H.I.S. Women

Beth Moore ~ Living Proof Live Simulcast ~ September 10, 2011

2011-07-29T16:09:00.000-04:00

Beth Moore in 2011! And A Sneak Peek At Priscilla Shirer!

2011-01-01T16:16:00.004-05:00

Anybody ready for a little Beth Moore in 2011?

Beth Moore Sample from LifeWay Productions on Vimeo.

She will be in Charlotte, NC, July 22-23, 2011 at Time Warner Cable Arena. Cost is $65 per person. Each person will be responsible for their own tickets this year but we will travel and try to sit together for anyone that wants to go with us. Travis Cottrell of course will be leading our times of worship as well. What an awesome event this should be!

We will also be hosting the Simulcast in September! More to come on this later...great surprises ahead! Keep praying for this year...it will be great only if we let the Lord have His way!

Check out this sneak peek at the Going Beyond Simulcast that we plan to offer in April as well. Priscilla Shirer is an awesome speaker and teacher and this should be a great time of worship and teaching!

priscilla announcement from LifeWay Productions on Vimeo.

SSMT - Siesta Scripture Memory Team

2011-01-01T13:27:00.002-05:00

If you are adventurous and you want to really learn scripture in a way that is not overwhelming, please join me and many other ladies across the world in Beth Moore's Siesta Scripture Memory Team.

For the next twelve months, on the first and fifteenth of each month, Beth Moore posts on her ministry blog her scripture to memorize for the next 15 days. She encourages readers to post their particular scripture as a comment. This means over the course of the year, you will learn by memory 24 verses of scripture! She suggests picking your own scripture..one that means something special to you in particular, to memorize.

If you want more info and her suggestions to keep up with your scriptures, please go to her instructions. Also here is the link to the first post for this year on her blog to comment and leave your name, city, scripture, reference and version.

Try this with me and hopefully we will hide His word in our hearts all throughout the year! I love you dear friends!

Notes from... HIS Women Annual Retreat - November 2010

2010-12-02T12:51:00.000-05:00

Much fun, great inspiration and teaching was experienced this year at our annual Women's Retreat, which took place at the Hollifield Leadership Center on Lake Hickory.

Carol Davis, of 106.9 the Light, shared her personal testimony with us in a message entitled, "Your Defining Moment". At times hilarious, and often heartbreaking, her story led us through a three-part self-examination.

Below, I've included my brief summary of her message:

1) Who do we, say that Jesus is? (Mt 6:13-19) Our true answer to this question is not spoken in words, but in our everyday lives. As we are able to say that He is our LORD and MASTER in each and every area of our being, we are able to get our own identity right so that we can stand against the enemy.

2) What does Jesus do with a "woman with issues"? (Luke 8:42b-48) Many times we allow our "issues" in life to define us, and in our desperation, depend on others around us to make us whole.

Jesus is the only one who can heal us, and its often a process. If God has healed us, we need to be able to tell our own story, with HIS face in view, not worrying what others think. That is our worship to Him for His grace and healing.

3) What is our reaction? (Luke 7:36-50) We were created to worship God, to make Jesus our security.

Carol said, "You can have an accessory faith, but when your life crumbles - and it will - you need a necessity faith. Accessory faith is not faith at all." We cannot put Him on when it is convenient and stand through the trials of life.

He will ask us for that which is most precious to us, she pointed out, because it often stands in the way of a more intimate relationship with Him. Being intentional about living a life of worship and "necessity" faith, enables us to make HIM our security - one which will never fail us.

We appreciate Carol so much. Ladies, please continue to pray for her as she faithfully shares her own struggles with others.

I'm including a link to Alicia Stancil's photo album on Facebook, for those of you who would like to see the pictures she took.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=253159&id=564077297

Blessings to you all...

Cheryl

Festival of Tables 2010!

2010-08-17T16:20:00.002-04:00

Hello Blogworld!

I wanted to be sure and remind everyone of our upcoming event:

"Beautiful" our Festival of Tables 2010!!

Our guest speaker will be Natalie Witcher of Speaking Thru Me Ministries. She will be traveling from Oklahoma to spend the day with us. And of course, our very own worship group, Heart's Desire will be leading in worship throughout the day. We have several fun things planned for the day that you don't want to miss! And of course, a wonderful meal will be provided as well!

All of this takes place at Flint Groves Baptist Church, Saturday, September 11, 2010 from 10 am - 2 pm. And tickets are $15/each and will be available for sale, Sunday, August 22. It's not too late to host a table either...please stop by the welcome center at church and see Norma about a hostess form!

And if you want to get a small glimpse of how beautiful the tables are, just stop by our photo website here and check out Festival of Tables 2009!

Hope to see you there!!

Book Review: 66 Love Letters by Dr. Larry Crabb

2010-06-30T11:56:00.002-04:00

Please visit my personal blog to view my review of this awesome new book!

Spirit Seekers Book Club Info

2010-06-08T13:46:00.005-04:00

We will be having a book club meeting this Thursday, June 10 in the church library at 6:30 to discuss So Long Insecurity by Beth Moore.

The next book for the month of June/July is Her Mother's Hope by Francine Rivers,

the book after that for July/August will be The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. The next meeting will be July 8th at 6:30 in the church library to discuss Her Mother's Hope.

So Long Insecurity - Week 8

2010-05-11T16:23:00.002-04:00

Forgive us, dear sisters for taking so much extra time to finish this study. We know you understand, for when we look at your faces, we see that your lives are proceeding at an impossibly frantic pace too.

God willing, we will have the final installment of this study posted by week's end. Once again, if you have not had the opportunity to journey with us, I urge you to pick up a copy of the book and spend some time this summer refreshing the insecure woman inside.

Week 8 Answers:

1) As you surely noticed, Chapter 14 is more of a testimony than a teaching but it concludes with a charge to deal with our female insecurities for the sake of young girls coming up behind us. Annabeth was my big inspiration for the journey. Briefly describe someone who is worth doing what it takes to you to live abundantly and effectively in Christ. Help us picture her so that she inspires us, too. Needless to say, don’t share more than she’d want you to.

Answer: Our daughters, all of them, are my inspiration for living abundantly and effectively. I see my girls living out insecurities that I fear they've learned from their mother. I see OUR daughters falling prey to the insecurities pressed upon them by this viciously selfish, materialistic society that overwhelms our time and our senses.

2) I wish we could discuss all of Chapter 15 in person but this is the next best thing. Name a couple of ways pertinent to your sphere of life and influence that you could look out for your own gender in our battle with insecurities. In other words, how can you (not others but you in particular) start becoming part of the solution in your female relationships rather than default into part of the problem. No condemnation here. Goodness knows, we’ve all been both. Our challenge is to learn to be deliberate. How are you prepared to do that?

Answer: This is so tough to answer. Women are SO wired, so pressured to present themselves in the best possible light! I want to be deliberately humble, forthcoming with my fears, my faults, my insecurities when it is helpful to another. I wish to be more open and receptive, to smile more readily at my sisters, to STOP being the self-conscious overweight awkward girl from my youth. And finally, to SPEAK UP in encouragement and love to the women around me.

3) I can’t wait to see your answers to this one. Based on Chapter 16 and the challenge to look past ourselves, what is your passion? If you don’t have one presently, don’t feel pressured or unnerved. You might be too deep in toddlers or school work to think past the urgent. Those things are priority and need to be your passion right now. If, however, you long for something that makes you feel fully alive and part of something specific God is doing for the greater good, ask Him to nurture that vision in you. It will be ultimately be the key to life on the outskirts of self-absorption. Keep in mind, your passion may not be anything you’re currently engaged in. Maybe you don’t have the opportunity to participate right now. Maybe it’s just in dream-form. Or maybe it’s just a place God has tendered your heart. Try to give it a name. What is something outside of yourself that you feel passionate about?

Answer: The written word is and always has been my passion. I love stories that teach underlying truth. I love to seek out the embedded principles in the WORD and in good writing. I love to share; to help others with what I've gleaned from the words that I've read woven through the fabric of the life I've lived.

Sisters, I wish you a peace-filled week...

So Long Insecurity - Week 7

2010-04-28T17:49:00.003-04:00

1) Based on Chapter 12, name one "I already knew that" moment and one "that's new to me" moment, if either applies.

Answer: I was surprised to hear that the men had us so "pegged" about our insecurities, but also enchanted by the thought that they can be so taken with us even when we're not feeling particularly attractive. I guess I knew that they saw skimpy clothing as a sign of insecurity, but was surprised at the same time.

2) Based on Chapter 13, how does a weak will play into our insecurity?

Answer: By reinforcing it, rendering its owner helpless to choose security. We must choose NOT to allow anyone or anything to take our security, choose NOT to allow our emotions to rule us, and CHOOSE to react differently to the threats to our security.

So Long Insecurity - Week 6 Answers

2010-03-31T21:42:00.002-04:00

1) Based on Chapter 10, in all truthfulness, has your historical tendency been to view men (generally speaking) as gods? Or devils?

Answer: I've historically viewed them more as devils, I guess. Not all of them - but most. I was always jealous of the "privileges" that they seem to have, and had several bad experiences that made me suspicious of their intentions.

2) Based on Chapter 10 and your own day-to-day observances, what differences do you see between men's insecurities and women's?

Answer: I think women have a tendency to be more insecure about their appearance. And women are definitely more emotionally "open" about their insecurities. I absolutely recognize the tendency for men to withdraw and build walls between themselves and their loved ones.

3) On p.208 in Chapter 11, I suggest that women who struggle with insecurity tend to be particularly taken with 2 divine attributes; omnipotence and omniscience. Did either of these resonate with you? If so, how?

Answer: Omnipotence resonated with me - and yes, I admit to being a control freak!

So Long Insecurity - Week 5 Answers

2010-03-31T21:23:00.002-04:00

1) Do (don't just read but actually do) Chapter Nine. In your comment to this post, simply reflect back on your time with God and share anything specific that you received from it.

Answer: This was a very powerful, very personal experience. Praying this to God brought me to tears. What I received was this: When Jesus saved me, He covered my sin... AND my unworthiness. I am worthy because HE IS WORTHY.

2) Go to last Saturday's post (3/6/10) and look at all the verses in the comment section. You will find a wellspring! Pick five Scriptures that speak most powerfully to you right now - five that you feel like you need the most - and write them on the inside of the back cover of the book.

Answer:

Josh 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

Is 41:10 "Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not look anxiously about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will hellp you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."

Is 26:3 "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you."

Jer 32:17 "Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You."

Is 40:28-31 "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

So Long Insecurity - Week 4 Answers

2010-03-23T10:10:00.002-04:00

We're posting our "catch-up" answers every day or two (or three), so we should be back on track by next week. Here's what my thoughts were about Week 4's questions:

1) What part of Chapter 7 hit home with you most and why?

Answer: Insecurity regarding weight issues probably hit home more than any other issue discussed in Chp 7. As a pudgy kid, I entered my teen years terribly aware of my unattractiveness. When I finally lost weight - not because of a diet, but because of depression - I still thought of myself as "fat". I was actually UNDERWEIGHT for my height. The weight crept back on, and after the birth of my 2nd child, I was 40+ lbs overweight, with my hips and knees painfully objecting to the load. After a long fight to get it off, I still have to be careful. My self-esteem is so tied up in my own perception of my "fitness".

2)(If you're choosing only two, please include this one.) Based on your journey so far in chapters 1-8, list your own personal top three reasons why it's time to deal with your insecurity. (We're not looking for right answers. We're looking for YOUR answers. Don't copy off your fellow sojourners' papers on this one. Grin.) So that you don't get your numbers confused here, list your 3 reasons under A.B.&C.

Answer: My top 3 reasons to GET OVER IT:
A) I'm tired of being afraid of failure!
B) I'm tired of feeling like I'm not "good enough".
C) My girls - I've transmitted my own insecurities to them, and I can see it affecting their lives and their self-confidence. I HAVE to lead by example.

3) Based on Chapter 8, briefly describe a recent trigger of insecurity and whether or not it got a rise out of you.

Answer: Seeing one of my daughters acting out MY insecurity in her relationships. I felt so like I'd failed her as a mom.

4) Also based on Chapter 8, what does dignity mean to you?

Answer: Dignity, for me, means being who I am as a person - who God created me to be - and being a woman, as He intended women to be. I don't need physical perfection, but I need to know I'm beautiful (and to my Father, I always am). I don't need to be wealthy, but I need to know I will never be destitute (He will always provide for me). I don't need to be the center of attention, the best or the favorite, but I do need to know that I'm loved (He loves me forever).

So Long Insecurity - Week 3 Answers

2010-03-20T11:29:00.002-04:00

Question 1: After reading these 2 chapters, what do you believe to be the TWO primary roots of your struggle with insecurity? Keep in mind that more may apply, but try to lock in on two that you believe to be most impactful.

Answer: Rejection and cultural influences, I think, are my two primary roots. Rejection is a personal root, one which I would wager that every woman, if not every person has struggled with. Our culture, even "Christian" culture, sends women messages about who we should be, and even the most "together" of us struggle to keep up and are conflicted.

Question 2: What, if any, insight did you gain about the roots of insecurity and did you sense that God was trying to speak to you in any specific way through it?

Answer: I hear, more than ever, that I am constantly battling those voices from my childhood that made me feel like I will never be good enough, never smart enough, never attractive enough, and that I can never, never depend on anyone else. Society holds up an impossible standard of beauty, of wealth, AND of being able to handle it all with ease.

There is ONE upon whom I can depend... our sweet Savior, who loves me for who I am today, who delights in my striving to glorify HIM in being the very best "CHRIST-IN-ME" that I can be.

So Long Insecurity Week 6

2010-03-19T16:10:00.002-04:00

Keeping posts up-to-date is tiring...copy and paste, copy and paste!! Visit the link to Beth's website to get this week's assignment! Let me know your answers...leave a comment below!! I'll get to mine soon! This is getting good!

So Long Insecurity Week 5

2010-03-19T16:08:00.001-04:00

Week 5 here we come!! Follow this link to Beth's website for this week's questions and if you are working on this with us, leave your answers as a comment.

So Long Insecurity Week 4

2010-03-19T16:06:00.001-04:00

Here is the link to Beth's website for Week 4...no time for copying and pasting!! This one has a video that I know that you will enjoy!!

So Long Insecurity Week 3

2010-03-19T16:02:00.002-04:00

Okay, here is the link to Beth's website for this week's questions. I am so far behind because of some work issues so I will post each of the weeks that I have missed and just share my answers as a comment instead of posting my answers in an actual post on the blog. If any of you are still sticking in there with this...I am SORRY!!!! Sometimes life just happens and it runs away with you and there is no stopping to sit down and contemplate. Hopefully I will get caught up during Spring Break!! Yay!!

Fasting and Prayer in Haiti

2010-02-24T13:56:00.001-05:00

Haiti Pictures

2010-02-24T13:35:00.006-05:00

Hello Everyone! I know many of you have seen these pictures from Facebook but thought I would share them here with anyone not on FB! Chris Jarrell took many of these and a couple of them are Chris Howell's. Enjoy and keep praying! They will have many opportunities today to share the Gospel during a food distribution project and some I think are going into the villages to share the Gospel. Go God! May they see your love for them!

So Long Insecurity - Week 2 Answers

2010-02-21T22:24:00.004-05:00

Oh, the Lord is really speaking to me through this book. By the time I'd reached the end of chapter 4, I'd laughed out loud enough that my husband was nosing around asking what was so funny, and then teared up a few times too.

If you haven't begun this study, but would like to, I urge you to grab the book and jump in. It's an easy read... I have a hard time stopping when I'm supposed to! Here are my answers for this week:

1) My false positive, the most prominent thing that makes me feel secure is feeling independent - whether in being able to take care of myself financially or otherwise. Nothing freaks me out more than feeling that something (or someone) else has control over me.

2) Our challenge is to allow the unhindered growth of Christ in us. To allow the Spirit to consume our entire being, displacing all that is our sinful nature. No room will be left for insecurity or fear.

3) When Beth spoke of Saul, specifically about him hiding among the baggage, I had to chuckle a bit. That's me. She quotes, "Insecurity's expertise is hiding its victim in some baggage." Ha! How many times have I felt so over-my-head or like such a failure that I just wanted to crawl up into the tiniest place I could find and stay there. A few times, I have. No one knew where I was, but my sweet Saviour always found me there and comforted me.

Join us in leaving our insecurity behind, won't you?

So Long Insecurity ~ Week Two

2010-02-19T07:11:00.004-05:00

Okay anyone participating in the book discussion here is this week's assignment:

OK, so let's get to our discussions for Week Two. Read or thoroughly review CHAPTERS THREE and FOUR then answer the questions that follow this paragraph. Remember to add your basic bio information every time you comment: First name, age decade, married or single, city, state. If at any time, your answer is too vulnerable for you to want to identify yourself, just go with age decade and married or single status. Those facts themselves bring insight to your answers.

1. Based on Chapter Three, what tends to be your own "Prominent False Positive"?

2. What is the challenge stated at the very end of Chapter Three? (I want us to see this restated in our comments hundreds of times so it breaks into our belief systems. It is critical to our journey. SO, I don't care how many times you've seen it written on this post, write it again for yourself. That's your mama talking.)

3. Based on Chapter Four, what Biblical figure (or statement about him/her) resonated with you most and why?

Don't forget to let me know here if you have any discussion on the book and then don't forget to post your answers also on Beth Moore's blog as well.

So Long Insecurity ~ Week One Answers

2010-02-13T16:50:00.004-05:00

Here is the assignment from Beth for this first week's reading:

1. Write a journal-type entry on the inside cover of your book describing this present season of your life and why you’ve chosen to read a book like this. If you already have a relationship with God, write it in the form of a prayer. I do this almost every time I begin a book that I think could have a considerable impact on my life. When I finish the book, I always go back and read it and it ends up meaning so much to me. Listen, Sister, if you expect little, that’s probably what you’ll get. But if you expect something big from God when you start a journey and you posture yourself to receive from Him, even when frail human beings are thrown in the mix, you’ll end up with something huge. Something life altering.

2. Read the Introduction, Chapter One, and Chapter Two. Our first question is based on Chapter One: When was the last time you came face-to-face with our gender’s massive struggle with insecurity? Describe the setting.

3. This question is based on Chapter Two: what part of the definition or description of insecurity resonated most with you and why?

I have to be totally honest here...doing this by way of blog scares me to death! I know that I will share things here that are difficult for me to deal with and I am admittedly a litle worried about what people will think of me..(is that my insecurity showing?!!). But I am convinced that if I talk about it here in the view of friends, it will be therapeutic for me and maybe even helpful for others and that is the point of this blog!!

I must say before I answer...I have written all in these first two chapters of the book and underlined until the page looks red with all the marks I have made! I have written things like.."Me!" and "Yes, yes, yes!" over and over again. It has been painful at times too but I know that with that comes an honesty with myself that I need to get past this horrible, no-good friend, of insecurity. So here goes!

1. I won't share this personal, for-my-eyes-only, journal that is a conversation between me and my Savior.

2. I must say that I have so many instances of my own insecurity that they blot it out in many others that I see. I think and rethink almost every conversation that I have, thinking I could have said something a little more clever or a little more helpful. I know it must be draining to be my friend sometimes...okay so there I go again. The quote: "Insecurity's best cover is perfectionism. That's where it becomes an art form." describes me to the fullest extent. I am a perfectionist and the reason I try so very hard is because I am so afraid to fail. This is the root of my insecurity I believe because I was brought up as the perfect little girl who does so well in school, never gets in trouble, etc. My father passed away almost 14 years ago and I still feel at times like I fail him and he is up there in heaven cheering me on for heaven's sake! So I am looking so forward to getting rid of this constant feeling of trying to be perfect! Lord help me!

3. The part of the definition that resonates the most with me is "constant fear of rejection." That says it all...no discussion and no drawing it out..it is fear. My fear has kept me from so much good I could do and should do..it is an effectiveness killer!

There it is! Week One done and over...won't you join me?

So Long Insecurity ~ Week One

2010-02-11T08:16:00.002-05:00

Hello fellow insecurity fighters! For those of you who are participating in the discussion group online, here is the link to Beth Moore's website for the first discussion week starters. Please be sure and read the whole post because there will be other discussion opportunities throughout the week but they all have to be posted on the same post for week one.

I am so excited to take this journey with you and please realize that you can join our discussion at any time. And if you have any further comments or questions besides the ones that Beth asks us to share about then by all means please feel free to leave those comments on this post and we can have our own discussion!

I love you and can I just say...this book is already ALL over me! I am ready to say, "So Long, Insecurity!" Yes, you have been a VERY BAD FRIEND!

So Long Insecurity!

2010-02-09T08:07:00.003-05:00

Hello fellow discussion group members (only one other person right now, hey Cheryl!)! Today is the day! Please go by this post at Beth Moore's blog and leave a comment with the information requested. This is the roll call and our assignment will come later. Also included in the post is a link to instructions for leaving a comment in case you don't know how to do that. And again, I will say, please join us at any time. I will be posting here (and hopefully Cheryl will offer some input too!) about my own personal experience in reading the book.

Happy Reading!

Precious Savior, bless our dear friend Beth Moore and her great gift of discernment and especially her love for women and wanting them to have the awesome ride of a lifetime with You! Travel along with us Lord as we take this journey to a freedom from the feeling of insecurity and every stronghold that it places in our lives. I need to be free from it and I need to seek Your freedom from it everyday. It is such a struggle for me! Thank you Lord that this was provided at the the right time for me! Speak Your word to my heart and change me Lord!

So Long Insecurity

2010-02-08T17:29:00.003-05:00

Hello out there in blog land! I have only had one person contact me about participating in the online discussion group for Beth Moore's newest book, "So Long Insecurity - You've been a bad friend to us." However, our blog did experience some kind of problem with the comment box.

So..I hopefully have fixed it and now it should work correctly. If you are still interested it is never too late to jump in! Go get your own copy of the book and just leave me a comment on this post and we will be on our way!

And, by the way, if you are new to this blogging thing, Beth Moore has posted a great FAQ for leaving comments and it applies to her blog and our women's blog here as well. Here is the link for the instructions!

Look forward to saying "goodbye" to my not-so-good friend Insecurity! How about you? Leave a comment and let me know!