When God Impresses......

I felt an impression of God today.

Does any one know what I mean by that?  Has that happened to any of you?

I actually felt it twice. (last night while leading a junior high girls group and this morning while drinking coffee on my deck)  And it concerned something I had prayed about over 3 years ago!

I wanted it to go away from my thoughts.  I said, "Oh God, why now??"  "Are you kidding me?"  

He had me look up to the bright, blue sky with the puffy white clouds...as I did the sun rays broke through....my spirit was quickened within me that this was exactly what He wanted me to do.......

Here's the story in quick summary:

About 3 years ago, one of my closest friends (Lynn) and I decided to take our church's Small Group Leadership Class. It is required for anyone leading any kind of a ministry.  We had it in our heads to co-lead a women's group.  Circumstances happened though that we didn't accomplish this.  Rather, I ended up taking a part time teaching job and she ended up involved in a different ministry.  All was well....we were where the Lord wanted us at that time.  She is now the leader of a group that is topic-specific.  I can't go into details here for confidentiality reasons.  She is right where God wants her.  She had said to me once that I should lead a moms group.  I kinda just laughed at her even though I was feeling the nudge to do just that.

I didn't really want to have to add to my busy evenings, yet another evening of ministry.  But the nudge was there.  Last year I started leading the Moms in Touch group once a month on Friday afternoons.  This is a school-year group only and geared for moms who have children in our local school district.  Again, a topic-specific group.  I open it up to any Christian mom with children at our high school, junior high or elementary school.  If needed, I will open it up to moms from our other 6 elementary schools in the district.  This is a PRAYER group though.  Which is very different from a teaching group.  We  focus on the prayer needs of our children, teachers, staff, administration, and school district as a whole.

The small group class I have taken for the last 9 weeks ends next week.

And God is nudging me again.  Louder.  Making more of an impression on my heart.

WHY NOW????  I had just told the Youth Pastor I would be involved in the Junior High Youth Group on Thursday evenings.  With my husband.  Doing ministry TOGETHER. (what a concept!).  My youngest daughter FINALLY ended her 3 years of being in the HizKidzPraise drama ministry.  Which had tons of rehearsals!  We finally had a free Monday!  Yeah.....

2 evenings a week will be filled with ballet and jazz classes.

Wednesdays are Senior High Youth Group days.

GOD....WHAT ARE YOU SAYING TO ME???

He is impressing on my heart to begin a small group for women who have preteens/teens.  

A group geared for Christian moms who are raising children in the world but don't desire their children to be OF the world.  YIKES!!!

Can I do this??

By church standards, yes.  I have the required course under my belt and I have a couple of interested moms.  If I go ahead with this.....if it is really God impressing this on me....it will be just 2 times a month.  Most likely on the evenings of the junior high youth group. That way, moms can attend while their preteen is at the Youth Center.  

What does this mean?

It means opening up my home (or getting on the church schedule to reserve a room.  Like now.  or maybe because of our church size and over 75 ministries/small groups, like 6 months ago!)  I tend to like the idea of opening up my home again.  I do hold Moms in Touch here but it has been over 5 years since my husband and I hosted an actual small group.  I do enjoy the hospitality aspect.  

It means researching various study books/resources to use as a guide.

It means getting on the church small group list.  Which means making phone calls, filling out forms.  No big deal. But it's summer, Lord!!

It means typing up a schedule and rounding up some interested moms.

And you know what?  It means dying to self.  It means not worrying. It means pressing in.  All the things I have been meditating on.

so......I would appreciate any prayers you could send my way.

When God impresses something on my heart......and I feel this strongly....it usually means He wants me to get going!

Stay tuned.......more prayer is needed. (and yes, I ran it by my husband....cause I know some of you are gonna ask me that!)