How I Value Our Sunday Conference Calls

Even as I write, so many things have tried to thwart my quiet and recollection of why I treasure my time with our God and Savior and my Sunday 4:15 pm meetings with My Ashes to Beauty (MATB) sisters.

Oh, how the devil has tried hard to darken our days and rock our nights, but what he meant for harm has worked for good because we trusted in the Lord and, how mighty has the prayers we sent up on behalf of one another have been answered. We come as individual women from various walks of life, across the country and even internationally. We hear our awesome coordinator and leader, Toni, speak of our reason for meeting and our topic for the day and then, in her passionate but quiet way, she shares her heart and story.

Is it not by example that we are taught and led? Children rarely do what you say but often do what we do, thus the many stories in the Bible of what Jesus and the disciples and prophets did. Even us his people, our ancestors learned by example the correct way to live, realizing their/our mistakes when we do it our way and not follow our Lord and wise counsel. Toni shares her wise counsel as given to her from our God and Master himself. Her opening sets others at ease to be able to share their joys, woes, questions even their hurts in a nonjudgmental environment.

There is no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus and equally there is no condemnation for us in our MATB meetings. We listen, we share, we lift each other up, comforting and rejoicing with one another as is appropriate for the time. It is awesome to see, yes see and hear Jesus present in our meetings whether it be a word, or situation shared or, like recently when we were in full meeting flow, I know some thought at the time that the devil had shown up and taken our leader Toni away and possibly to a very frightening possibly deadly ending…BUT GOD!

Oh, how true that where two or three are gathered He hears us! We prayed and God responded to the point where lives were spared, relationships renewed and unbelievers solicited our prayers. It did not initially come from us. Oh, what a Mighty God we serve. Possible tears of sorrow and dread were replaced with joy and rejoicing and witnessing of our faith to others, strangers to some, loved ones to all through Christ and Toni.

Blessings, Sonia

I Now Have a Healthier Perspective on Who I Am in Christ

In 2017, Toni asked me to join in the conference calls to encourage the women who were struggling with the life choices they had made and were sometimes continuing to make.

These include abortion, substance abuse, unhealthy relationships and many other life choices that keep us from growing in our walk with Jesus.

Each week the facilitator discusses a topic which includes godly principles along with scripture to get us thinking on how we can relate to that particular life choice or past hurt that we need to heal from and how God can bring this healing into our lives.

We then have opportunity to share as she opens the call to all participants who feel comfortable and would like to share what is on their hearts and minds.

My experience from participating on this call has been so incredible! I have not only been used of God to encourage and build other women up, but I have grown in my walk with the Lord as we pursue the discussions.

God is using this ministry to bring healing I didn’t realize I needed and a deeper understanding to my life experiences.

It is giving me a healthier perspective on who I am in Christ.

Luci