Author Archives: Jen

Change…

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I am not a big fan of change. When something works, why fix it? If everything is going along fine, why mess with it? Can’t we just maintain the status quo, please?

There are a lot of changes going on all around me that I am completely powerless to stop. My kids are growing up and the family dynamics are swiftly changing. My father is in the throes of dementia and my mother’s way of life (and by extension, those of my sisters and me) is changing. Things at work are always changing. The weather is always changing. My weight is always changing. Even my weekend plans are always in a state of flux.

Sometimes I want to dig my feet in and just say no. This situation is fine just the way it is, thank you very much. But in my attempt to be more in line with God’s way of doing things I decided to look up the word “change” in the bible. I thought maybe I could find some justification for staying the same.

Dangit.

The word is used in two different ways, neither of which support my hopes of a static existence.

As a human we should desire change. Change from the old self into a new self.

As God, HE is unchangeable. In fact, he is the only thing that does not change.

*sigh*

Which means I have to change my way of thinking. And the truth is, change isn’t always a bad thing. In fact it might be a little uncomfortable at times, but usually it’s a good thing. Sometimes a really good thing.

So how do I accept change with the right attitude? Not by myself, I’ll tell you that!

First I remember Romans 8:28 ~

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Okay. I love him and I know he’s called me according to his purpose, not my own. And he IS God, after all, which means he’s much smarter than I am. So maybe this change is a good thing.

Then I remember Philippians 4:6-7 ~

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

That “peace of God” part? It’s my favorite. Especially when the change isn’t welcomed at all, as in the example of my father’s declining health.

If I truly believe God is in control of everything then I suppose (albeit a little begrudgingly at times) I can handle the change.

Do you struggle with change? If not, what’s your secret? If so, what do you do about it?

 

 

Scripture Journal

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Several years ago, while doing homework for whatever bible study my women’s group was undertaking at the time, I came across the following verse:

When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.

Proverbs 10:19

An image of my 6 or 7 year old son trying unsuccessfully to talk his way out of something immediately popped into my head (it seemed I was constantly telling him he would get into less trouble if he’d just stop talking) and I burst out laughing. I was fairly certain this verse was put in the bible just for him and verifiable proof that God has a sense of humor.

I’ve never been good at memorizing scripture, but I certainly didn’t want to forget this verse so I wrote it down in a fat little 4×6 spiral binder with a quick blurb about why I liked it. Over time I recorded other passages – some funny, some pertinent to my situation at the time, and some encouraging. Some I found during a formal bible study, some I found as I was just perusing the good book and some I was shown by my friend, Beth.

All of that came to an end when I got sick seven years ago and I put the scripture journal away. I’m a little sad I didn’t keep up with it because it would probably be full by now. I came across my fat little binder in the drawer of my coffee table a few months ago. There are still a lot of empty pages in it, but not for long.

I would LOVE it if you would share some of your favorite verses here. It’s a really fat little binder and I’m going to need help filling it up!

The Missing Piece of the Puzzle

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No doubt you’ve heard the saying that we all have a God-shaped hole in our heart that only he can fill. We can try to fill it with all manner of things – some good, some not so good – but only God fits completely into that space. It’s a very simple explanation we may tell our children while trying to describe why we need him, but it’s true.

CLEAR’s tag line is Helping Women See How God Fits Into Their Lives. Work, husbands, children, friends, parents, pets, volunteering, books, TV, hobbies, social obligations, entertainment… the list of what consumes our time is endless. But just as a puzzle will only ever be completed if we take the time to sit there and do it, that puzzle piece that is God will only ever fit snuggly into that space if we take the time with him we need to.

What are you trying to fit into that hole? Is it God? Or is it something else?

Summer Time…

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I don’t know about  your house, but summer time is nothing but busy around here. Between the kids’ work/camp/mission schedules, the man’s travel schedule and my work schedule, trying to find even one week for a family vacation proved nearly impossible!

That seems to be a fairly common story for most women so CLEAR will be doing casual during the summer months.

June has already seen our first Coffee Klatch and our second will be on Saturday, July 9th. Read more HERE.

Our August event will be a road trip to the charming town of Lititz, PA, for the Lititz Rotary Craft Fair – a blow out craft fair that’s not to be missed! Click HERE for more information.

Out With The Old, In With The New

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2010 has been a great year for CLEAR, despite two major challenges.

1.   Diane and Terri stepped down to pursue a different avenue for ministering to women.

I admit that when Diane and Terri first told us they were releasing CLEAR to our small team I was a little concerned. Not that we couldn’t keep things running, just that we couldn’t keep things running as well. But the point of leadership is to grow up new leaders and that’s exactly what they did. Michele, Becky and I each bring something unique to the table and it seems to work pretty well. I have the sneaking suspicion that Diane and Terri had that figured out before we did.

2.   CLEAR held its first annual Christmas Expo.

Becky had the idea for the Christmas Expo and I didn’t know what to expect. What happened was we ended up with twice as many vendors as we originally planned for and over 200 patrons. Not bad for our first year. You can bet that the 2011 Christmas Expo will be even better.

The next twelve months will be more of the same old, same old – brunches, game nights, summer Coffee Klatch, the Christmas Expo…  But there will also be new experiences to be had like the upcoming retreat.

Michele, Becky and I are looking forward to serving in 2011 and are especially anxious to see what God has in store for the women of Christ’s Church of the Valley.

Women of Christmas

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Today was our annual Christmas brunch and it was a blast (if I do say so myself, which I do). There was coffee and singing and coffee and laughing and coffee and eating…

A few months ago when Michele and Becky and I started planning the brunch, Becky mentioned she thought it would be a great idea to talk about the women of Christmas. I had no idea what she was talking about, but she’s pretty smart when it comes to all things Biblical so I agreed. She then went on to tell us about the five women listed in the genealogy of Jesus and how she thought of them as “The Women of Christmas”.

Tamar the deceiver

Rahab the prostitute

Ruth the foreigner

Bathsheba the victim and/or the adulteress (a lot of debate here)

Mary the righteous one

Five very different women with such diverse backgrounds, but all used for God’s very grand purpose of bringing us Jesus. I don’t know about you, but I find a lot of encouragement in that. 

Coffee Talk

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This past Saturday morning was the inaugural CLEAR Coffee Klatch. Michele and I got to the CCV Cafe early to brew coffee and set up a few tables, wondering the whole time if it would just be us or if we’d have someone else to visit with.  We didn’t have long to wait.  The group was small, but the chatting was big and friendships were either begun or strengthened in this comfortable, casual setting.

I don’t know about the other attendees, but I can’t wait for the next one! If you enjoy coffee (or tea) and pastries, and would like to get to know some other CCV women, mark your calendars for the next Coffee Klatch on July 24th.