What If?

As we jump head first into the holiday season we often use this time as a period of reflection. With the uncertainty of the economy, world peace and even the future of our planet, we must pause a moment to ask ourselves some "What If" questions.

What if God had not decided to send his son Jesus to die for our sins? Where would we be? If we think the world is in turmoil now, can you just imagine a world without Jesus Christ? We'd have no advocate pleading our case before God and we'd be defenseless in this cold and evil world.

What if God while creating the world and framework for his plan decided not to include us. Instead, He decided to pick some and not others to be a part of his divine plan. Imagine trying so hard to do the right thing and because you were on the wrong list, you could not receive the benefits of being a child of God. It would be like living in a fish bowl, and watching the world go by without being able to participate. Thankfully, God is merciful and loving and he includes all of us in His plan. We all have a place in His kingdom if we choose to live obedient lives.

What if we as Christians, actually lived the lives that God ordained us to live. Instead of leaning on an unstable economy, egomaniacal world leaders and a planet in peril, leaned instead on a God that is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, what fullfilling lives we would live! How awesome it would be if we took the time to see the positive in others and closed our eyes to the negative. What if we vowed to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, what a glorious life it would be.

As we continue into the holiday season, let us challenge ourselves to be more loving, more caring and more compassionate christians. What if we really put God first in our lives, can you imagine?

Speed vs. Endurance

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom. I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all. Moreover, no man knows when his hour will come: As fish are caught in a cruel net or birds are taken in a snare, so men are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them. Ecclesiastes 9:10-12

When we are young we are filled with dreams and plans for our adult life. Some of us dream of becoming nurses, businesswomen and even president of the United States but too often our dreams are derailed by life and the list of excuses it so generously gives us. When all is said and done, we find ourselves so busy that we can hardly catch our breath after caring, tending and minding the lives of our families and dealing with the craziness that comes our way. On those rare occasions that we sit a moment and exhale, we remember, if only for a moment those dreams of long ago and wonder, where did the time go. We realize that those dreams of climbing Mt. Everest, writing the great American novel or discovering the cure for breast cancer still lives in our minds and hearts, hidden, covered up under the dreams of others that we've lived and worked towards at the sacrifice of our own.

Well, I'm hear to tell you my beautiful sisters, that it's never too late to make that dream, no matter what it is, come true. Age, graying temples and everything else we've allowed to convince us that our time has passed, can no longer stop us, for time is short and we must realize that it doesn't matter how long it takes us to climb that mountain, or start that business, what matters is that we did climb it and that we did start it! Endurance, seeing our dreams to the end, trumps speed-every time. I challenge each of you to begin now working with all your might, towards something that fulfills you, that satisfies a secret passion within you. Life is uncertain and we don't know how many days we've been assigned; it's important to work toward our dreams and desires never stopping until we have fulfilled that special something. God has made us for a purpose, and that purpose is to be excellent and not mediocre. Our purpose is to live fulfilled lives and not lives of regret.

As we begin this conference year let's challenge one another to get busy working toward those unfulfilled dreams. Let us pursue excellence and greatness and let us vow today to reject mediocrity for God did not make ordinary, he designed extraordinary.

Be Blessed...

Wrap Up!

Hello My Sisters in Christ:

The end of the 2007-2008 Conference Year is here and next week the Southern California Annual Conference convenes hosted by Ward AME in Los Angeles, CA.

On this Saturday, June 20th, the Women's Ministry will hold a seminar dealing with Fibroids. A complimentary breakfast will be served to all in attendance.

Our next newsletter will hit your mailbox the first week of October and it's filled with lots of news and updates.

Finally, I'm asking that we continue to keep each other in prayer as we prepare to begin a new conference year. Let's challenge ourselves to up our committment to our ministry and make our Women's Ministry bigger and better, spiritually and numerically.

Be Blessed,

Cynthia

Exhale!

Hello My Sisters in Christ!

Wow, what a busy summer we've had. I can hardly believe that soon the 2008 Conference year will be over. The Lord has truly blessed us this year with a wonderful retreat, a marvelous Women's Day and fantastic project, our book, "A Tribute to Mother." Our newsletter began in April and has become a big hit! Our blog gave us a presence on the internet which is new and refreshing! Our monthly meetings have fed us abundantly as God's holy presence bound us together in love and fellowship.

We have also lost some of our beloved sisters this year. Our treasurer, Sister Audrey Taborn will be greatly missed. Also, Sister Arlene McGown, Lillian Addison and Ruthella Roberts went home to live with the Lord.

Our successes this conference year will serve as our challenge for next year as we begin to make plans for 2008-2009. We hope to see our numbers continue to grow and we are excited to begin plans for our book release celebration!

We solicit the prayers of all that God will be made manifest in our lives, that we begin to walk in our divine callings and that we begin to step out of our comfort zones and into the challenges and blessings that God has for us! I encourage each of us to live more, love more and to look more to God from which comes our help!

Be Blessed

God Is Great and Greatly to be Praised!

Hello Awesome and Wonderful Women of Bethel!

To say we've had a busy summer would be an understatement. With our annual retreat behind us and our recent celebration of Women's Day, it's now time to take a breather and bask in the many reminders of God's greatness. Each day He nudges us awake and with that gentle nudge reminds us that He loves us. There are so many things to be thankful for, far more than we could ever be worthy of but in His greatness we are the beneficaries of the abundant love of God.

So, as we go through our day, let us stop periodically just to say, "Thank You, God." For He has been faithful to us in all things.

Our newsletter for July will roll out on Thursday, just in time for our Saturday, July 26th meeting. My apologies for not publishing a newsletter for the month of June but time would not permit. In our July issue we will discuss our retreat, women's day, and spotlight another of our talented Bethel youth, Miss Alexus Ramsey. If you are not getting your newsletter in the mail please call us so that we can add you to our mailing list. A new section has been added which highlights businesses owned by our Bethel sisters, so if you have a business and would like your business card or logo to appear in our newsletter, let me know.

Finally, we'd like to send our condolences to the families of Mrs. Arlene McGown, Audrey Taborn and Ruthella Roberts. These mothers of the church served Bethel and the Lord with all their hearts, minds and bodies. They will be missed!

We Solicit Your Prayers

Good Afternoon Wonderful and Mighty Women of God!

As we prepare for General Conference, I'd like to ask for the prayers of all of you for the women and men who have journeyed or will be leaving for St. Louis, Missouri. This can be a time of uncertainty and stress for Pastors and Lay persons who will take part in any way in this conference. I am asking for a special prayer for our own Pastor and especially Rev. D as she has been assigned the task of preparing and staffing our prayer room. Also, she has coordinated a city-wide, non-denominational prayer walk. This is also the time when new bishops and connectional officers are elected.

As our Women's Day approaches I would like to remind everyone of the upcoming Phenominal Woman Luncheon and Silent Auction scheduled for Saturday July 19th, visit the Women's Day website at www.bethelwomensday.com for more information.

If you like gospel music I invite you to tune in to a new gospel internet station, www.sdgospel.com. Preacherman (Rev. Larry Thompson) is your host and has the largest selection of music known to man (or woman). Preacherman is the premiere gospel DJ and is also the host of the Fishhook, San Diego's monthly Christian nightspot (visit www.mandaterecords.com for more information).

Well that's it for now, Friday, July 4th I will be on my way to St. Louis for GenCon and I ask that you keep me in prayer for traveling mercies. God Bless until next time...

Cynthia

We're Back!

Hello Ladies!

Well, for all of us who attended our 11th Annual Women's Retreat, I know you will agree that we had a glorious time in fellowship and worship with each other and God. For those who were unable to join us, we felt your spirit with us and your prayers for us.

First, I'd like to thank and commend Sis. Jo Ann Vance for the marvelous job of planning this year's retreat as she served as our chairperson. Also, to her committee and those who helped behind the scenes with their time, money, resources and everything in between, thank you! The workshops led by Sis. Mavis Young, Dr. Carol Williams, Dr. Ida Green, Sis. Joan Craigwell, Sis. Denise Matthis and myself were timely and packed with much needed information. Our young adult sisters joined us on Saturday and their presence was truly a blessing. Friday and Saturday night worship services were indescribable as Rev. Ja'Nice Davis Winston and Rev. Dorisalene Hughes allowed the Lord to use them in a mighty way.

Stay tuned for our next issue of our newsletter for more details and pictures.

Congratulations to Sis. Tamara Bell (Anthony) on the birth of their daughter, born May 16th!

Please keep our sick and shut in sisters in prayer for we know that God can speak to each and every situation that confronts us.

Be Blessed!

A Tribute to Mother

Hello Ladies!

I am so excited about our book, "A Tribute to Mother." Submissions are coming in rapidly and our deadline is fast approaching. Sunday, June 8, 2008 will be your last opportunity to submit a tribute to your mothers. Those of you who have submitted but have not paid need to do so by then as well. So far we have received some wonderful tributes and I've had the rare opportunity to learn about some awesome mothers and mother figures. As the submissions continue to come in I am looking forward to reading more. Below are a few things to remember before submitting.
1. All submissions must be your original work.
2. You do not have to be a member of the Women's Ministry or Bethel to submit.
3. The cost per submission is $20 and an additional $5 if you include a picture.
4. The deadline for submissions is Sunday, June 8, 2008.

On Saturday, August 23, 2008, we will gather in the Fellowship Hall for lunch to celebrate the release of our book. We are inviting everyone to be a part of this wonderful event. Check back on the blog for more information as we are still in the planning stages. In the next several weeks we will be taking pre-orders for the book for those of you who may have family members wanting a copy. The book will make great Christmas, and birthday presents so keep that in mind!

I'm also asking that as we prepare to go to our retreat on June 13th, that we will be in continuous prayer for God to move mightily in the lives of the women who will attend and the ladies who will remain here holding down the fort. I'm asking for strongholds to be destroyed and that we will be encouraged to release those things in our lives that bind us and prevent us from receiving all that God has for us.

Be Blessed,

Cynthia

Great Is Thy Faithfulness!

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."-Lamentations 3:22,23.

In the book of Lamentations, Jeremiah writes in response of what he sees as God's people suffer. He's not complaining nor asking God why, instead he is celebrating because in the midst of the suffering, which is desevered, God still blesses his people. God loves us so much that even while punishing us he finds a way to bless us.

How many times have we sinned against God, yet, we seem to escape what could easily spell disaster for ourselves and even our families. It's painful to sometimes look back over our lives and remember the times we said an unkind word or acted out of anger against someone. We all go through storms and deal with problems as a direct result of decisions that we have made in our lives and so we really can't blame God for our condition. What happens, after a storm? We feel stronger and wiser, right? God could easily leave us in that storm but he doesn't. He rescues us not because we've had enough but because he loves us. That is why he sent his Son Jesus to die on the cross! God in all of his awesome greatness, willingly sacrificed his son to die for our sins, what a debt we owe, one that can never be repaid.

Today, let us challenge ourselves to take a moment to say, thank you, God, for showing us love even though we have not been loving. Let us take a moment before speaking, and acting, and ask, what would Jesus say and what would Jesus do? How wonderful it would be if we made an effort to show each other love in our words and our deeds. What a tremendous way that would be to say thank you to God for his many acts of love toward us.

Because of God's great love we are not consumed by sickness and death. Because of God's great love, we are not consumed by bankruptcy, foreclosure and poverty. Because of his compassion that never fails, our sickness' are healed, and death is not the end but a new beginning of life with Him. Because of his unfailing compassion, we can still have shelter, food and clothing amidst what looks like financial disaster. God's compassions are new every morning! Great is His faithfulness! Isn't it comforting to know that we serve a God that loves us in spite of ourselves. Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is His faithfulness. Praise God!!!!!

Prayerfully,
Cynthia Fields

Even The Crumbs, Lord!

"Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, 'Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.' Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, 'Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.' He answered, 'I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.' The woman came and knelt before him. 'Lord, help me!' she said. He replied, 'It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs.' 'Yes, Lord,' she said, 'but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.' Then Jesus answered, 'Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.' And her daughter was healed from that very hour." Matthew 15:21-28.

I love this story in Matthew 15 about the faith of the Canannite Woman. It's a familiar story but each time I read it I receive a new word from God. Now, I'm not professing to be a bible scholar but I'm reminded that God requires us to be faithful. As Mother's Day approaches, I realized that this was a good story. This woman, like all of us who are mothers had spent considerable time trying to get help for her child. She'd done all she could for this demon-possessed child and she was determined to get to the One who could heal her daughter. It didn't matter that she had no doubt gotten on the disciples last nerves or that they tried to convince Jesus to brush her off and send her away. If it was the last thing she did, she was going to take her petition straight to Jesus himself.

As mothers we are willing to do the same thing. We pray for our children, grandchildren, husbands, friends, and even when we don't see or hear an immediate answer we keep praying. Our faith has to be just that strong and in the midst of waiting for God to answer we must draw on the strength of that faith. Faith is confidence that God will do just what he said he would do. There is absolutely nothing, and no situation too hard for God. Even when the world would tell us that disaster is the only outcome we must hold on. Isn't it good to know that no matter how long and hard we pray, we never get on God's nerves! He never ignores us or turns his back on us and he knows just how much we can stand for he has already provided for a victorious outcome. My favorite part of this story is the dialogue between Jesus and the Canaanite woman when she demonstrates her faith, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." Wow, she knew that it didn't take much from God to work a miracle in her daughter's life. Just a small crumb, just a thought from him was all it would take to heal her.

It is so good to know that we serve a God that blesses far beyond the crumbs. He blesses us so abundantly, far more than we asked or even imagined. So my sisters, keep praying, keep being those mothers who are not afraid to lay your concerns at the Master's feet. May God bless you and keep you and have a great Mother's Day!

For Him Alone,

Cynthia

Welcome!

Welcome to the Bethel A.M.E. Church Women's Ministry Blog! I am so excited about what God is doing with our ministry. We are growing in so many ways. Old members are returning and new members are joining. If you are a member of Bethel and have not yet decided to join us, I invite you to come out every 3rd Saturday from 9-11am and check us out. I'm a new member this conference year and I am so happy to be a part of such a wonderful group of Godly women. We are currently in the midst of planning our Annual Retreat and our retreat Chairperson, Jo Ann Vance is doing a wonderful job working hard to put together a weekend that is spriritually and physically renewing. The retreat is scheduled for June 13-15, 2008 at Vina de Lestonnac Retreat Center in Temecula, CA. We are quickly approaching our goal of 60 women that will join with us as we experience God in the wine country of Temecula. Next, I am chairing a fundraising project that gives us a chance to pay tribute to our mothers. We will be publishing a book entitled, "A Tribute to Mother." For $20 ($25 if a picture is included) anyone can place a poem, short story, testimony or remembrance in honor of their mother or the person who played the mother in their life. Deadline for submissions is June 8, 2008. In August we will celebrate the release of this book with a luncheon.

I'm inviting everyone to join us and gift yourself with the blessing of fellowship with other women of God. You won't regret it and the feeling of renewal, revival, hope and love that you receive each month at our meetings is priceless. We need you and pray that you will activate your membership with your presence! May God bless and keep you is our prayer.