Do you need accountability for prayer or maybe a place to get some encouragement? The blog GirlTalk has some great clubs that you should check out. Click here for more information.
Does you have a New Year's Eve/Day tradition? Is it eating black eyed peas, having a New Year's Eve party, or maybe just staying in your pj's and watching the ball drop? Tell us about it!
Reblogged from LifeWay's Women Reaching Women Blog
Have you been wondering how the older generation can join with the younger to lead into the future?
Young Adult Women at Forum 2010 from Chris Adams on Vimeo.
Have you been wondering how the older generation can join with the younger to lead into the future?
Watch this video from 2010 Women's Forum to see what young women are saying.
Join us for 2011 Women's Leadership Forum to continue seeking answers to this question
by Sarah Bubar
December 20, 2010
December 20, 2010
"Do you ever feel like a plastic bag drifting through the wind wanting to start again?
Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin like a house of cards one blow from caving in?
Do you ever feel already buried deep, six feet under screams, no one seems to hear a thing?”
These are powerful questions Katy Perry introduces in her latest hit, “Fireworks.” I was Christmas shopping the other day, and it seemed like every time I got back into my car, this song was either just coming on the radio or just finishing. And it’s no wonder. It’s highly relatable, especially to us women.
What woman hasn’t felt at one time or another like she was drifting through life? Like somewhere along the lines she made one bad choice that has haunted her every day since? What woman doesn’t have something she regrets doing, saying…being?
What woman out there hasn’t felt like she’s had to hold it together when she was about to crumble?
What woman hasn’t been overwhelmed with her responsibilities, her impossible problems, or unfulfilled dreams?
Yes. Katy Perry struck a chord with all of us women, but her solution to our problem leaves us wanting.
Katy Perry’s truth says,
- “Hey, you’re a firework! Show them what you’re worth! It’s all in you. You have the power in yourself to change your situation, your problems, your consequences, yourself.”
- You can’t do anything apart from Me, let alone change your situations, your problems, your consequences, or yourself (Jn. 15:5; Jer. 29:4-11; Gal. 5:16-17).
- You can’t save yourself apart from Me. (Rom. 8:3)
- You can’t grow spiritually apart from me. (Phil. 1:6)
- “Make people see you! Make them say, ‘Wow, she’s worth something!”
- Make people see Christ! Make them say, “Wow, Christ is near!” (Phil 4:5)
- “I must decrease, Christ must increase.” (Jn. 3:30)
- “ You’ve just got to ignite the light that is inside you.”
- “Let your light so shine before men that they may glorify your Father who is in Heaven.” (Mt. 5:16)
However…we, most assuredly, cannot “do this,” not on our own anyways. Not without God. But where does that leave the woman drifting like a plastic bag through life? Where does it take the woman buried by life and its problems? What does the woman do who feels like a wasted space? Where does she go when Katy Perry’s truth fizzles?
1. She goes to God.
Psalm 34: 4-5 says, “I sought the LORD, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to Him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.”
Psalm 69:32 says, “When the humble see it they will be glad; you, who seek God, let your hearts revive for the LORD hears the needy. “
Life can be hard, that is true. But a woman who follows after God is never forsaken, no matter what is going on in her life. The key is following after God. When we find ourselves relating to Katy Perry’s gospel we must ask ourselves, “Am I following after God right now? Am I in pursuit of Him? Or am I trying to be my own light, my own way, my own savior?”
2. She goes to His Word.
Nourishment is vital to our existence. A woman who doesn’t eat becomes weak and unable to do much of anything. We know this every time we diet. Yet this truth seeps its way into our spiritual wellbeing also. Without feeding on the Word, a woman becomes weak, distracted by the world around her, and unable to do much of anything in life.
Psalm 81:16 “But [God] would feed you with the finest of the wheat, and with honey from the rock [He] would satisfy you.”
Job 23:12 “I have not departed from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.”
John 6:57 “As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me.”
Psalm 34:8 “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!”
3. She has faith.
Maybe you’re reading this and thinking, “Yeah, sure, God is great! But ‘Go to God’ is just a Sunday-school answer that doesn’t really help my life.” And I would say, “You’re right.” It’s not enough simply to know these things. For even the demons believe in God and tremble. (James 2:19) This is where faith comes into play.
Job (Job 15:31) and Hosea (Hosea 10:13) both warn against trusting in the wrong things and what it brings about. Job says, “Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself, for emptiness will be his payment.”
Hebrews 11:6 says without faith it is impossible to draw near to God. But when you trust in God and His Word, there is peace (Isa. 26:3). But you must have faith!
It’s not surprising that Ms. Perry got this wrong. What is sad though is how empty her solution is to the very real emotions women feel. She tells them “there’s a chance for you” and “after the hurricane, there’s a rainbow.” And while there is definitely hope for change, it is only with Christ. In the end, Katy Perry’s truth was a firework that fizzled. But Christ’s Truth remains:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” – John 3:16-17
Reblogged from http://www.girlsgonewise.com
That's Christmas (Short Film) HD from St Helen’s Church on Vimeo.
Check out what the people of London think about Christmas.
Congratulations to Catherine Blinson
Please come by the Women's Life Office to pick up your gift!
If you are out of town for the holidays please let us know by emailing us at womenslife@sebts.edu.
Congratulations to Diane McClary as one of our Giveaway Winners! Be on the lookout for more giveaways in January.
This year I have been seeing Christmas from a new perspective. Each year there are so many ways to fill up the Christmas season with activities and traditions, and the rush of finding Christmas presents within a seminary budget. All of these seemingly good things can find ways to distract from the “true meaning” of Christmas, even if they are well-intentioned. On top of the craziness of the holidays, my husband and I have faced many challenges in this last year and we have really seen our faith stretched as we have been taught to trust God’s faithfulness, even when we don’t know what is ahead. So this Christmas I am glad to know that my joy isn’t in a set plan for the next year, perfectly executed Christmas plans, or having the most creative gifts under the tree. This year I am celebrating the story of Christmas by focusing on the bigger picture.
Recently we sang the song “Joy to the World” at church, and the third verse really struck my heart: “No more let sins and sorrows grow,/ Nor thorns infest the ground;/ He comes to make His blessings flow/ Far as the curse is found,/ Far as the curse is found,/ Far as, far as, the curse is found.”
The reason we celebrate the birth of Jesus, and sing of the Joy of Christmas, is because Christ coming to earth means that we can have salvation in Him. Jesus came to earth and then bore our sin on the cross, which defeated the curse of man from Adam and Eve’s fall in Genesis. Because of the amazing sacrifice on the cross, as a believer I am God’s child and that is all that matters- not the uncertainty of what lies ahead, having the perfect Christmas dinner, or stretching myself thin over Christmas activities. All that matters is that Jesus came to earth and now I can live in Communion with Christ. Amen!
I hope you will join me and rest in the truth of the bigger picture. Although having a tree lit and checking things off the to-do list make me happy, my true joy comes from being a daughter of the Lord Most High.
Rebekah McGee and her husband are members of the Summit Church and are currently in the Ethiopian adoption process for their first child. Her husband Will attends Southeastern and intends to graduate in 2011. You can read their adoption story on http://yestoadoption.blogspot.com. LifeWay Girls' Forum
Labels: Events, Lifeway
This is a refreshing time for staff and volunteers in girls’ ministry to network ideas, discuss needs, and focus on personal development. Come enhance your mentoring skills to reach the next generation of girls.
Feb. 25-26, 2011
Nashville, TN
LifeWay Christian Resources
Nashville, TN
LifeWay Christian Resources
Bring your high-school girls for a special leadership
track designed just for them!
Keynote Speakers:
• Sissy Goff
• Melissa Trevathan
• Selma Wilson
• Pam Gibbs
• Sissy Goff
• Melissa Trevathan
• Selma Wilson
• Pam Gibbs
Worship Leaders:
The Sonflowerz
The Sonflowerz
Breakout topics for leaders include (but aren’t limited to):
• Girls and pornography
• Raising up godly girls in a feminist world
• Crisis issues in teen girls
• Girls’ ministry basics
• Understanding teen girl development
• Preteen girls
• Discipling Girls 101
• Raising up godly girls in a feminist world
• Crisis issues in teen girls
• Girls’ ministry basics
• Understanding teen girl development
• Preteen girls
• Discipling Girls 101
Breakout topics for girls include (but aren’t limited to):
• Dealing with girl drama
• Discipling younger girls
• Dealing with stress
• Fight like a girl (conflict resolution)
• Living from your strengths (personality, spiritual gifts, etc.)
• Studying God's Word for yourself
• Healthy friendships
• Dealing with girl drama
• Discipling younger girls
• Dealing with stress
• Fight like a girl (conflict resolution)
• Living from your strengths (personality, spiritual gifts, etc.)
• Studying God's Word for yourself
• Healthy friendships
Register today! Registration is $99 per leader and $79 per girl.
Receive a discounted rate of $59 per girl when you bring five or more girls.
Check out http://www.lifeway.com/event/330/?cid=women-eupdate-GForum-121310-feature for more information!
When I was asked to be a guest blogger this month and was told the topic was joy I had difficulty at first trying to think of what to say. That was until I got an email from my mom. My mom is the strongest woman I know. I am not talking about strong physically, although those Denise Austin work outs she has been doing this year have toned her up. What I mean, is that she has been through trials in her life and the strength and joy she displays is powerful. She will be the first to say, however, that the strength and joy she has is all from the Lord and nothing she has done on her own.
I want to share with you part of a letter she wrote recently to Beth Moore. After going to the “Deeper Still” conference in Birmingham, AL, my mom felt compelled to share her story with Beth …
“I was raised in a Christian home and surrounded by loving parents, older brother, twin sister, and a grandmother who lived with us. I thought I was rich even though we lived in a small, 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom house. I had all I needed because I had the love of my family and knew Jesus loved me. I married my college sweetheart, Terry and moved to Birmingham from Nashville for him to finish his MD. He was 33 when he died in a car accident the day before Easter, 1988. Brandon was 5 and Meredith was 4. The life we had planned was over. I felt like I had lost half of me. But God did not leave me!! I remember looking out the window with my twin, Pam, on that Easter before dawn and saying, ‘Because Jesus is alive, Terry is alive, and we’ll be together again!’ I felt peace in the midst of anguish. As the months went by I marveled at how I was not depressed. Sad, sometimes all day, and crying but not depressed. I volunteered to contact some singles about a conference my church had planned. I called a woman who had been widowed for 10 years and suffered with depression. When I finished speaking with her, I worried about what my life would be like in 10 years. All that night I tossed and turned thinking about the fact that I could be depressed like her. The next morning after taking my children to preschool, I sat at my kitchen table and started a letter to my sister. I remember looking up from the letter and saying aloud, ‘I refuse to be depressed. I have so much to be thankful for!’ At that instant I felt a coolness across my shoulders and a lifting of a weight off my shoulders. It felt as if 50 pounds had been lifted from my shoulders. At that same time I was filled with joy! I didn’t realize at the time that it was joy. I remember looking around my kitchen and thinking how bright everything looked! The sun was brighter; the leaves on the trees were so green! I had to run an errand and pick up my children. In the store I noticed that everyone was smiling at me! I didn’t realize that I was smiling at them and they were returning my smile! I pondered what had happened. I was putting the children’s clothes away later that day and it came to me as JOY! God had taken my grief and replaced it with joy! I got on the phone and called all my family and friends and told them. What a healing God had given me! (…) The grief I felt for 9 months was gone and never returned. ‘Do not be grieved for the joy of the Lord is my strength!’
What a joy it was for me to be raised by a mother who would not be defeated by difficultly but praised God for the joy he brought into her life. I hope this story can encourage you during difficult times to cling to the Father who loves you and wants you to find joy in Him.
“And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10
Meredith Cleveland is the wife of Brad, a student at SEBTS studying to get his Masters of Divinity in Worship Leadership and is currently on staff at Bay Leaf Baptist Church. Meredith is completing her Masters of Counseling through Liberty University. Meredith spends her time teaching ballet, being a nanny, and working as an assistant to a local optometrist.
Just In from LifeWay!
Labels: Library, Lifeway
Did you know that the Women's Life Office has it's own library??
And that you can check them out for FREE!
We just got in some great studies and resources.
Beth Moore's David, Seeking a Heart Like His
Leader Kit and the Audio CD Collection available.
Bible Studies by Demand, Vol. 3 featuring Beth Moore, Jennifer Rothschild,
Kay Arthur, Vicki Courtney, and Priscilla Shirer
(the above picture is the pic from vol. 2, it's the only one I could find) :)
The Bible Studies by Demand can be used in a variety of settings such as a time gap between longer Bible studies, in-home studies with friends, women's Sunday School class or a special event or retreat.
Sara Horn's Tour of Duty, Preparing our Hearts for Deployment
A Bible study for Military Wives
Come by and see our collection!
And the winner is...................... Christy S
Congratulations! Come by the Women's Life Office to pick up your gift!
Don't worry if you didn't win today! You have 4 more chances this week!
If you are out of town or unable to come and pick up your gift this week please let us know by emailing womenslife@sebts.edu.
Congratulations! Come by the Women's Life Office to pick up your gift!
Don't worry if you didn't win today! You have 4 more chances this week!
If you are out of town or unable to come and pick up your gift this week please let us know by emailing womenslife@sebts.edu.
Christmas is a magnificent holy day and also a wonderful family holiday. Our joy swells up from both, but Christmas joy rooted primarily in the holiday experience may ebb and flow, tempered by life’s circumstances. In the midst of hanging wreaths or shopping for gifts, we sometimes ask ourselves, “Where’s the joy?”
The first Christmas after my father died the aching hole in my heart was amplified when my family gathered around the dining room table for Christmas dinner and Daddy’s chair was vacant, everyone reluctant to sit in his place. Sadness stilled our conversation for a moment. Then my brother sat down in Daddy’s seat and we resumed light-hearted talk, catching up on family life and enjoying a turkey dinner together. Though our Christmas joy was dampened by our father’s absence, we rejoiced when we contemplated our dad sitting at the King’s table with our Lord Jesus Christ enjoying the best fellowship ever. What joy! Joy immeasurable!
The Christmas holiday, with its shining lights and festive parties and delicious foods and fun family gatherings, is just a small reflection of the true Christmas joy that arises from joy in the holy day, the celebration of Christ’s birth. A Christmas centered in Christ’s incarnation brings immense joy: joy in the life He lived, joy in the death He died on our behalf, joy in His resurrection and the hope that gives us, and joy in all the spiritual blessings God promises us in Christ.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in
heaven and things on earth. (Ephesians 1:3-10)
This Christmas season encourage true Christmas joy in yourself and others by meditating on the gospel of Jesus Christ and speaking this gospel to your friends, family, co-workers, and everyone you encounter. The message of the gospel is not just for the unsaved; its truth causes our hearts to explode in joy and gratitude that God would give us this most excellent gift, our great Savior Jesus Christ. Joy everlasting!
If your hearts aren’t overflowing with joy this Christmas, ignore the world’s proclamation that Christmas cheer will be found in the holiday gifts, food, and good times. Seek joy in the Savior alone, in this babe of Bethlehem, in the holy Lamb of God, in our risen Lord. Regardless of our circumstances, abundant joy in this Christmas season awaits us!
Joy to the World! The Lord Has Come!
Are you ready for the 1st giveaway from Walking Worthy?!? The Women's Life Office will be giving out 5 great gift bags (which include a coffee mug - perfect for how freezing it is) every day the week of
December 13th through the 17th!
You do not want to miss out on this!
Step 1:
Become a follower of Walking Worthy
Step 2:
Leave a comment on the JOY post from December 5th
Step 3:
Share on Facebook.
Share on Twitter.
Step 4:
Once you’ve spread the word,
Once you’ve spread the word,
leave another comment to receive an extra entry.
{one comment for sharing via facebook and another for posting to twitter}
A winner will be chosen every day next week (Dec. 13th - 17th)
Winners will need to pick up their gifts at the Women's Life Office on campus at SEBTS. If you are already out of town, you can pick up your gift when you return.
Good Luck!!
Christmas Coffee House is TONIGHT!
Student Life invites you to Christmas Coffee House on Thursday, December 2nd from 9-11 PM. As the semester winds down, take a break from writing papers and enjoy a little bit of Christmas festivity. We will be hanging out with friends, decorating cookies, drinking lots o’ coffee, and listening to Mike Pope jam out to some holiday favorites.Opportunities to win a little yuletide cheer (aka prizes)
- Bring your own mug!
Best mug (Christmas style or not) will win a prize. - Dress in your craziest Christmas costume.
Craziest costume will win another prize. - 20-20 Christmas Extraordinaire Challenge
Watch Around Southeastern for the 20 Christmas Trivia questions posted with the Christmas Coffee House advertisements over the next 2 weeks. The first 20 people to turn in the 20 trivia questions at Coffee House will win coupons to LifeWay Bookstore.
Embrace Leadership Blog
