Christmas Confessions

Christmas Confessions

by | Dec 6, 2021 | Uncategorized

Today, I’m sharing confessions with you and hopefully, giving you permission to step back from anything around the holidays that adds to your stress. Here are my Christmas confessions from years ago, but most of these are still true for me today:

  1. NO COOKIES FOR YOU…I’ve baked no cookies. I want to bake them, but I’d eat them all. My hips ain’t got no time for that.
  2. EMPTY MAILBOX BLUES… For years, I’ve felt guilty about not sending out more Christmas cards. This year, my level of guilt is finally going down. I’ve made peace with saying Merry Christmas on Facebook.
  3. LIGHTS OFF…I’ve thought about going to our zoo’s magnificent annual lights display. It’s often ranked #1 in the nation. But you know what, it can take hours to actually get in and it’s really cold outside. I think that I’ll just drive back and forth past it to catch glimpses from my car instead.
  4. EW…I haven’t had any eggnog. My confession is that I don’t like eggnog because I don’t like the mental picture of drinking eggs.
  5. MY FINAL SECRET REVEAL…Here’s my actual tree. It’s been up since before Thanksgiving, but still undecorated. I’ve carefully cropped it out of all of my social media photos, but here it is in all its undecorated glory. At some point, I’ll toss the ornaments on…probably an hour or so before my guests arrive for my holiday gathering.

About you…Those are my Christmas confessions and perhaps you need to consider your own.

 BUT, can I offer a suggestion before you start making confessions or cancelling your plans? I don’t want to over-spiritualize your holiday activities, but this is a great time of year to practice listening for the Holy Spirit’s leading, especially when it comes to how you spend your time, effort and energy.

James 1:5 reminds us that “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” What does this mean? This means that God wants to help you navigate the complicated Christmas holiday, but YOU have to ask Him!

God will actually give you the wisdom that you need to help you make good decisions on how many or what gifts to buy, which gatherings to attend and even who you should or shouldn’t be around. Perhaps, this is a good time to pray if you haven’t done so:

Dear God,

It’s the thick of the holiday season and I don’t want to lose sight of the reason for the season. God, I am asking for Your wisdom and guidance before I get too far into the rush of the next few weeks.

Gifts: God, as I think about the gifts that I want to purchase for ____________________, impress upon my heart and mind what would be wise, helpful or meaningful.

Time: God, there are so many different activities that we have going on, so I ask for Your Spirit’s discernment on whether or not we should attend ____________________ because I’m not sure if that will bless my family or overburden our schedule.

Effort: God, as I look at my holiday “to-do” list, is there anything on that list that you want me to reconsider or remove so that I can have more time for rest and connecting with my family or You. 

Finally, God, thank you for promising to give me wisdom when I ask for it. I will keep my heart and mind open for Your Spirit’s leading so that I can experience a Christmas holiday full of Your joy and peace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

  

SHARE WITH ME: Do you have any Christmas confessions to that you’d like to share with me? Also, did God reveal anything to you during today’s prayer? Join the conversations and leave a comment below.

 

To get ready for the busy holidays, my friends and I are talking about the real challenges that we all face this holiday season. This broadcast event is packed with hope, wisdom, laughter and more – just what we all need for the holidays!

Join me and my author besties, Jill Savage, Katy McCown, Shari Braendel and Susan Seay in Waco, TX for our “Hope for the Holidays” Event filmed in Waco, TX.

We're inviting YOU to gather around the table with us. We’re talking about how to set boundaries for the holidays, creating realistic expectations and so much more - including a special, powerful bonus segment on dealing with holiday grief.

You're about to spent dozens of hours making Christmas happen. Give yourself the gift of three hours of hope!

You can have instant access to watch! This three-hour special event is valued at $49.97, but you have access for ONLY $19.97!

Buy Instant Access Right Now for ONLY $19.97
Flip from Fear to Faith in Two Words

Flip from Fear to Faith in Two Words

by | Nov 29, 2021 | Uncategorized

You've heard of the saying, "You are what you think." It's true, isn't it?!

What do you think about all day long? There are two kinds of thinkers:

Are you a "what if" thinker or are you a "God if" thinker?

"What if..." thinkers try to figure everything out on their own. When we try to think of all of the bad things that could happen, then we hope that we can figure out a way to prevent the negative outcome.

However, this "what if" strategy breeds two problems. First, entertaining all of those negative thoughts often leaves out God's sovereignty and second, all of that negative thinking robs you of God's peace. Filling our mind with negative thoughts never leads to a positive outcome.

For years, I lived by "what if..." thinking. As soon as I woke up in the morning, I purposefully tried to think of everything that could go wrong. While I could come up with some solutions, there were still too many circumstances out of my control - and my anxiety spun out of control, too.

Can you relate?

"What if" thinking pretends to be productive, but in the end, it robs us of peace.

In Matthew 26:39-46, Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane for God to stop the horror that was to come. His time of death was near. Jesus' stress was so great that one scriptural author wrote that his sweat was like drops of blood. My friend, if you're going through a hard time, Jesus understands!

You know what Jesus did? Rather than pray "what if," Jesus began each of his three prayers with "My Father, if" instead. Instead of imagining all of the worst case scenarios, Jesus leaned into "God, if" thinking and prioritized on inviting God's presence into Jesus' present circumstances.

When we face problems, we need God's peace more than we need solutions. When we allow God's peace into our problems, our fears can fade and we often find that we can handle our problems better.

Here's the takeaway on this: You can flip from fear to faith by switching from "what if" to "God, if."

"God, if..." thinkers see God in every circumstance. They know that problems will happen but they don't overthink the problem, they focus on God's power and promises. So it's not, "What if my car breaks down, rather they think, "Okay, God, if my car breaks down, I trust that You will provide a solution."

JOIN THE CONVERSATION TODAY:  In what situation do you need to flip from "What if" to "God, if" today? Share below and encourage others!

PRAYER: God, I need to focus on you instead of what's going on around me. I choose to trust that you are with me and for me no matter what I am facing today. In Jesus' name, Amen.

SPECIAL EVENT: Watch "Hope for Holidays" NOW!

Fill up on hope! My friend, you're about to spend many hours preparing for the upcoming holiday season. 

Take the time to re-fill your spiritual and emotional tank so that you can enjoy your holiday season, rather than drag through the busy season exhausted or resentful.

Gather with me and my friends, Jill Savage, Susan Seay, Shari Braendel and Katy McCown for this instant access online event!

Don't Miss This Special Event Just for YOU!

Click the button below and start watching now - or save it for later!

Our Gift to You at $19.97 (Normal price of $49.97)
Is Waiting Until Marriage for Sex Still a Thing? | Interview with Kat Harris

Is Waiting Until Marriage for Sex Still a Thing? | Interview with Kat Harris

by | Nov 22, 2021 | Uncategorized

Are there pressing questions on your mind about your sexuality as a single Christian woman but you don't know where to have that open and honest conversation? On this episode of the Better Together Podcast, Barb talks with author and podcast host, Kat Harris, who has a passion for coming alongside women and helping them understand God's good design for sex while also saying goodbye to sexual shame. 

In this conversation we talk about ALL.THE.THINGS. and don't shy away from questions like, "What is sex?", "Is it okay to masturbate?", and, "Is anyone else still waiting for marriage?"

Prepare for a power-packed, vulnerable and grace-filled conversation.

 

RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE

Kat's Website

Sexless In The City

The Refined Collective Podcast

Instagram: @therefinedwoman

 

ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST

Kat Harris is the host of The Refined Collective Podcast, and Co-Founder of the online publication The Refined Woman. Her first book Sexless in the City will hit bookstores April 2021. She has also been a full-time photographer for the last decade with her work featured in: Vanity Fair, GQ, Forbes, People, Who What Wear, US Weekly, Glamour UK, and more.
She coaches and equips women all over the world in dating, relationships, singleness, sexuality, faith and how to build a renewed and healthy biblical sexual ethic rooted in freedom, truth and grace as opposed to the oh-so-common shame and fear narratives so many experienced growing up in evangelical culture.
Kat loves God, personal development, a good Beyoncé dance party, + is a Ranch dressing connoisseur. She believes in the power of story, that done is better than perfect, quality triumphs quantity, and that the journey truly is the destination. Ultimately, her vision is for women to know their beauty, identity, worth and value and to experience untapped freedom and joy in their lives
regardless of their relationship status.
Check out this episode!

God’s Got You Today AND Tomorrow

God’s Got You Today AND Tomorrow

by | Nov 21, 2021 | Uncategorized

Last Thursday, I had the unique opportunity to speak to nearly 900 women at the women’s event at my home church. In fact, I want to give a big hello to those who were at the event and now are a part of my Happy Monday devotional community! Welcome!

It’s been over six years since our church’s last women’s event. In fact, I was the co-leader of that last event in 2015. So, it was pretty surreal that they asked me to return to as a guest speaker.

The theme of the night was “Uncomplicated” since “complicated” is the word that describes most of our lives these days. To honor that theme, I told the audience that I was following the KISS rule or the Keep It Simple, Scripture rule. I taught on just one verse.

It’s a verse that you may be familiar with, but it’s ALWAYS a perfect reminder for all of us. In fact, I’m going to share five powerful promises from that single verse that will encourage you today:

“For I know the plans that I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” -Jeremiah 29:11 NLT

  1. “For I know…”- God already knows everything that we don’t know! I’m not sure what you’ve been overthinking lately, but perhaps you can save yourself some burning brain cells by remembering that God knows everything. Therefore, we can be confident that we don’t need the answers because He has them and He will help us with what we need to know.
  2. “the plans that I have for you…” – God’s plans aren’t like ours. God’s plans are made from His perspective. Here’s an illustration of the difference between God’s perspective and our limited perspective. God sees how everything that we’ve experienced or been through weaves into His eternal purposes.

I’ve learned in my life that there are things that I’ve gone through that weren’t just for me, but because God wanted to use those experiences in the lives of people that I’d never meet. The same goes for you. I promise you that God is using different parts of your lives in places that you’ll never, ever know on this side of eternity.

  1. “plans for good and not for disaster…” – Sometimes, our plans for our lives end up wrecking our peace. However, God’s loving plan for our lives always includes His peace, which is a life of wholeness and wellness for us. In fact, we can use that as a test for our plans: Will what we’re planning lead us toward or away from God’s desire for peace in our lives? If not, we may want to rethink that plan.
  2. “to give you a future…” – We were each created to make a difference! God’s promise is that we will have a legacy when we live with God’s big picture in mind. We can live this out every single time we live and love others like Jesus.
  3. “and a hope.” – God will never abandon us! We will always have Him to hold onto, no matter the circumstances that we face. In fact, the Hebrew word for “hope” is Tikvah, or rope. This is a reference to the story of Rahab in Joshua 3. She was instructed to hang a rope outside of her window so that when the Israelites invaded Jericho, she and her family would be rescued. Rahab didn’t know how God would save her, but she believed that He would. The same goes for us! We may not always know how God will work out the situations in our life, BUT, we can believe and be confident that He will show up for us!

LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW: Which one of these promises is meaningful to you today? I’d love to hear your thoughts about this verse.

This verse has been so precious to me over the past few months of my life and I hope that it’s been a blessing to you.

P.S. If your life has been complicated and you need some hope for the holidays, see below!

To get ready for the busy holidays, my friends and I are talking about the real challenges that we all face this holiday season. This broadcast event is packed with hope, wisdom, laughter and more – just what we all need for the holidays!

Join me and my author besties, Jill Savage, Katy McCown, Shari Braendel and Susan Seay in Waco, TX for our “Hope for the Holidays” Event filmed in Waco, TX.

We're inviting YOU to gather around the table with us. We’re talking about how to set boundaries for the holidays, creating realistic expectations and so much more - including a special, powerful bonus segment on dealing with holiday grief.

You're about to spent dozens of hours making Christmas happen. Give yourself the gift of three hours of hope!

You can have instant access to watch! This three-hour special event is valued at $49.97, but you have access for ONLY $19.97!

Buy Instant Access Right Now for ONLY $19.97

Should You? Four Questions to Determine if God is Calling You to a Bold Move

Should You? Four Questions to Determine if God is Calling You to a Bold Move

by | Nov 16, 2021 | Uncategorized

Do you have something that you’ve been praying about, BUT, you aren’t sure if God is calling you to move or wait?  How can you know when you’re called to make a bold move or when you’re trying to push or control the situation?

Here is an exercise from my I’m Waiting God Bible study that you can do as a way to determine if God might be preparing you to make a bold move even though you’re still waiting on an answer to prayer in some area of your life. Even if you aren’t considering a bold move, this is a good self-reflection exercise to make sure that you’re in position in case a bold move is necessary in the future. 

 Am I Prepared to Make a Bold Move?

  1. Am I letting God lead me each day?

 Yes    No    Sometimes

 

If you are spending time in prayer, silent reflection, and scripture, you’re creating space for the Holy Spirit to flow in and through you. It is God’s Holy Spirit that leads you to God’s truth in your situation as well as provides divine guidance. Even when you don’t get turn-by-turn instructions, you can make your way through the messy middle in confident faith that you’re trusting God to lead you.

 

What stops me from feeling fully connected to God?

  1. Do I have trusted voices that echo God’s Word in my life?

 Yes     No     Sometimes

When you have Jesus-loving people in your life who really know you—your desires and dreams as well as your struggles—then they are a great sounding board when you’re thinking of making big moves while you are waiting for God to answer your prayer.

 

Who are the trusted voices in my life? Am I tapping into their wisdom enough? Am I being completely honest with them about my struggle?

  1. Do I consistently say “yes” to what God asks me to do?

Yes       No       Sometimes

 Part of your waiting journey is learning to be faithful to God in the everyday things—summed up as loving Him with all of your heart, mind, soul, and body as well as loving others (Luke 16:10, Mark 12:30). Though steadfast faithfulness isn’t a way to get God to give you what you want, faithfulness will bless you—because our obedience not only blesses us but also powers us up for whatever God has next for us (Luke 11:28, James 1:25).

 Where do you struggle to be consistently obedient?

  1. If you’re letting God lead, listening to trusted voices, and walking in faithful obedience, then is there a step of faith that you sense God calling you to make?

Read Proverbs 16:9 below:

 In their hearts humans plan their course,

but the Lord establishes their steps.

Here are some steps that God might be inviting you to take in this waiting season of your life:

If you’re out of your comfort zone, God invites you to take a step of faith. 

If you aren’t getting what you want, God invites you to take a step of surrender. 

If your plan is delayed, God invites you to take a step of patience. 

If you’ve made a mistake, God invites you to take a step of humility. 

If a friend or family fails you, God invites you to take a step of forgiveness. 

If you've fallen into sin, God invites you to take a step of repentance. 

 Which of these steps might be a bold next step for your life right now?

Prayer

Dear God, I am praying over the steps of faith that You might be calling me to make today. Of all of the steps, I need to take action by ____________________________.

God, as much as I want to be in charge of how my life goes, Ruth’s story teaches me that You are in charge of my steps. This is a good thing for me because when You are in charge, then I know that You will lead me down a road toward blessing, even if it’s rocky and painful along the way. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Find help and hope for times when it's hard to wait on God!

Do you ever feel like God is taking too long to answer your prayers? Have you ever taken matters into your own hands, only to discover that you’ve made the situation worse?

We know that God hears our prayers, but it’s hard when the clock is ticking yet He hasn’t shown us the answer.

In this four-week Bible study, Barb Roose invites us to explore the stories of women in the Bible who had to wait on God.

 Together we will discover that there is goodness and blessing to be found in times of waiting, including a closer relationship with God than we’ve ever dared to dream.

Embracing Grace After Life’s Mistakes | Interview with Amy Elaine Martinez

Embracing Grace After Life’s Mistakes | Interview with Amy Elaine Martinez

by | Nov 15, 2021 | Uncategorized

 On this episode of the Better Together Podcast, Barb talks with a woman who spent a lot of her life feeling guilty and now teaches other women how to walk in God's victory and grace.

Amy Martinez is a former radio show host, speaker, and author who is devoted to helping women with heart-shattered lives to become whole again in Christ. Barb and Amy discuss the overwhelming guilt that we can feel after making mistakes and how we can trust God's Holy Spirit to transform our mess if we are movable and teachable. If you've felt haunted by the mistakes of your past, this episode is for you.

RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE

AmyElaine.com

ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST

Amy Elaine is an inspirational speaker, former radio show host, and gifted teacher. Her ministry is devoted to helping women with heart-shattered lives become whole again in Christ. She loves to tell the story of how Jesus made her a broken girl made whole through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. Married to the love of her life, David, Amy Elaine is a mom of two boys now young men, Sidney (25) and Gabriel(22). She also has a daughter-in-love Riley and recently became "Yia Yia" to Raelynn Rose Elaine. Recently she left her beloved Colorado mountains to play on the plains of Historic Guthrie, Oklahoma. Most days you'll find her at a local coffee shop writing or ministering across the table to a friend. Her heart's desire is to see women walk in wholeness and develop an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. Living the victorious life is one of the major themes of her ministry. She's available to speak at your next women's event. You can connect with her at: AmyElaine.com
Check out this episode!

Pin It on Pinterest