Women's Life is excited to announce a new and improved blog! 

Starting Monday, April 21, the old blog on blogger will be shut down and all posts will be posted on 

womenslife.sebts.edu

 

Also, we are going to begin posting EVERY DAY!!! 

The schedule will be as follows:

 

Mission Mondays

Featured Tuesdays

Wordless Wednesdays

Featured Thursdays

Fascinating Fridays

 

Thank you so much for following us; make sure to let your friends know about the new blog location and schedule!

 

Happy Easter Break!

"But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, 

because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him." Acts 2:24

Wahoo!! Doesn’t this verse just fire you up?! 

Celebrating the reality of our Risen Lord, THE Christ, is truly the pinnacle of our faith as Believers.

While that is the focus of Easter Sunday, for our family, it is our fervent prayer that we would

ever so humbly and gratefully celebrate this with every breath of every day!

Believing God’s promise that the SAME power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in

those who believe (Eph 1:19) is mind-blowing, and certainly something that we should never get over or stop celebrating!

In the days leading up to Resurrection Sunday, the Passion Week,

 there are several efforts we make that powerfully call our hearts to an even more focused reflection and worship 

on the sacrificial death, burial, and Resurrection of Jesus.

Both my husband and I were born and raised in the South,

so sporting new matching Easter dresses for the girls, 

sear-sucker and bow-ties for the men, and sharing in a big family dinner are very real parts of our Easter celebratory traditions.  

As the Lord continues to grow us as individuals and as parents,  

we've also seen a shift away from overly emphasizing the Easter Bunny, Easter Egg Hunts, traditional Easter baskets, or candy galore. 

We certainly don't demonize any of these things, but as the Spirit leads us, 

we are intentionally trying to focus on the true meaning of Easter--

for our own hearts, but especially for the shepherding and informing of the mold-able hearts of our children.  

Let's be honest, this can be a bit of a challenge in our world today. 

After seeking the Lord repeatedly on what this should like for our family, year after year,

 here are a few examples of how we celebrate Easter in the Lyon household:  

Together with our girls, we read over various Scriptures related to the 

Resurrection around the dinner table each night; 

we make play-doh replicas of the tomb, filled and sealed at first, then EMPTY on Easter morning;

we make "Resurrection Rolls" to demonstrate the empty tomb; 

we set a celebratory Easter table to awaken to on Easter morning; 

 we even have fun "Spring Baskets" on the first day of Spring, 

in lieu "Easter Baskets" on Easter morning.   

We also cherish the annual Maundy Thursday service at our church,

which is a somber, deeply moving time of reflection, preparation, and worship 

centered around The Table, the Lord's Last Supper.

Now, it’s important that we recognize our love of Starburst Jellybeans and Cadburry Eggs,

 and that occasionally, we participate in an Egg Hunt, or dye Easter Eggs.

 However, we try and differentiate between these Societal Easter associations

and what the Christian’s true hope is in Easter, the glorious resounding from Matthew 28:6:

"He is not here, for He has RISEN, just as He said...!”

  Stephanie Lyon is the wife of Larry Lyon, the Director of Admissions here at SEBTS and a Pastor at Oaks Church Raleigh, and the adoring mom to Anna Kate (9), Abigail (6), and Maggie Ruth (due in less than 3 weeks!). Stephanie loves taking pictures, blogging, cooking, gardening, hot baths, warm drinks, The Georgia Bulldogs, and spending time with her family and friends.

For the month of February, Walking Worthy will be dedicated to the celebration of Black History Month. 

We have loved the Casual Conversations and intentional emphasis that Southeastern has devoted to diversity on our campus and in our churches. This month, we will continue the discussion with posts from students and faculty. Our first guest post is from the wonderful Mary Ann McMillan. Read on to be encouraged!

Hi! My name is Mary Ann McMillan, and I am a student in the Doctor of Education program here at Southeastern. I absolutely love it here (so much so that I stayed for the EdD program after graduating with an MAIS in 2013). I have a heart for international missions and I would love to serve overseas someday as a career missionary. I am so thankful to be here at SEBTS.

My grandmother sent me the poem below during a time 
when I was struggling with being the race that I am. 
This poem was a great reminder 
that I needed to find my identity in Christ 
and not in anything else. Hope you enjoy.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."

~Proverbs 3:5-6

Why Did You Make Me Black?
By RuNell Ni Ebo

Why did You make me black?
Why did You make me someone the world wants to hold 
  back?

Black is the color of dirty clothes; the color of grimy 
  hands and feet.

Black is the color of darkness; the color of tire-beaten 
  streets.

Why did You give me thick lips, a broad nose and kinky 
  hair?

Why did You make me someone who receives the hatred 
  stare?

Black is the color of a bruised eye when somebody gets 
  hurt.

Black is the color darkness. Black is the color of dirt.

How come my bone structure’s so thick; my hips and 
  cheeks so high?

How come my eyes are brown and not the color of the 
  daylight sky?

Why do people think I'm useless? How come I feel so 
  used?

Why do people see my skin and think I should be 
  abused?

Lord, I just don't understand; What is it about my skin?

Why do some people want to hate me and not know the 
  person within?

Black is what people are "listed," when others want to 
  keep them away.

Black is the color of shadows cast. Black is the end of the 
  day.

Lord, You know, my own mistreat me; and I know 
  this just ain't right. They don't like my hair or the way 
  I look. 
They say I'm too dark or too light.

Lord, don't You think it's time for You to make a change? 
Why don't You re-do creation and make everyone the 
  same?

GOD answered:

Why did I make you black? Why did I make you black?

Get off your knees and look around. Tell Me, 
  what you see?

I didn't make you in the image of darkness. I made you 
  in the likeness of ME!

I made you in the color of coal from which beautiful 
  diamonds are formed.

I made you in the color of oil, the black-gold that keeps 
  people warm.

I made you from the rich, dark earth that can grow the 
  food you need.

Your color’s the same as the panther’s, known for beauty 
  and speed.

Your color’s the same as the black stallion, a majestic 
  animal is he.

I didn't make you in the image of darkness. I made you 
  in the likeness of ME!

All the colors of the heavenly rainbow can be 
  throughout every nation;

And when all of these colors were blended well, you 
  became my greatest creation.

Your hair is the texture of lamb's wool, such a humble,
  little creature is he.

I am the Shepherd who watches them. I am the One who 
  will watch over thee.

You are the color of midnight-sky, I put the star's glitter 
  in your eyes.

There’s a smile hidden behind your pain, that's the 
  reason your cheeks are high.

You are the color of dark clouds formed when I send My 
  strongest weather.

I made your lips full so when you kiss the one you love, 
  they will remember.

Your stature is strong; your bone structure thick to 
  withstand the burden of time.

The reflection you see in the mirror . . . The image that 
  looks back at you is MINE!

Connecting Point events at SEBTS are designed to bring women together and to impact our communities.  At our Connecting Point event on October 21, 2013 (Engaging Our Own), we prayed over missionaries in the U.S. and around the world who have been sent out from Southeastern.  

We also wrote them notes of encouragement and sent the wives of the North American church planters each a special gift. 

Dear Ladies of Connecting Point,

After a long, emotional week in the life of church planting, being a mom, and being a wife, a glimpse of hope came in the mail!  Your words of encouragement and talk of prayer could not have come at a better time.

To not feel alone in this mission for one moment was like fueling up my empty tank of passion for this calling.

I recall, during my short stay at SEBTS as a student wife preparing for the field, feeling so full of passion and energy for those that do not love our Lord. Being surrounded by Christians 24/7, neighbors, work, church, classes … I fed off that energy and spoke to missionaries every chance I got.  I wanted to know everything, ups and downs, challenges and struggles.  They all warned of the loneliness.  I doubted that would be the case for me. I make friends easy.

But at the end of our two years here in a very lost corner of the USA, I found myself lonely.  As I am finding joy in my love for God and love for the people God has called us to, I am also finding joy in little things I might not have found so joyful two years ago.  And now I am praising our Lord for working through the Connecting Point ministries to reach out and hold me and warm me up through a hot cup of joe!

Thank you ladies for being such the encouragement I needed on that very moment I opened the letter!

Thank you,

Darlene Dryer

I turned 43 this summer! 

In many ways I still feel 23 BUT the spattering of grey hairs and the fine wrinkles that are slowly appearing remind me that I AM getting older J  So why would I reveal my age in a public environment when it is something, as women, that we generally don’t speak of past the age of 30-something?  Revealing my age ties in with the purpose of this article – to show how we can be enslaved to different behaviors for large periods of our lives without realizing how long it has been or even at what initial age we began exhibiting the behavior. 

Ok, slow down, you might be thinking.  What in the world are you talking about?  I am talking about a subject that, I do believe, is a major issue in the lives of many women – eating disorders.

In the summer of 2010 – 3 years ago to date – God began an incredible work in my life which he completed this summer on Wednesday 31^st of July.  The journey began while I was teaching a Bible Study entitled Embracing the Uncluttered Life at the local church we were attending.  The third week was an in-depth look at the physical clutter in our lives, with specific emphasis on diet and exercise.  I commented to my husband during the week of preparation that I was expecting it to be the easiest of the sessions. I had been involved in competitive sport from the young age of 5 and always had an interest in diet and how it affects the human body in terms of health and strength.  Well, was I in for an awakening – it was the toughest session to prepare AND to teach because God revealed to me a very deep obsession with my physical appearance (specifically in the area of my weight) and an even deeper obsession with competition (in the area of sport) because of a deep-rooted insecurity to prove my worth as a person.   As I spent time searching His Word for material to teach the ladies, he brought to the surface an unwillingness on my part to admit that I had been enslaved to various forms of weight control – bingeing, purging, fat burners, and heavy strength training.  All of these things had given me a strong, slim body BUT had left me with an emptiness and heaviness within my spirit that He began to peel away.  It was an exhausting time, but, as He is faithful in finishing what He begins in our lives, it was also the beginning of a journey to freedom.

Jump with me to this summer.  Recently, God sovereignly acted in my life so that I “stumbled upon” Beth Moore’s Breaking Free Bible Study.  In this study, Beth asks the reader to identify any strongholds that need tearing down.  Needless to say, God showed me how dieting and body image had been in my life as a stronghold for over 20 years, and that it finally needed to be laid to rest. 

This is my journal entry from the day that I believe God finally set me free from the insecurities that led to a lifetime of mistreating my body through excessive exercise and eating disorders . . . 

“Father, I am not sure when I began overeating but I do remember the nickname that I was given as a child:  “FATS”.  I hated being called this.  It was and still is a derogatory remark that did nothing to encourage me or to allow me to see myself as beautiful.  It hurt me terribly.  Father, right now I want to offer up forgiveness to those who gave this name to me and I want to ask Your forgiveness for believing this lie.  This image of being fat has infiltrated my mind and been the root cause of so many struggles with my weight over the years.”

It is hard to admit that we have ANY form of eating disorder, for they come in various forms and disguises.  But my heart’s cry is that if you are reading this article and your heart is stirred because of it, that you will seriously ask God to show You if there is anything within your eating or exercise that could be seen as obsessive or destructive.  If He shows you anything that needs dealing with, don’t wait 20 years as I did.  Deal with it today and then believe His Word when he says,

“For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made, I know that full well.”  (Psalm 139:13-14)

And then remember, EXTERNAL beauty will fade with age but INTERNAL beauty remains forever!

Today we will hear from Laura Hahn.  Laura graduated last Friday from the College at Southeastern.  We in the Women's Life Office love Laura, and she has such a servant's heart. College gals, glean from her today.  You'll be glad you did.

If you missed yesterday's post, please click here.

I’m a real college graduate!!!

Oh my, the whirlwind of emotions that comes from graduation. I’m leaving a place that I have come to love. I’m leaving my school, my workplace, and my apartment. I’m leaving all of it at once. However, I keep remembering that my memories will not disappear, and the lessons learned will be in my back pocket for future reference. As I prepare to leave, I am excited to give you a glimpse into what has happened in my head and in my heart during my time here at Southeastern.

When I look back at my time here at SEBTS, I have a variety of memories made and lessons learned. I remember taking Greek my first semester and learning hundreds of words of vocabulary, and then taking a freshman introductory class my last semester. I’ve lost intramural basketball games, had my heart broken, made friends for life, traveled overseas with professors, and made a million other memories.

The College at Southeastern is definitely not what most people would label a typical college experience. There are no wild, drunken parties or 300 person classes with rampant cheating. However, there is the occasional late night Sheetz run and last minute procrastination on 12 page papers. We may not have Division 1 sports, but intramural football does get pretty intense.

Yet there also are many things that stay the same no matter what college you attend, at least for the girls. We still talk about boys and get overly excited about a first date. We still obsess about what we eat and then get on work out tangents. College girls still have the same problems whether you went to a bible college or a state school. But that is where the importance of SEBTS comes in and why I am so thankful to be graduating from this institution.

There are two primary lessons I have learned from my time at SEBTS.  These two lessons actually tie into each other:

1.     Follow God in obedience every single day, and He will provide everything I need.

“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” –Philippians 4:19

This verse and this promise require complete surrender. I’ve become an expert at the prayer, ”Lord, I give you control of my future.” However, I’ve had to learn that giving God control of my future means following Christ on a daily basis. Imagine that, right? I’ve learned to trust Him with the big picture, but it was rare that my actions and worries actually reflected that. As I say to myself, and I say to you: follow your sovereign King everyday and do as He commands.  The result is this: He will provide everything you need.

2.     Do not lose your awe of God.

“Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!” –Psalm 33:8

It is easy to let your understanding of God be simply intellectual, but my challenge to myself and to you is this: let your knowledge of God draw you close to His face and His presence so that you may stand in awe of Him.

My main advice to underclassmen:

While grades and GPAs may not be the most important thing in the world, what you are learning is! I don’t want to get on my soapbox, but this is so important: Do not ever use the excuse, “But it isn’t about grades” to justify shoddy work. Instead, tell yourself, “I will use what I’m learning to further my ministry and my capability to share the Gospel more fully.”

Yes, I understand the power of the Spirit and how important it is to let him lead you in ministry. But at the same time, God called you here to learn at Southeastern to learn about Him and prepare for that ministry.

Your grade, 9 times out of 10, reflects how hard you worked and how much you actually cared. Laziness and complacency should not define your time here at Southeastern. Let your time be marked by working hard and yearning to know how to do your job well! This means understanding theology, worldviews, New Testament book outlines, and what Old Testament poetry means. And yes, it might even mean comprehending Nietzsche and Freud’s works.

Start the habit now of getting things done on time and doing them as well as you can. Don’t let complacency rule your life. Do your best out of obedience to God.  Stand in awe of Him.  He will guide your life, and He deserves your best!

So with that:

Work hard, give God the glory, and worship him with all that you have. You won’t regret it!

Laura Hahn is a graduate (as of Friday!) from The College at Southeastern, receiving her Bachelor of Arts in Christian Studies with a minor in missions. She has been a member at Open Door Baptist Church for over two years and enjoys participating in Spanish Fellowship. She enjoys spending time in the outdoors, preferably the mountains, and reading a good book. This July  through December, Laura will be in the Philippines with the IMB doing church planting and discipleship among an unreached people group. As soon as she return Laura will be applying to nursing school at UNC-Chapel Hill.