Thank you to everyone who communicated with me this past week! There are many of you that are excited about, contributing to and planning on attending Gather Ground. I praise God for the growing numbers that seem to be sincerely interested in the idea of a group that strives to bring women together that are all set on the same goals: social satisfaction, positive energy and genuine individual growth. Note: I do not take it personally if you cannot make it to the physical meeting. This past weekend was a busy one for many of us and again there was only one attendee - but what a wonderful discussion we had! It was long-winded, deep-rooted and juicy as can be. This week's summary will be brief, but feel free to continue the conversation with your comments below and/or email me your prayer requests. Many prayers are being emailed and answered so please don't hesitate to contribute or reach out for support on that level.
EVERYTHING AT ONCE
Doesn't it seem like life always happens all at once? The doorbell rings while you're on the toilet, just as the timer rings to take the brownies out of the oven; the baby wakes up from her nap and your mother-in-law is calling you too? Don't get me wrong: I love visitors, I love brownies, my baby is an angel, and my mother-in-law is a saint... but even good things happening all at once can be mind-boggling. So we roll with the flow and juggle through the moment, but what about when a whole season of your life feels this way? What then? How do you handle it? How do you root yourself in wisdom and feel secure moving forward? We discussed all of this on Saturday and decided that it's simply imperative to appreciate the little things. It's also crucial to remember that we go through seasons and generally if we loosen up a little bit and don't try to control the "weather" we will endure the season much more gracefully. Winter will end... Spring will arrive and there are pros and cons to both. Let's accept that. *sigh of relief*
WHAT IS A WOMAN?
Let me clarify that God created men AND women to be beautiful, valuable & healthy. But I think women overlook the fact that they are made this way. It's obvious to all that men and women are very different creatures. And let's face it, us ladies are nice to look at. I would say that's because God made us this way. Our culture has many definitions of beautiful, valuable and healthy - but God accepts us just as we are and leads us to have loving hearts, wise minds and hospitable homes and what combination could be more beautiful, valuable and healthy than this?
NAKED WITHOUT IT
Alright ladies, this week we had a great little chat about what we feel naked without. When you leave the house is there something that you never forget? Earrings? Mascara? Your iPhone? Is there something that you wear or carry that gives you confidence? My very best friend has a certain T-Shirt that she claims is the ultimate lucky shirt. Good things happen when she wears it! Another friend has a pair of special earrings that instantly boost her self-confidence. Oddly enough, my pastor spoke about this in his sermon this Sunday while referencing a segment from the Song of Songs where the gentlemen author is explaining (in so many words) that if his woman needs some nice earrings to feel good about herself... then he'll get them for her! Regardless of his firm opinion that she is gorgeous without them; it's true that women tend to find confidence in silly little accessories. And what happens when those things go missing? Panic! Tears! Sadness! And when they re-appear randomly a year later? Joy! Exuberance! Fate! That all said, I do not leave the house without 3 rings on, mascara and/or lip gloss.
WHO DO YOU BELIEVE?
The food-centered quotes from the Starting Point were paired with the authors' pictures on purpose. We laughed at how ironic Virginia Woolf and Benjamin Franklin appeared given their wise statements. Virginia looked like she had one foot in the grave and one on a banana peel. So we're not sure she 'dined well'... maybe someone ate her food out of the break room at work (even though it was labeled). Benjamin Franklin's appearance proves that if he didn't live to eat, he also certainly didn't live to button his vest all the way (nor could he if he tried). The consensus was that we love Mark Twain and his quote seemed honest and livable.
How often do we have unrealistic food goals? expectations? limits? Are we stealing our own joy or are we placing false joy in unhealthy choices? During our discussion we realized that sometimes it is the idea of pizza (just an example) that is so satisfying, but as we're eating it we consciously observe that it's more greasy, less flavorful, and fleetingly filling compared to the Super-Slice we had crowned 'delicious' in our minds. Then there's the homemade hummus and black bean chips that seems like the geek of all foods in our minds, and as we eat it we're like: "I LOVE HUMMUS! WHY IS THERE NOT MORE HUMMUS IN MY LIFE!" We are funny creatures; and we will probably always crave the 'bad' choice, love making the 'bad' choice, beat ourselves up over it and then move on to our victorious 'healthy' food choices that we refuse to love as deeply. Therefore, Mark Twain... we love you and agree with you.
His photo and quote can be seen here.
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PRAYER REQUESTS
Please feel free to email me privately any prayer requests you may have.
I will/do pray for you.
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