your closet and give it a try. I believe that you will find your eyes drawn to the light.

To be honest, this concept of light shining forth in the darkness is getting me through my day. Darkness may be all around me--- it may even be represented in the way I feel. However, God's light, which not only lives in me but shines through me, overcomes the darkness.

Today, I challenge you to know that God's light, who is Jesus Christ, lives in you and through you. Even if the circumstances of your life seem challenging, look to the light of Christ. As you do, the light of Christ will overcome the darkness in your world. The reason why--- light shines in the darkness and the darkness can not overcome the light.

Well, I better go. It is time to face my day living in the light of Christ. How about you? Are you ready to live in the Light?

Love You!

2010--- In full Swing

Well, it has been too long since I updated the blog. This month I plan to fix that problem. So here we go---

January has come and gone. It was a month of getting back in the swing of normal. I worked hard on last minute editing for Reflecting His Glory. We are getting close to publication!! Stay tuned on that subject.

Last weekend I led a retreat in Monticello, AR. There were over 100 ladies in attendance. God poured out His Spirit as we learned how to have a New Year with a New You! The ladies were sweet and had open hearts to God's Word. Many of the ladies stayed after the retreat to share how God had spoken a clear word to them during our teaching sessions. Thank you Lord!

I want to share with you Friday night's focal verse--- "My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only He will release my feet from the snare." Psalm 25:15. This verse challenges us to place our focus on the Lord. As we do, we can know that He will deliver us from all the traps in our lives. On Friday night, I shared that one of the traps that many women face is the desire to be a better you. This trap keeps many women bound up thinking that they need to pull themselves together and just be a better person.

Friend, if I just described you, surrender to the fact that you cannot make yourself a better person. Any attempt to make yourself better will only cause you to further dig yourself into a trap. So what can you do? The answer to this question is found in Psalm 25:15--- place your eyes on the Lord. As you focus on Him, you will become more like Him. The end result--- it will be a new year and you will be a new you.

Blessings!