Retreat

I'm thrilled about the StoneBridge women's retreat coming up in March. To be honest, I'm usually excited about something. I'm like one of those yip-yappy dogs nipping at your heels, so excited to see you. And a lot of the time what I am thrilled about is God's work in and through the people of StoneBridge.

As prayer coordinator for Vine Life, I have been praying about the women's retreat for a few months. As a member of the Vine Life leadership team, I have heard about the preparation already well underway. With some of the leadership team, I visited Ridgecrest Conference Center in July to check it out; it's a wonderful place to get away!

But it's as an individual woman I am most excited about the retreat. I have been on three StoneBridge women's retreats in the seven years I have been at church. I have loved every one of them! I have talked with women whose counsel I sorely needed and didn't even realize it. I have laughed till I cried playing board games. I have soaked in truth from the speakers and then discussed those ideas in small groups. I have shopped, taken naps, and praised God in song. I have seen women comfort others who are hurting. I have spent desperately needed time alone praying and crying out to God. I have met new friends and reconnected with old ones. I have consistently left retreats thinking "My cup runneth over."

My heart yearns for you to experience all of that! The women's retreats have been highlights of my time at StoneBridge. I am excited to be leading prayer again for the retreat. I am praying earnestly for women to come to the retreat who never have, weren't able to before, or who were not at StoneBridge during previous retreats. Of course, I want everyone to come but if you have never experienced one of our women's retreats, my prayers are focused on YOU. Because I want you to experience the grace, the joy, the healing, and the refreshment that my sisters in Christ and I have.

If the women's retreat is not yet on your calendar, I hope you will immediately start praying! Pray about attending and pray that other women will be able to come as God intends. Come to our Vine Life prayer times and pray TOGETHER for the retreat. Pray for all the plans being worked out right now; pray for Laura Bansek, Vine Life director, and the leadership team. Pray for the army of volunteers that is needed to make this retreat happen. E-mail Laura at lbansek@carolina.rr.com if you want to help. Ask God to show you how you can support His work though this retreat. Maybe it's not your year to go, but you could support someone financially, stuff retreat packets, or cover for someone who would normally be serving at church that weekend.

We worship and serve a great, big God. And He can do great, big things! One of my consistent prayers for the retreat is that God will change the women who attend in such amazing ways that when they return home, to their neighborhoods and workplaces, Christ will impact people through them. We want the retreat to be just that for you - a retreat, a time of spiritual refreshment where you draw close to the your Savior and to your sisters in Christ. But we want even more that you leave ready to obey and honor God in all things, loving those around you.

Mark your calendar for March 15-17. Pray daily. Offer to volunteer. And watch God work!

- Kathryn

Regarding Peace

Regarding peace, C.S. Lewis says, "God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing."

Nearly forty years ago, when Steve and I were in Bible school, he worked nights at an electric insulator factory. Several of the married students worked there - full time - as well as being full-time students. I was alone many nights in a strange little country town in Western New York. The winter was snowy and our small apartment was very chilly, especially with my imagination running wild (probably a leftover from my pre-Christian days). Often, fear supplanted peace. I knew the Lord. I prayed. I read scripture. Nothing really impacted my anxiety until late one night I discovered Psalm 4:8. The Psalmist declares, "I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." His peace swept over me that night, and a new confidence in Him began to grow. I realized I could trust Him and rest in Him.

Recently, while studying peace in Philippians 4:6-9, I realized that I've been letting my reliance on God's peace slip into the background - especially as the excitement and busyness of the Christmas Season is looming. So much to worry about! Verses 7-8 promise that as we lay our anxieties and burdens at His feet, He will give us His peace. And His peace will guard our hearts. So the other day I started praying about what each day holds, paying close attention to God's peace in each activity. Not surprisingly, I changed some plans and added others. He began to direct me in unexpected ways that worked out so harmoniously that only He could have arranged the circumstances. This renewed sense of His presence and involvement in my daily life amazes and delights me - and reminds me of the real "reason for the season."

In Philippians 4:8-9, Paul encouraged the believers in Philippi with these words, "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you." (NKJV)

We are promised that the God of Peace will be with us when we walk in His ways. In his book, Maybe It's Time to Laugh Again, Chuck Swindoll offers these 3 simple exercises for staying "worry free":

1. Feed your mind on positive thoughts - Philippians 4:8
2. Focus your attention on encouraging models - Philippians 4:9a
3. Find the God of Peace in every circumstance - Philippians 4:9b

What a great way to approach this beautiful time of celebrating the incarnation of Christ. The Prince of Peace will be with us when we surrender our lives, our burdens, our thoughts and our wills to Him.
Barbara

new perspective

it's fitting that this post comes after vicki's post from last week. while she is getting used to the idea of being an empty-nester, i'm getting used to being a mom [if you want to read more about keane's entrance into the world, you'll find that story HERE].

keane is now just over a month old, and just so happens to be the cutest little boy ever [granted, i'm biased...]. see what i mean, though?

anyway, i've naturally been thinking about a lot surrounding children and parenting and family, and all of that. and while four and a half weeks of being a mom doesn't give me any great insights into parenting, there are a few things that have hit me right in the gut.

first off, having a newborn really makes me think about Jesus sacrificing everything to come to this earth as an infant. it's absolutely crazy to realize that the God of the universe was a completely helpless newborn baby. that has hit me in new ways in these last few weeks, especially in light of this christmas season.

and then there's how much i love my son. how sometimes, when i stop and really think about it, i just start crying because he's such an incredible blessing. i love him so very much - as much as i possibly can, and yet i love him so imperfectly. so how much greater is the love God has for us, undeserving as we are, because he loves us perfectly. perfectly.

in the sense of trying to understand God as father, being a parent has certainly helped. i think about how much i want what's best for my son. how much it pains me when he's in pain, how much i hope for good things for his future, and i think about how much truer all of those things are when God looks at us.

it puts the cross into better perspective. the father watching his son in so much pain, and having the ability to change it, to fix it, and yet he turned his back and forsook his son, so that we could know him as father too. it's heart-wrenching.

yet, it's that much more of a confirmation of God's love for us, and of his trustworthiness. he sees all, he knows all, and he is in complete control. so even though we cannot see or understand all of the pieces of the puzzle, he knows. and even more than i want good things for my baby boy, God wants good things for us. he wants the best things for us. and he is the only one who knows how to mold us, and grow us, and make all things work together for good in the end.

God has shown himself to me in brand new ways during my pregnancy, through keane's birth, and through this little slice of parenthood i've experienced.

i'd love to hear about experiences you've had where God has shown himself to you in brand new ways.

katie