| AGAPE NEWS, NOTES & DEVOTIONAL 03/25/09 |
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| Written by Dianne Walthall | |
| Wednesday, 25 March 2009 | |
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AGAPE BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES......
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO... Danielle Simoens (3-25), Mark Stagg (3-26), Bill Campbell III ******************************************************************** ****** SUNDAY PREVIEW ****** We welcome you to join us for our 8:30am early service and/or our 10am Contemporary Worship Service!!! Bring a loved one!! - Building Fund Offering, both Services! - Children's Church Craft Day!!!! ********************************************************************* Please Note: The Ithaca Home Group will not meet tonight due to room issues at Linderman. Please keep a lookout for a Future meeting location soon! ********************************************************************* ****NEW MUG SHOTS**** Remember these Agape Faces??? Rumor... Kenny's getting married?   A cold Kenny Chiu still smilin! Kevin & Clare/Chia Tan   ******************************************************************************* DEVOTIONAL - Lara L. O'Brien, She Speaks Graduate God Does Not Make Mistakes "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." Genesis 1:27 (NIV) Have you ever felt like one of those toys from the Land of the Misfit Toys in "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer?" Boy, I sure have! Growing up, an overwhelming sadness haunted me. Inferiority and worthlessness were constant companions and I wondered if God had been sleeping on the job when He created me. Those feelings manifested themselves in a deep depression. By the time I was a teenager, anorexia consumed me and I was determined to destroy myself. Because my life felt so out of control I needed something I could control. In my case, it was what I did or did not put in my mouth. Years spent in my anorexic prison molded my self-image into one of self-hatred. Why would anyone want to be with me? Why am I here? Do I even want to live anymore? These were just a few of the questions that constantly bounced around in my head. Feeling like a square peg in a round hole, I quite honestly wanted to die. The pain of day-to-day living was so hard for me. Despite being surrounded by amazing family and friends who loved me, I believed many things that were not true. I whole-heartedly believed I was a mistake. I believed I could get the affirmation I desired from guys, most whom were abusive towards me. I believed I was worth nothing and deserved the hits, scratches, and horrible, hateful words. I thought they were my rightful punishment. Growing up I believed something else too...I believed in God. But did I believe Him? Did I believe all His wonderful promises were meant for me personally? Did I believe God could love me when I was such an absolute mess? After years of depression, suicide attempts, abusive dating relationships, and starvation, I had an encounter with my Savior. I met God with my pain and messy, mixed-up life and He met me with His love and acceptance. He showed me I was His child, made in His own image. The Lord also led me to an amazing Christian counselor. Revisiting my painful past through counseling was a hard journey, but well worth it. I felt God's infinite healing and love for me, and for the first time I began to believe that God had a plan and a purpose for my life. The Lord is now using my life and experiences for His good. I have a passion to minister His healing and love through written and spoken words to those who suffer or have suffered as I did. How about you? Are you hurting? Do you feel worthless and like you do not matter? Please don't. You are not a misfit toy. A friend once told me that if God had a refrigerator, my photo would be on it. Your picture would too! God loves you so much and created you in His beautiful image. His Word says you are made with love. Choose today to believe it. Dear Lord, I pray for those who are hurting and who believe that they do not matter. Please meet them in the middle of their pain, and shower Your love and affection over them. Thank You that You created all of us in Your wonderful image. You never make mistakes. We praise You for that. In Jesus' Name, Amen.Psalm 139:13-14, "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." (NIV) 1 Timothy 4:4, "For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving." (NIV) Colossians 1:16, "For by him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him." (NIV) ************************************************************************* *** THIS WEEKS MEETINGS CALENDAR *** *** Thurs, March 26th - Fanning the Flame Prayer, 7pm *** Fri, March 27th, Family Gym Night - 7pm T-Burg MS Gym! **** Sat, March 28th - ECHOs/W.O.E Luncheon, 11am! We had such a nice turnout for our last meeting we thought we would do another luncheon. We will be sharing a great video. You will "NOT" want to miss this one!! Join us Ladies! Bring a friend! *** ***************************************************************** Looking ahead into April.... *** Special Community Events - ... Sat, April 4th - "Love the Least" Event, Sage Chapel, CU. Please pray! ... April 10th - Good Friday Joint Service at Enfield Baptist Church, 7pm! *** EASTER SERVICES -  Sunday, April 12th - - One Joint 10am Easter Service @ Agape! Bring the family! *** Home Group Fellowships - Meeting in 4 area Locations - Wednesdays, April 1st & 15th, 7pm Newfield (Walthall: 266-3151) - Enfield (Corriero: 277-6574) Trumansburg (Zimmerman: 387-6133) Interlaken (Ortega: 532-8748 or Freese: 532-9259) ************************************************************************** A note from the Ithaca Pregnancy Center........ "We still have a need for portacribs, cribs and bassinettes for clients on our waiting list. Pray that we will have some of these donated. Thanks - Ithaca Pregnancy Center ************************************************************************** HUMOR%%%HUMOR%%%HUMOR%%%HUMOR%%%HUMOR%%% When my grandson, Billy, and I entered our vacation cabin, we kept the lights off until we were inside to keep from attracting pesky insects. Still, a few fireflies followed us in. Noticing them before I did, Billy whispered, 'It's no use, Grandpa. Now the mosquitoes are coming after us with flashlights.'  ***** WHAT IS A GRANDPARENT? (Taken from papers written by a class of 8-year-olds) They show us and talk to us about the colors of the flowers and also why we shouldn't ************************************************************************** PLEASE SEE DEACON PAUL RIIHINEN FOR YOUR 2008 GIVING TAX RECEIPT! APRIL 15TH IS FAST APPROACHING!!! ************************************************************************** Join us Sundays-"Prayer Between The Services”-Youth Room, 9:40-10am ************************************************************************** * AGAPE BIBLE CHURCH * 264 S.APPLEGATE RD * ITHACA, NY 14850 * * Phone 607-273-7419 * Fax 607-256-0896 * WEB SITE www.agape-ithaca.org * * E-MAIL: (General) This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it * (Prayer) This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it * (Ministers) This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it * This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it * GOD BLESS YOU TODAY & ALWAYS ! SEEK HIM FIRST!!! |
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