By some estimates, seven of every ten doctor visits are fatigue-related. That’s a lot of weariness! Sometimes fatigue is a symptom of disease. But fatigue has other sources, too. Long-term stress. Grief. Ongoing frustration. Clinical depression. The list of causes goes on and on.

Always, though, fear and worry make weariness worse. Anyone who has lain awake at night stewing about an aging parent, a straying spouse, or a child with autism knows how quickly fear and worry can dig a pit—and how deep and dark that pit can be.

Into our darkness the Lord shouts his promise to refresh us. Far more helpful than a splash of cold water on tired eyes, far more effective than two pots of stiff coffee, God’s promise touches our hearts, planting seeds of hope. “I will refresh the weary,” he says.

A tall lemonade on a hot day. That first dive into the pool after the cover comes off in spring. A care package from home during finals week at college. These things refresh us.

How much more refreshing, though, to see a friendly face, to hear a loved one’s voice, to receive a hug from someone who cares deeply about us. The presence of those we love during life’s lonely, troubled times—now that’s refreshing!

And how much more so when the one who comes to refresh our souls is the Savior, who loved us to death—his own death on the cross!

At times we find ourselves as innocent bystanders in the troubles that engulf us. At other times, we have caused the train wreck of our circumstances. (Or, at least, contributed to it.) But always, Jesus comes to forgive and heal, to refresh and satisfy our hearts with his love for us. In the light of his promise, worries melt and fears shrink.

Are you “fainting” today from weariness? Are you struggling with an unresolved illness? Are you carrying a burden of guilt or fear or worry? Whatever the cause of your fatigue, pause and invite your Savior to refresh your soul.

Lord, you refresh me by your presence and in your promises. Teach me to rely more and more on you, especially . . .

This devotion is a sneak-peak at one of the products CTA is preparing for Women’s Ministry next spring. It’s taken from a devotion book we’ve titled, God’s Promises to a Woman’s Heart, and it will come with a free, downloadable retreat kit–among other attractive gift items. Watch for it!

You are welcome to copy this article for one-time use in your organization as long as you will receive no monetary benefit from it. Please include the copyright line below and submit an actual copy of use to CTA, attention Editorial Manager.

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Devotion used with permission grant #071210 © 2010 CTA, Inc. No duplication of this article is allowed without the express written consent of CTA, PO Box 1205, Fenton, MO 63026. www.CTAinc.com.

Afraid you’ll forget something? Worry about arriving at an event or meeting unprepared? Here’s help in three steps.

Step #1: Calendar or chart your entire month on one page. Whether you use an electronic or pen/paper approach, plot out all the events and worship services in which you will participate. Then go back over the calendar and jot down sermon texts, theme ideas, gifts or mementos you want to distribute, and the like.

Step #2: Check out CTA’s free Ministry Messages.  Especially if you’re having trouble thinking of just the right idea or Scripture focus, skimming through the list of possibilities here should help spark an idea. 

Don’t forget, many of our themes have free invitations, PowerPoint slides, and other helps you can tweak and adapt to tie your event together in a polished way. Copy the links you plan to use onto your calendar so you can find them when you need them.

Step #3: Brainstorm ways to make your presentations purposeful and personal for everyone present. Keep in mind that not everyone in worship on Mother’s Day is a mom. Not everyone in church the day you recognize graduates is being graduated—at least not this year. So think about ways to impact everyone, not just those you are honoring.

Also make it personal. Almost all hometown newspapers that have survived in this electronic age have two things in common: names and photos! Almost everyone likes to see his or her name in print. How will you leverage this? Design your weekly service folder and your monthly newsletter with this in mind. (But have one or, better, two other people read it before you make copies. Have them look for misspelled or omitted names.)

Think about using a PowerPoint presentation freely sprinkled with lots of photos. Don’t have time to take them yourself? Find a youth or two with a Smartphone and tell them what you want. Turn a retiree loose with your digital camera on Sunday morning or during midweek evening meetings. Chances are, you won’t be disappointed!

You are welcome to copy this article for one-time use in your organization as long as you will receive no monetary benefit from it. Please include this copyright line and submit an actual copy of use to CTA, attention Editorial Manager.

Used with permission grant #050410. © 2010 CTA, Inc. No duplication of this article is allowed without the express written consent of CTA, PO Box 1205, Fenton, MO 63026-1205. www.CTAinc.com.

We just got home from two separate ladies’ “tea” events up north and then led in a local women’s conference on Saturday. Running around to speaking engagements and leading conferences is what we love best about our ministry.  Our face-to-face encounters and training sessions with women and girls are “God appointments”; we wouldn’t want to miss them!

We have been teaching women how to use the Woman of God: Moments of Grace book as a tool for evangelism.  We are showing women how something as simple as exercising “hospitali – tea” by serving a cup of tea and reading a devotion can open the door to developing friendships and sharing the gospel.

A number of the hostesses for our conferences, luncheons, banquets, workshops, and special events have used the color scheme of the book for their decorations.  Many of them have ordered accessory items from the CTA catalog as favors, door prizes, or momentos.

Our hands are tired from autographing so many copies of the book as women are grabbing them up as gifts for friends, classmates, and co-workers.  At these prices, they are cheaper than a greeting card!  We pray that God will continue to allow this beautiful little book to be used as a tool for spreading the Good News of His amazing grace.

As you think about ways to observe this day in your church, all of us at CTA are praying for you! There’s no better day to encourage families. There’s no better day to accent the importance of God’s good gifts to us in each other.

But as you plan your celebration, keep these members in mind:

†  Stay-at-home-moms. Our culture pays lip service to the value of children, but in practice tends to downplay the blessings of family, encouraging women in subtle and not-so-subtle ways to “aim higher,” to set “more ambitious” goals for their lives. Use Mother’s Day to affirm the unique and precious way moms serve Jesus by serving his children.  

†   Women who serve God in other ways. God does not call all women to be wives and mothers. Mother’s Day can stir up a unique and deep pain for infertile couples, for single women, and for those who have experienced a miscarriage or an abortion—even if that loss happened decades ago. Use Mother’s Day to celebrate the unique contributions and callings of every woman in your congregation. 

†   Moms who grieve for a child. Few mothers have perfect children. Many moms struggle with issues raised by a child with autism or learning disabilities. Many face the relentless pressures of busy schedules. All deal with the sins and disappointments common to family life. Use Mother’s Day to remind everyone in every kind of family  of the peace Jesus won for us on his cross!

 †   Moms who know the bittersweet satisfaction and loneliness of an empty nest. Think about those with sons and daughters in the military, those with children in college, those with kids whose careers have taken them across the continent, those whose children have died, those with a child in prison, those with children estranged from the family for whatever reason. All these moms wake up every day with varying degrees of pride and pain. Use Mother’s Day to reassure these moms of the all-sufficient grace of God, the Lord who protects, enfolds, and cares for all of us and all our children, wherever they may be.

Mother’s Day is on its way! Plan to celebrate and encourage ALL the women in your church May 9!

Here are some resources you can use to make a big impact—and do it without spending hours and hours of time in preparation. Most of the items on it are free. Use what you need, knowing we here at CTA are praying for you and for the women of your church! 

• Free Mother’s Day devotions or sermons—some in Spanish! (Scroll down to find Mother’s Day on the page.)
• A brief history of Mother’s Day. 
• Here is a PowerPoint presentation with theme art from Woman of God: Moments of Grace Our PowerPoint presentations are intended for use with CTA’s free ministry messages. If you want to write your own message, use the themed blank slides at the end of the presentation. 
• Free, downloadable invitations, thank-you notes, flyers, and bulletin covers keyed to the theme Woman of God: Moments of Grace. 
• Here is a page of similar free resources, keyed to Be Blessed. 
• And another, keyed to Bouquet of Blessings. 
• And yet another, keyed to Recipe for Life. 

Finally, if you’re planning a women’s retreat this spring, don’t forget the two free women’s retreats CTA has made available, one focused on the theme Recipe for Life and our newest offering, focused on Women of God: Moments of Grace. Both are free and downloadable. 

Still don’t see what you want? Poke around on CTA’s Mother’s Day Web pages a bit. There are even more free resources that might help you.

Enjoy your Mother’s Day celebration! And let us know what else we might provide to make that day more meaningful in your church!

As Mother’s Day approaches I know now that the gift of prayer and time spent together is the most meaningful one to every mother. Before Mother’s Day arrives this year, spend some time in prayer and reflection. Ask yourself what would build an everlasting memory with your mother for both of you. To accompany this gift of time and companionship, look through the small, useful gifts offered by CTA. They are simple, sincere, and practical, wrapped and ready to present, and accompanied by the word of God-the best gift of all.

As my wife relayed this story to me, she shared how God used that incident to speak to her heart about being genuine and consistent before our kids.

Too often, all of us act one way at church and a different way at home; when we come home, we “take our church off.” Our life is not to consist of two different walks, our everyday life and our church life. The virtue of integrity involves living our entire life, minute by minute, in ways that please our Lord–at church and everywhere else!

How often we fall short! How much we need the cross of our Savior! How thankful we are that God extends his forgiveness to us in our failures and his grace to help us in our weakness!

Moms, you live your whole life before the Lord–and before your children. Use the opportunities Jesus gives you to teach them to see God’s love and protecting care in all the ups and downs of life. Lean on him in times when you feel weak ,and trust his strength to supply everything you–and they–need. God gave you wonderful challenge when he made you a mom. Treasure it!

You may also be interested in finding Christ-centered and value-priced gift ideas to help your church celebrate all women this Mother’s Day. Here’s our selection:

• Be Blessed!
• Bouquet of Blessings
• Recipe for Life
• Woman of God

In addition, we offer a FREE retreat planning guide to plan a retreat for women and moms!

Here’s a quote from a customer in Columbus, Ohio:

Our Pastor at Bethel Agape Christian Center gave each mother on Mother’s Day your ‘Bouquet of Blessings’ devotional and beautiful matching mug. I just wanted to thank you so much for this beautiful book. I have read each of them and prayed each of the prayers … with excitement and joy. My new saying is ‘Lord, wherever you plant me, is where I will bloom.’ I just wanted to pour the same bountiful blessings that you have given us … back on you. May God richly bless you and keep you encouraged as your steps are ordered by Him.

Bouquet of Blessings for Mother's Day

Sarah Frasier from Rochester, New York sent in this comment about our Bouquet of Blessings bookmark and pen gift set:

I’m excited and can hardly wait to give the gift sets away to all women in attendance at the Mother’s Day service. I thought of doing something to bless young mothers in our neighborhood and the Psalm 103:2 just brought the message home and affirmed that I should not forget those mothers who have not been blessed as I have with my children. I live in the inner city but with God’s Grace all four of my children went to college. Three graduated from college and out of the three, two have advanced degrees (a PH’D and an MBA). I want to encourage others to stay prayed up and in the Lord and enjoy their bouquet of blessings.

I quite literally just stumbled upon your website. I’m the women’s ministry leader for my church in Mustang, OK & I was looking for gifts for the ladies in my group for Mother’s Day when I put in the search your website came up. I showed the items to my Pastor & we ended up ordering enough items to handout to all of the moms instead of just to our ladies group. I have saved your website to Favorite places because I will definitely be ordering from you again.

I wrote to the customer, Chris Baker, and requested her permission to publish her comment. Chris granted permission, which we sincerely appreciate because it enables us share our customer’s viewpoints and ideas about how CTA fulfills its mission to glorify God by providing purposeful products that lift up and encourage the Body of Christ.

If you are a customer of CTA and have a comment you think might help your Christian brothers and sisters glorify God, please share them here on this blog, or in the CTA Community Forum. And if you’re ever in Mustang, Oklahoma (just outside Oklahoma City), please drop by The Vision Church and say hello to Chris for us.