Calvary Chapel Reno-Sparks

November-December 2013

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

Calvary Chapel Reno-Sparks

Fragrant Life Womens Ministry Newsletter

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9 I remember driving to O.C one day and the Lord spoke to me in His still small voice, Do you trust the union or do you trust me? Portraits From Sandie 1 Of course, I wanted to cry out, I trust you Lord. I learned a good lesson on trust that The Lord never intended for His follow- day. My fear was contingent on where I ers to dread the future. Although we may Praise & Worship 2 place my trust. Deuteronomy 31:6 says, Be feel afraid at times, we should never let strong and of good courage, do not fear fear control us. Dr. Charles Stanley. Im nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your Fruit of Her Hands 3 sure each and every one of us has faced a God, He is the One who goes with you. He situation that caused us to be afraid. will not leave you nor forsake you. Union Titus 2 4 jobs will come and go but the Lord is with One of my favorite passages on trusting you always!!! God is Joshua 1:9. Fear is the opposite of trust. When you fear you are telling God I Womens Ministry 5 I dont know if you are in a frightening dont trust you. The promise that God gave situation now or not, (If not hang on beEvents & Recipe Joshua when they were afraid to cross the cause you soon will be) but I do know as Devotional 6 Jordan River is still true for us today. There you meditate on the Lord, seek his face and is no need to fear when we lean on the dwell on His promises your situation will powerful presence of the Lord. become a lot smaller and easier to bear. Expressions of Love 7 Every challenge is surmountable in the I remember a time when Tom and I presence of our Holy, all-powerful and were newly married. We had moved from awesome God. Take your eyes off the Calvary Chapel Info 8 Orange County to Riverside and were at- circumstances and place them on Jesus. He tending the little Calvary Chapel in Moreno has it all under control and is right there Calendar Valley. We had just bought our first home with you in the fire. and had a new baby. Tom decided this would be a good time for me to quit my Love, Sandie job (After all, he had a good union job now). I would be a stay home wife and mother. I, being the submissive wife I was, OUR DESIRES FOR THE To give opportunity to study the quit my job of 18 years to stay home. I was Word of God together that women very- very- afraid to give up my security. It WOMENS MINISTRIES ARE: might grow in the grace and wasnt even a couple weeks later that Tom knowledge of our Lord Jesus. broke his leg in a motorcycle accident. Now To encourage deeper relationships I was in a panic, what were we going to and spiritual growth for the women do? A couple of weeks later he was laid off To equip women to be lights in their in the body of Christ. completely. Tom and I had no Job, no inhomes, neighborhoods and workcome a new mortgage and a new baby. places reflecting the love of Jesus To provide a place where women

Inside this issue:

will be encouraged and uplifted to seek Gods best for their lives.

Christ to all.

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Praise & Worship

Psalm 8
To the Chief Musician. On the instrument of For You have made him a little lower than the angels, Gath. A Psalm of David. And You have crowned him with glory and honor. O LORD, our Lord, How exYou have made him to have cellent is Your name in all the dominion over the works of earth, Who have set Your Your hands; You have put all glory above the heavens! things under his feet, Out of the mouth of babes All sheep and oxen--Even the and nursing infants You have beasts of the field, ordained strength, Because of The birds of the air, And the Your enemies, That You may fish of the sea That pass silence the enemy and the through the paths of the seas. avenger. O LORD, our Lord, How exWhen I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, cellent is Your name in all the The moon and the stars, which earth! You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?

How Can I Develop Courage?

1. CChoose to spend time in Gods Word. 2. OObserve the courage in others. 3. UUtilize your time in prayer. 4. RRecall Gods promises to be with you always. 5. AAsk yourself if you are obeying Gods word. 6. GGet your eyes off yourself and place them on Jesus. 7. EExpectantly wait on the Lord in His time.

O Holy Night
O holy night, the stars are brightly shining; It is the night of the dear Saviors birth! Long lay the world in sin and error pining, Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices, For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn. Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices! O night divine, O night when Christ was born! O night, O holy night, O night divine! Led by the light of faith serenely beaming, With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.

So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming, Here came the wise men from Orient land. The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger, In all our trials born to be our Friend! He knows our needto our weakness is no stranger. Behold your King; before Him lowly bend! Behold your King; before Him lowly bend! Truly He taught us to love one another; His law is love and His Gospel is peace. Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother And in His Name all oppression shall cease. Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we, Let all within us praise His holy Name! Christ is the Lord! O praise His name forever! His powr and glory evermore proclaim! His powr and glory evermore proclaim!

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Fruit of Her Hands Ministry

Gods Christmas Gift To You A Simply True Story
by Kelly Gardner

receive gifts for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, Christmas, and Just Because. I thought about how sometimes the gifts that are given are not accepted or received by the person who the gift was intended for. So how can we accept The Greatest Gift Ever that God has freely given to us? John 3:16 goes on to tell us that we must believe in Gods only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

You see, there is nothing we can do on our own other than to accept Gods gift. The Bible tells us in Romans I have spent the last several weeks thinking, planning 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and preparing for our November Fruit of Her Hands and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from Fellowship of, Simple Gifts For Christmas. While cutthe dead, you will be saved. - NKJV ting many-many squares of fabric I found myself simpSo whats the big deal? Why is Gods Christmas Gift ly thinking about The Greatest Gift Ever! To You the Greatest Gift Ever? When we through faith Do you know what The Greatest Gift Ever is? The confess we are a sinner, and say with our mouth that Bible tells us in John 3:16 that God loved us so much we want Jesus Christ to come and live in us, we will not that He gave us His Only Son, Jesus Christ as a gift to perish, but have everlasting life. This means when we us. Thats pretty wonderful to think the creator of the die in this life we will go on to a life eternal in heaven, universe gave us what was most precious to Him. with Jesus Christ Our Lord. Could you do that? Could you give away what is most So why not make today the day you accept Gods important to you in the whole wide world to just anyChristmas Gift To You and make this your Greatest body? I thought about that question as I continued cutGift Ever to have received! ting my many-many squares of fabric. I thought about how I have watched ordinary people

Joyful Books
Womens Ministry Book Selection for November/December Touched By Greatness, Women In The Life Of Moses
By Dorothy Kelley Patterson

leaders of all time. Each woman who influenced the life of Moses was guided by God to bring his plans to pass. As you read about their lives you will discover the unique role women have to be mightily used by God too. This book is very easy to read as Dorothy Kelley Patterson shares a description of each woman by using historical information, biblical information and application. Each chapter ends with further study suggestions and prayer.

The woman who bore him, the young girl who shadowed him, and the foreigner who raised him are just three of the key influencers on his life. Their actions meant that a Hebrew child was reared as a prince of Egypt and became one of the greatest

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Titus 2
Courage To Trust Jesus
By Beverly Chong brew children were not burned or even singed). I think of the courage it has taken to serve in the military during war or to have the strength to stand up and fight against injustice, or the courage to hold the hand of a loved one or stranger, facing an unbelievable diagnosis, or to silently stand by them as they slip away from this life. Then, the courage to turn your cheek and forgive when it wasnt your fault in the first place or the courage that will stand bold and strong before sacrifice has been asked of you, as what recently took place in our own home, Nevada. You see, courage is possible because of faith. Faith that gives you strength to stand up in the face of fear, a wrong, an enemy, or impossibility, to advocate for one that is unable to do so for themselves, or just to hold the terrified, helpless hand of another. There are countless situations taking place daily that exemplify courage; courage that causes many of us to ask why and how was that possible? Well, my friend, I have come to an inspiring digest of the words my sister spoke that day. You see, courage is a quality that we all are capable of displaying when called upon, and it happens way down deep inside our hearts. Courage is the willingness to trust Jesus at His promise of never turning loose of our hands. Courage is faith in His words I will strengthen you no matter how many pieces of our lives have been broken into. You see, He holds all those pieces and when we are able to surrender our all to Him, of which takes Courage, He will lovingly allow us to witness what that courageous willingness will manifest before us. God bless you all and be strong and courageous just where you are.

Hmmm, Courage.After hearing my dearest sister tell me recently, You have been very courageous, I had to think about that for a while and try to digest the deeper meaning in her comment. As of three years ago, my whole life was being turned upside down and inside out, because I took a stand and walked away from tolerating a life that had lasted for way too many years, and then being aware that my decision was guiding me toward a process of morphing into All things new, not only left me breathless, but it was like a hurricane of events that seemed to take place with me just holding on to the Lord for dear life, with both hands, while wearing blinders on my eyes. To my emotional discomfort, I not only discovered that the ride had only just begun, but the realization that God is in no hurry whatsoever! I guess when He told Joshua to be strong and courageous, not once, but three times, Joshua 1:6,7 and 9, maybe that is exactly what He was also telling me. Well, with that scripture pulsating in my head along with the comment from my sister, I thought about the courage that was found in people like Abraham, having the willingness to obey God and trusting that God would provide a sacrifice other than Abrahams own beloved son, Daniel facing hungry ravenous mouths of lions, David standing before Goliath, holding on to his dinky little sling shot (I loved playing with the sling shot when I was a kid, but never imagined it could do such harm), the three little Hebrew children standing in the middle of that hot burning furnace (makes me think of the horrendous times I worked on the Burn Unit at the hospital, and the incredibly devastating pain endured by so many patients and then to think these young He-

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Womens Ministry Events

Womens Christmas Koinonia
Night Under The Stars

Womens Monday Bible Study

10am & 6:30pm Our last study will be December 16th, 2013 and we will resume on Monday, January 6th, 2014.

December 14th, 2013 10:00 am12:00 pm

Joyful Books Book Club

Weekly Friday Email Updates:
If you would like to receive the Womens Newsletter in color to pass on to friends and family, as well as Friday updates covering Womens Ministry Activities, Email: gardner.joyfullbooks@gmail.com WEDNESDAYS 9:30am10:30am Touched By Greatness, Women In The Life of Moses by Dorothy Kelley Patterson We will be reading (2) chapters per week. November 6thDecember 18th
(No book club 11/27)

Thanksgiving Baskets
We are now accepting donations of food to fill Thanksgiving baskets for families in need. For more information, please see the church bulletin insert at the Information Counter. Donations may be dropped off across from the Book Store or in the Foyer.

Recipe
1 cups flour (King Arthur Gluten Free Flour Blend) or Rice flour 1 Tablespoon baking powder teaspoon salt 2 egg yolks 1 cup milk

Gluten Free Waffles

(Makes 10 small or 5 large)

cup oil 2 eggs

In a mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl beat egg yolks slightly and add in milk and oil. Add egg yolk mix to flour mix all at once. Stir just till combined but slightly lumpy. Set aside. Now beat egg whites until stiff. Fold egg whites gently into flour and egg mix. DO NOT OVERMIX. Bake according to waffle iron directions.

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Devotional
Can I Be a Woman of Courage?
by Karen Kasser

This Russian woman had the kind of courage God is commanding: she was alert, aware of the spiritual battle raging in her house. She was quick to pray and ask other sisters to intercede for her. She was firm in her resolve to follow God despite awful circumstances. Like Ruth, she was determined, each day, every month, year after year, to follow God and trust in His strength to be the woman He called her to be. She is the picture of a WOMAN of COURAGE in God's eyes. Each one of us can be that WOMAN of COURAGE in our life. Maybe it is allowing the Holy Spirit to work on our husbands and not blame, punish or revile them because of their behavior. Maybe it is forgiving 7 times 70 times that person who continues to disrespect or take advantage of you. Courage means to be alert! Be aware! 1 Peter 5:8 warns, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." We live in a battle for souls, for marriages, for truth. Courage means being determined to follow God no matter what. Courage means to be bold in our faith and trust in God's power to do His will. God told Joshua what He had planned and commanded him to be quick, alert, bold and determined. God assured him He would be with him wherever he went as Joshua followed God's commands. The Lord answered that Russian woman's prayers in a mighty way. The last night of the conference she called her husband. She nearly fainted when her husband responded with LOVE, crying, telling her that God had spoken to him while she was gone and he was so sorry for the way he had treated her. He said he did not deserve such a faithful, loving wife and he was so excited for her to come home. Yes, we can all be a WOMAN of COURAGE. All it takes is to remain closely connected to God through the study of His Word, prayer, fellowship and service. Then be ready to watch Him work and to rejoice in His great plan for your life!

In 2012, I had the opportunity to travel to Russia with Debbi Bryson for a women's conference for the Calvary Chapel churches all over that huge country. Some women had traveled over 17 hours by train to attend. They saved pennies all year to be able to make this long journey, to fellowship with other sisters in the Lord. One woman seeking prayer after a workshop shared about her husband. He shunned her on a daily basis and mocked her faith. Her children were grown and gone and her life consisted of faithfully serving a man who demanded to eat alone, cared nothing for her wants or desires, and drank regularly, treating her even worse when he was drunk. If you asked her, she would not say she is a woman of courage. She just kept praying and trusting God. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. The Hebrew word "courage" found in Joshua 1:9 is amats. It is not the most common Hebrew word used for courage: hazaq which literally means "to show oneself strong." amats means to be quick or alert, firm, strong, brave, bold and determined. God is commanding Joshua to be strong, yes, AND to be quick, alert, firm, bold and determined. God also uses this particular word in Ruth 1:18, "When she [Naomi] saw that she [Ruth] was determined [from amats] to go with her, she stopped speaking to her." Ruth was determined to boldly leave her homeland, without a husband, and follow Naomi and her God, despite the awful circumstances God had allowed.

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Expressions of Love
through that difficult period of her life. As I write this my grandson is turning 11 years old in a few days and enjoys sharing his hobBy Mary Jane Robinette bies with his dad. My granddaughter is now 18. She is a senior in high school with a 3.9 grade average. Over the summer she studied and tested and is now a licensed CNA with a focus on a mediI have thought about the many women in the bible who portray cal career. I am so proud of my son. It swells my heart to watch as courage. We are very familiar with both Ruth and Esther. Each he walks with courage every day, and so blessed to see the love one of these women had great courage and found their strength that permeates from his heart in both duties of being a father and in God. In meditating on these two women I began to contemplate a mother figure to his children. who in my lifetime do I admire so much as a woman of great courage. My thoughts kept coming back to the same person, but it wasnt a woman. It was my son. I have to honor the men in our own congregation here at Calvary

IT TAKES COURAGE

Five years ago his wife walked out of his life and left him to be a father and a mother figure to two small children, a six year old son and a 13 year old daughter. Their mother abandoned them. He had no support from her to help him financially, and no job. After 25 years of service the company he worked for closed down. Unemployment checks helped some. Over time he was able to seek welfare and as many aides as he could get. Through these difficult days his health deteriorated and he found himself unable to return to work. He suffered rejection from the Social Security Disability Administration and was denied a pension. As any mother does she comes along side her child to comfort them during difficult times. It was during that time that the Lord gave me the words to encourage him to put his hope in God and to accept Jesus Christ into his heart. I remember vividly the day that I once again said to him, you need to accept Jesus into your life and he answered me, mom, I did that yesterday. My son began to pray. He found hope through prayer. He was awarded a second meeting with Social Security and this time the judgment was in his favor. We prayed on our way to the meeting and we praised God after the meeting. To God be the glory and honor.

Chapel who are single dads. And I praise the women in our congregation who are single moms. It takes courage to be a single parent. I was one of those women myself when my husband left me alone to raise our fifteen year old teenage daughter. It took courage for me each day to wake up and just get into the shower and go to work. It took courage for me to raise my daughter alone. Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. When we are put into these positions in our lives we feel hopeless, afraid, and abandoned. There are times God calls us to do tasks that we think we can never accomplish alone. However we know that God never gives us anything in life that he doesnt first equip us to do. God will never leave us nor forsake us.

Over these last five years Ive listened to my son cry in desperation. Ive listened to him cry with a proud love in his heart when he read to me the words that his daughter wrote to him in a Mothers Day card. His daily schedule includes doing all the things for his children that having a mother in the house would do for them. He cooks hot meals, packs lunches, cleans the house and does the laundry. He mends their clothes. He goes to school meetings, helps out in the classrooms. He tends to their health and dental visits. The struggle to raise a teenage daughter was at times a test of endurance. With courage he emulated a mothers understanding heart, and with a fathers discipline he made rules for her to obey. He has done an awesome task of parenting in getting her

I pray that all single parents never doubt their abilities when faced with both parenting rolls to their children. The darkest hours are the times that God is working His hardest to give all of us the courage and strength to meet each day as it comes. God is in control, and everything is by His plan. We read in Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Calvary Chapel Reno Reno-Sparks

Christmas Eve Service 5:30pm New Years Eve Service 7:00pm

Calvary Chapel Reno-Sparks November-December 2013

November 2013
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4,11,18,25 6,13,20 3rd 10th 6,13,20,27 7,14,21 4,11,18,25 9th

Womens Bible Study Joyful Books 9:30am Missions Prayer 12:30pm Widows Meeting 8:15am Evening Prayer 6pm Morning Prayer 10am Moms In Prayer 12pm Fruit of Her Hands 10-2 Happy Thanksgiving

Calvary Chapel Reno-Sparks

220 Edison Way, Reno, NV 89502 (775)856-1110 FAX (775) 856-2031 www.calvarychapelreno.org
Senior Pastor Admin. Pastor Youth Pastor Worship Pastor Mission Pastor Secretary Tom Luitwieler Rob Wolfe Juan Rodriguez Scott Cresta Leonard Sanchez Kim Bowser PRAYER CHAIN ANN-(775)673-1238 EILEEN (775)972-1790
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December 2013
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2,9,16 4,11,18 1st 8th

Womens Bible Study Joyful Books 9:30am Missions Prayer 12:30 pm Widows Meeting 8:15am Evening Prayer 6pm Morning Prayer 10am Womens Koinonia 10am Christmas Eve Service 5:30 New Years Eve Service 7pm

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4,11,18 5,12,19 14th 24th 31st

CHURCH OFFICE: (775) 856-1110

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HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED AT CALVARY CHAPEL?

First: Present yourself to God (Romans 12:1) for confirmation that He has planted you in this fellowship. If so, then discover your gifts and Gods calling your life. Second: Study to show yourself approved unto God (2 Timothy 2:15). As you grow in your relationship with God, let Him prepare you for effective service. Third: Be doers of the Word (James 1:22). Commit yourself to the work of Jesus Christ in this fellowship. Get involved as a yielded vessel to Gods guiding anywhere He directs.

Contact the Church Office and Fill Out a Ministry Questionnaire

(775) 856-1110
Helps Ministry: Food Pantry, Meal Ministry Caf 2:42 Womens Greeters Womens Monday Bible Study: 10am & 6:30pm Womens Conferences, Koinonias & Retreats Womens Wed Evening & Thursday Morning PRAYER Childrens Ministry, Nursery, Childcare Fruit of Her Hands Widows Meeting (Encourage &Prayer) 2nd Sunday of the Month in Caf 2:42 8:15 am Moms In Prayer Mondays 12pm. This ministry is for moms who want to get together and pray for their children. We meet on a weekly basis in the 3rd/4th grade classroom. Child care will be shared as needed. Call DiAnn at 972-4264. Fragrant Life Newsletter (Recipes & Devotionals) Contact: Kelly Gardner at 843-0650 Joyful Books Wednesdays 9:30am