Are you ready for the holidays?

Thanksgiving is 2 weeks away and Christmas is right after that! Help! What happened to this year? Seems like it has gone by so quickly! Sometime during the holidays, stop and think about some of the things that have happened. Was there a wedding or a birth in your family? A child go off to kindergarten....or college? The death of a loved one? Many of us have had major events. How did you get through it? Did you cling to Jesus? Did you get mad at God? How did you cope? Proverbs 3:5 comes to mind right away: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." We don't have to understand everything that comes our way, trust in Jesus and He will carry you through. Easy? Ha! Not always. Worth it? Absolutely!

Mugs and Muffins

Mugs and Muffins is this Saturday, October 24th from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Meet us in the Family Life Center for yummy muffins and a mug of hot coffee or tea (we will have juice for those who don't drink coffee or tea.)

Our guest speaker will be Sarah Schafer and you will love her!

Sarah:
*is a busy, young pastor's wife
*mother of four
*graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University
*married to Abel, Bentonville community pastor at Fellowship Bible Church
*grew up in a Christian home
*preacher's kid whose dad was chaplain for the Dallas Cowboys football team

We look forward to a wonderfuL, encouraging message!

Dress is casual and there is no cost for this event. BRING A FRIEND!

New studies Tuesday, Oct 20th

Fall has gone by so quickly - and why is it so cold already???
I'm excited about the 3 new Tuesday morning studies that will begin next week, October 20th.
They are: "Me, Myself and Lies" by Jennifer Rothschild, "Return to the Garden" by Kay Arthur and "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World" by Joanna Weaver. Here is a link to our Women's Ministry site where you can find more information on each study: http://www.fbcbentonville.org/templates/System/details.asp?id=25387&PID=503840
I know some of you have not been able to come on Tuesday mornings, but if your schedule will allow, start next week! We'd love to have you!
Lorrel

Beth Moore Simulcast Next Weekend

You are invited to a live simulcast with Beth Moore next weekend,
August 28-29,
at the Church at Pinnacle Hills.
Tickets are available online and at the Church at Pinnacle Hills Office.

You will feel like you are in the same room with Beth!

It's going to be an awesome weekend!

Register here

The Truth Project

Here is a synopsis of the study that will be one of the three choices for you this fall on Tuesday mornings called The Truth Project by Focus on the Family. From their website: ...only nine percent of professing Christians have a Biblical worldview. Because of this, today's believers live very similary to non-believers...we spend our money and time on things that fail to satisfy, and we begin to wonder what life's ultimate purpose really is. We believe this curriculum can be a catalyst for...change within the body of Christ, as thousands of people are "transformed by the renewing of their mind" (Romans 12:2). As He has throughout history, God continues to call ordinary people to make an eternal difference in our world. I invite you to go the website for this study http://www.thetruthproject.org/ to get more information. You can view the trailer and get a good feel for what this course is about. It's a good one!

The Bait of Satan

Christians girlfriends, have you ever been offended by something that someone has said to you or about you? Have you been offended by something that someone else has done?
Let's face it, we have all felt offended by something someone says or does at one time or another in our lives. It's going to happen! Jesus said to his disciples in Luke 17:1 "It is impossible that offenses will not come." The Bait of Satan by John Bevere exposes one of Satan's most deceptive snares used to pull believers out of God's will. It is the trap of offense (or feeling offended.) And most people who are ensnared don't even realize it. So don't be fooled! You are going to be offended and it is up to you how you are going to let it affect your relationship with God. You can learn how to not be ensnared in the victim mentality and walk in forgiveness.
Personal example - after I read the first 4 chapters of this book, God had already convicted me about 2 areas in my life that I needed to take care of. Ouch!
This will be one of our Tuesday morning studies. I'll post a synopsis of the 3rd study this week.
Have a good day!

Just to clear things up a little...

Need to clear up a little confusion on our Tuesday morning studies for this fall. The way it was listed it looked like we had 5 different studies starting at the same time. Actually, we will have 3 studies begin September 1st:
"Sink or Walk on Water" by Michelle Nichol
"The Bait of Satan" by John Bevere and
"The Truth Project" by Focus on the Family
In the next few days, I will post a synopsis of each study so you can begin praying about which one God would like to do this fall. Believe me, they are all good and it is going to be hard to decide! Let God lead you....He knows where you will be this fall and what He wants to say to you.
"Sink or Walk on Water" by Michelle Nichol
From Michelle: Have you ever asked "Why would God let that happen?" Well, if you haven't asked it yet, someday you will. Our "someday" came when a doctor's diagnosis rocked our world. When our son turned eight months old, we were told he had cerebral palsy. At that moment, we embarked on a journey of what, at the outset, seemed like an endless voyage through stormy seas. Through the many tears and prayers, we've learned to trust that God will bring us through stormy waters to ones quiet and tranquil - reaching out to guide us all the way. Sink or Walk on Water is a chronicle of our journey so far. This Bible study will take you on a journey through uncharted waters, stormy seas, and sometimes smooth sailing. On this journey, we will learn why there are storms in our lives and how to navigate them. This study will strengthen your relationship with God and provide invaluable tools to use while traversing your own storms of life.
Please call or email if you have any questions! I'd love to hear from you!
Lorrel Lyles
479-644-9383
lorrell@fbcbentonville.org

Good grief!! It's been way too long since our last update!! Life gets so busy, doesn't it? Just want you all to know that our fall Bible Studies have been selected. Here's the line-up:

Sunday afternoon (begins Sept. 13th) - "Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed" with Kay Arthur, Beth Moore and Priscilla Shirer

Monday night (begins Sept. 14th) - "Seeking Him" by Nancy Leigh DeMoss & Tim Grissom

Tuesday morning (begins Sept. 1st) -
"Sink or Walk on Water" by Michelle Nichol
"The Bait of Satan" by John Bevere
"In the Garden" by Kay Arthur
"Me, Myself and Lies" by Jennifer Rothschild
"The Truth Project"by Focus on the Family

We've also added a Thursday night study that will begin September 10th. You have to sign up for this one, though, so call the church office at 273-3379 if you are interested in taking this study.
"Breaking Free" by Beth Moore

Our next GIRLFRIENDS' NIGHT OUT will be Thursday, August 27th from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. We will play bunko again – it is a fun way to relax and meet new people, make new friends and re-connect with old ones. And we have great snacks!! Put it on your calendars, girls!

New to First Baptist or Women's Bible study?
Join us for our New Members Luncheon
Who: Ladies who have joined the church or 4W in the past year
When: Tuesday, April 28th, 2009 at 11:30
Childcare provided
What: Free lunch in your honor
Why: To welcome you and inform you about other church ministries and
activities.
We would love to meet you and get to know you personally.
Please call the church office (273-3379) or click here to reserve your spot.

Our Tuesday morning study Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed has been fabulous! It was written after a Deeper Still event in 2007. To experience the teachings of Priscilla Shirer, Beth Moore and Kay Arthur yourself, sign up for:

Deeper Still: The Event with Kay Arthur, Priscilla Shirer, and Beth Moore
Cox Business Services Convention Center Oklahoma City, OK Friday, December 04, 2009 - Saturday, December 05, 2009
Click here for more information.

Ladies' Night Out Was Fun!

We had a wonderful time last Thursday during Ladies' Night Out! It was a great time to visit with ladies we know - and a great time to meet new ones! We played bunco and even those who didn't know how to play learned quickly - thanks to Cindy Knipple's patient instructions. Lots of door prizes were given away. Don't you just love door prizes?? And probably the best part was the snacks. Each table had a couple of bowls on it filled with all kinds of goodies. You might have Chex Mix and M&M's at one table and peanuts and jellybeans on another! Hmmmmm! Fun!!

I almost forgot, if you got a bunco, you got to wear a lovely black boa!! Most didn't get to wear it long. (smile)

We hope to have another Ladies' Night Out again soon so if you missed it this time, don't worry, you can join us for the next night of fun!

It's Here!!!

Ladies' Night Out is tomorrow!!!
Thursday, April 2nd (and that's no April fool!)
6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Meet us in the chapel

We are so excited!
It is going to be a relaxing night of food, fun and fellowship!
Hope you will plan to join us!

One Week From Today!

"Ladies Night Out"
Thursday, April 2, 2009
In the Chapel 6:30-8:30pm
(childcare provided)
Come play "Bunco"
if you don't know how we'll teach you (it's easy),
or you can just relax and visit with your sisters in Christ.
We will have snacks and plenty of other activities.
Click here to sign up
(reservations are not required but appreciated)

What Would You Like?

Question...what would you like to see added or changed in Women's Ministry? Different bible studies? different times and days? retreats? small socials? service projects? What makes you want to get involved - or not get involved? Let us know!!!

LADIES' NIGHT OUT

Put Thursday, April 2nd, on your calendars ladies! We are going to have a Ladies' Night Out from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. that evening and we're going to play bunco - we'll be the Bunco Babes!!
You will be able to sign up on our Women's Ministry website soon. Reservations will not be required, but it will help us know how many tables to set up and how many to plan for. We need to make sure we have enough snacks! More info soon!!! Have a great weekend!

The Gift Was Wonderful!!!

"The Gift," our single mothers event, was wonderful! We invited single mothers to join us at Studio 412 this past Saturday, Valentine's Day, and we pampered and loved on them. They enjoyed manicures, pedicures, haircuts and styles, back massages, facials and some delicious food. We also washed and vacuumed their cars! What a treat! Every mother went home with a casserole that she could cook that night or put in her freezer for another day. Each also received a "loaded" goody bag (they even received a coupon for a free oil change compliments of Everett Maxey!) It was such a joy to share this special day with these precious ladies. They deserved it! We took pictures and will post some later this week. One of the mothers left with tears in her eyes. She said this was the best Valentine's Day she had ever had!

Good News

Your prayers worked ladies! Brayden's swallow test went well! They figured out what was going on and have adjusted his formula accordingly. Check out Jenna's website for a sweet picture of her holding and feeding her little darling. http://jennasjourneyblog.blogspot.com/

Little Harper is home and doing well. She is the cutest thing - you've got to check out Kelly's blog!! http://www.kellyskornerblog.com/

“The Gift ,“ our single mothers event is this Saturday, February 14th. Please pray specifically for "The Gift" this week. Pray for sunshine, good health for all of our volunteers and pray for the mothers who will be ministered to. Pray that they will feel the love of Jesus through us! We are so looking forward to loving on these precious ladies for a few hours!

We have an assignment!

Okay girls, we have an assignment tonight! Pray, pray, pray for little Brayden Wiley who is in Little Rock, AR Children's Hospital. Tomorrow morning he will be given a swallow test to help determine why he isn't taking his bottle. Pray that God will be with the doctors, nurses and technicians who will be administering this test. Pray that God gives them some clear answers that will help them find a solution to his difficulties. Then pray that God will continue to heal Jenna. After all, we all know that mothers aren't allowed to get sick! :)

Then praise our Lord! Little Harper Stamps is coming home! God has performed a miracle in that precious baby's life! Pray also for her mommy and daddy as they adjust to life at home with a new baby. Funny how life changes after baby comes home. The world revolves around this tiny little person - and that's just the way it should be!

These babies are a testimony to God's goodness and faithfulness - and that He is the Great Healer!

You've got your assignment for the night!

Harper and Brayden

Here is an update from Brayden's grandaddy from 1/28:
Today is a great day. God is watching over Brayden and all of his littleroom-mates. Brayden is focusing on real sleep, drinking his first bottle (1/2 of itanyway) and being held and loved. Mommy and Daddy have purchased every outfit Babies R US sells and have enjoyed changing his clothes regularly. Withdrawal medicine should be removed by next Tuesday. Brayden is happy, Mommy and Daddy are happy, and all grandparents are happy. Please keep Brayden, Harper, and all the other little sick ones in your prayers. Thank you all for your faithfulness in praying. God is doing awesome work in these hospitals. Grandaddy Horton.

Harper is getting better everyday too! Here is the first paragraph from her blog post from yesterday. THANK YOU FOR PRAYING FOR THE PICC LINE.........................Our prayers were answered above and beyond once again. Harper doesn't even need a PICC line!!!!! We got here this morning and the doctor had to do one test on her and then he said we could take her completely off the respirator and start feeding today!!!!! PRAISE MY JESUS!!!! The nurses were cheering - I was crying - it was just a great day! We didn't expect this for several more days!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!!! "God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!" Ephesians 3:20

4W Prayer Blog!!!

Our 4W Pray Blog is up and running!! Here is the link: http://www.fbc4wprayers.blogspot.com/
This will be a great tool to use during your daily prayer time with our Lord. Let us know if you think we need to change or add anything. You can send requests to 4wprayers@gmail.com or add them to the comments section. God is good and he loves it when His children pray together.
"For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there among them." Matthew 18:20

Tueday 4W Cancelled

Bentonville schools are closed on Tuesday, January 27th, so there will be no 4W in the morning. Enjoy your day - stay warm and safe!

Snow/Ice Day!

Bentonville Schools have been cancelled so 4W will not meet on Tuesday morning. Be careful and try and stay warm. We will see you next week!
Love you all!

Inclement Weather Policy

Just want to remind you all of our inclement weather policy. When Bentonville schools are closed all 4W activities will be cancelled. We will also post all updates on our website www.fbcbentonville.org/women as well as have the information posted on channel 40/29. Weather forecasts are calling for bad weather on Monday night and Tuesday morning so we will get any cancellations up as soon as we can. Thanks!

Babies and "The Gift" Updates!

I am happy to report that Brayden Wiley and Harper Stamps both had a good day! God is so great and we look forward to having these precious little ones and their families back here in Bentonville soon! Keep praying for continued healing!

Details for our single mother's event called "The Gift" are coming together and we are getting excited! If you are or know of a single mother at FBC, please be sure and get signed up soon. We are looking forward to pampering you for a few hours on Saturday, February 14th - Valentine's Day! To sign up, just click here. As soon as we get all the details nailed down, I will let you all know just what "special treats" we have in store for our moms!! And if you work for a vendor or know of one who would like to donate something for the "goody bags" we will be sending home with them, please email us at 4women@fbcbentonville.org as soon as possible.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Praise our God from whom all blessings flow! “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” II Corinthians 9:15

Update on Team Brayden

Update on Brayden Wiley:
TEAM BRAYDEN UPDATE!!!!WOO HOO. Just after noon they took Brayden off of his Ventilator today!!! OUR GOD IS AN AWESOME GOD....They now project a week to 10 days and we'll be taking Brayden home. There is much sickness in this hospital and we need to keep Brayden from catching anything before we get him out of here.Please keep baby Harper and all our tiny babies in your prayers. This is a GREAT DAY!! Granddaddy Horton

God is at Work!

Check out the blogs of our sweet little babies. God is at work and they are both improving! Keep praying......God hears your voices!

God is so Faithful!

Life isn't always fair and it certainly isn't always easy. Think about it....2 precious babies from our church who were born recently are in NICU. Parents lose precious children, many have recently lost jobs, many have finances who look bleak, I could go on but you get the picture. The silver lining to all of this is that our God is Faithful! Deuteronomy 7:9 says "Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands." Praise Him!
Brayden Wiley and Harper Stamps are improving. Make sure you check out their mother's blogs
http://www.kellyskornerblog.com/ and http://jennasjourneyblog.blogspot.com/. As you read the stories of these children and their parents, you can truly see God's glory. This is not reality TV, it is the reality of the Christian life and 2 families' total dependence on the sustenance of our Heavenly Father.
We will soon be launching a 4W Prayer Blog. We have been receiving prayer requests from some of you and want to put them in a form that is easy for all to access and use in their daily prayer lives. We hope to have it ready to go within the next day or two. Stay tuned!
Some of you may remember the 4W ladies' ensemble we had a few years ago - Deeper Joy. There was a song that we sang called "He Is Faithful." One of the lines said: "In my heart I have questioned, even failed to believe, but He is faithful, faithful to me." I am so thankful that He is my Savior! Is He yours?

Inauguration Day and A New President

As I watched the 44th president of the United States take the oath of office, I was reminded that we live in a great country. Regardless of how you voted and what your political beliefs are, today is a historic day. Today we inaugurated the first African American president of the United States. As a new administration takes office, it is our responsibility to pray for our leaders. God has ordained today and our new president, his wife, Michelle, and his two precious daughters need our prayers. You are welcome to leave a few words of encouragement and prayer in the comment section as you lift them to our Heavenly Father.
May God truly bless America!

Baby Updates and More

I just read Laurie's blog http://lseo.blogspot.com/ and she says that Harper had a good report today. Praise the Lord! Continue to remember this precious little girl and her mommy and daddy.

From Jenna Wiley's blog it sounds like little Brayden is improving. Praise the Lord for this report also! Continue to pray for this little fella and his mommy and daddy.

I am sure that these parents are exhausted both mentally and physically. Pray that God undergirds them and gives them a strength that can only come from Him. Our God is an awesome God and He reigns (Psalm 46:10)! He loves his children and He listens when we pray - I think He might even listen a little harder when we pray about our babies. "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak." Isaiah 40:29

On another note, we have several single mothers signed up to participate in "The Gift" on February 14th. We really want to pamper these ladies and show them that someone cares. Right now we are looking for people who will give a few hours of their time and do manicures, pedicures, massages, anything like this that will make these precious ladies feel honored and loved. Please email 4women@fbcbentonville.org as soon as possible if you are able to help!!!

Baby Updates

Here is the latest email from Kelly Stamps:
Harper is still in stable but very critical condition. They are thinking she is having heart problems as well as her lungs. We are waiting for the doctor to come talk to us to give us more information.

I am keeping our blog updated as often as I can if anyone would like to check it:

www.kellyskornerblog.com.

That's probably the best way for the church to keep up with us.

Thank you for your prayers!!! We feel them!
Kelly Stamps

And the latest email from Darren Horton, Brayden's grandaddy:

Brayden is continuing to improve. Chris and Jenna just met with the
doctor and they are encouraged by Braydens progress today. His "meds"
are being reduced and the oxygen levels are improving.
THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT DAY - BECAUSE OF YOUR PRAYERS GOD HAS MADE THIS A
GOOD DAY. Please don't stop praying, and please keep baby Harper on your
prayer list too, and all the very sick babies that are in the hospitals
NICU wards with Brayden/Harper.

This is the link to Jenna's blog: http://jennasjourneyblog.blogspot.com/

PLEASE PRAY

Two urgent prayer requests:
Harper Brown Stamps - Harper was born to Kelly and Scott Stamps yesterday and is a very sick little girl. She has a serious case of pneumonia and has been transferred to St. Francis hospital in Tulsa. Because of the seriousness of her condition, they thought she would have to undergo a procedure called an EKMO. Here is an update from Kelly's blog: "Praise Jesus for He is good!!! Scott just called to tell me that he just went to see Harper and the nurse said she is not even on the list for bypass (ECMO) because the doctor thinks she is responding so well to what they are doing she may not even need it. We were told in not so many words yesterday that she may not survive at all and because of so many prayers all over the world - she is improving hour by hour."

Brayden Wiley - Brayden was born on Tuesday and developed breathing problems due to his lungs not being fully developed and was moved to the ICU of Willow Creek hospital in Johnson on Wednesday. On Wednesday night after further tests Brayden was diagnosed with a lung problem called PPHN. They decided he needed to be sent to the Children's Hospital in Little Rock and so around 2AM on Thursday morning, January 15th he was flown by Angel One Helicoptor to Little Rock. He also was to undergo the EKMO procedure but as of the latest update I've received, he too is showing improvement and they are waiting to see if he will improve further so they won't have to do it.

If you have an update on either of these precious babies, please email 4women@fbcbentonville.org and I will post it.

Also, some of you know that I had some minor surgery yesterday. (I had my gall bladder removed.) Thank you for all of your prayers. The surgery went well and I am feeling pretty good. The doctor gave us 6 of the largest stones to take home (kinda wierd) and my husband says I should make a necklace! Ha!ha!

Remember the Stamps and Wiley families!

Lorrel Lyles

Bible Studies and "The Gift"

Our new Bible studies have begun and they are all so good! The Monday night group is finishing Kathy Hedge's study, the Sunday afternoon group is doing Beth Moore's new study about Esther and the Tuesday morning group is doing the book "What In the World is Going One?" by David Jeremiah as well as Esther. If you are looking for a study this spring, please come and join us. It's not too late!
"The Gift" is going to be such a great ministry! We are so excited about giving our single mothers a few hours of "r and r" on Saturday morning, February 14th, from 9am-12noon. I have so much respect for these ladies! They do it all!
If you would like to help, we can use you. Please click here to volunteer. We already have a gentleman who is going to help us do some light maintenance on the mother's cars (check oil and fluids, change windshield wipers, etc.) and we are looking for some guys to serve on his team. We have someone who is coordinating a special brunch that the mothers will enjoy that morning. We also have a couple of ladies who are working on some decorations that will make Studio 412 look like a "spa." Oh! If you work for a vendor, or know someone who does and have a little "something" we can put in some goody bags to send home with our moms, please let us know!
BTW - did you see the moon tonight? It's beautiful!

"The Gift" for Single Mothers

Can you imagine being a Single mom today? Coming home from work; picking up the kids, doing homework, running to sports, baths, showers, laundry, food shopping, picking up the house, making lunches, taking out the garbage, plunging the toilet, figuring out the remote, paying the bills….ALL BY YOURSELF. I know how much I appreciate being able to yell… “Can you help me for a minute….?” Well, we would like to do something special for the Single Moms at FBC.

FBC Women’s Ministry is hosting an event February 14th called “The Gift”. It is a way to treat Single Moms to a day of feeling special and pampered from 9-12. We need your help!!! We need ladies to help us provide these services:
hair cuts,
pedicures,
manicures,
massages.
(Professional or qualified wanted!)

We also need ladies who will help with food (we are going to provide a nice brunch,) decorations, assembling goody bags, etc. In addition, we would also like to have a few men who would be willing to help with light car maintenance (checking windshield wipers, oil levels, etc. - nothing big.)
Please email us ASAP if you are available to provide a service or know someone who will - or if you would like to help in any other way!
4Women@fbcbentonville.org

Here is another way you can help:
(We need someone to coordinate this for us!)
On Saturday, February 14th we are asking you to drop off a “food dish” that is easy to make and inexpensive. The women who attend our event will take home a meal to put in their freezers for a day when they need something quick and are short on time. We all know how hard it is to come up with new dinner ideas and for single moms it is even harder because they just may not have the time or the budget to try new recipes. So, let’s do the work for them on February 14th.

Please commit to making one dish. An entrée, a dip, a bread, a soup, a salad, a dessert, take-along-snack, appetizer…There are 3 rules!
1. The recipe must be easy.
2. The recipe must be inexpensive.
3. The recipe must be made with Love. (Gal 5:13)

Isabel Kay has volunteered collect the recipes for all the dishes and assemble them into a take-home cookbook that we can send home with our mothers. If you know what you will bring, please email your recipe to her at uskay28@aol.com before Wednesday, February 11th.

We are so excited about "The Gift" and hope you will join us as we minister to the Single Moms at FBC Bentonville.

"If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 4:11)