glory

Unhindered Encounter

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The Unhindered Encounter is a candid conversation about how we’ve formed our definition of beauty, what it is costing us emotionally, how it effects our choices in relationships, how porn poisons our perceptions and how our God has more than pat answers to offer to all of this.  It is a powerful weekend to be washed by Truth.

At the Unhindered Encounter we use live worship, teaching, the Bible, multi-media, meditation, and friend-talk to unveil the honest questions that plague us as women. Questions about beauty, worth, sex, men. But we also spend time asking God what he thinks about us and these questions.  Read more about this event here.

Friday Night March2, 7pm-9:30pm

Saturday Morning March 3, 9am-1pm

FREE ADMISSION!

Perfect…Not Yet

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These are the words the Lord whispered in my ear one day during worship.  Perfect…Not Yet.

“I know that because of Jesus you see me as perfect. But the ‘not yet’ part is hard to live through sometimes. Lord, how do I live in the gap of those three little dots? the space between Perfect and Not Yet?” I asked.

His answer was astounding.

“The one constant is My overwhelming love and presence.  Every circumstance is an opportunity for you to see if I can take it.”

He didn’t say, see if Jana  can take it. He said see if He can take it. Can God be God in my circumstances? Is He big enough, does He love enough, can He pull it  off?

God wants you and I to see that He not only has the beauty and power to make us Perfect, but He has the love and stamina to walk out the Not Yet. He is the one constant that changes every factor of life.

 

First Things First

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Since the beginning of November, God has been bringing the story of two fish and five loaves ( John 6) around and around. From  different perspectives and places, He just keeps teaching and revealing. And the bottom line: give thanks and believe.

Don’t look at the circumstances: 5,000 people needing to be fed (15,000 if you count women and children). Don’t look at what you’ve got in your hand: two fish and five loaves.  Look at Who you are with. The Son of the Most High God.

And what does He do? He looks to heaven and gives thanks for what God is about to do. Then as calmly as can be, the disciples began distributing. And they just kept on distributing. There were 12 baskets of leftovers. Not 12 cups. Twelve baskets.  This is after everyone has had their fill. There was no Black Friday stampeding here. Everyone had enough and there were leftovers even.

Who is this God, who is this Jesus, who is this Spirit that can impact our natural world with their supernatural power? The same God that is with you today.

Don’t look at the crowds or  your meager offering. Look to heaven, give thanks and then do what He has told you to do. He is faithful.

Here are some pearls from Abiding Glory on Sunday about gratitude that God has been expanding for me.

1) “Kingdom protocol is first “God, thank you” then please.” “ Jesus always thanked God first before He asked anything. We are instructed to “enter his courts with thanksgiving” then we proceed to the inner courts for petitions. This is a weighty concept but will change your faith life and your prayer life.

2) “Gratitude is never invisible or silent.” I love this. It is not enough to be thankful, you must express it. To God, to others. We often expect God and other people to “know” we are grateful.  But both you and the other person are blessed when you tell them, show them you are thankful. Already this week, I have been very conscious about expressing my thanks to Him and those who bless me.

3) “Gratitude sustains joy and blessing. Without it, you soon begin to take your blessing for granted.“ Ouch. This one hits way too close to home. Everything we have is a gift from God. EVERYTHING.  Be sure to sit in a posture of thanks rather than “I deserve this.”

4) “Gratitude begins where my sense of entitlement ends.”  It is hard to be thankful and be demanding at the same time. We are consumed in our country, and the Church, with our rights, our privileges. When “you owe me” turns into “I am so blessed,” things shift in our soul.

5) “Grateful people can find a blessing, enlarge a blessing or create a blessing in almost any circumstance.” I don’t know about you, but I want this to be my life motto.  Because the opposite affect scares me to death: Negative people can miss a blessing, minimize a blessing and destroy a blessing in almost any circumstance.

Let us be the people who remember the goodness of our God. Look to Him. Give thanks. Live in His blessing.

 

Remind me…

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Remind me who I am.

This has been a week of loving reminders.  God created or stirred, from all directions, a message of loving determination.  His determination to show me love.  From butterflies (in November?), to emailed heart photos, to texts with prophetic scripture, to even a powerful dream through another person, God has been ardently, annoyingly, persistently pursing me. Why annoyingly?  Because when I am mad, or whining, or feeling sorry for myself, His acts of affections draw me out of my drama. And sometimes, sadly, I want to STAY in my drama. At least it feels that way. But finally His love broke through. His continued reminders of past promises and His faithfulness today, His repeating of my pet name, His beauty for my ashes, these God touches broke down my walls.

My heart opened again and I breathed in His intimate tenderness. Oddly enough the whining and self pity slipped away. They can’t stand in the face of His grace.  It truly is “His kindness that leads us to repentance.” Here is the kicker…Right before I got ready to teach the WGR class, my friend handed me card, sheepishly. “He told me me to give you this, ” she said.

On one side it read: He told me to “remind you.”

On the other side were words to a song. I began reading them and casually dismissed them, ‘Oh, this is a Bethany Dillon song.’ But as I kept reading, a sob caught in my throat. I quickly left the room and went to the hall so I could cry in private.

In a moment I was transported back in time. I could see the sun, and feel the wind off the beach as I re-read them.  The written words were my words. Or rather, His words.

You sing over me, You sing over me

You wave your hands and dance around

Sing of dreams, desires all over me

washing, rolling, wondering over me

There’s no love better than yours

It was a song we had written together a year before. And the over-arching message of that beach trip was His delight. Could I, would I be willing to do life with the only measure being His delight?  It was the perfect touch after a hard week of questions and hurting.

How beautiful is our God?

I am putting the song below for your listening. Read the lyrics and soak in the truths. They are for you too. And my take-aways this week, among many, are listen and DO the prompting of God. Every one of these touches came from people who thought they were crazy to reach out. But God used them to help me. Finally, receive. Look, believe, receive the beauty, the tenderness, the truths of God. They surround us always. “There’s no love better than yours.”

My Pleasure

Here I am. Waiting. Listening
Wanting to feel your Holy touch
Need to hear your words flood my soul
Feel your pleasure Lord
There’s no sound, better than yours.

Here I am. Hungry, Eager.
Believing that you’re smiling too
Glad that I’ve come to be with you
You love to hear my voice
there’s no sound better than worship

You sing over me, You sing over me

You wave your hands and dance around

Sing of dreams, desires all over me

washing, rolling, wondering over me

There’s no love better than yours

We’re here again. Mingling. Meshing.
Loving the oneness of two
Drink in the wonder of You
I love your presence Lord
There’s no pleasure better
than yours

Jana Spicka, Real.Life Worship CD

 

The Power of Praise

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Supernatural.  This is the word of the year for me. Hopefully it will be the reality of the rest of my life, and your life because it is one of the many ways to describe the beautiful, awesome, mighty God who lives in us and with us. As I explore the “how” of the supernatural way of living, it always comes back to worship.

This is not  something you get, or work for. It is an overflow of being with the Supernatural One.

God is not a magic genie, or a slot machine, or a formula to ensure success. He is a person who is moved to love and compassion. Just as any lover reacts to being loved, He responds to us when we love on Him. Enter worship and praise.  I guess you could loosely say that worship is God’s “love language.”  Smile.

On our last beach date, the Lord put into place a vision so big, so crazy God-like, that I know only He could pull off. It is truly supernatural. And He also revealed that the journey will have to be saturated in our worship. Not duty, not human smarts or effort, not rabbit’s foot suspicion, but true hearts that are abandoned in worship of the One who brings all dreams to life.

I am asking you to join us November 1st for WGR’s first official celebration as a non-profit ministry. We’re calling it, “An Offering of Praise.” When the Lord brought the word “offerings” to mind, I spent time in the Bible looking at God’s people, old and new testament. Before and after great endeavors, people would bring praise and offerings as a visible way of acknowledging all the Lord has done and would do. It was a beautiful picture of how we bring something of ourselves, our thanks and our money, and present it to the Lord. Both are outward signs of our hearts being connected to Him. They don’t call it a “love offering” for nothing. Our shared loved of God, changes the world.

I can’t tell you how I am busting to share this vision of hope and radical impact in our world. I can’t tell you how much I want us to enter into this season of rejoicing over all He has done. I am so grateful that we can bring our riches, some spiritual, some material, to build the Kingdom together.

“Fund raising then is a very rich and beautiful activity.  It is an integral part of our ministry.  In fund raising we discover that we are all poor and that we are all rich, and in ministering to each other – each from the riches that he or she possesses – we work together to build the Kingdom.  The Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of the poor.

“How happy are the poor in spirit; theirs is the kingdom of heaven”. Henri Nouwen

Save the Date!
An Offering of Praise
November 1st, 6:30 to 8:15 p.m.
Abiding Glory Church
Midpark Drive, Knoxville, TN

Yes and Amen Retreat

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“For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.“
2 Corinthians 1:20

Friday, April 13 through Sunday, April 15, 2012

We are going to use this “get away from the world time” to talk about:

What are God’s dreams for us?

What does He see for our lives, and our futures?

What has He already said, “Yes and Amen” to that we just don’t know about yet?

How do women get Un-stuck?

False expectations and demands around food, sex, beauty, and love (and the Lord only knows what else…) What lifts women up?

Rest and release in the love of God.

Freedom to use our voice and heart.

Letting go of the need to control.


Join us for this unique retreat held at Smoky Mountain Christian Village.  A beautiful complex out of the traffic zone of Pigeon Forge, TN

Weekend Package Includes:  Cost is only $80!

  • Five sessions of Teaching and Materials with Jana Spicka
  • 2 Night’s Lodging in a large and spacious chalet.  Heated pool and nature trails on site.
  • Four Meals and Snacks. Breakfast, lunch and dinner on Saturday and breakfast on Sunday morning. (Friday night dinner is on your own before first session.)

This is an intimate gathering limited to 18 women. So don’t wait to register.

Reserve Your Spot Today

 

Click here to hear a testimony from one of last years attendees.

Women Getting Real Weekly Class

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This  is a great place to go deeper into relationship with Jesus and  other  women. Both seem scary we know. But this is a place where we talk  about  real life topics and look for God to show up in the middle of  our lives.

The class is for all ages and does not require perfect attendance. Or homework.

Join us in person at Fellowship Church on Middlebrook Pike,  Knoxville,TN every Tuesday night from 7:00pm – 9:00pm (childcare is  provided for those who register).

For specific details around the class please feel free to email us at info@womengettingreal.com.

We meet three weeks on and one week off. Dates of class are listed below. We are planning to Livestream at least once month. So stay tuned for those details. Be sure to sign up for RSS or Facebook alerts so you don’t miss out on “Monday Snack Time with Jana”, its a weekly vlog.

Class Dates for Spring Semester 2011: April 5, 19, 26; May 3, 17, 24, 31
(new class location coming soon, stay tuned for details)

To hear audio from classes up until now check out our archived classes

The Blinding Snow

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When we were talking about how snow reminds us of the Character of God, The Why’s of Snow, it bothered me that snow is freezing and icy. I don’t think of God as cold and freezing at all. So I asked the Spirit to make some sense of this for me. The word came: “Snow is blinding.”

Blinding? Then I got a picture of walking down the beach and how the sun on white sand is also blinding. I heard this faint whisper that Glory is blinding. God’s glory is so amazing, so breathtaking it is hard for us to take it all in. Our earthly eyes can hardly adjust to the eternal brightness. Read this passage from Revelation talking about Jesus. The All Glorious One. No longer the babe in swaddling clothes but the Warrior King coming for His Bride.  And perhaps the next time you shield your eyes, from snow or sand or sun, think Glory. Glory coming for you. Amen and Amen.

“I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me.

And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone “like a son of man,” dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest.

The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.

His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.

In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword.

His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

– Revelation 1:12-16

From Glory to Glory

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When Jesus entered our earthly home as a baby, He made Holy the whole human journey. From the moment the virgin’s egg was overshadowed by the Holy Spirt and the Word became flesh to the moment His last forgiving breath led Him into the valley of the shadow of death, Jesus showed us how to do the God life, in our life.

It is important for our souls and spirits to grasp this profound reality. Especially when we understand that Jesus’ birth and death were not points of origin but were connecting a greater circle.

He came from glory, was born, lived, died, was resurrected and then returned to glory. From glory to glory. This is our destiny.  This is what Jesus came to reveal. “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! ” 1 John 3:1

Why does this matter to us this Christmas? Because beyond the gifts and goodies, families and friends, we are being fitted for our True homes. It is not a home where angels sit on clouds, but where we rule and reign with Christ.

Our souls need to marinate in this reality because this is where hope is born. To know that all this earthly struggle has been sanctified by Christ Himself, to know that He came in the middle of a sin-filled world and still lived with God and made it back to glory inspires us to hold on, to believe, to press in to the heart of of God.

Our spirits need to marinate in the reality because this is where the supernatural is born. When we come to know that we are made in the image of the Glory of Christ and all His abundant love and power is available to us, we live differently.

I recently visited my friend whose mother was dying. And despite the tragedy of her fraile and sickly body, I had a moment of jealously. Soon, very soon she would be in glory. That was her true destiny, regardless of what we were witnessing in the flesh. Today, Sarah is spending Christmas with the One we all long to see face to face.

If you are a true believer in Christ, Rest in hope of Glory today. It’s coming. And if you are not, weigh heavily the cost of your independence.

“…we are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. ” 2 Corinthians 3:17-18

Letting God Reveal What’s Real

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My daughter, Salem, was writing a letter to a friend and I was so struck personally by the story and the parallel to all our lives, I thought I would share it.

“I was reading The Edge Chronicles: Midnight over Sanctaphrax in school, and one of the characters so reminded me of you. She’s the ship’s stone pilot, and she always wears this hood so you can’t see anything of her face. Nobody knows who she really is or what she is capable of.  One day, she gets hurt, and the captain has to take off her hood and her coat to heal her. Under that hood and concealment, she’s actually really beautiful.

That reminded me of you because you hid what you were made to be and concealed what God had made you to be.

Underneath, there was someone so incredibly_________. Let Him fill in the blank.

The reason the character wore the hood was because she didn’t live up to what people wanted her to be, and she was ashamed of who she really was. She thought she wasn’t enough. She was wrong. Even though you don’t think you’ve pleased everyone and you think you’re not enough, you come in first place in His eyes. And He sees everything the way it is. He sees His most prized creation being unmasked to bring out the Him in you. He sees someone who’s gonna do great things. He sees someone who he’s gonna change and reveal new things to.

I think God loves His job. Getting to show you (and me) new things we could never have imagined. I’m glad that mask of shame got taken off.”

Thank You, Lord that You love Your job of revealing the Real You inside the Real us. Take off our hoods of shame and “not enough”. Fill in our blanks. We are all incredible in Your sight. Amen