Thirty One ...for Me

After being in love with these products for a LONG time, I finally decided to become a consultant so I can share these great things and this great company with other people just like they were shared with me!

Do bags make us more peaceful? Well ..not on a spiritual level, for sure. But I have learned to appreciate simple, beautiful things even more since I have been on this journey to less stress and more peace.

Somehow, a pretty bag to put my bible and reading materials in makes me smile. Being able to see "Swagger Wagon" on the side of my Car Bucket makes me feel a little bit of joy in the blessings of my wonderfully crazy life!

I also love being a partner in a company who loves to encourage women to bless their family through striving to be like the Proverbs "Thirty One" woman, by creating an industry. I love that their company is debt free and that they seek to manage what they have been blessed with well.

I would love to share these beautiful things with you!

You can check out my Thirty One website here ...you may want to check it out today (before midnight!) because my favorite product is on sale for $9 just for June!

This is what I use for my Car Bucket ..the Large Utility Tote.  Its $9 if you spend $31, which you can achieve pretty easily because monogramming ($6 per item) goes towards that $31!  ..that is just through the end of the day so you want to get on that ASAP!

You can also work towards that $31 with the Organizing Utility Tote ..which I use for my Study Bag, and about 1000 other things! :)

May your day be blessed with beautiful things that you find much joy in! :)

Week 8: Ephesians 4:3-6

{Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to one home when you were called - one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God the Father who is over all, and through all and in all." Ephesians 4:3-6}

Women of Grace ..this is a great one!

I know I say this every week, but seriously its like the same guy wrote this entire bible! :) The messages intertwine so wonderfully, from verse to verse and from concept to concept. Its amazing. Its like it is alive or something :)

As to context of this verse, the entire chapter is absolutely amazing. It is such a beautiful message of how to live with people in real life.

The verses that follow this passage, though are incredibly encouraging and powerful...

{"But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it." vs 7}

and vs 11.,

{It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teacher, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we reach all unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of fullness in Christ.}

How interesting that he made us all different, gracing us in different ways to different degrees so that we may reach all unity!

I cannot help but remember the verse in 1 Peter 4:10 ..."Each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms."

I think that when we think about what God has given us, and what tasks he has for us to do we are tempted to keep the focus on us. We consider how our service affects us, our relationship with God ..as if it is just between us and him. 

If we truly consider what grace is,  a power inside of you that undeservingly blesses you ..not for your own benefit but for the benefit of the kingdom, we will realize that our what we do is not for ourselves or even our one on one relationship with God. 

Its about bringing out about unity for the sake of the kingdom. Not to say that our relationship with God is not important, of course it is ...but when we are given a blessed gift (to be a teacher, prophet or pastor) its not only for the good of your interaction with him. 

He blesses us with grace and abundance so that we are able to bless His kingdom. We are given what we need to be part of that unity of Spirit...to be able to mingle with people who are so different than we are. To be able to minister along side someone our polar opposite. 

We, the stay at home moms, get to be on the same team with the drug abuse counselor in the shelter downtown, or the missionary in Nicaragua. We get to work beside the men who minister to hardened criminals, and the women who hold a women's hand when she is birthing a new baby. We share the same spirit with the women who fosters children who need a home, and the mother who gives her child up so that she can get control of her drug addiction. 

We share one Spirit, one hope, one faith, one God. Our God is in all, through all and over all. 

Over all of us, no matter what our circumstances, strengths or weaknesses. None of us are greater than the other, because we are all under one Head. 

What a wonderful reminder to remember where we stand, who we are and whose we are...

If you are interested in a study of grace, hope, faith and peace, we would love to have you! You are never behind, each week is a new scripture! ..and each one is such a blessing! ..see the sidebar for all the info you need! :)

Blessed to be linked to: Women Living Well Wednesday and Ifellowship at Seeds of Faith for Women

Everything You Need ...in person

I have known for a bit that God would eventually lead me to share the promises of his providing "everything we need" to women of God just like me.

It has been a process over the past four years of nurturing that message, studying, experiencing, learning and refining this promise in my own life. I feel, finally that it is time to share those lessons in person!

Its a bit of a scarey move - as it brings to the surface all kinds of insecurities and fears in all sorts of things ...BUT, I nonetheless feel like God is moving me very specifically to offer myself this way.


Introducing {drumroll please!}...  Everything You Need, the written and spoken series

{Everything You Need * http://courtneysteed.com}

I am very excited, along with the nervous ...but I know that God will bless this new ministry!

"Everything You Need" is a collective series of the lessons I have documented in LPLS. It is a set of lessons, to be given in person that will guide a women of God into believing and living the promise of 2 Peter 1:3 .."His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness..." 


These lessons have been created with a ladies retreat or ladies day in mind, being made up of several lessons that are interactive, challenging and personally applicable.

The Everything You Need  website will help you will learn a little more about the series, find that I am writing an "Everything You Need" bible study and hope to have a sample of that available soon!

Please check it out, look around and share as you are able!  While you are there, I would so appreciate any comments, suggestions and of course your prayers for this new ministry ...I am excited to see what God will do with it!

Week 7: 1 John 3:18-22

{"Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater thanour hearts, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if your hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him." }  1 John 3:18-22

This one is a longer scripture for us this week ..and so much great info to be gained as a result! 

The past couple of weeks, and the next one or two we are looking at HOPE ..while this scripture doesnt speak specifically to hope it certainly gives us an "answer for the hope that is in you." 1 Peter 3:15 (our verse from week 6).

I think the message of this passage is a wonderful one - speaking of love, truth, being guilt free, confidence ..its got all the good stuff! 

John instructs his readers to love with actions and in truth. Looking at the keywords of this passage, this mimics the message that he heard in-person as Jesus was preparing to leave his disciples in John chapters 14-16.

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know you are my disciples, if you love one another."  John 13:34-35  How interesting that this was a central message in all three of his letters First, Second and Third John.

This lesson is clearly an important one to John. It wasnt the only one that made an impression though, because only a few verses later Jesus reminds his disciples (John included) ..."If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever - the Spirit of truth." ch 14:15-16 

But, as Jesus continues to speak ..the similarities continue ..."If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. "  ch 15:10

And, "I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name." ch 16:23 

John lived and taught the words that he was taught face to face from Jesus!  ...and his message is so pertinent to us today, especially to God's women as we struggle on a a daily basis with "our hearts condemning" us!

I love how matter of fact John is ..."Its pretty simple folks, if you love God then you will show it in your actions, which will release you from guilt so that you can come before him boldly and not be worried to death, and he will listen because you obeyed him by loving him and his children and showing it through your actions."  Pretty simple, really. :)

One more contrast between that last long talk between this disciples and Jesus before he died, and this passage ..is when Jesus says more than once "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you...Do not let your hearts be troubled." (John 14:27) and "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace." (16:33).

How appropriate then, that John would be encourage his readers to this same place of calm - encouraging them to not allow their hearts to condemn them and to set their hearts at "rest" in his presence. 

As all these verses that we have been studying in the Women of Grace, Hope, Peace and Faith series these two passages intermingle so beautifully to show an integration of teaching and learning, of truth taking root and God's word being alive!

...if you would like study with us as we continue to learn of God's grace, hope, faith and peace please join us on Facebook!  We can certainly benefit from your insight!

{Welcome ifellowshippers ....I am blessed that you are here!}

Also, sharing on: 

Less Stress Tool: a Study Bag

I am in my hiding place again today, and I brought with me something that just dawned on my as being a wonderful tool.  Even after my hiding place goes away (a.k.a., when the neighbors get home from vacation) I am going to keep using this tool as a great way to store and tote my study stuff.

The last two days I have been using a "study bag".  This morning, it was so great to grab my coffee that I had set up on an automatic timer, my Study Bag and head out the door to go hide :)

I am recalling now, Emilie Barnes, in her book Spirit of Loveliness encouraged a woman of God to have a "prayer basket". This is a basket that holds all you need for your prayer time, so that these quiet moments with God can be anywhere that you can carry your prayer basket.

The same idea, I filled up my Study Bag with the things that I would use in my quiet time, and the things that would help me get my mind working in the right direction this day.  I used my every faithful Organizing Utility Tote by Thirty One. I chose this one because it can handle my slue of books without falling apart. It also has a ton of pockets, so I can put my pens, highlighters, small notebook and phone (for when my hiding is more than my family can bear :).

I didnt read or even look at all the books in my bag in one sitting, but because I never really know which way my quiet time will lead I make sure to have lots of options :)

Currently, on the menu is: a couple versions of the bible (today, its the NIV and NLT),  What's So Amazing About Grace? by Philip Yancy (because our study on grace has really sparked an interest in the topic!), Mere Christianity by C.S Lewis (for Sunday School), a couple books by Dallas Willard (havent started these yet), and my Women of Grace notebook.

Having this bag ready to go helps me be able to take my quiet and study time anywhere in a moments notice - to a hiding place, to my bedroom, or to Starbucks for a cup of coffee with God :).

I am also loving that I have a place to store my stuff, instead of all of it just being stacked all over the table all the time :)

The only problem, is that the bag I am using  for my study bag is the one I use ALL the time for other stuff also ...SO, I think I just found a great excuse to get another Thirty One bag! :)

What do you do to make your study time mobile? What do you use in your study time?...what versions of the bible do you use? What books are you reading right now? Tell us about your study time ..I would love to hear all about it!