The spice january 2013 by Isabella Yosuico

January 2013

Women’s Ministry FUMC Berkeley Springs, WV

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Jesus, Take the Wheel! “Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life…Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.” —Ephesians 4:22-23 It’s the new year—a time to throw off the old sweet-eating, holidaybuffet-cheating of the last few months and join the crowds at the New Year’s resolution station. Have you made yours yet? Keeping those resolutions is as simple (or not so simple) as controlling our choices, and we have a lot of them to make every day. Some are easy, with small consequences, like which socks to wear. Others are more complex and can have larger consequences, like what we say and do. Making choices, in other words, is about self-control, which is defined as “control of one’s emotions, desires, or actions by one’s own will.” Controlled by one’s own will. But what happens when that self-led control of our choices leads to out-of-control? When we find ourselves giving in to temptations that are not healthy, saying or doing things we know are wrong, or losing our cool much too easily? When our control starts to veer us off course, out-of-control takes over, and pretty soon we realize we are heading for a crash. Sliding sideways down a slippery slope is a logical time to call out: “Jesus, take the wheel!” But what if we’re driving through life on cruise control and don’t even realize we have drifted off course? It may take a long time before we lose total control, and it may not be all our little choices that make it happen. It could be the biggest choice we have to make—whether to be in relationship with God. In other words, who we choose to put in the driver’s seat of our lives every day, not just when the road gets rough. To work on making better choices this year, let Jesus take the wheel, and travel to resolution success!

THE WORD “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.…But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” —Galatians 5:16, 22-23

Think About It “Don’t give up what you most want in life for something you think you want now.” —Richard G. Scott  What would be on your “want now” and “want most” lists?  Are there important things you have given up for something you wanted now?

January 2013 | Page 2

What’s Your Emotional Motion? Developing self-control in our lives requires changes in thoughts and behaviors, and we generally react with “emotional motion” in response to those changes. Which gear are you driving in today? Forward Moving: Let’s go! You are ready to hit the road. You assess your feelings and take personal responsibility to support changes for a positive outcome. Stuck in Neutral: I think I’ll just stay here. You “go along” with change but have difficulty committing, so not much happens. Moving in Reverse: I want to go back to Egypt. Change is tough for you, and you may want to place blame (on yourself or others). You may even subtly sabotage efforts for change to support your belief that “it just won’t work.” The good news is that no matter what direction your emotions want to take you, with God’s help you can move into forward again!

Asking for Directions

3-Minute Bible Study on Self-Control If you made a resolution this year or you are joining the more than 30% of women vowing to eat healthier, try this 3-minute Bible study to help you stay on the right track. Minute 1: Unwrap the chocolate/cookie/tempting food item that you crave, and place a piece in your open palm. Close your fingers over it tightly, and squeeze it gently for the next two minutes.

Women, it’s been proven: Studies show we’re more likely to ask for directions than men. Men are also more apt to pretend they know where they are going (41%) than women (26%). Despite our willingness to ask, a whopping 20% of the miles we drive and 40% of our driving time is spent dealing with “navigational errors.” In other words, we are lost. A lot. Feeling a bit lost on the road of life, too? Don’t spend 40% of your time dealing with “navigational errors” or pretending you know where you are going. Ask God for some GPS (God-Provided Steering) right now!

Minute 2: Read and meditate on this Scripture and question: “A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls.”—Proverbs 25:28 What could help you build stronger walls of protection to resist future temptations? Minute 3: Open your hand and look at the melted or crumbly mess. How does this represent what happens in your life when you hold on to bad choices or give in to temptation? Wash your hands and pray for God to help you build strong walls of self-control in your life so you can avoid the mess! (Adapted from Simply Relevant™, A Taste of Freedom: 6-week Bible Study on Self-Control, Group Publishing.)

January 2013 | Page 3 Movie Review

The Help

Release Date: 2011 Genre: Historical Drama Rating: PG-13 for Thematic Material and some language Length: 146 minutes Based on the #1 New York Times best seller by Kathryn Stockett. The Help is an inspirational, courageous and empowering story about very different, extraordinary women in the 1960s South who build an unlikely friendship around a secret writing project – one that breaks society’s rules and puts them all at risk. Filled with poignancy, humor and hope, The Help is a timeless, universal and triumphant story about the ability to create change. We will be using The Help for our January Go Girls! Movie Night. Below, you will find the dates, times and locations where this movie will be shown. Just choose which one works best for you! Take a friend and some finger foods or snacks to share, and be ready for a great time with the girls!

Go Girls! January Movie Night Sunday, Jan. 13 @ 6pm

Monday, Jan. 14 @ 6:30pm

Tuesday, Jan. 15 @6:30pm

Wednesday, Jan. 16 @ 1pm

Thursday, Jan. 17 @ 6:30pm

Friday, Jan. 18 @ 6:30pm Saturday, Jan. 19 @ 6:30pm

Sarah Fisher’s home 61Tower Circle Berkeley Springs From 522, turn onto Johnson Mill Road. When road curves to the right, you will see Tower Circle slightly to the left. Fourth house on the left, brick with a large carport. (304) 433-0300 Isabella Yosuico’s home 1236 Pious Ridge Rd Berkeley Springs From BS, take Rt 9E for 2.2 miles to Pious Ridge Road. Turn left and go 1.2 miles. House is on right. White rancher with large garage set back from the road with split rail and privacy fence. Enter through privacy fence. (304) 258-4397 Sena Hohman’s home 365 S. Washington St. Berkeley Springs th Apartment behind JoAnn Wachter's house which is the 7 on the left past Sheetz heading south. (304) 261-7562 Linda Romano’s home 263 Tall Pines Ln Berkeley Springs From BS, take Rt 9 and turn right on NEW HOPE Rd. Go 4 miles. DO NOT TAKE FEARNOW RD. Pass Spores Rd, turn Right onto MOUNTAIN RUN RD. Cross 1 lane bridge, pass New Hope Acres to TALL PINES LANE on Left. Come up hill into development at top of hill turn LEFT. Continue to 1st house on left ( taupe house with black shutters and RED door. To avoid stairs, use lower drive to back patio and basement french doors. (304) 258-6889 Rhonda Donadieu’s home 106 Magnificent Ln Hedgesville From BS, take Rt 9E about 10 miles. Pass Pleasant View School and then Snyders’ Bible Chapel on the Right. Take the first Right after the church onto Magnificent Lane and follow to the end to the stone house. (304) 258-2885 Bonnie Weber’s home 45 Goff Street Berkeley Springs (304) 258-5989 Cindi Close’s home 357 Sarah Ann Ln Berkeley Springs From BS, take Rt 9E about 2.5 mi. and turn right into Lakewood Hills. Make the first Right and follow to the red brick house at the top of the hill on the left (357). (304) 258-1600

January 2013 | Page 4

How I Stopped Hating My Husband (and got with God’s program instead)

Isabella Yosuico

Ours was not a fairytale romance. I was in my 30s and Ray in his 40s, and there was a lot of water under the bridge, most of which had rushed by long before the flow of Christ’s cleansing blood. The impact was far-reaching: an unmatched set of mighty beat-up baggage. Yet I knew, maybe the moment I saw Ray, that he was God’s choice for me, however unlikely. Two years after we met, we got married. What If?  Proverbs 12:4, Proverbs 21:19, Mark 10:11-12, 1 Corinthians 7:1-16, 2 Corinthians 6:14, Hebrews 13:4-7, Malachi 2:16, etc… Confess and repent as needed, and bring your broken pieces to God, the Almighty Master Repairman who loves you and longs to heal you and your marriage.

It wasn’t long before I wondered if I’d made some terrible mistake and was now stuck. Yet I knew from prior experience that being squarely in God’s will doesn’t necessarily feel good; my comfort and pleasure is not God’s aim. Moreover, circumstances made it nearly impossible to bail—my favorite M.O. In retrospect, I see God kept me still while he worked. Major surgery—starting with a self-ectomy. “…So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Matthew 19:6NIV I love the imagery of husband and wife becoming one flesh, but only months into married life, a more Frankensteinian image emerged: body parts being lopped off and mended. Ouch! Yet, I think this is helpful, because it helps me see, even now, that the process of fusing two separate, self-centered people into one strong strand (Ecc 4:12) is indeed messy and painful. Even so, we’re compelled to defer to God as our surgeon (Heb 4:12-13) and he is merciful. The surgery is performed over a period of a lifetime together and there’s recovery time between procedures. Many long-married couples report they endure through the inevitable difficult seasons to have their marriage emerge stronger. In fact, challenging times are very fruitful if we willingly submit to the self-ectomy God will inevitably recommend. Contrary to the world’s noisy refrain, it’s not all about me! It’s

about God and his purposes. The mirror of marriage. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? Matthew 7:3NIV Sigh. Must I always come back to this? In seeking God desperately those early, troubled years of our marriage, the Holy Spirit revealed that my complaints about Ray say more about me than they do him. Whatever is “wrong” with Ray, I have a logging truck full of planks myself that the poor fella has to deal with. Am I willing to let God deal with that truth and joust me off my high horse? Marriage is God’s workshop for spiritual transformation in conforming us to his image (Rom 8:29). One of the two most important commandments—to love one another—happens here first. And we can only do that if we love God first, just exactly as he said (Mt 22:37-40). Nine years ago, I could have walked and sought out some other guy who better fit my woefully misguided image of the perfect mate, only to be tormented by a truly grievous mistake. Instead, by some miracle of grace and the super-glue of Divinely-ordained circumstances, I stayed and trusted God to work this, too, out for my good (Prov 3:5-6). So, whether you’re a newlywed and the honeymoon is truly over, or you’re 20 years in and can’t stand the sight of your man… Seek God to fill your ‘love tank.’ Continued

January 2013 | Page 5 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35NIV The answer remains Jesus. Marriage, it turns out, is not the cure for all that ails me. And Ray, it turns out, is not responsible for meeting my every emotional need, satisfying my every want, and solving my problems, though he is God’s chosen partner for me on this journey (Ecc 4:9). No, God is the wellspring from which agape love and contentment flow. In seeking God first, we find our restlessness, discontent, errant longing, and sense of entitlement quieted (Ph:1113). Today, I marvel at how God made what seemed an unlikely pairing, answering my prayer for his perfect match, even while I lamented my choice. When discomfort comes, we can start looking to the world’s solutions to alleviate it, and just short-circuit and prolong God’s process. Better to enter into God’s work, with faithful cooperation and a willing heart, trusting him to work it out for our good (Prov 3:5-6). God is able. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33NIV It’s admittedly easy to embrace this perspective from the mountaintop; far less so, from the valley. But God tells us to give thanks for all things (1Th 5:18) and rest confidently in his peace (Ph 4:7). He knows this suffering—even through the worst marital challenges—is fleeting. It’s helped me to know—in marriage and in life—that there will be tough times…and something beyond them. The upshot is that if it seems that the death knoll has tolled for your marriage, you can trust God can turn it around if you give it to him (Ph 4:6). And if you’re on the mountaintop today, know the hard times may come, but that by staying the course, you will fulfill God’s perfect will for you. We must never underestimate what God can do in us and in our marriages (Eph 3:20)! If God can do it for me, he can do it for you! Prayer: Thank You, Father, for my husband. Help me to see my husband and our marriage through Your eyes, and to allow You to use our union for Your glory. In Christ’s name, Amen.

The Value and Blessing of Daily Devotions Submitted by Susan Kemenyas My day is established in peace and purpose when it is begun with a time of quiet devotions. No demand of the 21st Century may compel me to do otherwise, for nothing is gained by rushing headlong into a day. The requisites of any day must never be permitted to be considered so urgent – excepting, of course, for an actual emergency – as to preempt or prevent this critical time in which one’s spirit is edified and one’s faith is fortified. The specifics of this quiet time are wholly unique to each person and are best framed in the context of the individual’s own relationship with The Lord. Diligent attention to how The Holy Spirit leads will produce the most suitably composed elements and order for each to enjoy and profit from this time of starting the day by first drawing deeply from the well of salvation.

January A Taste of What’s Happening for Women

Sun

Mon

Tue 1

Wed 2 6pmMS Youth@ The Blue

6 7 Front Porch 6:30pmmoves to Finance Tm The Blue 6:30pm6pm-Youth@ Marriage The Blue Small Gr @The Blue

13 “The Rock”

6pm-Missions 12p-Trustees 7pm-SPRC 6pm-Youth@ 6:30pmMarr.Sm.Gr The Blue 6pm-Movie@ 6:30-Movie@ Sarah Fisher’s Isabella’s

21 12pm-55+ Luncheon 6:30pm6pm-Youth@ Marriage The Blue Small Gr

9:30-Women’s Bible Study Take Out Meals

Thurs 3

Sat 5

3-5pm Go Friends

11 “The Rock”

12 “The Rock”

Youth Conference Youth Conference

6pmNSDAR MS Youth@ 6pm-Bells 7pm-Chancel The Blue 15 16

3-5pm Go Friends 6pm-UMW 17

9:30-Women’s 1pm-Movie@ Bible Study Linda Romano’s 3-5pm 6pm-Bells Go Friends 6:30-Movie@ 6pm6:30-Movie@ Sena Hohman’s MS Youth@ Rhonda 7pm-Chancel Donadieu’s The Blue

Fri 4

6:30-Movie@ Bonnie Weber’s

19 6:30pm Autumn Acres Visit 6:30-Movie@ Cindi Close’s

9:30-Women’s Bible Study

6pm6pm-Bells MS Youth@ 7pm-Chancel The Blue

3-5pm Go Friends

@The Blue

9:30-Women’s Bible Study

6:30pm6pm-Youth@ Marriage The Blue Small Gr @The Blue

6pm-Bells 7pm-Chancel

6pmMS Youth@ The Blue

3-5pm Go Friends

Contact for more information FUMC Berkeley Springs 49 S. Green Street Berkeley Springs, WV 25411 (304)258- 2766

Women’s Ministries Coordinator Sarah Fisher sfisher@gofirst.org

To contribute an article or information to be included in contact Rhonda Donadieu at rhondadonadieu@live.com