MOPSTalk Zone 22 ~ Eastern PA and NJ: Connecting with Zephaniah

CONVENTION UPDATE

Ta da! A Convention announcement!
We just signed the papers and we thank you for your prayers as we worked on moving, well, a whole lotta details in just a few days.

Drum roll #1: The Gaylord Palms in Kissimmee, FL (Orlando area) was able to welcome us (in the midst of many conventions needing to move).

Drum roll #2: We're able to keep the registration fees the same, so some of you might decide to come early or stay late, and enjoy the Orlando amenities with your friends (or family).

And thanks for all the great ideas of cities! You helped our future dreaming. 'Twould be fun!
And again, it will be great because of Who we'll be with: "Where(ver) two or three (thousand) are gathered in my name, there am I with them." (Mt. 18:20, our year's theme verse with my additions).

Naomi Cramer Overton

Convention Details:
The MOPS International Convention will be at the Gaylord Palms, Kissimmee, FL (Orlando area). Dates will be the same, August 5-7, 2010. Speakers and artists will be the same great lineup — Julie Barnhill, Margaret Feinberg, Donald Miller, Naomi Cramer Overton, Shelly Radic, Go Fish, Mandisa, The Katinas and Richie McDonald.

Convention registration will re-open on Monday, May 17.
The early bird registration deadline will be extended to June 7.
We are working with the Gaylord Opryland for an official letter we can provide to anyone who has already purchased airline tickets to use with airlines to avoid rebooking fees. This letter should assist you in rebooking airline tickets — it will be posted online at www.MOPS.org/convention.
We continue to pray for families and businesses affected by the flooding and we have sent MOPS materials to local MOPS leaders who are distributing supplies in the Nashville area.

MOPS International Convention 2010

August 5-7, 2010
Gaylord Palms, Orlando FL

Check back often for more information!

Your MOPS International Convention Checklist:

Register for Convention (re-opens May 17)
Reserve a room at the hotel (register first!)
Schedule shuttle transportation

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Connecting with Zephaniah

There are times in my life when I go through the motions just to get through the current moment. I nod my head when it is appropriate and I try to contribute a comment when necessary. Yet, the week that Zephaniah kept appearing in front of me, I was awakened. I stopped going through the motions and started living for God's purpose.

It all began a couple of weeks ago, when I ordered the MOPS DVD Lift: Elevate Your Leadership and sat down and watched it. In the second section, Liz Selzer speaks about our strengths and uses several scripture references. One of them was for Zephaniah 3:17.

"The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." (NIV)

I remember thinking that I don't often hear people quote from Zephaniah.

Oh, if I only knew.

I was sitting in my Women's Bible Study some days after watching the DVD. We are studying Cynthia Heald's Becoming a Woman of Purpose and we were in Chapter 4 "God's Purpose: To Establish His Kingdom". Question 4 of Chapter 4 references Zephaniah 3:8-9. As we opened our Bibles and read the passages, I commented that I hardly hear about Zephaniah and we ended up reading more of Chapter 3 together.

Zephaniah is a short book, 3 chapters, in the Old Testament after Habakkuk and before Haggai. According to my NIV Study Bible, Zephaniah was a prophet of considerable social standing in Judah and was probably related to the royal line. His intent was to announce to Judah God's approaching judgment and his main theme is the coming of the day of the Lord.

Anyway, as we read through Chapter 3, Rachel, a woman in my Bible study, commented that she really liked the song "Mighty to Save" and was glad to now know where that phrase had originated. She said that when she first heard the song, she had a difficult time figuring out what they were singing. She sang a short verse for us. As our Bible Study leader attempted to get us back on track, it suddenly connected in my head. I happily announced to everyone that Kim Hill sings that song and that I knew it as well.

That song was in my head for the rest of the day. I went home and got out the 3 Kim Hill cds that I have, but couldn't find the song "Mighty to Save" on any of them. Technology is so helpful in these types of situations. I did a search for "Kim Hill Mighty to Save" on Youtube and came up empty, but there was a group called Hillsong that had a video called "Mighty to Save". I listened to it on Youtube (here's the url for anyone curious http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-08YZF87OBQ&feature=related)and suddenly it connects again.

Oh, Kim Hill led us with praise music at this year's MOPS Convention and this was one of the songs. Cool. Then I look at my Kim Hill cds a little closer. She also led praise music at the 2005 MOPS Convention and I stood in line to have her sign my copy of her "Surrounded by Mercy" cd and, guess what she wrote on it?, Zeph. 3:17.

There are times in my life when I go through the motions just to get through the current moment. I nod my head when it is appropriate and I try to contribute a comment when necessary. Yet, the week that Zephaniah kept appearing in front of me, I was awakened. I stopped going through the motions and started living for God's purpose. I read through the book of Zephaniah. I sent an email to everyone in my Monday Women's Bible Study about the connection because I had to share. I sat down and watched the MOPS "Lift: Elevate Your Leadership" DVD again. I encouraged my husband to sit down with me and listen to the "Mighty to Save" song.

Have you had any moments, days, or weeks like that where things start to connect and you see God's purpose working for you? Please share them here with us.

Thank you for all you do,
Christy