meet debi ogle

>> February 14, 2012

John 15:11 “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be made full.” (Holman NAS)



My name is Debi Ogle. I live in Delaware, a small community just outside of Columbus, Ohio. I like to describe it as a “Gilmore Girls” kind of town. It is full of quaint shops and the best ever yogurt ice cream. My husband loves to surprise me with dessert dates as we sit outside and watch the townspeople go about their business.



First of all, I am a Christ-follower and after 34 years of following, I thank God for never giving up on me. I've been married for 35 years and have helped raise two adorable, Christian daughters and have the blessing of being called DeeDee (it’s my grandma nickname) five times over. They range in ages from 10 yrs to 8 months. Our last two grands came by way of adoption: a granddaughter (4.5 yrs old) from Ethiopia and our first grandson (8 mos. old) from the States.



My job first and foremost is as a wife to my integrity-driven husband, Steve. We started our journey in the Navy but eventually we both felt that Steve was to do ministry work, not necessarily from the pulpit but some form of ministry. Our pastor gave us sound advice, “God never calls one, but He will always call the couple” and since we were both feeling the tug, we went thru the open door.



We got out of the military, and he started a bachelors degree at Ohio State University. Since Steve got his degree in elementary education, we found a new field at the seminary: Childhood Education Ministry. Our first church was Mimosa Lane Baptist Church in Mesquite, Texas. Then we moved to Little Rock, Arkansas. After 6 years we were called to Mobile, Alabama.



In 1998 Steve received a phone call that started the next chapter of our lives….moving to Temple Baptist Church in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Here we walked our oldest down the aisle in 2000, and sent them off to Southwestern Theological Seminary in TexasWe sent our youngest daughter to the same seminary in 2004. (Both our daughters married ministers.) We loved our life in southern Mississippi and never thought we would leave.



In the fall of 2004, my husband told me he felt God was leading him to leave the ministry. My first reaction was why? He never reacts without a prayerful thought process and when he said he'd been struggling with this for two years, I knew I must follow. I gave up my job as a college bookstore manager, my perfectly built house, a great church and many friends to follow my husband. The overriding factor in all of this was I knew he had carefully prayed and struggled over this for two years. So my reaction was “Where do we go?”



We left Mississippi on April 1st, 2005 to Nashville! We were naive to think that the business world would hire a man in his late 40’s with 2.5 degrees under his belt. But part of this move was for him to write, and write he did. He wrote a parenting book, a 365-day devotional for children, a children’s series, and the start of a men’s book. Steve got a job at Chick-fil-a, so we moved into a tiny 1-bedroom apartment. Coming from a spacious, custom-built home into a tiny roach-infested apartment was not what either of us bargained for but we were sure of God's calling to leave our comfortable lifestyle behind.



One night we went to a McDonalds just to talk. I finally spoke my piece about the situation. I told Steve "I'll follow you to Timbuktu and back if that is what God designs, but I cannot see you out of full-time ministry." We realized that what Steve had really needed was a sabbatical, a rest from ministering. By this time he had served almost 20 years without a break. Soon Steve got a children’s/administrator position at a starter church, I got hired on at Life Way Christian Resources, and we walked another daughter down the aisle.



Then my health got so bad I needed to quit work. In 2007 we moved to southern Georgia. This stint was the hardest to overcome. After months of being accused loudly in the hallways and talked about in deacon meetings, we started searching again for a place to serve. We had NEVER given up before. We felt like complete failures. But sometimes even if God gives clear direction, people can deceive us and throw a huge stone into the driving force of ministry.



In August, 2008 we moved to Columbus, Ohio. In just one year we lived in three different states. WOW! Never did this before, God. We love it here. Our church is on a mission for community.



Every church where we have served has had its ups and downs. There has been the learning church of Texas, thechurch of grounding in Arkansas, the desert in Alabama, the oasis in Mississippi, the refreshing of Tennessee, the darkness of Georgia and the vision of Ohio.



Through them all we have become better people, blessed to have so many friends and opportunities, and most of all a chance to serve alongside awesome believers. For this, I would not change anything. This is why my motto is JOY! (Jesus first, yourself last and others in-between)



Jesus has certainly made my joy complete! The neat thing is He continues to complete me until the day I meet Him face to face…now that is JOY.



~Debi Ogle






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homeless. hungry. please help.

>> February 7, 2012

They’re at certain intersections. Some of them even start to look familiar.
"Homeless"
"Hungry"
"Anything Appreciated"
"Please Help"

If you’re like me, your mind struggles between thinking, ‘I wonder how much they rake in this way?’ to ‘What if this person is here in true need, waiting on me to be a real Christian?” Or we may wonder how they come to stand there, without much thought to pride, an advertisement to their desperation.

In many ways, we as Christians should be able to identify with the homeless. Whether we like it or not…we’re all the same.

Homeless
Scripture continuously reminds us that this world is not our home. Hebrews 13:14 “For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come.” And Hebrews 11:16 “But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.”

We have sung it since we were young, “This world is not my home, I’m just a passing through. My treasures are laid up, somewhere beyond the blue…” Let our behavior dictate that this world had no hold on us, our treasure is banked someplace else, our eyes fixed on a heavenly destination.

Hungry
Each soul has that hunger and thirst that only a relationship with Christ can fill. Psalm 63:1: “O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.” It has been described as “the hunger of the man who is starving for food, and the thirst of the man who will die unless he drinks." What an expression of the kind of desire we should have to obtain righteousness!

Psalm 42:1-2: “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God!” Psalm 63:1: “O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.”

Please Help
Who reading this doesn’t desperately need divine help? Maybe with a decision you have to make, maybe with your relationships or job, maybe with bad habits or massive struggles. Maybe you need His help just to make it through the day!

No matter how self sufficient we like to feel, how much we think we’ve got it all figured out… We ALL need help to resist temptation and to live a godly life. Doing the right thing doesn’t always come easy. Paul exclaimed in Romans 7:18 “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.” God’s power is available to us. We must simply ask. He’s there for you, no matter how big or small your need.

He doesn’t judge how many times you’ve asked, or what your sign says. He offers, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.

So here I am Lord, with my sign “Homeless, Hungry, Please Help.”

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cat's pix::PW life

>> February 6, 2012


Never stop learning.
#Jeanne Mayo

********
©cat sasser & clutch
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friday::FASHION

>> February 3, 2012

For those of you that are all about comfort but still want to look stylish here are four simple things to remember when either shopping or dressing: C.T.P.S.


Color:

Even when wearing a plain cotton T-Shirt, a color is always more flattering than a black or gray. Color is more stimulating to the eye and gives it something to look at other than a blank canvas so if you’re going casual-cute, use this choice and put on some color!



Texture:

Texture can be glitter, ruffles, pleats, fringe, fur, beads-- anything that adds dimension to the garment. Texture is also very stimulating to the eye so if you want to go sort of fancy or fur-coat vintage, texture is your main element of choice!



Pattern:

Whether it’s classic pin stripes, bold cheetah spots, or a delicate floral, pattern “funifies” any outfit. Even if you’re wearing a plain black T-shirt and jeans, you can tie a bold-patterned scarf around your neck and have it look more fun!



Shine:

This is my favorite. Shine can be may things; metallic, beading, even leather. Shine obviously stimulates the eye and gives it something to look at. Anything that catches light would be considered shine.



Next time you go to your closet to pick out something to wear, try to find at least one of these wardrobe elements to incorporate into your outfit.



FRILLS FOR THRILLS - LET'S CONNECT!

Sarah





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Love Series::Treat Him Like A King (pt 2)

>> February 2, 2012

In the book Treat Him Like A King, by Pastor Sheila, one of the key scriptures is Ephesians 5:33 amplified version.



Have you ever read that in the Amplified Version? It is amplified alright: However, let each man of you [without exception] love his wife as [being in a sense] his very own self; and let the wife see that she respects and reverences her husband [[a]that she notices him, regards him, honors him, prefers him, venerates, and esteems him; and [b]that she defers to him, praises him, and loves and admires him exceedingly.



That is twelve ways for us to show our love. Respect, Reverence, Notice, Regard, Honor, Prefer, Venerate, Esteem, Defer, Praise, Love, and Admire. Now girls, I would be lying if I told you I did all twelve all seven days of the week.



Pastor Sheila clearly focuses on this scripture throughout her book. I was convicted on points where I fall short and that’s because I thought I was above average; I adore my man. Not to mention I had to look up the word venerate. (thought I’d make you laugh) Now, I’d like to also point out that this is a command from the Lord. We have twelve days till Valentines, wouldn't it be awesome to focus on one of these each day, building the habit of living Ephesians 5:33 daily. I'd say so. Who doesn't want to build their marriage and what better way to do it then biblically.



I can hear some women saying, you just don't know and understand our marriage, this would be over the top for us. I get that. But it's not about where you are, but where you would like to be. It's about obeying the word in our own respects. It WILL look different for everyone, but it's the glue that God gives us, the insight we ask for on how to strengthen and bind us together with our man. It's the ingredients for a healthy marriage. I invite you to look up the definition of each of the twelve words and make a plan on how you can implement those. When I first read this book, I did. My list looked like this: check, check, work on that, check, check, work on that, work on that, check - you get the picture. I don't know about you but I like keeping our marriage hot and fresh.



So ladies - Ephesians 5:33 amplified version. Let's do it!




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Love Series:: Treat Him Like a King

>> February 1, 2012

Treat him like a King. That is a hard pill for some to swallow, for other’s it’s their pleasure. My friend Pastor Sheila who co-labors with her husband Dr. Poole in Vegas at Destiny Christian Center wrote a book entitled Treat him like a King. That is the inspiration for our love series over the next few days. When I received my copy in the mail, I read it in two days cover to cover. What I love most about her book is her candidness and disclosure about her marriage and their perspective on doing life together.



Chapter 7 of her books addresses “Blowing his mind”. When you stop and think about it; really, when was the last time you went out of your way, above and beyond for your husband? We are always looking for our man to go above and beyond for us, but in self evaluation what are we doing?



The first sentence in this chapter says “Don’t put your marriage on auto-pilot.” We hear it, we teach but are we doing it? I know some PW friends that go out on a date night weekly, but even at that, has that become a routine? It makes for a good tweet, a good Facebook post, but does it still have it’s intended impact? I invite you think out of the box, work your creativity, get over our fear of rejection, negative comments and just dive in the deep end of the pool and blow his mind. Even if you haven’t, step out and do it. Only you know how to reach your man and do it well, so Day 1’s assignment; blow his mind!



I've purposed in my heart to do this right along side of you. So let the FUN begin!






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