His Grace is Sufficient: It's Not Too Late!

"Choose life so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your GOD, listen to HIS voice, and hold fast to HIM." For the LORD is your Life." Deuteronomy 30:19-20.

Dear Praying Friends and Family,

Beautifully decorated table in the foyer of the FLC

It's not too late to come to the Women's Conference at First Baptist, Athens tomorrow! Just wanted to extend to you a final invitation to come and be a part of a special time of encouragement in the LORD this weekend. Even as i type the women are busy at the Family Life Center decorating the beautiful tables for the "Tablescapes." Karen Alexander Doyel,http://karenalexanderdoyel.com/ our guest speaker is making her way to Athens, prayers are going up, food is being prepared, music has been rehearsed and rerehearsed by "Cornerstone" and Kathrine Phraner. The only thing missing is YOU! If the LORD is making the way for you to come...just come on tomorrow morning and we will have a place for you. I found out earlier this week, that our guest speaker has cancer, and is on chemo, and that her first husband was killed. I don't know what all she has been through, but I know the LORD is going to use her in a powerful way to bring HIS comfort and encouragement and salvation to our hearts as she talks to us about "Persevering through Trials." IF you can't come, will you please be a prayer warrior for the women who are able to attend? I would appreciate your prayers so very much for all that GOD wants to do in each heart that HE draws this weekend to the Conference. You will be a part of what GOD is doing by your faithful prayers for us throughout the weekend...thank you so much!

"In HIS inscrutable wisdom and love, GOD is able to use even the most agonizing circumstances in your life to refine and purify you, to make you fruitful, and to magnify HIS grace and glory through your life." Nancy Leigh DeMoss, www.reviveourhearts.com

" Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of GOD in CHRIST JESUS for you. I Thess. 5:16-18

I didn't think i was going to write, but the LORD had this on my heart this morning when i woke up to invite you once again to come to the Conference. HE reminded me of a portion of Scripture that i read earlier this week out of Luke about how the parable of the marriage supper:

Then He said to him, A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, Come, for all things are now ready. But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused. Still another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind. And the servant said, Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room. Then the master said to the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper. (Luke 14:16-24 NKJV)

You know as we have invited many to come to the Women's Conference, CHRIST invites us to come to HIM that HIS House may be filled. There are a lot of things going on this weekend, and our numbers for the Conference are somewhat down. We are continuing to go in the "highways and hedges," inviting whosoever will to come.
Added 4/21 A couple of years ago, i was the one who had other plans as we were planning to take my daughter to college to register for the fall. I had been invited several times by the ladies to come to the Conference. We were not members of First Baptist at that time. Each time they invited me i thought no, i'm going with my daughter that weekend, and if not, i'm going to another ladies day that another sister church was having. Little did i know that GOD was planning for me to be at FIRST Baptist Women's Conference. I got to feeling badly and was unable to go to Mobile with my daughter and husband. When Betty Dean Newman found out i wasn't going to Mobile, her gentle persistence paid off and she said on FB, "Now you can come to our Conference, i'll have you a ticket out front!" The rest is history...i was drawn by the love of the LORD through the ladies at First Baptist to the Conference, and through my disappointment of not getting to go to Mobile. I was so blessed by GOD's love that poured forth through the women when i walked in the door. GOD was leading us to become members at First Baptist later that year and used the Women's Conference as a part of HIS drawing. I am so thankful for GOD's sovereignty in our lives and HIS love for us to get us where HE wants us. I will be honest, i don't understand all about HIS irresistable grace, and about our free will, but I know that unless HE draws us we can't come to HIM.
This parable is an illustration of the ever loving heart that JESUS CHRIST has for us, as HE invites whosoever will to come to HIM. Many are too busy, and have excuses to come to JESUS and it grieves the heart of JESUS. JESUS wants all to come to HIM and none to perish, but those who reject HIM will perish in the everlasting lake of fire. Today is the day of salvation and there will come a time that it is too late to come to HIM. None of us are promised the next minute, much less the next hour or year. Added 4/21 Yesterday morning when i wrote this, i read the story of Rachel Scott, the young teenager who refused to deny CHRIST at gunpoint at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999. Rachel had already been shot 3 times and as she lay crying in pain, the murderer lifted her head by her ponytail and jeered, "Do you believe in GOD?" She said "yes," and he put a gun to her temple and killed her. Yesterday was the anniversary of her homegoing to JESUS. When Rachel got up that morning to go to school, she didn't know that she would be going to see her SAVIOR that day. Is HE your SAVIOR? If HE's not, HE can become yours right now. If you haven't trusted in JESUS as your LORD and SAVIOR and repented of your sins, HE invites you today to come, just as you are, and HE will clothe you with the robes of righteousness that you may attend the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

I love you and though this is much shorter than usual, i wanted to invite you again to our Women's Conference..."It's Not Too Late!" But more importantly, i invite you to JESUS! HE loves you so very much that HE gave HIS life for you and me on the Cross of Calvary. Come to HIM before it is too late....

"For GOD so loved the world that HE gave HIS only SON that whosoever believes in HIM shall not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16

"GOD knew before the foundation of the world what the cost of our disobedience was going to be. HE would be the ONE to pay. It was on that cross of Calvary that HE paid the price-out of love." Elisabeth Elliot

"HE chose us in CHRIST before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before HIM in love." Ephesians 1:4

In case you missed that beautiful song, "JESUS Saves," sung by Prestonwood Baptist Church Choir in Plano, Texas, i'm going to include it again this week for it is so powerful! I've listened to it about a hundred times, surely you can twice:). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPIc4UFwR0Y&feature=share

"JESUS SAVES" Prestonwood Baptist Church

Thank you so much for your faithful prayers for the Women's Conference this weekend at First Baptist. Our ladies will be gathering tonight to eat supper with our guest speaker and we will have a time of prayer afterwards for the Conference tomorrow which begins at 9:00 a.m. Thank you for lifting us up before our Father in heaven. I hope to see you there!

"I am absolutely convinced that GOD, because HE is a loving FATHER, cannot possibly want for us anything less than joy." Elisabeth Elliot."

"It is here, in my corner of GOD's earth, that I am assigned my lessons in the School of Faith." Elisabeth Elliot

With all HIS love,

mitzi

Just one of the beautiful decorated tables for the Women's Conference!

This one is decorated by Beth Ann Haynes...she learned how to fold the napkins from "You Tube!"

I love these bright and cheerful colors!

"Persevering Through Trials" is the theme

Beth Ann Haynes, Susan Hofacker, Chris ?, Tracy Albritton and Jan Morris...just a few of the many who have worked so hard to make the Conference a great blessing!