This year's HomeMakers/ LAW Overnight is February 5, 2010.

Click here to register!

Please make payment IN FULL, if possible, upon registration.  If needed, you may hold your space with a non-refundable $30 deposit, by Tuesday, December 15.  Your remaining room balance would be due by Tuesday, January 26.

*Roommates: Please confirm with your choices of roommates that they ARE going and HAVE registered. We will not place people in your room, unless you request them by name in your registration. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR FINDING YOUR OWN ROOMMATES.  If the people you request for your room do not also register, and you have less people than the option you chose, you will need to pay the difference.

• Check-in time at the hotel is officially at 3:00 p.m.
• The evening activities begin at 6:30 p.m., in our event room. (Look for the HomeMakers/LAW Overnight sign in the lobby.)
• We'll be serving a variety of great appetizers, starting at 7:00.  It’s not a full meal, so don’t come TOO hungry!
• After the appetizers (around 8:00 p.m.), we’ll be giving out prizes (hourly) and playing a fun group game…which is a great way to meet a lot of new people!
• We’ll also have some board games available to play. You can also bring along your favorite games or other fun things to do in our event room, which will be open until midnight.
• As we have in the past, Renee will be sharing a late night devotional in the event room, around 11:30 p.m., to close out the night. Then it’s back to your rooms, where you can stay up as late as you want…or dare to!
• There is a swimming pool, hot tub, and workout room, so pack a swimsuit or workout clothes if you want to use those facilities.
• On Saturday, a continental breakfast will be served from 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
• Then checkout will immediately follow, from 11:30 – noon. (There will be a room where you can store your luggage during the workshops.)
• A variety of great workshops will be offered on Saturday from noon to 3:00 p.m.  More information to come!
• You can find out more information about the hotel at www.doubletreeminneapolis.com.

If you have any further questions, you can contact Julie Larson at 763-315-7135 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or Renee at 763-315-7133 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Click here to register!

We hope you're as excited as we are!  See you there!

So, what does it mean to live YOUR best?

We've all encountered situations or people that have made us feel like our best isn't good enough, haven't we?  Well, thank God He doesn't keep a report card of our actions or our behavior, and He doesn't grade on a scale like we do.  That doesn't mean He doesn't care what we do, but He loves us no matter what, and He doesn't demand perfection from us. 

We sometimes put that pressure on ourselves to perform at someone else's best, which can carry with it an endless supply of guilt, regret, and distraction.  The verse above is telling us to be found living at our best in purity and peace.  In other words, we should not only be living our lives to the best of our ability, but doing so free from guilt or anxiety. 

God knows better than anyone what you're confident in, what you're unsure of, what you can and can't handle, and what your strengths and weaknesses are.  Because of that, He knows what's best for you today, tomorrow, and 50 years from now.  We need to listen to what He's saying to us on a daily basis.  God never changes, but things in your life will, and what's best for you today may not be what's best in the future. 

So, in the upcoming weeks and months, we're excited for Renee to continue to unwrap this theme.  We'll all have the equipping and the tools to help us learn to do OUR best to live OUR best... according to God's standards. 

YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS NEXT WEEK!!!

The new season of HomeMakers just started up on Tuesday, September 15! But if you missed being there that day,  we want you to know that it's never too late to join the group.  We meet every Tuesday, from September through May.  So if you've never attended and have been wondering just what HomeMakers is all about, we hope you'll make plans to join us.  It's a jam-packed hour and a half, filled with testimonies, teaching, group discussion, food, coffee, and friends. We hope you'll take time to check us out...we're looking forward to meeting you!  Childcare is available.

See our HomeMakers page here for additional information. 

Don't forget that you can download the teaching here every week!

 HomeMakers Calendar 2009-2010 33.41 Kb

On Tuesday, HomeMakers began its 18th year with a full house!  Everyone was excited to be back to see each other, plus there were about 30 newcomers.  It was great to see old faces and meet new ones, and there was a definite buzz in the place!  Renee kicked off the year with a message called "You've Got What it Takes to Finish," which is our theme for this year, based on these verses in II Corinthians 8:10-11 MSG ~ So here’s what I think: The best thing you can do right now is to finish what you started last year and not let those good intentions grow stale.  Your heart’s been in the right place all along.  You’ve got what it takes to finish it up, so go to it! Once the commitment is clear, you do what you can, not what you can’t. 

Too often, many of us let go of our dreams or goals because there are just too many discouraging obstacles along the way to finishing.  So Renee talked about how it says in the Bible that God's mercies are new each and every morning...and its His desire to daily give us the strength to get back up and keep moving forward.  We're not in this alone!  We have the Lord and we have each other to help!  Everyone left encouraged and ready to dust off their goals and dreams from last year.

 If you've never been to HomeMakers, check us out this Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. in Fellowship Hall!  Come a little earlier and enjoy getting to know some people over a cup of coffee and a treat - on us!  We'd love to meet you. 

HomeMakers is just a few weeks away from starting its 18th year!  Our first time back will be on Tuesday, September 9, at 9:30 a.m. in Fellowship Hall. 

If you've never come before, try to come a little early...we're a big Small Group here at Living Word.  There are usually about 250 girls who come those first exciting weeks back, but don't let that initimidate you.  We have girls all over the atrium, in the lobby, and in Fellowship Hall who would love nothing more than to help you find a seat and meet some people. 

Also, we have small group breakouts with just 10-20 girls, so it's easy to get to know one another.  I always encourage newcomers to be sure to come at least 4-5 times...you'll be surprised how many girls you meet, how rich the discussion is, how practical the reali-life teachings are...and most likely, you'll wind up as hooked on HomeMakers as the rest of us are!

If you have children, we do have childcare...but it's much more than childcare.  Each room has teachers who help the children - through stories, playtime, and crafts - learn more about Jesus' love for them.  Please email me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , and I'd be happy to send you out the information about it. 

 I hope to see you at HomeMakers!  If you have questions, please email me or call me (Renee Burt) at 763-315-7133.  We can't wait to meet you!

This week, 18 women got together early on a Monday morning to begin an 8-week study on the book, Destined to Reign, by Joseph Prince.  They met at the Barnes & Noble in Maple Grove and just about took over the entire coffee shop area (which the store was excited about too).  The study focuses on the subject of God's grace, which is so foundational to our faith.  And while we all probably can quote Ephesians 2:8, which says that, "by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,"...that doesn't mean we have a clear understanding of just what that word "grace" means.  That's what the group will be talking about for the next seven weeks.  And if the next seven weeks are anything close to what the first week was like, it's sure to be a life-changing study...not to mention another opportunity to build and strengthen friendships with other women in our church family. 

With the weather behaving as it has, it seems strange to have an outdoor party just yet. But nonetheless, a crowd of HomeMakers flooded Renee's home last week for a just that. And lo and behold the weather last Thursday evening was perfect for appetizers and fellowship out on the lawn amongst Pastor Tim's beautiful flower garden.

The ladies enjoyed each others company and stayed to fellowship well into the evening, transitioning from the deck and the yard into the warmth and comfort of the three season porch, living room, and kitchen.

Despite the cool tempatures these last couple of days, every HomeMaker present for this time would tell you with all certainty that Summer can now officially come.

HomeMakers

April 22nd, 2008

Do you believe that God loves you with His whole heart?  Despite all your imperfections and mistakes, He doesn't hold any of that against you, accuse you, or remind you of any of it.  You can never do anything to make God love you more than He already does, but you also can't do anything to make Him love you any less.  We are blameless and guiltless in God's sight through His grace, forgiveness, and unconditional love.  We are clean and righteous in His eyes because of Jesus.

God loves you just as much as He loves Jesus... Let that sink into your heart.  You are highly regarded, valuable, and precious to Him--even as you struggle with sin.  Isaiah 44:22 ~ I have swept away your sins like a cloud.  I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist.  Oh, return to me, for I have paid the price to set you free.  God knows we will always struggle with sin, so don't let that be a reason to walk away from Him or hold Him at arms length.  He's there to help you get it right.  Admit to yourself, to God, AND to the devil that you messed up.  God forgives, but the devil condemns.  Once you expose it, and it's not a "secret" anymore, it is much more difficult for the devil to beat you up about it.  Be bold and free before God, and don't let the devil condemn you.  God wants to embrace you... always! 

We're all in the process of being purified, and during that process, He will continue to use you in the lives of others to make a difference for Him.  You've been chosen by Him--a great and mighty King--for such a time as this.  You've been called out of darkness and into His marvelous light.  As you realize His love for you is OUT OF THIS WORLD, release all those insecurities, and begin to think of yourself how He thinks of you.  As you do, the instrument He created (YOU!) to do something beautiful for Him, will become amazingly beautiful doing it!

Looking forward to seeing you all next Tuesday, April 29th for our end-of-the-year party!