Hello Ladies!
This post is to serve as an invitation for a The Word at Shaw Girls Night Out at St. Louis Art Museum. It has been a while since our last get together, and we are excited about setting up a new opportunity for spending time to get to know each other better!
We would like to meet at St. Louis Art Museum at 7pm, Friday, May 14th. The Art Museum is FREE, so there will be no cost involved. You can click here for the Museum webpage, and here for the directions. And while I'm being so helpful, you can also click here for google maps and add this address: 1 Fine Arts Drive, St. Louis, MO 63110 for a location and directions. The Art Museum closes at 9 pm, so we can spend two hours enjoying the art AND each other's company.
Now, we do recognize that there are mom's in our group who will need to get child care in order to attend, and if this is simply not possible for you, don't worry! We will be planning more events, some of which will be more mom friendly. Over the course of time, we would like to offer a wide variety of opportunities for us to get to know each other. That said, as a mom myself, I know from personal experience that time away from the kiddos is healthy for both you and them, so please, be encouraged to join us if at all possible!
And now for a few more housekeeping details. Part of the purpose of this little blog is not only to encourage you spiritually, but it is also to help you connect with other ladies in the church. So, please leave comments as often as possible! To jump start this a little bit, please RSVP to our Girls Night Out event by commenting on this blog post. If you are reading this in your email, you can click here to get to the blog.
I am very much looking forward to what God has in store for our time together!
With much love,
Eva
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
In-Between
"When Jesus had tasted it, He said, 'It is Finished!' Then He bowed His head and gave up His spirit."
John 19:30
Talk about famous last words! Contemplating Jesus' last hours on earth produces a genuine heartache. Yet I think it is important to be willing to go there. I look forward to the celebration of Christ's resurrection on Easter Sunday. It is the climax of the most beautiful story ever told, and retold for a couple thousand years now. A true story which can lead to belief and possibly, the salvation of anyone willing to cross that spiritual line. The ultimate life-changing story.
But celebrating Easter without acknowledging Good Friday would strip our Christian faith of meaning. So on Good Friday I meditate on all that Jesus experienced in those last hours, leading to the moment when He gave up His spirit.The human ache of those whom He loved fleeing for their lives, the physically excruciating pain, the sorrow of seeing His mother's pain as she witnessed His beating, torture and crucifixion. I try to wrap my mind around the flight of 10 of the remaining disiples from his side during those last hours; the fear they felt, the deep pain of running away from their beloved teacher and Savior. It is even more difficult to understand the actions of Christ's youngest disciple, John who stayed until the end.
Scripture calls him, " ...the one whom Jesus loved".
Following Good Friday, preceding Easter Sunday is that in-between Saturday. The hurt of Friday's contemplation is behind. Yet it is too soon for Easter Sunday's celebratory elation. I know sometimes this
in-between day is used to do laundry, run errands, iron that Easter dress, dye those eggs, not to mention the weekly Saturday activities we all take part in.
While these necessary or chosen activities are fine, I want to take time between to acknowledge this in- between day, and the in-between feelings Christ's chosen disciples might have endured the day after his crucifixion.
Hiding from authorities, considering all they had been through with their Messiah in the time in-between meeting Him and seeing Him arrested by some soldiers.Thoughts vascillating between all the miracles they had witnessed, words their friend and Messiah had spoken to them personally and to the throngs of followers every where they travelled, and the absolute terror of seeing their Lord taken away. The confusion they must have experienced while hiding, fearing for their own lives. The guilt of having fled the One they openly swore loyalty to.
Christ's other followers must have endured their own set of feelings in-between. The desire to believe in the teacher they'd come to know as a miracle worker and Savior crushed between wondering what was going on, where those twelve guys who were always with the Christ were, and if they knew anything.
What about John and the mother Christ gave to him from the cross? His own mother, Mary. What did they think about on that Saturday? How much more heartache did they feel having seen Jesus in that last moment before he fulfilled scripture and died.
What did all those who had witnessed Christ's arrest, trial, beating and crucifixion think about on that Saturday? Were they going about the day's work, while questioning what they had seen versus all they had heard about this Jesus prior to the events of that Friday?
And what of those who participated in some way? What were the thoughts of the soldiers tasked with arresting Christ? Or those who shouted "free Barabbas!"? Those who beat Him? Nailed him to the Cross?
The one who pierced His side with a spear?
Imagine all these people and their thoughts coexisting the day after Jesus' death. It was Sabbath day for the Jewish citizens. A day of rest would have provided a lot of time to think about all that had ocurred the day before. For those of other faiths and ethnicities it was another day of work and errands.Were the women quiet when they went to the well to gather needed water? Did they long to speak about this living water they had heard rumors of, holding back conversation out of fear? In between the days duties, did the Roman soldiers discuss Friday's events? Or the one of their number who had proclaimed, "Surely this man was innocent."
(Luke 23:47)
I challenge you, Soul Sisters, to take today and contemplate that Saturday in-between all those years ago. Feel the void that existed in hearts of followers on that day; the confusion, fear, wonder, ache.
Let us know how that goes, what you take away from thinking on In-Between.
You can share your thoughts by commenting on this post.
Blessings-
Lorilise
John 19:30
Talk about famous last words! Contemplating Jesus' last hours on earth produces a genuine heartache. Yet I think it is important to be willing to go there. I look forward to the celebration of Christ's resurrection on Easter Sunday. It is the climax of the most beautiful story ever told, and retold for a couple thousand years now. A true story which can lead to belief and possibly, the salvation of anyone willing to cross that spiritual line. The ultimate life-changing story.
But celebrating Easter without acknowledging Good Friday would strip our Christian faith of meaning. So on Good Friday I meditate on all that Jesus experienced in those last hours, leading to the moment when He gave up His spirit.The human ache of those whom He loved fleeing for their lives, the physically excruciating pain, the sorrow of seeing His mother's pain as she witnessed His beating, torture and crucifixion. I try to wrap my mind around the flight of 10 of the remaining disiples from his side during those last hours; the fear they felt, the deep pain of running away from their beloved teacher and Savior. It is even more difficult to understand the actions of Christ's youngest disciple, John who stayed until the end.
Scripture calls him, " ...the one whom Jesus loved".
Following Good Friday, preceding Easter Sunday is that in-between Saturday. The hurt of Friday's contemplation is behind. Yet it is too soon for Easter Sunday's celebratory elation. I know sometimes this
in-between day is used to do laundry, run errands, iron that Easter dress, dye those eggs, not to mention the weekly Saturday activities we all take part in.
While these necessary or chosen activities are fine, I want to take time between to acknowledge this in- between day, and the in-between feelings Christ's chosen disciples might have endured the day after his crucifixion.
Hiding from authorities, considering all they had been through with their Messiah in the time in-between meeting Him and seeing Him arrested by some soldiers.Thoughts vascillating between all the miracles they had witnessed, words their friend and Messiah had spoken to them personally and to the throngs of followers every where they travelled, and the absolute terror of seeing their Lord taken away. The confusion they must have experienced while hiding, fearing for their own lives. The guilt of having fled the One they openly swore loyalty to.
Christ's other followers must have endured their own set of feelings in-between. The desire to believe in the teacher they'd come to know as a miracle worker and Savior crushed between wondering what was going on, where those twelve guys who were always with the Christ were, and if they knew anything.
What about John and the mother Christ gave to him from the cross? His own mother, Mary. What did they think about on that Saturday? How much more heartache did they feel having seen Jesus in that last moment before he fulfilled scripture and died.
What did all those who had witnessed Christ's arrest, trial, beating and crucifixion think about on that Saturday? Were they going about the day's work, while questioning what they had seen versus all they had heard about this Jesus prior to the events of that Friday?
And what of those who participated in some way? What were the thoughts of the soldiers tasked with arresting Christ? Or those who shouted "free Barabbas!"? Those who beat Him? Nailed him to the Cross?
The one who pierced His side with a spear?
Imagine all these people and their thoughts coexisting the day after Jesus' death. It was Sabbath day for the Jewish citizens. A day of rest would have provided a lot of time to think about all that had ocurred the day before. For those of other faiths and ethnicities it was another day of work and errands.Were the women quiet when they went to the well to gather needed water? Did they long to speak about this living water they had heard rumors of, holding back conversation out of fear? In between the days duties, did the Roman soldiers discuss Friday's events? Or the one of their number who had proclaimed, "Surely this man was innocent."
(Luke 23:47)
I challenge you, Soul Sisters, to take today and contemplate that Saturday in-between all those years ago. Feel the void that existed in hearts of followers on that day; the confusion, fear, wonder, ache.
Let us know how that goes, what you take away from thinking on In-Between.
You can share your thoughts by commenting on this post.
Blessings-
Lorilise
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
My Story
I thought I would share a little about my life with you ladies today. I know I don't know many of you very well, and if you know me as well as I know you, well...that's just not good enough! : ) So, here goes.
I was born in Texas in 1980 to a Mexican-American family. My father is a pastor and my mother is the daughter of foreign missionaries. I think being in the ministry runs in my blood- if such a thing were possible! I wish I could say that my childhood was happy and easy, but it wasn't. My dad was gone a lot and my mom always seemed weary and reserved. My mom's degree was in secondary education, but after being a stay at home mom for fourteen years, she decided to go back to college and get her nursing degree. This profoundly affected me because much of her domestic load fell to me. Suddenly, I was cooking, cleaning, and washing more than I had ever been expected to do before. I was often responsible for my younger brother and sister. For different reasons, I felt like I could never do enough. Everyday, I remember thinking, "If I just try harder, I'll be able to get it all done. If I just try harder, I'll be able to do a better job." But no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't seem to do enough.
When my senior year of high school came around, I decided to attend John Brown University in Siloam Springs, AR where I double majored in piano and vocal performance. That's where Harry came into the picture. He was my first boyfriend! I had always been very focused on my studies and my music, but Harry showed me how fun just hanging out could be. But then something really interesting happened, as we got more involved I found myself facing an identity crisis. I had always thought I would be a missionary because I viewed this as the highest sacrifice a Christian could make. Maybe deep down inside I thought that then I would finally be good enough. But Harry wasn't interested in missions the way I was. But I was interested in him! In a way, I felt like I was choosing Harry over God. This wasn't true, of course, but I couldn't get past this idea in my mind. This crisis and some other situations triggered a deep depression in my life. For almost four years I hardly knew which way was up. Harry stood by me the whole time. There were times when I just wanted to give up. I felt abandoned by God; I remember wishing I could walk away from Christianity and never look back. After Brisa was born I learned that there was a psychological component to my depression and I went on anti-depressants and started going to counseling. I slowly started to come out of my depression. It has been a few years now since I last struggled with depression, and I am so happy to say that I feel like myself again. I'm not the same, but I'm still me- a better me.
I don't think I can really condense my life story and purpose into three paragraphs, but I will say this. The most important thing I've learned is that I don't have to earn God's love. I will never be able to gain God's favor based on the things I do, no matter how wonderful, or sacrificial they may seem. I will never be good enough to win His acceptance. And that is so freeing! Because now I see that instead of struggling to be "good enough,"I can rest on Jesus' work. Jesus is "good enough." He is so much more than "good enough!" He is perfection! I am so glad that God accepts Jesus' life and Jesus' work on my behalf!
Ladies, I will leave you with a question. Can you think of ways that you still try to earn God's love? Romans 5:1 reminds us, "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Just to give you a fresh perspective on this verse, I would like to also give it to you in a different version- The Message. Check this out.
"By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us- set us right with Him, make us fit for Him- we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that's not all. We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that He has already thrown open His door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand- out in the wide open spaces of God's grace and glory standing tall and shouting His praise."
I was born in Texas in 1980 to a Mexican-American family. My father is a pastor and my mother is the daughter of foreign missionaries. I think being in the ministry runs in my blood- if such a thing were possible! I wish I could say that my childhood was happy and easy, but it wasn't. My dad was gone a lot and my mom always seemed weary and reserved. My mom's degree was in secondary education, but after being a stay at home mom for fourteen years, she decided to go back to college and get her nursing degree. This profoundly affected me because much of her domestic load fell to me. Suddenly, I was cooking, cleaning, and washing more than I had ever been expected to do before. I was often responsible for my younger brother and sister. For different reasons, I felt like I could never do enough. Everyday, I remember thinking, "If I just try harder, I'll be able to get it all done. If I just try harder, I'll be able to do a better job." But no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't seem to do enough.
When my senior year of high school came around, I decided to attend John Brown University in Siloam Springs, AR where I double majored in piano and vocal performance. That's where Harry came into the picture. He was my first boyfriend! I had always been very focused on my studies and my music, but Harry showed me how fun just hanging out could be. But then something really interesting happened, as we got more involved I found myself facing an identity crisis. I had always thought I would be a missionary because I viewed this as the highest sacrifice a Christian could make. Maybe deep down inside I thought that then I would finally be good enough. But Harry wasn't interested in missions the way I was. But I was interested in him! In a way, I felt like I was choosing Harry over God. This wasn't true, of course, but I couldn't get past this idea in my mind. This crisis and some other situations triggered a deep depression in my life. For almost four years I hardly knew which way was up. Harry stood by me the whole time. There were times when I just wanted to give up. I felt abandoned by God; I remember wishing I could walk away from Christianity and never look back. After Brisa was born I learned that there was a psychological component to my depression and I went on anti-depressants and started going to counseling. I slowly started to come out of my depression. It has been a few years now since I last struggled with depression, and I am so happy to say that I feel like myself again. I'm not the same, but I'm still me- a better me.
I don't think I can really condense my life story and purpose into three paragraphs, but I will say this. The most important thing I've learned is that I don't have to earn God's love. I will never be able to gain God's favor based on the things I do, no matter how wonderful, or sacrificial they may seem. I will never be good enough to win His acceptance. And that is so freeing! Because now I see that instead of struggling to be "good enough,"I can rest on Jesus' work. Jesus is "good enough." He is so much more than "good enough!" He is perfection! I am so glad that God accepts Jesus' life and Jesus' work on my behalf!
Ladies, I will leave you with a question. Can you think of ways that you still try to earn God's love? Romans 5:1 reminds us, "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Just to give you a fresh perspective on this verse, I would like to also give it to you in a different version- The Message. Check this out.
"By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us- set us right with Him, make us fit for Him- we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that's not all. We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that He has already thrown open His door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand- out in the wide open spaces of God's grace and glory standing tall and shouting His praise."
Saturday, April 2, 2011
A Good Fit
I didn’t always fit in as a curly-haired redhead during my childhood lived out in a sea of blondes with shiny, straight hair. My classmates all had their Marcia Brady hair going on. Mine was more like Pippi Longstocking’s. I was also a tree-climbing, football-throwing, army-playing tomboy. The guys always made me an Axis soldier. (I’m still kinda ticked about that). Nonetheless, I felt more comfortable as an Axis soldier with the guys in the neighborhood than playing Barbie with the girls. At night I read Nancy Drew Mysteries. She solved the case every time and could best her boyfriend, Ned in any foot race so I overlooked all the dresses she wore.
In high school I wore painter’s pants while the other girls were in Jordache jeans. I didn’t vary the attire too terribly much for college. Fortunately my husband, Keith liked my tomboy ways and wardrobe. I did wear a dress for my wedding, and do occasionally enjoy dressing up. But mostly I am comfortable in jeans and tee shirts.
When Keith and I first moved to Missouri, one aspect of his job was manning a booth for the Freeway Foundation at Christian expos and conferences. I liked to go with him because it beat being apart. We were at the Annual Baptist Conference that year. I was in a cream tank dress with a matching long jacket. I had even put on the dreaded hose and heels. Halfway through the first day I was approached by a woman who happens to be married to a well known Christian radio host. Her entire appearance was the stuff of magazine covers. She was beautiful, elegant, and extremely well-spoken A Glam-Gal, as my mom used to say. She asked if she could speak to me privately during the break. I said yes.
Keith asked what she had said, and after I relayed as much, he said, “Hmm. Wonder what that’s about?”
I responded, “Maybe my pantyhose aren’t Baptist enough, and she was elected to tell me.” I was joking. Sort of. I did spend the next 35 minutes analyzing my wardrobe, my hair, everything I had said since arriving that day, and yes, my pantyhose.
When we finally sat down together, she mentioned that she knew that I had a step-daughter, and that her own daughter was about to marry a man with children from a previous marriage. She wondered what would be a good way to support her daughter in this, and if I would mind being available to speak with her daughter as she navigated familial waters I had already traversed.
Here was a woman whom I normally wouldn’t find myself in deep conversation with, reaching out to me, because of her great love for her daughter. She didn’t say a word about my pantyhose. We became friends, and I was happy to converse with her daughter on a few occasions to offer support.
One of our goals both for this devotional blog and for Women’s Ministries at The Word is to provide opportunities for women to develop friendships with women they might not normally interact with. We have some tomboys in our midst, some glam-gals, and many other types of women. We have far more in common than we might first believe. A desire to know and serve God is a great place to start.
My friend Debra Gray studies Greek. She sent several translations for words Eva Walls and I came up with as possible names for The Word’s Women’s Ministries. One of my favorites is Meta. (Pronounced “meh-tah”) it means companionship in the midst of others. I love that. I hope that despite differing backgrounds, seasons of life, and locations on our spiritual walks that we can have true Meta.
My challenge for you this week is to approach that woman you wouldn’t think you would fit with; someone who looks different from you, is at a different age, is a tomboy if you are a glam-gal and vice versa. Be uncomfortable for just a few moments. Reach out. You might discover a friend.
Let me leave you with this verse from James 2:1 “My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?”
Let’s focus on loving all and having Meta this week.
Blessings,
Lorilise Scarborough
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