Small Town Life In Big L.A.

Dinner In The Garden Women's Fellowship

How refreshing it was to get together at S's home for a much needed time of fellowship in the Lord. We had such fun taking this pic!

We helped ourselves to heaping bowls of pasta...

Healthy Salad...

Homemade Bread...

Freshly squeezed lemonade, minted tea, & cucumber water...

 

And headed outside to the garden.

All of the beautiful arrangements displayed the garden's finest!

 

And then it was time for more on the life of Joseph. We began this study last year and had to put it on hold as we led a Women's Retreat. It felt GOOD to get back to it!

This month we read the account in Genesis that pertained to segments 16-18 of the movie. It was thrilling to see Joseph exalted from prison to ruler over all Egypt, second only to Pharaoh!!!

Some good discussion came out of this...

1) Joseph was falsely accused and in prison over two years. He wanted to get out and began using his own resources to change things. When you know the Lord this does not work. We are to wait on Him. He knows what we need and when we need it and is well able to provide for us regardless of circumstances. Joseph's release and exultation is a wonderful example of what all believers in the Lord have to look forward to.

2) The Lord warned Pharoah of SEVEN YEARS OF FAMINE that were coming on the land. We discussed the current recession which began in 2008 and how it has affected us and those we know.

There is nothing like the Word of God. It is ALIVE and will change your life. If you want to know God and have a relationship with Him you will do so in His Word. Only He can reveal it to you so ask Him. SEEK HIM and you will find Him.

The evening ended with S's delicious Cherry Pineapple Cheesecake and enjoyable conversation. Thank you Lord for the sisters you have given us to be a good example for you and encourage us in this life.

Celebrating RESURRECTION DAY!

What a beautiful Easter morning! There is nothing that compares to celebrating the resurrection of Jesus with others who love and worship Him, especially your church family.

We praised the lord with songs like "My Redeemer Lives", "Above All", and "Because He Lives". The words are so beautiful.

Today's message was " In This Life Only" from 1 Corinthians 15. As it was preached we were serenaded by doves overhead. It was such a blessing!

Verse 19 says,

"If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men."

We celebrate that Jesus rose from the dead and those of us who believe in Him will do the same!

After a glorious time of praise and worship we enjoyed a delicious brunch on the patio. God Bless C & M who labored for us and fed us...such a ministry of love!

I couldn't help but spot a few hidden eggs...

The children followed Mrs. T for the annual Easter Egg hunt.

This has become a recent tradition at our little church, the annual Easter Bonnet photo.

Thank you Lord for such a blessed day and family to celebrate it with!

Valentine Craft Fun With The Chatsworth Lake Church Women's Fellowship

Welcome to the Valentine cottage! This festive planter welcomed us as we met for a night of food, fellowship, the Word, crafting, and fun.

Outside looking in to a warm and cozy home.

We gathered around this table to pray together and thank the Lord for His many blessings.

The older I get, the more I cherish these times. The Lord has put us together, each one of us being different. Through Him we have learned to love each other and to bear with each other. This is the fruit of doing things His way and it is marvelous to behold.

Delicious chicken salad and egg salad tea sandwiches on fresh, wholegrain bread.

Brushetta with LOTS of garlic!

Healthy berries and grapes...

Getting ready to surprise sweet Sylvia...

Happy Birthday!!!

After an inspiring message on LOVE from Proverbs we got into some serious crafting. SO FUN!!!

Here are a few of the creative Valentine cards that we all came up with...

Valentine spatulas!

Thank you to our lovely hostess who fed us, shared the Word with us, and donated all the crafting supplies for the event. What a blessing you are!!!

 

"Right Here In This Manger"...Chatsworth Lake Church Christmas Play

"Right Here In This Manger" was written and directed just for us by a dear church member who used her God given gifts as a theater major to spread the good news about Jesus. Cast members from our church stepped out of their "comfort zones" to portray how Jesus changes the lives of present day believers while giving us the story of His birth.

It was good to see both children and adults in the play. This is something these kids will remember for the rest of their lives.

The Roman soldier and the angel Gabriel... It fascinates me to read what the Bible says about him and the Arch Angel Michael who stand among myriads of angels in the presence of God.  If you want to know what angels do read Hebrews Chapter 1.

What a great scene from the "ancient believers" cast. Can you guess who played Mary and Joseph?

This pic was taken earlier in the day. It symbolizes the joy we feel this time of year as we celebrate Emmanuel,  which means God with us. It is something to truly ponder that Jesus gave up his heavenly glory for a time to be born as one of us, fulfilling God's plan.

Merry Christmas From Chatsworth Lake Church Women's Fellowship

What a blessing it was to celebrate Christmas together! After a relaxing dinner we gathered together and read the last chapter of the book of Zechariah. It tells very clearly about things to take place.  Do you ever wonder what is going to happen to Jerusalem? It's all spelled out right here. Wonder what it is going to be like when the Lord returns, who will be with Him, how He will come? Here it is. Jesus being born was God's plan and more of it is shared in Zechariah Chapter 14. We hope you take the time to read it.

We all enjoyed sitting by the Christmas tree which filled up with presents as guests arrived.

Our dinner started with one of our best sellers at Mountain Rose Gifts, namely Berry Jalapeno Compote. Simply served over cream cheese it's always a hit.

Healthy Christmas Salad with grains, veggies, beans, herbs, and nuts.

Rosemary Potato Tomato Casserole.

Festive Fruit Punch

Sylvia's Pineapple Cheesecake...So pretty too!

Marie loves a party!

Our annual gift exchange...

Oh to be able to wear shoes like this!!!

 

A Merry & Blessed Christmas To You!

Come Unto Me....Pumpkin Fellowship

This month our Chatsworth Lake Christian Women's Fellowship celebrated Fall.

We met at church for a Fall themed potluck which included homemade Butternut Squash Soup, Pumpkin Pasta, Cornbread, Hot Apple Cider, and other goodies. After a time of prayer and the Word...we read from Isiah 40 by candlelight...then it was on to the pumpkins.

Here is the "before" picture of my pumpkin.

Next step: Pick your pattern.

We had some wonderful Christian themes to choose from.

Now for the messy part: scooping out the seeds. We all saved these to roast at home...Another tip: carve out the bottom instead of the top so the stem looks nice.

I chose " Come Unto Me", an advanced design...You begin by taping the pattern to the pumpkin and using a sharp roller to trace the design.

True pumpkin fellowship as our creative juices flowed.

And now for the results. Here a beautiful flower covered pumpkin created by our craft queen, M.S.

Some of our handiwork.

 

" Come unto me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest."   Matthew 11:18

Growing Deeper As Sisters In the Lord: Southern California Women's Retreat 2011

After a year of prayer and preparation, the weekend of our retreat finally arrived.

It was so fun greeting everyone after their long trip up the mountain. I enjoyed offering people the new "Presidential Suite" at the top of the "pretend" new tower.

Our meeting room was cozy and full.

Small group discussions helped us get to know each other.

See the bags against the back wall? They were filled with encouraging notes we wrote to one another throughout the weekend.

We had annointed praise and worship and enjoyed the Lord's presence.

The testimony and teaching times found us both laughing and crying.

The dining hall was transformed into a French Bistro. All of the centerpieces were handmade and later given away as doorprizes.

We all enjoyed this weekend's menu. My favorite is always the Pasta Bar.

Crafts are always a nice addition to a relaxing retreat. This year we made prayer journals.

What would a retreat be without the "treat" part? Each room was adorned with these hospitality bags and a specially printed schedule.

Each woman received a pair of earrings that we designed and crafted prior to the retreat. They represented our  theme colors and were attached to custom cards.

These bags were sewn by hand and contained little gourmet note cards. The cards were written to others to be an encouragement throughout the week.

We had so much FUN at our Saturday night Pajama Contest. We created a runway. As the women modeled we all sang and clapped.

 

This retreat was full of joy and laughter. The Lord was in our midst and His Word is our foundation. 
This was my first time leading a Women's Retreat. It was a lot of work for our Women's Ministry and we were all taken out of our "comfort zone". We trusted the Lord and as a result grew in our faith and were richly blessed.

When all was said and done we hit Burger King on the way home. A Whopper never tasted so good.

THANK YOU LORD!!!

Church Family Camp 2011

It's time for the annual trek to Camp Maranatha in the mountains of Idyllwild, Ca. The sky was vivid blue, the clouds were white and puffy, the mountains spectacular, and the pines tall and fragrant. It is here that we escape T.V. and computers and join with other Christians for fellowship.

What a joy it is to have all of our meals prepared by an excellent chef. Each day a menu is posted.

I could have taken dozens of food pics. Here are just a few to give you the idea. Imagine trays of homemade Cinnamon Rolls like these for breakfast!

Barbecued Chicken, Cornbread, Potato Salad, Beans, Corn on the Cob, and Peach Cobbler. YUM!

For the Mexican Buffet there were homemade Churros.

Camp has a refreshing pool for those hot days. We had so much fun going down the slide and playing beach ball. There are plenty of noodles if you want to just float.

Every morning and evening there is a Flag Ceremony.

This year we were blessed with a variety of folks leading worship. This group, Living Sacrifice, filled the huge Eagle Mountain Hall with their amazing voices.

We also were blessed with several Pastors, etc. sharing the Word. Here Justin Nash, from ACGC headquarters in Charlotte, began his first of 4 nights teaching from 1 John.

There's a summer ministry team that comes to work with the teens.

There were lots of kids this year and there is lots for them to enjoy. Here we are having fun in the gazebo. Once again I brought some entertainment and stink bombs...too fun!

Each day there is a different craft like these pots we got to paint.

On one of the evenings we have a big camp fire with marshmallows, music, and singing.

What a blessing it is to "get away from it all", be refreshed in the Lord, see old friends, and meet new ones.

Chatsworth Lake Church Women's Fellowship, June 2011

You know it's a good night when it's 11:30 pm and no one wants to leave. This month we had an intimate group but the blessings were manifold.

Ana has the gift of hospitality and she is a GREAT chef!!! It is such a treat to visit her beautiful home. Here she is putting the finishing touches on her homemade lasagna.

A lot of us went back for seconds on this salad. The dressing was the best!

Colorful fruit...

Sylvia's delicious dessert.

Fun at the buffet.

Carole and I took turns posing in front of the spectacular Chatsworth rocks.

This month we continued in our study of Joseph's life. We are learning so much about the Lord's ways through reading about the life of this godly man. At this point in his life Joseph is in prison for something he did not do. He felt like he was forgotten and wanted his circumstances to change, yet the Lord was allowing this in his life and had a purpose. Have you ever felt this way about something? Join us next time we meet to see how the story unfolds. The Lord knows how to lead us and what is best. He never gives us more than we can handle and always provides the way of escape.

Easter At Chatsworth Lake Church 2011

What a joyous celebration of Jesus today! Our sign is simple and to the point.

We had planned to be outdoors but our never ending "winter" had other plans. It was a beautiful morning nonetheless.

I think we started a new tradition this year with many of the women and girls wearing hats. ( Sorry we didn't think to take this earlier so everyone could have been in it....Maybe next year?)

Not to be outdone, the guys, with a little coaching, got in on the action.

CLASSIC!!!

Just before the annual, after church, Easter Egg hunt.

Beautiful Easter Lilys were given to those that helped make this a special day. 

Thank you Praise Team!

Thank you Mary S. for making such beautiful cakes!

Happy Easter! Happy Resurrection Day!