Hey Ladies,
I have been so blessed by this, I just wanted to share it! It was at a Proverbs 31 Conference when God stirred my heart and began creating the vision for the Friendships of Women. A dear friend that I met there forwarded this to me and I am so moved and in awe of my Father God. His timing is perfect! After reading this blog and joining in the group I took some time to read through some of the other ladies status's to find that God is moving His ladies all over this country, and more than likely all over the world. I so believe God is stirring our hearts, drawing us away from the way we've been doing friendship and relationship, calling us all to let go of judgements and seperation, and instead to friendships full of grace, understanding and love.
Enjoy and be blessed!
The Friendship Project
5 Jan 2010Whitney Capps
"But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, 'And who is my neighbor?' Luke:10:29 (NIV)It was a room full of nearly strangers, barely friends-until that day. I asked the ladies to stand as I read from a list of life experiences. If they had lived through one of the descriptions they stood up. One by one, sobbing women rose to their feet as I read the list. They were family in name only - a family of believers from the same church gathered together for a women's retreat where I was the guest speaker.Twelve women stood together when I asked if anyone had had a miscarriage. One woman had buried a spouse. Five came from unbelieving homes. One had lived through marital infidelity. Three had escaped relationships where they had faced verbal, p hysical or sexual abuse. Three ladies had struggled with depression. The list went on and on. By the time I had finished, every woman in the room was standing.We were knee-deep in one another's junk, and yet I had never felt closer to a group of women. As we closed the session I asked them to share more about their stories at their individual tables. As I surveyed the room, women who had been strangers only minutes before were huddled around one another, embracing, sharing and weeping. God was knitting hearts together. It was a moment I'll never forget.I am realizing that women of all walks of life crave friendships. And yet so many of us feel that we are lacking meaningful, authentic relationships. How is it that a church full of women with a common thread of faith are not friends? Worse yet, if we aren't friends, can we hope to offer authentic relationships to those who enter the doors of our churches every week?I fear the answer is "no, we can't" unless we change and make a few necessary sacrifices.Recently I've gleaned some life lessons from the story of the Good Samaritan. In Luke 10:30, Jesus paints a not-so-favorable picture of the religious and respectable. I wonder if He would have the same indictment of our churches today? The priest was seemingly too busy to befriend the one in need.Can I be honest? I am regularly guilty of this sin. Before and after church my husband and I busy ourselves with the work of tending to our children, and doing the business of church. I move past people who are hurting, but I don't stop with my busyness to see their needs. I rarely get off my horse. I am the priest.The Levite rode past the hurting man too. Perhaps he felt he was too clean to get dirty in the messy business of grace and mercy. Helping the man in need would have made the Levite ceremonially unclean. He wanted to preserve his position and place.Let me do a little more truth-telling. I don't usually want to get knee-deep in other people's junk. If I don't get into messy relationships I avoid having to deal not only with my own junk, but other's as well. So I don't get off my horse. I am the Levite.Here is the problem. Real relationships require time and transparency. If we want to move from being casual acquaintances to genuine friends you and I will have to share pain and joy in an authentic, sacrificial way. I believe this, but for right now it's just theory.I'm curious. What would happen if we covenanted together to get off our high horses and got into one another's junk? I wonder if our churches would explode. I wonder if lives would be forever changed. I wonder if the Church would shed a little bit of its reputation of hypocrisy.Want to see what would happen? It's not too late to add a New Year's resolution. Let's resolve to change lives through friendship. Let's slow down. Let's share our stories. Let's get knee-deep.Dear Lord, give me eye s to see those in need around me, and give me the courage to respond. Father, I want to be a part of life-changing friendships by offering grace and mercy. You call us to love others as ourselves. Help me obey this all-consuming command. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Blessing to Mercy House
On the 23rd of January at 10 AM, every lady who has registered to be part of a Friendships of Women Connect Group will be coming to the church for our Kick-Off. During this time all the ladies will meet the leader and/or host of their group and the others that will be in their group. We will be viewing two DVD teachings from Dee Brestin that go along with the Bible Study, and having some fun and fellowship as well.
It has been the heart of Bedford Christian Community Church to have everything we do be in some way missional, and this ministry will be no different. We never want to have the mind or heart to get together only to get filled up and fat for ourselves, but to always be giving back. We'd like to use this opportunity to give back to The Mercy House in Ida, Michigan by asking every lady who is attending the Kick-Off, if they would bring a pack of diapers that we could bless them and help them out with all the wonderful things they are doing through their ministry.
Hope to see you there!
Blessings,
It has been the heart of Bedford Christian Community Church to have everything we do be in some way missional, and this ministry will be no different. We never want to have the mind or heart to get together only to get filled up and fat for ourselves, but to always be giving back. We'd like to use this opportunity to give back to The Mercy House in Ida, Michigan by asking every lady who is attending the Kick-Off, if they would bring a pack of diapers that we could bless them and help them out with all the wonderful things they are doing through their ministry.
Hope to see you there!
Blessings,
Nuturing Relationship
We have 18 days until the Kick-Off for the Friendships of Women Connect Groups. We now have 10 groups forming with the possibility of more in the week to come. So if you haven't got your registration in yet, now is the time. I am really excited to witness all God has in store for everyone of these groups! You can find registration forms at the Welcome Center. I am praying God will reach hearts to grow deeper in relationship with Him and with each other, and that we will unite in strength to serve those around us and in our communities with our hearts being as one with Jesus!
A friend sent me a copy of a blog she recieved and the message I thought is fitting as we head into beginning our groups. Our hearts must first and foremost, nuture our relationship with God, it is through this time we will grow to have the heart to reach out and love and nuture the relationships God places within our lives. I have cut and pasted the blog in it's entirety here for you to read, and feel free to check out some of her other blog posts.
Blessings to all, I pray you all have a great day!
Just Breathe
Posted: 03 Jan 2010 10:03 PM PST
Someone shared with me once that she does not have time to nurture friendships. Because she does not see that as a priority, I don't really have much interaction with her.I know another lady who is a "self proclaimed" loner! The times that I have spent with her she has mentioned to me several times that she doesn't really need friends. Because of the way that both of these women view friendships, our relationship does not go very deep.I have another friend who is very busy home schooling 4 children and is busy with activities and church-but she is a wonderful example of what it means to nurture friendships. I can remember one day she called me on her cell phone while she was standing in line at a department store, just to see how I was and to let me know she was thinking of me. We didn't talk for long. Neither of us really had the time. But she was just touching base...she was nurturing.Relationships need to be nurtured.I have heard people say, and I have probably said it myself, that I "just don't have time" to have a "quiet time". When we say that, we are saying that we don't have time to nurture our relationship with God. In the back of our minds we know that God will always be there if we have a need. We talk ABOUT Him. We may "wave hello" occasionally. But how much do we do to NURTURE our relationship with Him? Nurturing our relationship with God should not be reduced to something we do for 15 minutes each day, and check off our list. (I don't know of many friendships that would grow deeper if they were approached that way!) It should be a part of who we are!When I think about walking with God, I think about how our relationship with God can become as natural as breathing! This is how I picture walking....breathing...with God. Nurturing our relationship. (It is what I STRIVE TO DO. It is not something I have mastered!)BREATHE IN...I wake up. I say, "good morning, Lord." I thank Him for a good nights rest. I sit up and prop myself up on my pillows, and open my Bible. I read and pray through whatever I am reading. I get up and check my e-mail. Any prayer requests? I pray. I help get breakfast, we thank the Lord for the food. I get on the treadmill or walk outside. I pray through my prayer list or for whatever comes to mind. I listen to praise and worship music. I lift it up to the Lord, and worship Him.BREATHE OUT...I take a shower and get dressed. When I look in the mirror I ask, "Lord, is this outfit okay? Does it honor You? Is it modest?" I straighten up the house, and do my chores. While doing whatever I do in the morning, I have a conversation with God...I pray...I help my kids with school, or through whatever is bothering them...I pray for wisdom. I thank Him. I decide to not eat lunch....I decide to fast...in order to pray that I would "hunger for God"....to focus on Him.BREATHE IN...In the afternoon if I am running errands and I turn on some worshipful music. I listen for a God's message in the music. I sing really loud, and worship God. I pray for those I come in contact with. I pray that God would open my eyes to needs. If someone comes over and we are talking or I am able to serve, I try to remember that I am serving God...not the person..."as much as you have done unto the least of these..you've done it unto me!!!BREATHE OUT...I make meals for my family and whoever happens to be at my house. I pray to be flexible, to be aware of God's schedule and not mine! I ask God to make me sensitive to His voice that I would speak when I should speak and know when not to speak! I ask for Him to give me the words to say to whoever I am with. I listen...I serve. I hug. I seek to encourage. I laugh. I ask for forgiveness when I ignore His prompting! I thank Him for guiding me!BREATHE IN...We sit down to relax for the evening. Me. My family. Whoever is here...and God! I turn to God and ask, "Is this TV show okay?" "Should we do something else with our time?" I go to the computer and I ask, "What do you want me to write on my blog, Lord?" I thank Him.BREATHE OUT...I get ready for bed. I thank the Lord for another day. I crawl under the covers. I pick up whatever book I'm reading, or the Bible, I seek the Lord. I learn. I pray. I say goodnight to my family. I thank the Lord for them. I turn out the lights.This is what I want my day to look like! A day of breathing and walking with God. Of nurturing our relationship. Of making time."Father, Please cause me to LOOK FOR all the ways I can breathe with YOU, and never be too busy to nurture the most important relationship in MY life!" (Gina has begun writing again after taking a few months off. She has some fresh, new perspective after going through some very dark times. She would love it if you stopped by for a chat and some coffee! You can find her at her personal blog: Chats With An Old Lady.)
A friend sent me a copy of a blog she recieved and the message I thought is fitting as we head into beginning our groups. Our hearts must first and foremost, nuture our relationship with God, it is through this time we will grow to have the heart to reach out and love and nuture the relationships God places within our lives. I have cut and pasted the blog in it's entirety here for you to read, and feel free to check out some of her other blog posts.
Blessings to all, I pray you all have a great day!
Just Breathe
Posted: 03 Jan 2010 10:03 PM PST
Someone shared with me once that she does not have time to nurture friendships. Because she does not see that as a priority, I don't really have much interaction with her.I know another lady who is a "self proclaimed" loner! The times that I have spent with her she has mentioned to me several times that she doesn't really need friends. Because of the way that both of these women view friendships, our relationship does not go very deep.I have another friend who is very busy home schooling 4 children and is busy with activities and church-but she is a wonderful example of what it means to nurture friendships. I can remember one day she called me on her cell phone while she was standing in line at a department store, just to see how I was and to let me know she was thinking of me. We didn't talk for long. Neither of us really had the time. But she was just touching base...she was nurturing.Relationships need to be nurtured.I have heard people say, and I have probably said it myself, that I "just don't have time" to have a "quiet time". When we say that, we are saying that we don't have time to nurture our relationship with God. In the back of our minds we know that God will always be there if we have a need. We talk ABOUT Him. We may "wave hello" occasionally. But how much do we do to NURTURE our relationship with Him? Nurturing our relationship with God should not be reduced to something we do for 15 minutes each day, and check off our list. (I don't know of many friendships that would grow deeper if they were approached that way!) It should be a part of who we are!When I think about walking with God, I think about how our relationship with God can become as natural as breathing! This is how I picture walking....breathing...with God. Nurturing our relationship. (It is what I STRIVE TO DO. It is not something I have mastered!)BREATHE IN...I wake up. I say, "good morning, Lord." I thank Him for a good nights rest. I sit up and prop myself up on my pillows, and open my Bible. I read and pray through whatever I am reading. I get up and check my e-mail. Any prayer requests? I pray. I help get breakfast, we thank the Lord for the food. I get on the treadmill or walk outside. I pray through my prayer list or for whatever comes to mind. I listen to praise and worship music. I lift it up to the Lord, and worship Him.BREATHE OUT...I take a shower and get dressed. When I look in the mirror I ask, "Lord, is this outfit okay? Does it honor You? Is it modest?" I straighten up the house, and do my chores. While doing whatever I do in the morning, I have a conversation with God...I pray...I help my kids with school, or through whatever is bothering them...I pray for wisdom. I thank Him. I decide to not eat lunch....I decide to fast...in order to pray that I would "hunger for God"....to focus on Him.BREATHE IN...In the afternoon if I am running errands and I turn on some worshipful music. I listen for a God's message in the music. I sing really loud, and worship God. I pray for those I come in contact with. I pray that God would open my eyes to needs. If someone comes over and we are talking or I am able to serve, I try to remember that I am serving God...not the person..."as much as you have done unto the least of these..you've done it unto me!!!BREATHE OUT...I make meals for my family and whoever happens to be at my house. I pray to be flexible, to be aware of God's schedule and not mine! I ask God to make me sensitive to His voice that I would speak when I should speak and know when not to speak! I ask for Him to give me the words to say to whoever I am with. I listen...I serve. I hug. I seek to encourage. I laugh. I ask for forgiveness when I ignore His prompting! I thank Him for guiding me!BREATHE IN...We sit down to relax for the evening. Me. My family. Whoever is here...and God! I turn to God and ask, "Is this TV show okay?" "Should we do something else with our time?" I go to the computer and I ask, "What do you want me to write on my blog, Lord?" I thank Him.BREATHE OUT...I get ready for bed. I thank the Lord for another day. I crawl under the covers. I pick up whatever book I'm reading, or the Bible, I seek the Lord. I learn. I pray. I say goodnight to my family. I thank the Lord for them. I turn out the lights.This is what I want my day to look like! A day of breathing and walking with God. Of nurturing our relationship. Of making time."Father, Please cause me to LOOK FOR all the ways I can breathe with YOU, and never be too busy to nurture the most important relationship in MY life!" (Gina has begun writing again after taking a few months off. She has some fresh, new perspective after going through some very dark times. She would love it if you stopped by for a chat and some coffee! You can find her at her personal blog: Chats With An Old Lady.)
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