Pursued 
Today’s Truth
My lover spoke and said to me, “Arise my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me” (Song of Songs 2:10, NIV)
Friend to Friend
I was in college when I first eyed my husband. He was sitting on the floor at a friend’s Bible study gathering with his back against the wall, dressed in scruffy jeans and a red flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled halfway up his muscular forearms. His thick brown hair and chocolate-brown eyes left me weak in the knees. And the best part was that this handsome hunk of a man had a tattered Bible in his lap. He laughed easily, prayed humbly, and read intently. I was smitten from the first time I laid eyes on Steve.
After a few weeks, he finally asked me out on a date. We continued seeing each other over the next several weeks, but I was still accepting invitations from others as well. One night, Steve asked me to a college football game, and I agreed to go. Then he said, “Can I just ask you? Will you go with me to all of the football games for the rest of the year?”
“I’m not going to answer that question,” I replied. “You’ll just have to ask me each week.”
Looking back on those early days, what I was really saying was that I wanted to be pursued. None of this blanket invitation for the entire fall business. I wanted to be wooed and won. Even though he had me the moment I saw him sitting on the shag carpet floor, I didn’t want him to know that. I wanted him to show me I was worth putting forth the effort to capture my heart. Isn’t that the desire of every woman’s heart?
And nobody does it better than God.
I love what Simon Tugwell once said: “So long as we imagine it is we who have to look for God, we must often lose heart. But it is the other way about. He is looking for us.”
Oh friend, God has pursued and continues to pursue you every day. A sunset. A dandelion growing through a crack in a concrete sidewalk. A favorite song on the radio. He is pursuing you like a love-struck beau. Pay attention and enjoy His advances as He pursues you today.
Let’s Pray
Dear Lord, I swoon thinking of how you pursue me. Me, one so unworthy of Your advances. Help me to recognize Your love notes throughout the day. I am my beloved’s and He is mine.
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Today, consider reading the story of the Samaritan woman that Jesus met at the well (John 4:1-26, 39-42). Look at the great lengths he went to to pursue her heart.
Remember, this was a time in history when men did not speak to women in public. Jews did not enter Samaria. Women were not allowed to study under a rabbi’s teaching. And here’s another tidbit. This was the first person that Jesus told that He was the Messiah.
This was taken from www.girlfriendsinGod.com daily devotion, written by Sharon Jaynes, www.sharonjanes.com.
DEPRESSION 
comes 
with 
many 
faces.
Coming Out of the Dark by Mary Southerland
Children are wonderfully different. When our son, Jered, was nine months old, he began to pull up on every piece of furniture he could find. For weeks, he maneuvered his way around our home until the day he took his first step alone. It was a step of inches, but we celebrated as if he had completed a marathon. On the other hand, our daughter, Danna, had a different plan. She never pulled up on a piece of furniture and never took “a” step. When she was ten months old, she stood up, looked around and trotted across the room. Jered and Danna both walk extremely well today as teenagers, but they both began with tiny steps and in their own way. Nobody gets depressed overnight and nobody overcomes depression overnight. The journey out of the pit is a process of steps uniquely planned by your Father. Let’s look at some of the steps we must take in order to find our way out of the dark.
1. Wait. The psalmist simply says, “I waited.” Waiting is not passive. Waiting is a time of preparation, a time of rest and healing, a time when God covers us with the shadow of his wing.
• To wait means to accept the pit. Isaiah 45:3 is a compelling verse, “I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.” Any time the word, “LORD” is capitalized, it means “Father. This verse indicates that our Father has gone before us and, in every dark moment or painful circumstance, has buried a treasure or stored a secret. The only way we can find the treasure or learn the secret is to pass through that darkness. Some things cannot be learned in the light. The pit of depression has become a hedge of protection in my life, a warning light that something is wrong, or out of balance! To wait means to accept the pit, knowing it is for our good.
• To wait means to admit there is a problem. Isaiah 40:29 “He gives power to the tired and worn out, and strength to the weak.” We must be willing to admit we are struggling but pride often prevents us from doing so. Emotional health begins at the point of emotional integrity, being willing to say “I need help!” and being honest with ourselves and with others. When clinical depression overwhelmed my life, my husband, Dan, was pasturing a church in South Florida. We could choose to be transparent and real or we could sweep my struggle under the rug. We concluded that in order to be right, we had to be real. Dan and I shared my battle with the staff, the deacons and then with the entire church. Yes, we took a risk but learned an important lesson in doing so. A shared load is a lighter load. We were created to need each other.
• To wait means to be still. “I waited …”To wait means to hope in and look for someone or something who will rescue us. So much about God can never be known on the run. We can get so wrapped up in ministry that we fail to be wrapped up in Him. The busier we are, the more stillness and rest we need. During those two years in the pit, I not only gave up every role of leadership in church, I could not even attend church at times because of panic attacks. The Father taught me an important truth. He is more concerned with who I am than what I do.
2. Cry out for help. Psalm 40:1 “I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry.” People struggling with depression often look for help in the wrong places. Let me share with you some of the right places.
• God stands waiting to hear your voice; and when you cry out to Him, He comes running – through His Word, through prayer and through His people. There was a terrible storm and the little girl was afraid. When she cried out in fear, her father came running down the hall, into the bedroom and scooped her up in his arms as he said, “Honey, God will take care of you.” The tearful child replied, “I know God loves me and will take care of me but right now, I need somebody with skin on.”
• Doctors and Counselors Proverbs 15: 22 gives us an important truth when it says, “Plans go wrong with too few counselors; many counselors bring success.” I encourage anyone experiencing depression to get a physical because depression is often rooted in a physical problem, requiring medication. The medication does not eliminate the depression but simply levels the playing field so that you can deal with the issues that landed you in that pit. Christian counseling is a gift from God. He knew we would need them.
• Others 1 Thessalonians 5:11 instructs us to “encourage each other and give each other strength.” I would never have survived the pit of clinical depression without the help and encouragement of family and friends. Members of our church brought meals, cleaned house and helped take care of our kids. The deacons were guardian angels at church and other women took my place in leadership. I would not be standing here today if it were not for these people who helped rescue me from the pit of depression. Has it affected their opinion of me? Yes! It has shown them that I am just like them and gave them permission to face their own weaknesses. You may be thinking, “I have no one in my life that will help me.” If you cry out to God, He will bring you help.
3. Count on God to come through. One of the promises I clung to while sitting in the darkness of depression was Psalm 107:13-14. “Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness and the deepest gloom and broke away their chains.” The Psalmist promises that when we cry out to God, He will:
• “lift you up out of the slimy pit”
• “set your feet on a rock”
• “give you a new place to stand”
• “put a new song in your heart”
• “use your pit so that others will “see and trust God”
God is drawn to broken people. Psalm 40:1 says “He turned to me.” Notice it does not say David turned to God. Honestly, I doubt David had the strength to turn to God – so God turned to him. God heard the cry of David and he will hear yours. I was angry at God but he never turned away from me. Instead, he surrounded me with his love and compassion and as Psalm 56:8 promises, he knew every tear I cried. “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.” You can count on God to come through.
4. Be patient. “I waited patiently for the Lord.” The word, “patiently” means “without tiring and with perseverance”. To come out of the darkness takes time and requires patience. It took me many years to hit rock bottom. It took me two years to climb out of that pit and I am still climbing. Yes, I still battle depression from time to time. I have asked God to deliver me but he has said, “No.” Do you know what my name, Mary, means - bitter, but when broken, sweet. Depression keeps me broken and anything that makes us cry out to God can be counted as a blessing. When we come to the end of ourselves, God begins. The story is told of a little boy who was walking home when he spotted a caterpillar struggling to get out of its cocoon. Feeling sorry for the helpless creature, the little boy ran home, grabbed a pair of scissors and ran back to cut the caterpillar free. He watched it spread its wings and try to fly, only to discover that it couldn’t. It is in the struggle out of the darkness of the cocoon that the butterfly’s wings gain enough strength to fly. Be patient. I don’t know if you are in a pit and need help or if someone you love is in that pit and you need to help them but one thing I do know. The purpose of the pit is to purify and then restore. Right now, surrender the broken pieces of your life to God and watch as he brings you out of the dark. Do not quit! Do not quit! God is at work in your life. Philippians 1:6 “And I am sure that God who began the good work within you will keep right on helping you grow in his grace until his task within you is finally finished on that day when Jesus Christ returns.”
Mary Southerland
Web: www.marysoutherland.com
E-mail: mary@marysoutherland.com
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Woman Haters By Nicole Unice
It was a chic bistro with gourmet sandwiches, and it was a lunch I looked forward to all week. I had the chance to sit with a trio of smart, influential, successful women in ministry. I was eager to share, to learn, to be encouraged. We talked about changing our churches and changing the world. The conversation turned to friendships, and then, this statement:
"Well, I don't really like women."
I've heard this said more times than I can count. And worse: I'm guilty of saying it myself. Between the delicious food and stimulating conversation, I found my palate sour.
Who but us women, I marveled to myself, can actually destroy from within.
The statement itself is ludicrous. What other species on this earth claims to not like themselves? Can you imagine a similar lunch experience with four men, where one of them exclaims, "I don't really like men?"
And so I disturbed the calm and asked, "What do you mean about not liking women?" We agreed that when we say "women" we mean a certain kind of woman, and we let that kind of woman dominate our understanding of the gender.
When I've said "I don't like women," what I've meant is that I don't like women who choose the superficial over the authentic. I don't like women who try to control those around them. I don't like women who are so wracked by comparison and envy that they spend their energy cutting others down to pull themselves up.
But I don't like men like that either.
Why would I, a woman, choose to distance myself from my own gender? Perhaps it's because I recognize how I'm sometimes like the women I dislike. Maybe it's because I'm ashamed of women like this and don't want to be classified as the same. I also know that I'm resentful of women who've led in unhealthy ways before me, leaving a path of destruction that has made it hard for me to find my way. But maybe, more than anything, I've slowly allowed this crazy worldview of women to creep into my own; I've seen that woman equals weakness and I'd rather not be associated with that thankyouverymuch.
These woman-hating statements are not far from a similar one: "I hate women's ministry." I doubt any woman thinks that actually ministering to women is wrong or bad or outdated (Jesus ministered to plenty). It's that we've allowed the conversation about "women's ministry" to be dominated by scathing critiques of knitting circles, beauty treatments and superficiality.
But as the conversation at lunch continued, the eldest at the table pointed out that good and kind women's ministries have ministered faithfully for decades. That the women who lead them (crafts aside!) have stalwartly carried churches on their backs while simultaneously serving their husbands, their families, their volunteer roles, their schools. That some of these women have saved souls, saved marriages, saved men.
Yet we allow our concept of "women" and "women's ministry" to be defined by a warped view. We women often allow that to continue, perhaps even perpetuate it.
The unspoken assumption during lunch between us women in ministry was that when we say "we don't like women" or we "hate women's ministry," we exclude ourselves from the entire category. My heart ached in that moment, when I realized I was very close to turning into the exact kind of woman I want to distance myself from.
I don't have the answers. But I do know that there's something fundamentally wrong with being a woman and a "woman hater." It doesn't honor one another or God nor does it encourage one another to live out our influence.
Can you relate?
Nicole Unice is a woman on a mission to bring others to confidence and daily faith in God and his Word. She is the author of She's Got Issues, (Tyndale) releasing in May 2012 and work in student and family ministry at Hope Church in Richmond, VA. Find out more about her writing, speaking and musings on life, motherhood, ministry and God at her website or connect with her on Facebook or Twitter.
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Women’s Ministries Discussions on FaceBook
The Women’s Ministries General Council will use Nazarene Women’s Network (NWN) on FaceBook as a means of training and networking district and local leaders. Members of the General Council will lead a discussion of specific topics by posting questions, providing helpful information, and offering practical suggestions. NWN members are invited to share comments and input. To join these discussion gatherings, join Nazarene Women’s Network and then click on the Discussion tab.
Mor2Lif video Women's Bible Studies - Designed for you!
To download the videos and leader’s and participant’s materials, please visit www.mor2lif.nazarene.org. An additional DVD of the six video sessions is available for the cost of shipping and handling and can be ordered from the website.
Designed for young women, Mor2Lif addresses real life issue, guides participants to search the Bible for answers, and helps them apply the answers to daily life. Topics in this series are relationships, communications, conflict, work, sexuality, and forgiveness.
This series provides informative, biblical based and Wesleyan-rooted studies. The videos feature real-life conversations and circumstances designed to initiate discussions that naturally flow into a search for biblical answers and Christlike applications. The resources on the Mor2Lif website can be downloaded for free. However, your donation will help to fund future projects.
John Comstock, CLT Coordinator, Church of the Nazarene
Toll Free: 888-243-2767, Direct: 913-577-2811, E-mail: discipleshipplace@nazarene.org, Web: www.DiscipleshipPlace.org
Amazing Outreach Idea for Your Women's Ministry |
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Greetings from Linda Hardin
Hello Women's Ministries Directors, By mid-summer, I’ll be forwarding information about exciting new Mor2Lif Bible Study video series designed for young women. All materials will be downloaded from the Mor2Lif web site. The first of the series is topical and addresses relationships, communication, conflict, forgiveness, work, and sexuality. Each lesson has an 8-12 minute video to stimulate discussion. Then we look at what the Bible says, how it affects daily life, and how to implement new information.
I want to remind you of the Women’s Ministries web site and to draw your attention to some items.
Informative articles at http://www.nazarene.org/ministries/ssm/adult/women/articles/display.aspx
Resources at http://www.nazarene.org/ministries/ssm/adult/women/resources/display.aspx
Ministry Musings (ideas for emphasis throughout the year) at http://www.nazarene.org/ministries/ssm/adult/women/ministrymusings/display.aspx
Protecting our children from pornography at http://www.nazarene.org/ministries/ssm/adult/women/icare/display.aspx
Resourcing public school teachers at http://www.nazarene.org/ministries/ssm/adult/women/gateway/display.aspx
Linda G. Hardin, DMin., General Coordinator, Single Adult Ministries, Women's Ministries, Young Adult Ministries, Global Ministry Center, 17001 Prairie Star Parkway, Lenexa, KS 66220
Contact Linda: 913-577-2814, 913-577-0500--switchboard, 913-577-0871--fax, 877-240-2417--toll free
Conference Call Schedule: 6 PM Central Time |
Dial 218-339-2500 and enter access number 233342#. |
January 12, 2012 Leading Bible Studies/Small Groups - Linda Watson |
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Women's Ministry Speakers from Northeast Indiana
Joyce Poppelmeyer - memep3@verison.net
Rev. Laura A. High - lah1464@yahoo.com
Kim Stiefel - soarhigherministry@gmail.com
Twice Blessed - Click here for Informational Flyer
If you... or someone you know is being used by God to encourage others, we would love to serve as a resource by helping connect ministers to local churches across NEI District. Just send your biographical information to me, Cheryl, cdroland@juno.com.
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Linda G. Hardin, General Coordinator, Women's Ministries
Below are links to some suggestions that may assist in your ministry.
For information about Wake Up, Deborah, the ministry calling women to pray for children, go to http://wakeupdeborah.blogspot.com/
Myriam Pozzi, the Womens’ Ministries Coordinator for the South America region, has some resources in Spanish at http://ministerioalamujersam.blogspot.com/. I thought they might be helpful in you have if you have Spanish-speaking churches on your district or in your area.
Gateway to Better education at http://www.gthe.org/ provides resources for parents and teachers to maintain a Christian presence in public school systems. There is information to help teachers incorporate Christmas into the curriculum.
Ministry Suggestions—http://www.nazarene.org/files/docs/2009MonthlyMusingPosted.doc and http://www.nazarene.org/ministries/ssm/adult/women/display.aspx
Remember you can also find information about Women’s Ministries at http://www.nazarene.org/ministries/ssm/adult/women/display.aspx.
| Women's Ministry Surveys shouldn't be overwhelming... Using a Women's Ministry Survey in your church or group is a great way to find out what the ladies want on an individual basis. These surveys can be great tools to gather information that you need when planning out your women's ministry year and gearing activities and events to fit the needs of your entire group. Women's Ministry Surveys shouldn't be overwhelming. You don't want it to be a chore or something dreaded to fill out. If you have a lot of questions with lists such as preferred topics for bible study or something like that, you may want to put that on a form all by itself and hand it out at a different time. A good time to conduct a survey is a few weeks before your first women's ministry planning or brainstorming session. When setting the deadline to turn the surveys in, make sure to allow the ladies enough time to fill it out completely and really think through what they desire in the women's ministry program within your church. |
The Intentional Woman
Author Unknown
The Intentional Woman is one who makes every experience, every moment, and every opportunity count. She is definitely someone who takes seriously the value of each day she is given life and desires to live it to the max. In Ephesians 5:17 (The Message) we are admonished, “Don’t live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the Master wants.” We devalue ourselves with so many endeavors as women. We have to stop and consider what the Master want us to do with our time and energy. What are the most important areas we should focus on and be intentional about in our lives? A healthy balance can be maintained as we intentionally invest our time and effort in the six basic life domains. If we overlook any one of them, we diminish our potential to be a godly influence.
Be Intentional about Christ
Is your personal relationship with Christ a priority in your life? Do you set aside time each day talking to Him in prayer and allowing Him to speak to you through reading His Word, and carefully listening to what He is saying to your spirit? We can’t be guessing what God wants; we have to communicate with Him. Without relationship, all we have is a set of rules and directions. But, once we are comfortable enough and close enough to hear God’s heart, we can confidently proceed with every other area of our lives, knowing that He will guide us to success for His name’s sake.
Be Intentional about Your Life
It is so important for us to take time to find out who we are. Discover your history, your personality, your giftedness and how all of them affect who you are and how you relate to others. Learning about ourselves will enable us to develop healthy relationships and be productive. Once we apply God’s love and grace to our story, we can visualize His divine design for our lives and begin to understand our purpose. God wants to take your life experience and use it to encourage others in their personal pursuit of faith. As you continually grow personally and develop in your relationship with God and understanding of His Word, opportunities for influence will naturally emerge in the following life domains.
Be Intentional about Your Family
Although it is great to be blessed with many friends, you are only given one family. Unfortunately, we too often recognize the value of family after so much time has passed and our opportunity for influence is gone. So often we choose to distance ourselves from family due to differences of life style, faith, political views or values. However, when we are faced with mortality and preparation for eternity, connecting with family becomes urgent and sometimes too late. Unresolved history and wounds are often the cause for separation, but through our own personal journey to wholeness in Christ, we can find healing and the ability to forgive. I urge you to be intentional about your family relationships while you can.
Be Intentional about Your Church
We can easily access spiritual growth opportunities through the Internet, from a bookstore or on the TV. With our busy lifestyles, we can make choices to meet our spiritual needs on the fly. However, consistently participating and being involved with a local church family provides the greatest source of spiritual growth opportunities for our families. A church community is a healthy setting for relationships to develop on all age levels. Mentorship, accountability and friendship are available for the entire family with people that share your values and spiritual pursuits. Be intentional about connecting with a local church and actively, consistently participating in their services and varied ministries.
Be Intentional about Your Vocation
We have to work to live—meet our needs, feed our family, have a roof over our heads. Some choose not to work, and seek handouts; others cannot work because they need assistance. Christ taught many lessons on the honor and value of hard work which we have an opportunity to model before our children and all who watch our lives. We can do many things well; possess gifting that comes naturally and interests that spark our enthusiasm. If we intentionally follow our heart towards those areas and seek out the resources, the education needed and do our homework, we can find a place of employment and opportunity for income that is very fulfilling and rewarding. Our ultimate priority on the job, no matter where we work, should be to intentionally live out our relationship with Christ in everything we do.
Be Intentional about Your Community
This life domain is probably the one we least consider. We all fall short on an intentional game plan for actively connecting with our community. But, community involvement has the greatest potential for spiritual opportunities to personally influence individuals towards faith in Jesus Christ. The opportunities for community service are endless. Sign up, join, attend, get connected to some city, local, area committee or board and be a godly influence through relationship and service. Be intentional about eternity and the many that are not prepared for their future.
What to Pray for, beyond Physical Healing via Eternal Perspectives
(Randy Alcorn's blog) by noreply@blogger.com (Randy Alcorn) 2009
My friend Barry Arnold pastors Cornerstone Church here in Gresham, Oregon. Last year he sent an email to his church regarding prayer. It’s worth quoting: I think our prayers are unbalanced—in the direction of just physical needs. We can and should pray for people with infirmities—but it might be wise to change the emphasis of our prayers from physical healing alone to God accomplishing His purposes in and through afflictions.
Here’s a partial list of things the New Testament tells us to pray for:
Pray for people who give you a hard time (Matthew 5:43-44; Luke 6:28)
Pray for children (Matthew 19:13)
Pray for strength to endure difficult times (Luke 21:36)
Pray you will not fall into temptation (Luke 22:40)
Pray for all Christians (1 Thessalonians 5:25; Hebrews 13:18)
Pray that God's Kingdom will come and His will be done (Matthew 6:10)
Pray God will provide your daily needs (Matthew 6:11)
Pray for God's forgiveness as we forgive others (Matthew 6:12)
Pray we will not be led into temptation, but delivered from evil (Matthew 6:13)
Pray for boldness in proclaiming the gospel and for God to do miracles in people's lives (Acts 4:29-31)
Pray all the time, be alert, pray for fellow believers (Ephesians 6:18)
Pray for fearless teaching of the Word (Ephesians 6:20)
Pray to be filled with the knowledge of His will (Colossians 1:9)
Pray for open doors for the gospel (Colossians 4:3)
Pray that the Word of God may be glorified (2 Thessalonians 3:1)
Pray for deliverance from evil men (2 Thessalonians 3:2)
Pray for everyone, government leaders, peace, quiet, godliness, holiness (1 Timothy 2:1,2)
Pray for sinners to find life in Christ (1 John 5:16) Ask God for wisdom (James 1:5)
It’s hard to break habits, and we’re very much in the habit of just asking God to cure people. Here’s a suggestion: When you pray for a physical need, also include at least one of the “spiritual needs” listed above. In doing so we may begin to see physical infirmities the way God does, realizing that sometimes He heals, and many other times, for wise and holy reasons, He doesn’t.
Thursday, May 7, is the National Day of Prayer, which emphasizes the need for personal repentance and intercession for America's leaders and their families. (For more information, go to www.ndptf.org) What could be more important and more satisfying—than to set aside time to confess, give thanks to the Lord, recognize His greatness, intercede for others, open His Word and seek after God? God's greatest works, accomplished through prayer, are often invisible to us for now. (What's visible to us, except in rare moments of clarity, are not God's greatest works.) We pray now in faith, believing our prayers are making an eternal difference; we anticipate heaven, where we'll learn God's breathtaking answers to our prayers, including many that seemed unheard and ignored. There is no greater ministry, no higher calling, no better investment than prayer. Randy Alcorn
aletha@cometothefire.org
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http://women.nazarene.org
Women's Ministry Handbook for Leaders
To Those Who Are Raising Girls and For Those Who Husbands are not Believers
by Linda Hardin
FAITH ... Partners in Prayer, A Call to Corporate Prayer
FUN... Creative Ideas for Effective Outreach
FACT... Good Leadership, Know Your Purpose, Mission, Goals & Objectives
Prepared by Cheryl Roland, District WM Director
"Sextortion" Newest Trap for Teens on The Internet |