Deeper Retreat

This past weekend a group of the older girls from both this group and the other group I lead in Belleville, gathered for a time of seeking the Lord, encouraging one another & growing intentional relationships with one another. Unfortunately, we were so busy enjoying our time with the Lord & each other that we forgot to take very many pictures! However, I've asked the girls to share a few testimonies about what God did or taught them through the retreat.

"I had such a blast at the Bright Lights retreat! Not only did it give me the opportunity to dig deeper into the relationship I have with my Lord and Savior but also with the girls around me. It was such an encouragement to spend time with other believers and learn that I'm not the only one who struggles with spending as much time with God as I should. I was challenged as we spent time learning new ways to spend time with God." - 17 year old

"I was so encouraged by the videos, encouragement groups and prayer time. I loved spending time getting to know the other girls, just knowing that we are all struggling and that we can all help each other is cool. I loved being able to spend a whole weekend in prayer and talking with or about the Lord, and also finding new ways to have a deeper relationship with Him. I was really convicted by the fact that I need to surrender my entire life to Him and let Him write my story. Also, that I need to be spending more scheduled times in prayer. I really appreciated all the times we spent in prayer in our encouragement groups. It was really cool to share different thoughts, stories, verses and struggles. I know the Lord was working in each of us, and I'm so thankful for this opportunity." - 15 year old

"I had one of the most amazing times at the Deeper Retreat. At first, I didn't want to go because I didn't feel 'good enough.' However, I grew so much closer to the girls and realized they struggle with the same problems I do (even Allison! Shocking, I know! ;), which means we can pray all the more sincerely for each other. The Holy Spirit convicted me of many things - like how I wasn't surrendering my whole life to Jesus - and the retreat pushed me to answer those questions which sit in the back of your mind that you don't want to deal with. After the retreat, I felt so refreshed, encouraged and close to my Lord." - 16 year old

"God further instilled in me a fervor to fear Him and obey His calling no matter what other people think or say. To possess Chazak and Amats! RAK CHAZAK  people of God!!" - 18 year old

Preparing to be a Wife & Mother

Tuesday was our first meeting back together after our break over the holidays. What a joy it was to see everyone again & get started for the semester! We began our new set of lessons with the topic of "Preparing to be a Wife & Mother."

I shared the vision for our God-given role as women and the exciting potential we have to impact many for the kingdom of God when we choose to embrace the jobs God has chosen for us. We also talked about the importance of beginning to prepare for these jobs now while we're young so that by the time God brings along our husband & family we will be able to serve well.

During the lesson, I had the girls throw out various skills that would be important as a wife & mother. Then, I had them share important character traits for a wife & mother to possess while I recorded them onto the dry erase board.

After making our lists, we used them to discuss how many areas we have to grow in as we prepare. We should have not problem keeping busy between now & then! ;)

At the end of the lesson, I encouraged the girls to be aware of the independent mindset that the world promotes for us as young women. I encouraged to truly seek the Lord about their future & pursue His heart for their seasons of preparation between now and the day they are married.

Once the lesson ended, the girls broke up into teams and worked together to create a skit. Each team chose one of the character qualities from the board to base their skit on. The skits had to demonstrate a situation in which a wife/mother would need to demonstrate that character quality & also show what would happen if she had not developed that quality in her life. ;)

We ended the meeting with small groups followed by tea time!

I look forward to seeing everyone again for our meeting on February 5th!

Christmas Party!

Last week, we gathered at Dr. Jazz Soda Fountain & Grille for a few games, Christmas carols & fellowship! Here are a few pictures from our annual Christmas party!

Thanks for the lovely evening, ladies! See you next year! ;)

Making a Wise Comment

On Monday night we gathered for our last Bright Lights meeting of the semester! Our topic was on "making a wise comment." I encouraged the girls that young ladies who choose to use their words wisely will have an incredible testimony for God's kingdom. We discussed 4 aspects of making a wise comment: being concise, worthwhile, relevant & appropriate.

I encouraged the girls that our goal in speaking to others is not to draw attention to ourselves but rather, to benefit and encourage the listener. It shows great wisdom when we can discern when to speak, what to say and how to say it.

After the lesson, we spent time in groups of 2 or 3 practicing using our words wisely by writing letters of testimony & encouragement to others.

We ended, as always, with small group discussion & then tea!

I look forward to seeing most of you next week for our Christmas party!

Reliability of Scripture

Here are a few pictures from our meeting last week. Our topic was the "Reliability of God's Word" and we talked about how we can trust the Bible to be a strong, faultless, foundation for our lives.

We look forward to seeing everyone again in just one week!

Being Wiser Than Your Enemies

On Tuesday, we met & I shared with the girls the secret to being wiser than your enemies - Scripture memorization & meditation! We talked about the benefits, practicals & I encouraged each of them to set a Scripture memorization goal that night when they got home. (Have you set your goal yet?)

"Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me." Psalm 119:97-98

Delighting in God's Word

At the beginning of each meeting we spend some time singing together. In the past we have always just used a CD. However, this year, Katie has blessed us by accompanying our singing on the piano. It has added so much more to our singing times & I continue to enjoy the sweet voices as they fill our home!

Before the lesson, we played a rather rowdy treasure hunt type game. It involved searching the house for plastic coins, pieces of paper & Allison, all while attempting to do it quickly & fill out a worksheet with your team. Needless to say, there was a lot of pounding & shouts as girls ran up & down the stairs and encouraged their teammates. The game is a bit too complicated to attempt explaining here, so you'll have to ask someone who was there.

By the end of the game, each team had compiled a list of benefits that can be gained from spending time in Scripture.

Rather than eagerly searching for little plastic coins or pieces of paper, God has given us even greater treasures that can be found in His word! During the lesson I encouraged the girls to delight in God's Word by making the decision to spend time with Him daily.

"As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby." 1Peter 2:2

See you all again in a couple weeks! Until then, enjoy the privilege of delighting in God's Word!