Westminster Women

From Naval Gazing to Belonging

2010-06-22T15:03:00.000-07:00

by Julie Greenfield

When the women’s Bible Studies ended last month, the women were asked to testify about what the Lord had done in their lives and hearts using a flip chart. For my flipchart, the “before” side was “STAGNANT”. On my “after” side I wrote “GROWING”. So how did I go from stagnant in my faith to growing?

First, my husband and I got involved in Westminster’s Alpha ministry. Why did we get involved? Out of desperation. Over the past couple of years, the economic downturn hit us hard, along with most people. My husband’s group at work was slated for layoff, our investments tanked, and paying bills required creativity. We prayed earnestly. Things financially got worse. The verse that we kept hitting up against was Matthew 6:33, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.” We knew we needed to stop our inward focus and naval gazing, and look out and up. When a need for Alpha volunteers was announced, we rushed to sign up. The Alpha staff took us in and trained us. So what has been added to us this past year?

-friendship
-being known
-satisfaction of being useful
-growth in our faith walk
-a now secure job for my husband

Secondly, growth came as I assisted Pat Wills in leading a Tuesday morning Bible study. This experience begs a chicken and egg question with “belonging” and “serving”.

Once you belong, does that lead to serving?
OR
Once you serve, does that lead to belonging?

In my case, the latter is true. I, finally, after 5 years of attending Westminster Chapel, feel like I belong. Sunday mornings, I can spot people in every section of the sanctuary that I know. I can now say, “This is my church.”

Belonging

2010-06-22T10:45:00.000-07:00

Julie Greenfield

June 8, 2010

When the women’s Bible Studies ended last month, the women were asked to testify about what the Lord had done in their lives and hearts using a flip chart. For my flipchart, the “before” side was “STAGNANT”. On my “after” side I wrote “GROWING”. So how did I go from stagnant in my faith to growing?

First, my husband and I got involved in Westminster’s Alpha ministry. Why did we get involved? Out of desperation. Over the past couple of years, the economic downturn hit us hard, along with most people. My husband’s group at work was slated for layoff, our investments tanked, and paying bills required creativity. We prayed earnestly. Things financially got worse. The verse that we kept hitting up against was Matthew 6:33, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.” We knew we needed to stop our inward focus and naval gazing, and look out and up. When a need for Alpha volunteers was announced, we rushed to sign up. The Alpha staff took us in and trained us. So what has been added to us this past year?
-friendship

-being known

-satisfaction of being useful

-growth in our faith walk

-a now secure job for my husband

Secondly, growth came as I assisted Pat Wills in leading a Tuesday morning Bible study. This experience begs a chicken and egg question with “belonging” and “serving”.

Once you belong, does that lead to serving?

OR

Once you serve, does that lead to belonging?

In my case, the latter is true. I, finally, after 5 years of attending Westminster Chapel, feel like I belong. Sunday mornings, I can spot people in every section of the sanctuary that I know. I can now say, “This is my church.”

Imagine...

2010-04-28T11:14:00.000-07:00

By Lindsay Price

Imagine! You go to college, get your degree, get a great job, no not just a job, a great career. Then you get married; you and your husband have a bright future ahead. Along come a couple of kids and life is good. Suddenly, out of the blue, an opportunity of a lifetime comes along. Your husband has been offered a job overseas in a foreign country. You jump at the opportunity! What fun, you think. We’ll get to see a foreign country and the kids will learn a second language. So, you pack up the household and the kids and off you go.

You are so excited for this new adventure. You arrive in your new city, find a great apartment and settle in. Before your husband starts work, you have a couple of weeks to get to know your new home and take in the sights. You get the kids enrolled in school, and you visit all the important places the guidebook tells you are a “must see”.

But then, reality sets in. You can’t get a job because you don’t speak the language or you can’t get a work visa and they are tough to get. Your husband spends long hours at work every day. Your children go off to school where they are engaged in learning the language and meeting and making new friends. And you? What are you doing? You are home alone, in a strange country. You have nowhere to go and nothing to do. You are bored and lonely. Where are you going to go to meet people and make new friends? How are you going to learn the language? What are you going to do with all your free time?

And the answer is…ELL at Westminster Chapel!!!

“What is ELL?” you ask. Let me use an acronym to explain.

E is for English, but it also stands for entertaining, engaging, exciting, enticing and exercising (the mind)
L is for Language, but it also stands for listening and (up) lifting.
L is for Learner, but it also stands for laughter and love.

More than that, ELL is a safe place for leaders and students alike to study and apply God’s Word; a place for students to learn to speak and read English and expand their vocabulary; a place to make friends and to share life together.

I am just finishing either my 4th or 5th year as an ELL leader. Time is difficult for me to track, so I can’t remember exactly. But what I do remember clearly are the women I’ve met; both leaders and students and the joy and pleasure it has been for me to get to know them over the years. I feel at home here in the midst of a sea of foreign faces and accents where I have discovered God’s love has no boundaries. This verse sums it up pretty well: Galatians 3:28 "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female for you (we) are all one in Christ Jesus."

The City: Connecting With Real Women During the Week

2010-04-28T11:12:00.000-07:00

By Kristine Love

If you’ve attended a Sunday service at Westminster in the last month, then you’ve heard about The City. It’s a web-based software that lets the Westminster family communicate, connect, help, learn, and grow together.

It allows you to connect with the real women that you’re already in Bible studies or small groups with. You can join the group on The City and get the latest updates on what the next study will be about or find out who is in need of prayer or help. You can also look for groups that you’re not yet in and ask to join – like the book club, the craft group, or the coffee and chat group. This is a great way to connect with other women at Westminster.

My small group is on The City. Each woman in the group can respond to the “Event” to attend our study (kind of like Evite). While they’re at it, they can also sign up to bring a dessert.

Occasionally we do fun activities together outside our regular study time. Anyone in the group can suggest an activity and invite the rest of the group to come. Once the activity is done, they can create a “Photo Album” to share pictures with everyone.

If someone in the group gets sick, they can let us know by submitting a “Need” and we can arrange for meals to be brought, or they can request a “Prayer” for healing. All the information is private…only the people in our group can see what we’re discussing there.

Life is busy. It’s hard to find time to stay connected. The City lets us keep in touch in just a few minutes so we can stay connected throughout the week.

If you haven’t joined The City yet, I invite you to do it today! Type westminster.onthecity.org/kiosk into your browser and follow the instructions. If you have any questions, you can click on the “Help” link to find more information or ask a question and get a real answer from someone on our staff. The first group you’ll want to find is the one called “Westminster Women.” I hope to see you there soon!

A Lesson from Absence

2010-04-23T13:12:00.000-07:00

Today is the third day of a computer fast. Since my computer crashed I have had to resort to doing things the old fashioned way; handwritten notes, a stamp on an envelope and actually picking up the phone to call a friend. I didn’t realize how dependent I have become on electronic communication and honestly it was good to hear my friend’s voice on the phone even though it was less “convenient” than e-mail.

I do confess that e-mail was a life line for me when we sent our first born off for a 7-month stint overseas. The thought of him going ended up being worse than actually having him gone, but still there were several adjustments we all had to make. First was being much more intentional about communication as we only had once a week opportunities that we had to plan for and work around. And then there were the day to day changes: I bought less food and stopped and we took the leaf out of our kitchen table because it just felt too big without him.

I am happy to report that he is home safely after a largely positive and definitely life changing experience and we are finding ourselves adjusting again. Beyond the “I’m so glad to be home now and want to be under my parent’s authority but it rubs sometimes.” to the “We sent off a boy and a young man returned. How do we parent this new stage?”, there are other adjustments too. Milk disappears overnight out of my refrigerator and I no longer have leftovers for lunches. But we did not put the leaf back in the table because we are all enjoying just being near and just sharing time together which was a lesson we learned from absence.

Absence truly does make the heart grow fonder and it can also help you see more clearly what it is you value most in relationships. It gives you pause to step back and reflect on how you spent the time together that you did have. I imagine this is a preview of what it would feel like on your death bed – asking yourself the questions: How did I spend the life I was given? In what and in whom did I invest? What seems most important now? And who is gathered beside me to share my last days? At that point it will be too late to make any changes, so what can we do today to get on or stay on the path so that we can come to the end of our days knowing we have lived well the life God gave to us. How do we sort through the things tugging on us every day and choose well how to spend our time, talents, money, emotions and energy?

Start by defining a life purpose statement. Putting into words what you want to be known for in your life will give direction to the everydayness of life. Hemming in on every side is the life purpose we are all given from Isaiah 43:7 – everyone who is called by His name, He created for His glory. Our overarching purpose here on earth, no matter what we are specifically called to do, is to live our lives in a manner that brings glory to God.

Another Lesson from Spring

2010-04-13T19:32:00.000-07:00

“Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail shall keep the postmen from their appointed rounds.” This one time postal service motto could apply to our spring in the NW! I love Spring – the longer days, the budding trees and blooming flowers, and the potential for change that is all around. I find it a good time to do a personal inventory of my life as I anticipate the changes outside. With some introspection, I ask myself these questions: Am I doing the best I can with the time, energy and talents I’ve been given? Am I living well – with purpose and intentionality – in this particular season of my life? What, if anything, am I allowing in my life that may be hindering or distracting me?

One of the things I am currently doing – literally – is spending time in my yard working to keep some order to the growth. Thanks to the rain and warm sunny days, my yard has the potential of getting unruly and overgrown. One of my challenges has been to find ways to break down the jobs in order to not feel completely overwhelmed by the task. I have had to learn to identify what plants I should keep, and which ones are weeds and should be dealt with accordingly. I’ve learned that the definition of a weed is often an individual one. For example: I would consider dandelions a weed but my 5 yr. old cringes whenever I destroy the yellow flower and my neighbor clearly doesn’t consider them a problem. On the other hand, others I know despise the prolific forget-me-not plants and I happen to like them. So, I came up with my own definition of a weed:

 Something that is unsightly or otherwise distracts from the other plantings.

 Something that reproduces at alarming rates and is difficult to control.

 Anything with growth that interferes with or stunts the growth of nearby desirable plants.

Based on my loose definition, open to interpretation, I recently identified a problem area in my yard – one that previously I had deemed as perfectly fine. Honestly, I rather liked the look of the plant – the shape of the leaf, the various shades of green and the fact that it served well as a ground cover. Until I started looking more closely and realized that it was taking over portions of my yard and gradually choking the established plants that were serving as its “host”. And so, I began my quest to remove it and along the way I made some interesting discoveries about this weed called ivy:

 It is a process to get rid of the ivy.

 It takes dedication and hard work.

 There will be remnants that pop up later on, even after I thought I got it all.

When ivy grows up a tree or fence, it attaches itself by winding around the limbs and almost sticking to the tree. To get it off you have to carefully follow the trail and remove it piece by piece. On the ground, the ivy sends out shoots just below the surface and branches up and out with leaves and growth. These are relatively easy to identify and pull up, but what you discover deeper below the surface are hearty roots that are harder to find and more resistant to pulling out. The problem is, you have to find these and deal with them. If you only focus on the surface stuff, very soon new plants will grow back to replace the ones you just pulled.

I hope you see the parallels in our own lives in regards to habits, hang-ups and sin. Hebrews 12:1 says “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Allow yourself the time and energy this spring to do a personal inventory, asking the following questions:

 Am I doing what I want to be doing with the time, energy and talents I’ve been given?

 Am I living well – with purpose and intentionality – in this particular season of my life?

 What, if anything, am I allowing in my life that may be hindering or distracting me?

Then get on your grubbies and get to work!

Letter from a Single Parent

2010-04-11T20:19:00.000-07:00

Dear Friend,

I am so sorry to hear your husband left you. I know how you are feeling and can relate to what you are going through. I will always remember that moment I learned I was going to be a single mother. It was the moment that changed my life forever!

My first thought was “how will I do this”. I had anticipated my life was going to be typical, where I would be loved and safe. Suddenly, God had other plans for me! I had never expected to be a single, pregnant teenager. I was hurt, scared and I was greatly troubled. I could hardly believe this was happening to me (it was also hard on my family!).

As a single mother, I suspect that like me, you are concerned about finances, your livelihood and how you will raise your children. In my case, I received encouragement from God. In Philippians 4:19, you will read “But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus”. He provided me shelter, protection and family who supported me (my cousin was wonderful to me during my difficult time). Don’t ever hesitate to ask God for every need, no matter how small.

As a single mother, I tried to have realistic expectations. I maintained daily routines and sought out strong family members to keep me anchored. I had to be brave as I realized that no-one was going to take on my fear or hurt. It is important to realize that other people may not understand what you are going through or might not even be there for you. I actually thought my boyfriend was going to leave me when I became pregnant (he was as scared as I was!). However, you must not create a fantasy world where your “knight in shining armor” will rescue you. The Lord will provide for you, including relationships that honor him, you and your children. For me, God helped my boyfriend realize that his place was by my side.

I know you are hurt and in disbelief at your situation. The future seems terrifying and unsure. You want the world to stop spinning for a moment so you can gather your thoughts. Although brave, you would love for someone to tell you everything will be fine. I was in your shoes! It was not easy, and I never had all the answers. The Lord supplied my needs; even if it wasn’t always in the way I had hoped (you should have seen my birthing suite!). Know the Lord loves you. Luke 1:39 says, “His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generations to generations”. His mercy was there for me, it is there for you and it will be there for generations of single parents yet to come.

Remember, turn to the Lord when the nights are bleak, and praise the Lord for the sunrise that comes with the new dawn.

Much love,

Mary of Nazareth

(This Blog was written by Michelle Mordaunt along with the following paragraphs)

Becoming a single parent is an experience for which no letter, movie or book can prepare you. Whether you are the one leaving or the one being left behind, whether you are a widow or have never been married, each experience is painful, scary and can be extremely lonely. It is important to feel these very real emotions with people who have had similar experiences. For me, I felt I was drowning. I was afraid to ask for help and shocked that my family didn’t really understand what I was going through. It was wonderful to find other single parents to relate with, cry with and eventually laugh with. It took time, but I was able to build a life for myself that allows me to be a better person, loving mother and strong woman. It is my prayer that you will allow others to help you and to guide you through your situation. Please don’t hesitate to contact the single parent program a Westminster Chapel in Bellevue. You don’t have to go through this alone.

Lessons from a bicycle

2010-04-05T15:47:00.000-07:00

How many times have we heard the admonishment that God should be the first priority in our life? This would then mean relationships, ministry, work, and everything else fall into place down the line, as if somehow life were that neat and tidy and everything stayed in its proper order. That has certainly not proven true in my life which left me to wonder if perhaps life is not meant to be a priority list but more like a circle where everything is connected.

Allow me to illustrate with a bicycle wheel: The outside of the bicycle wheel, the tire, is where the rubber meets the road, so to speak, but it all starts in the center. A central hub is the attachment point for every spoke that runs from the hub to the rim. These spokes, staggered and offset with appropriate tension, give strength and shape to the rim. The rim then gives frame for the tube of air which is held on the rim by the tire. It is the air that you actually ride on. Any seasoned biker knows that in order to have a reliable ride, she must periodically check the tire for wear as well as check each spoke to make sure none is too loose, too tight or damaged. Small adjustments along the way can alleviate bigger problems down the road. In fact, if one spoke is out of whack and it is neglected, it will cause damage to the rim by either puncturing the tube and/or causing the other spokes to go out of “true” or adjustment.

God is to be the center of our lives, so He is the hub. Every aspect of our lives flows out of our relationship with Him. Each spoke of the wheel represents what collectively make up our lives: each and every relationship, our history, our gifts and passions, our work and ministry. As each spoke affects the wheel, they also represent what we allow into our lives: the books we read, the programs or movies we watch, the web we surf and so on. Just as is true with a bicycle tire, if one spoke or area is either tightened too much or left to neglect, it will eventually affect the other spokes or worse cause damage to the tire or rim. A life out of “true” just like a wheel takes much more energy to pedal.

Why is it that we don’t seem to notice something is amiss until we have a “blow-out” or a “blow-up”? Perhaps if we spent some time reviewing our wheel of life, evaluating each and every spoke and making the necessary tune-ups we’d be in better shape to handle the pavement, turns and pot-holes of life.

Steps along the Journey with Aging Parents By Jill Bowles

2010-03-23T22:34:00.000-07:00

1.) Awareness: We started to notice my mom doing odd things about 10 years ago and at first it was a little funny and we all had a good laugh. For a person who had always been a little challenged with directions, getting lost while driving was a red flag, but it had happened before. However, when my very organized mom’s closet was in complete disarray and things were not where she had always put them it was another thing. When my mom, who had been a wonderful hostess for years, no longer remembered how to set a simple table, it became obvious that things were not normal. It is one thing to be aware of a change in an aging parent, but at some point it is important to acknowledge the condition which is step 2.

2.) Acknowledgement: I will never forget the dinner my sisters and I had with my dad when we talked about what we had noticed; how we could help him with mom and the impact it was having on him. We were in a booth at Anthony’s Homeport and the poor server had a hard time approaching our table because every time she tried to come take our order we were all bawling! As we talked, dad was prepared to take care of my mom as long as possible, but was relieved to get it out on the table and share his heartbreak with us. Acknowledging the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s was an important step for our family and led us to the third step, acceptance.

3.) Acceptance: During this step I spent a lot of time reading books, going to doctor’s appointments with my dad, crying, praying and talking with close friends who were dealing with similar things. The doctor’s appointments were heart wrenching, watching my mom try to pass the simple memory tests they gave her. This was probably the hardest stage for me since I had to accept that I no longer had “my mom”; she was becoming a complete stranger and no longer knew who any of us were. As mom’s condition got worse, it became harder and harder for my dad to care for her. My sisters and I knew it was time to look for somewhere else for mom to go, which led us to step 4, accommodation.

4.) Accommodation: Little did I know that there is another whole world out there, found in communities for the elderly. It reminded me of when I was looking for daycare places for my boys. You could walk into a place and get a feeling; more often than not a bad feeling. We found a care facility in West Seattle, which we felt would be a good place for mom. Then we needed to have the talk with dad. Fortunately, after initially rejecting the idea, he became increasingly receptive and we moved mom into this facility about 3 years ago. We all feel like mom is so much more content where she is now which is indeed an answer to prayer.

5) Allow and Affirm: Many emotions have been involved with the journey with my mom, and one of them is guilt. Often, we think that we should be the care givers for our parents and have immense guilt when we put them in a home. I have learned that I need to allow and affirm the caregivers for my mom. They are the experts, trained to work with people that have special needs. How often as a teacher, have I been frustrated with parents who try to tell me how to do my job, it is no different with my mom’s caregivers. Not only do I need to allow them to do their jobs, but I need to affirm and support them in any way possible. My cousin’s husband, Ray met Nick, the head nurse of my mom’s floor. He was questioning him about why he chose this occupation for his career. Nick responded that he had read a book in college talking about how the elderly should be taken care of and felt convicted by God that this is what he should do with his life. Wow, who wouldn’t want to hear that from their mom’s head caretaker? Nick responded that he thought mom was aware of more than we thought and then he said,” Marilyn’s ministry is how graciously she receives care. Since she is always so positive and happy to receive care she is a blessing to her caregivers.” That was a huge new revelation to me; God spoke through Nick to me that day. Maybe there is a reason she is still alive; could she really minister to people in her condition? I am choosing to believe that Nick is right and that mom is truly ministering to those around her.

It has been a long journey for my family and it is not over. At this point mom is confined to a wheelchair, unable to do even the simplest tasks for herself and no longer speaks in a sensible way. Yet, she still does smile, laugh and respond to touch. For those of you who find yourselves in a similar season of life I ache for you and pray you will find some sense of God’s hand in the situation and that you know it is all part of His plan.

A Lesson from Daffodils

2010-03-19T07:13:00.000-07:00

Last night after I asked my first grader to pick up his room before bed he came back with “Why do I need to, it is just going to get messy again anyway?” The clutter in his room feels insignificant and unimportant to him. I have similar things in my life – buggy little things that I tend not to want to deal with. From clutter in a room to clutter in a relationship, undone tasks, unfinished projects, and unspoken words. Does it matter if I deal with these small and seemingly insignificant things in my life?

We function in the midst of overloaded lives with very little margin. Margin is that space on either side of our day that gives boundaries to our day. It is the pause in our day to put our feet up and take a deep breath. It is lingering at the dinner table after a meal enjoying the relationships. It is having room in our schedule to adapt to changes without tipping our apple cart. So why don’t we have margin in our lives? For one we are busy people – working hard, doing lots of good and worthy things but the other factor is that we live in a busy, progressing world.

The definition of progress is that we get more and more of everything faster and faster. Not that progress in and of itself is bad – in fact it is largely good, but it comes with a price - part of which is the energy it costs to make choices. Think of the choices you have at the grocery store that we didn’t have even a few years ago. In the milk section alone the choices are staggering: cows milk (whole, skim, 2%, natural, with hormones or without.), rice milk, almond milk, sweetened almond milk, chocolate sweetened almond milk, soy regular, soy with vanilla and a myriad of brands too. I am thankful for these choices, but it costs energy every time I have to make selection. And that is just one tiny area of our lives. Choices bombard us from every direction. And then there is the factor of excesses. Did you know that we typically use only 20% of what we have, but we spend time maintaining 100% of our stuff? And we just plain have access to too much – too much food, too many choices of ways to spend our time, too much noise, too many cars, too many demands, too many bills – it can feel like it is pressing in from all sides. And it drains our physical, emotional and spiritual energy.

This is why we must be very purposeful and wise about the way we spend our time and our energy in the things that are within our control. We simply do not have unlimited energy reserves. There may be many things in our lives right now that we cannot control, but there are some things – though seemingly small and insignificant – that if we tend to those can help to create margin in our lives. Let me close with an illustration that may put this in perspective:

The median islands separating the lanes on Old Redmond road are home to beautiful blooming daffodils. When those flowers were put in, they were given a protective boundary of the curb. Though cars go whizzing by them all day long, their space, or margin, is carved out. But in addition to that, within their space someone has taken great care to keep the weeds from choking out the plants. They are healthy and blooming and are on display for all who pass by to enjoy.

We often can’t control life whizzing by on both sides of us, but we can take care of our little strip of land – our life – and create some much needed margin in an overloaded world. My challenge to us today is to ask the question: what weeds or clutter are you allowing to choke out your growth? No matter how small or insignificant it seems, let’s tend to it today!

A Lesson from Fog

2010-03-12T09:25:00.000-08:00

Early this past Saturday morning I was driving up to a volleyball tournament in the Lake Stevens area. It was one of those mornings when the sky was bright even before the sun came up. I was reflecting on the excitement of upcoming spring - you could almost feel the newness in the air as trees were blooming, and the snow capped Cascades and Mt. Baker towered over the landscape. It was a glorious morning. I had great company in the car, we were on time, and there was not much traffic and there was nervous anticipation for the day ahead. You might say it was smooth sailing.

Now, I really didn’t know where I was going. In fact, I’d never been there before, but I did have some pretty good directions. Pretty soon we exited off I-5 at which point I had several quick decisions to make with forks in the road as different lanes went off in several directions. It wasn’t particularly difficult until all of the sudden we drove into a heavy fog. It was a fog so thick I could barely see the front of our and to make matters worse, it was happening in unfamiliar territory when decisions had to be made. I instantly went from feeling calm and “in control” to disoriented, wary and indecisive.

Has life ever felt that way to you? Perhaps you are going along on your merry way – doing the things you “should” be doing – and things are going really well, or at least not poorly. It is smooth sailing. Then suddenly you get some bad news – you or someone you love gets a scary diagnosis, you learn of an adulterous relationship, a loved one who involved in pornography or other sexual sin. Perhaps you learn that a relationship wasn’t what you thought it was or your finances come crashing down around you. Then all of the sudden you find yourself in the midst of a deep fog and you are left feeling disoriented, wary and way out of control. What do you do? Which way do you turn?

My gut instinct in the fog that morning was to stop in the middle of the road – but this was not a prudent or safe so I had a quick decision to make – to either pull over and hope it past quickly or choose to stay on the road. I proceeded with caution, following the rules of the road which meant basically staying within the white lines. As I kept moving forward, eventually a sign was visible that told me which way to go. My job then was to continue to stay within the lines and frankly that took faith. Faith in what I believed to be true about our road system that it was not intended to harm me and I was not on a road that would suddenly end off a cliff!

Whenever we find ourselves in a spiritual or emotional fog – we have a decision to make. Will we curl up in a ball or hide our heads under the blanket hoping it will go away, or we can proceed with caution, staying within the lines of what we know to be true about God. It essentially comes down to what do we believe about God and then by faith allow that to be the definition for life. We can then keep moving forward, trusting that He does go before us to make the way clear. The road we are on is for our good and His glory.

When I stayed on the course, eventually, I came out of the fog. Honestly though I didn’t expect it, I pretty rapidly moved out of the fog and I found my way. On the other side I discovered that the sun was shining all along. Just because I couldn’t see it through the fog didn’t mean it wasn’t shining!

Helping Hands

2010-03-08T21:32:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wondered how in the world you serve God doing something simple…like sewing? Have you wanted to get to know other women at Westminster Chapel but haven’t yet found your ‘niche’? Whether you have your own sewing machine or not (we have extras!), or maybe you love to knit, crochet, or cut quilt blocks, HELPING HANDS needs you!

We meet every Friday morning in room 210 from 9am – 12noon. Bring a sack lunch and stay a little longer for extra fellowship. We also take a prayer break around 10:30am, have coffee or tea and share prayer requests along with a home-baked treat. This time can be very precious and the friendships forged…priceless!

Helping Hands has been around almost as long as Westminster itself. We currently are making quilts for the homeless or low income families through Union Gospel Mission in Seattle, Hopelink in Bellevue, along with sewing clothing for African Village Ministries / Uganda and a village in Romania. This is a great way to make friends, have prayer fellowship and support while also being creative and serving Christ!

Please consider serving Christ through fabric arts. We’d love to have you join us every Friday morning from 9am – 12noon in Room 210. Hope to see you soon!

A Lesson in Patience by Kari Anspach

2010-02-25T14:13:00.000-08:00

Are you feeling overwhelmed, tired and weighed down by life’s challenges? It seems like there is so much going on in the world and in life. Sometimes I can feel like I am alone, even though I have walked with the Lord for many years and trusted Him through many difficulties. I still get caught up in the stresses of life. Last Friday was such a day.

I woke up on Friday morning with an underlying feeling of anxiety and sadness because of some difficult circumstances that a close friend is going through. I got up and sat down at my kitchen table for my quiet time and reached for the devotional I have been reading, “Jesus Calling”, and the Lord began to minister to me immediately. Isn’t it wonderful how He can meet us and provide for us in the simplest yet most profound ways. He is always at work giving us encouragement even in the most difficult circumstances.

I opened the devotional and began reading-

Feb. 19th
You are feeling weighed down by a plethora of problems, both big and small. They seem to require more and more of your attention, but you must not give in to those demands. When the difficulties in your life feel as if they are closing in on you, break free by spending time with Me. You need to remember who I am in all My Power and Glory. Then, humbly bring me your prayers and petitions. Your problems will pale when you view them in the Light of My Presence. You can learn to be joyful in Me your Savior, even in the midst of adverse circumstances. Rely on Me , your Strength; I make your feet like the feet of the deer, enabling you to go on the heights.

Exodus 3:14, Habakkuk 3:17-19

WOW! I turned to the Habakkuk verse- as I was turning to it my eye caught something I had written in my bible 8 years ago regarding a very difficult situation another friend of mine was going through. Then, just below that, I read another subsequent note written 4 years later describing the miraculous answer to prayer that her and her family have experienced- the miracle of transformed lives! The Lord was giving me concrete proof of his faithfulness in the past!

Glancing through the book of Habakkuk, I read though the verses that describe how we often feel when we are challenged by what is happening in our life or when we do not receive an immediate answer to prayer. I read some notes I had written in the margin from a past bible study that God asks us to: write it down, wait patiently for His perfect timing, and watch expectantly for what He will do.

Then, I got to the passage at the very end of the book that the devotion referenced:
Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails, and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights. Habakkuk 3:17-19 NIV
The Lord is faithful and I can praise Him because He provides for me today even in the most difficult circumstances! Can I really trust Him to come through for me? Yes-because I can choose to! I can choose to have joy because I know who He is and what He can do. I even have proof of his faithfulness in what He has done in my life and in my friend’s life over the past 8 years!

Thank you Lord for your faithfulness- for giving us the opportunity to choose joy in our times of trouble- give us the power that only comes from you to be patient and wait your perfect timing – thank you for giving us opportunities to stand with each other through these difficult times and giving us the same opportunities to celebrate your miracles together- giving you all the honor and glory!

Women's Retreat-By Jessika Anspach

2010-02-09T11:07:00.000-08:00

It’s retreat time again for Westminster women, and I know… you’re probably thinking: “Well, I’ve been to a retreat before. Aren’t they all the same?” or “Gosh, there’s so much going on. I don’t know if I can manage to take that kind of time away from all my commitments.” Believe me, I’ve thought all these things myself! But basically it boils down to the questions “Why should I come to this retreat?” and “Is it worth it?”
Well, first let me just emphatically say, YES! It is absolutely worth it! We’re changing things up this year (in an awesome way) to move this retreat time from ordinary to extraordinary. Held at the lovely Warm Beach Retreat and Conference Center in Stanwood, our speakers for this year’s retreat are Jeanne Warme and Holly Pankratz. Their message will be centered around the book of Ruth and the Women's Ministry's theme: Real Women, Real Life, Real Faith. Using the story of Ruth and Naomi, Holly and Jeanne will speak and teach on what it means to be a real godly woman in today's society, and how we as women can, through our relationship with God, come along side one another to bear each other's burdens. We believe with certainty that the Lord has a very important and personal message to speak to each woman He's invited to this retreat. Sure, it will be a time of fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation - a time to escape from the distractions, stresses and obligations of daily life. That's the "retreat" part. But we believe that the message He desires to communicate to us during this weekend away is one that will not only be personally life-changing, but will transform our relationships with God, our families and friends, co-workers, and others within the body of Christ! Does this excite you? It sure excites us! We hope that you will accept this invitation that comes, not only from us, but from the Lord, Himself.
Now, let’s get real. Here are some specifics you probably want to know… Warm Beach is an hour's drive from Bellevue, just north of Marysville. The retreat begins on Friday evening, the 19th of March, with dinner at 7:00 PM and ends on Sunday at noon. Saturday will be a combination of speaking sessions, one in the morning and one in the evening, with free time activities in between. There will be an optional breakout session taught by Theresa McKenna. Other Saturday optional activities, provided at the camp for under $15.00, include: horseback riding, ropes course and climbing wall. The area also offers wonderful shopping at the outlet mall in Tulalip or LaConner. The setting at Warm Beach is perfect for walks or just relaxing and taking in the view.
All meals are included with registration and we will be housed in the Mt. Baker Village cabins. The rooms are furnished with two sets of bunk beds and one queen size bed, and have a bathroom with shower. You need to bring comfortable, casual clothing, bedding or sleeping bag, toiletries and towel, your Bible a pen and some snacks to share. Follow this link to see a picture of the room: http://www.warmbeach.com/index.php/rentals/conference-center/mt-baker-cabins.
The cost for the retreat is $149.00 through February 14th. After that date, the price increases to $169.00. We have space for 150 women so don't wait. Sign up today! If you have any questions, please contact Abby at: abbym@westminster.org.
We hope you can make it to what will be an awesome weekend. Register now! You won’t want to miss this!

God Expectations

2010-02-03T10:13:00.001-08:00

Each night when I put my boys to bed inevitably a question arises from my youngest, “What are we doing tomorrow? When I review the generalities of the day … we will get up, have breakfast, get ready for school he follows with “and then what?” “And after that, what?” He seems to think that he would be happy and satisfied if he knew exactly what to expect. I have to be very careful what I say because he will wake the next day with the expectation that this is exactly how the day will unfold. The problem, of course is that rarely, if ever, does our day unfold in the manner we had planned. Often now I have to stop the questions and just tell him that I can’t tell him everything we will do tomorrow, but I can promise that whatever it is, we will be together.

There is nothing inherently wrong with expectations, and I am not suggesting that we shouldn’t plan ahead or dream and desire. The word expect means to look forward to or anticipate the occurrence of. The problem comes when our plans and dreams become expectations that we carry over “to consider probable, due or right” as if somehow because we expect it, we are owed it as if somehow we are in control of our lives. Do you see the problem? It is a slippery slope – and it can subtly influence our faith journey as well because the issue becomes Who is ultimately in control of our lives?

Here are some examples of how dreams and desires can turn into unfounded expectations: If I get an education - I’ll have a good job. If I work hard – I can buy anything I want. If I get married – I’ll be happy. If I raise kids – they will take care of me when I get old. If I do the “right” thing – I’ll be rewarded for it. If I put God first – I won’t have any problems. Yesterday I heard a great weather report radio: “You can expect rain today, but what you experience may be totally different.” It reminds me of a line in the movie Forest Gump “My momma always said life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you are going to get.”

There are plans, dreams and expectations and then there is real life – where the rubber meets the road, as the saying goes. Just how do we negotiate through this real life and how exactly does our faith influence our day to day, real life? This is a glimpse of what we will be talking about at the retreat coming this March. We will take a look at a real life falling short of expectations – and see just how a certain family negotiated through the sorrows and difficulties as well as through the victories. And we will examine what a real faith is in a life that isn’t working out the way we thought it should.

What we will find is that we can build our lives on certain expectations – and we will explore what that looks like.

I hope I have whet your appetite for retreat and spurred you to action to sign-up. The speaking sessions are just a part of the big picture of the weekend and I am confident there will be something there for everyone who comes and participates. I do hope you will come and come with an open heart and mind and an expectation that God will speak to your heart. That is an expectation based on God’s character with a history to prove its reliability!
Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have for He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5

A Lesson from Spinning Class, Part 2

2010-01-27T10:06:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I shared a Lesson from Spinning Class, and I promised you a Part II. If you recall, a spinning class is an organized cycling class. Each student is on their individual bike and then the instructor up front “calls” out the ride – telling us if it is flat or hilly, windy or still – and she also offers words of encouragement.

What I didn’t tell you is that when you come to class, you first are responsible to adjust your bike to fit your body – the seat height and handle bar distance and where you put your water. Then you get on your bike and clip into your pedals. You make a commitment to the class by showing up and getting on the bike.

Each bike has a display that shows time, heart rate and pace. But not all things are equal because each person can adjust their own resistance or difficulty and that is not displayed anywhere. You might be tempted to glance over at your neighbor and see that she is going at a pace of 80 and you can feel cocky because you are spinning at 95, but what you don’t know is how much resistance she has on her bike. At 80 she might be in fact working a lot harder than you are at 95.

That is where Rate of Perceived Exertion or RPE comes in. There is a chart on the wall that gives you a scale from 1-10. 1 being very easy to 10 which is something you can sustain for about 20 seconds. So the other thing the instructor will call out is a range of where your RPE should be. This is a very good indicator of personal effort. Even at the same pace and resistance, your RPE will likely be different than your neighbors. The reason behind that is because RPE is affected by your fitness level, the way your body works, and other things going on in your life (sleep, diet, stress levels, etc.) Since only you know your life and your body, only you can rate your RPE, and still it is a subjective measurement. If you don’t feel like pushing yourself, you can convince yourself that you are working hard when in fact you are not. However, you will only benefit from the work-out to the extent you put effort into it.

So, what are the lessons we can take away from this? The Bible study structure is established for you and there are leaders in each class. Each of us has the responsibility to show up, adjust ourselves to participate and then push ourselves to grow. We are never to compare or judge ourselves to our neighbor because we are in no position to judge their efforts. Only we know our own heart, our own lives and if in fact we are stretching ourselves to grow. Only we can assess our RPSE – or Rate of Perceived Spiritual Exertion, knowing the fact that we can only expect to get out of Bible study in direct relationship to what we put into it.

I Tim 4:7b-8 Exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.

What is your Rate of Perceived Spiritual Exertion today?

Lessons from a Spinning Class, Part I.

2010-01-14T08:14:00.000-08:00

Last week we talked about the importance of listening for and hearing God’s voice as He navigates us through the obstacles of life. The journey is not easy, which is one reason we are blessed to have others walk alongside so we can encourage on another. This week in Youth, we did an exercise in encouragement. Using an age old game – rock, paper, scissors and some frozen t-shirts, we experienced the energy and motivation that encouragement bring to the equation. The Bible says to “encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”I was thinking of this yesterday while I was in my spinning class at the Y. Some of the most common reasons people join a class to work-out is for accountability, comraderie and encouragement. I have titled this “Lessons from a Spinning Class, Part I” because there is at Part II.

In a spinning class, each person is on their own bike and there is an instructor in front calling out the ride – starting with a warm up and then leading us down the “road”. She gives us a mental picture of a real ride – things like …. It is an easy, flat ride for 3 minutes. Now we will add gear and start up a moderate hill. There are riders up front of us from another team, we need to work together to pass them. Turn the corner and we have a short, but steep hill.

One of the things I have learned about myself is that the most challenging aspect of the ride for me is the long, medium road – not the short, steep hard road. Keeping the effort up over a longer period and staying the distance is a challenge for me mentally – which then becomes a challenge for me physically. This is where I gather encouragement from the instructor as well as the class. The instructor challenges us to keep our focus with encouraging words like: You can do anything for 2 minutes. If it was easy, everyone would do it. Positive self talk. Make your big muscles do the work. We can do it, if we work as a team. Even though we don’t know each other well, just riding beside others is motivating as I watch them work hard and push themselves.

This reminds me of the Christian walk and why I am a part of Tuesday mornings -in fact I have been actively involved in a weekly Bible study for over 20 years. Sure I read the Word and pray at home on my own, but I have personally experienced more spiritual growth by being involved in and a part of a small group study. I am constantly amazed how on the weeks that I come in a little dry or feeling like I largely went through the motions, God will have spoken to someone else in the group and given her a nugget of Truth. Inevitably I leave the group infused with that passion and recharged for the week ahead.

We are blessed to have the opportunity to gather together in a structured environment where we can spur one another along and offer encouragement. Remember, there is energy and motivation in encouragement. We all need it AND we can all offer it. If you are feeling weary in the midst of the long haul – the holidays are over and spring is a ways off – I’d like to offer a word of encouragement to you today: From Hebrews we read the following: 3:13But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.
10:25Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
I am glad you are here today 

A lesson from New Years

2010-01-05T19:47:00.000-08:00

Ringing in the New Year brings with it a sense of new beginnings and new opportunities. My first grader asked me this year what resolutions are for, which gave me pause to stop and ask just why we make resolutions.

I made several unscientific inquiries and the basic answer is: when you have identified something you want to change in your life and subsequently decide (i.e. resolve) to put energy and effort into making it happen. Resolutions as varied as the people who make them, yet they tend to fall into 4 general categories: money (making, saving, spending, managing), body (weight loss, fitness, health), relationships (reconciliation, investing in) and social (volunteering, living green, etc.)

I submit to you that the most significant and life giving change we can make in the New Year is resolving to listen to God’s voice and refine our ears so that His is the only voice we hear. If we do that, all of the other aspects of our lives will fall into place. “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.” (Matt 6:33)

Recently, I had a chance to do a fun exercise with the High School Youth which I think demonstrated pretty convincingly the importance of not only listening to one voice but also knowing who to listen to. The first student was blindfolded and put in the center of the room and told that his goal was to walk around the piano, up the ramp and onto the stage where I would be waiting for him. He would hear many voices calling out directions; some of them correct, some in other languages and other directions intended to take him the wrong direction. His job was to decide who to listen to and find his way. Despite being very familiar with the room and knowing exactly where he wanted to go, he did not have success. When I asked him to sum up the experience he shared that it was very frustrating largely because he didn’t know who to listen to.

The second student was similarly blindfolded and given the same instructions. Except this time there were many voices whispering instructions and only one using a microphone giving accurate, step by step instructions. This student made a few wrong turns and bumped into a couple of obstacles, but ultimately she succeeded in reaching me on the stage. She reported that though her experience was not necessarily easy, it was possible because she knew who to listen to.

Have you ever had a decision to make and wondered which way to go? If only we could train our ears so that His was the loudest and perhaps even the only voice that we heard. Isaiah 30:21 says “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice speaking to you saying. “This is the way; walk in it.” Furthermore, He promises us that “you will seek Me and you will find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13.

May that be our overriding New Years Resolution – to seek the Lord with all our hearts and to learn to walk in His ways.

Lessons from Sandpaper - Part 2

2009-12-08T08:15:00.000-08:00

Last week I shared about the reality that there are people in our lives that rub us the wrong way and cause friction. Not uncommonly, we are often related to those people! We should also be aware that we may be like sandpaper in another person’s life. We may want to step back and examine whether we are being more coarse and abrasive than we need to be. I say “need” because I believe we are called to be in relationship and if those relationships are to be meaningful, they will involve some “rubbing” as God uses us to refine one another.

Proverbs 27:17 says “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” In order for iron to sharpen, it must come in contact with other iron. The same is true for us if we want to be sharpened and grow in Christ.

Many of use share the belief that conflict is bad and we work hard to keep life and relationships conflict free. Today, I want to challenge that belief and suggest that we could all use some sanding, under divine direction. Could we allow ourselves to be REAL in relationships – to really share our lives – our struggles and our victories; to welcome it when a sister in Christ comes alongside and God uses her to sand a rough spot or two?

Keep in mind that there is a broad range of grit, or coarseness available in sandpaper and the selection of grit is dependent on the job. Ask God for His wisdom on what grit you need in your life and what grit He is calling you to be in someone else’s life.

Happy sanding! //Jeanne

Lessons from Sandpaper

2009-12-02T15:45:00.001-08:00

This December I will be gathering with extended family from all over to celebrate my Grandfather’s 100th birthday. I have not seen many of these relatives for years and honestly it will be the largest and most complete family gathering we have ever had. Many of you gathered with family over Thanksgiving and/or have plans to do so over the Holidays. I am confident that with rare exception we would all say we love our family. Have you ever wondered why it is then that family has the ability to rub us raw and cause friction in ways no one else can. Kind of like sandpaper …. And that is why today’s presentation is titled “Lessons from Sandpaper.”
First a lesson about sandpaper: it comes in various sizes, or grit, which refers to the size of the particle of the embedded material. The range is 12 (very coarse) to 1000 which is very, very fine. There is also a range of uses for sandpaper. I personally have used it to smooth dry wall, refinish furniture, and remove rust from my garden tools. No matter the use, some basic principles apply:

1. When you start the job, you begin with the coarsest paper appropriate for that job to deal with the roughest areas first. Then you gradually work to a finer and finer grit as the job progresses.
2. If you have a particularly rough or stubborn area, it may take repeated applications and some elbow grease to get it smoothed out.
3. Even when you think you’re done, you will find an area that could use a little more attention.

Frankly this reminds me a lot of God’s refining process in my life. It shouldn’t surprise us that God would use relationships to accomplish His work in our lives. After all, He is a relational God who thinks of relationships so highly that He was willing to send His son to be born so that He could relate to us so that when He died He would restore our relationship with the Father. God’s purpose for us as His children is that we become sanctified – made more and more into the image of Christ. I don’t know about you, but for me that says a lot of change and a lot of refining. Most always it is through relationships that our rough edges are revealed, and I believe God does that so we will submit ourselves to His molding and shaping.

So next time somebody rubs you the wrong way, instead of focusing on how inappropriate or irritating they are, ask yourself if maybe God is using them as divine sandpaper, then ask God to show you if you need to change.

A lesson in Thanksliving

2009-11-25T13:10:00.001-08:00

Whether we gather with friends and family or simply anticipate the advent of Christmas shopping season, most if not all of us will be celebrating Thanksgiving this week. It is a great reminder every year to pause and give thanks for some of the many things we have in our lives to be thankful for. Did you know that there are many references in the Bible to the call to be thankful – from the Old Testament instructions to build an altar to acknowledge God’s gracious provisions to the New Testament teachings on growing a thankful heart. Instead of celebrating Thanksgiving once a year and setting aside one day or season, I’d like to suggest we spend our life as one of “Thanksliving”. This is not an original idea from me, but when I heard it last week, it resonated with me.

So what keeps us from being/feeling/expressing thankfulness? I submit to you that it is a result of many of the following factors: blurring of needs and wants, a sense of entitlement, a mis-guided expectation that life should be calm and stress free, comparing what we have or don’t have to others, unrealistic expectations, unmet expectations - the list may go on.

What is the problem with not having a thankful heart? I can share from my own life, that when I am not thanksliving, I experience dissatisfaction in my wardrobe, my things, my relationships, my extended family – and at times even my life in general. I become far too self-focused and subsequently self-absorbed. I believe that not being thankful is part of the natural woman or one living according to the flesh and that is why it is taught and modeled so often in scripture that we are to mature in our thanksgiving and our thanksliving.

Years ago when I faced some difficult changes in my life, a Godly friend suggested that the best way to grow in life was to develop my thankful muscles. She challenged me keep a Thankful Journal by writing 5 things that I am thankful for each and every day. She gave me a simple steno pad with Phil 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

I began to look for God at work in my life and as I was diligent to record nightly in my journal. My entries ranged from “the feel of my son’s hand in mine on our walk” to “weekly garbage service” and anything in between. Sometimes my entries were more specific and this is how I experienced God using a heart of thankfulness to change me. One particular person in my life has been difficult for me and I remember the day God put it on my heart that I should use at least one of my entries each day to note something specifically regarding that person. I confess that the first night, my page sat blank for awhile until I acknowledged that I was going to need some help! What I wrote that night was that I could be, and I was thankful, that He loved her as much as He loved me and that if she was the only person alive, He would have sent His son to die on the cross for her. God used my step of obedience to begin to change our relationship. It is not perfect, but it is miles better than it used to be!

This Thanksgiving season can be the start of something new and bigger in our lives as we purpose each day to look for God at work in our lives and take time each day to acknowledge even the littlest of things and give Him thanks. Let’s be thankslivers as well as thanksgivers.

2009-11-24T10:42:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday I had a date with my daughter to a High School Play – not to High School Musical, but a live performance at her high school. The play was set in 17th Century France with period nuances of clothing, speech and mannerisms. The students put on a top shelf performance of a very challenging piece. As I reflected on the evening I was challenged in three particular areas. And so I have titled this: Lessons from a High School Play.

Two of the actors in the play distinctly reminded me of other people. One was the boy who lived down the street from our home in Texas whom I knew well and watched grow up. The other one looked strikingly like a young Brad Pitt. I was so focused on who I perceived these people to be that I could hardly engage with the roles they played. It took a conscious effort to see beyond my preconceptions based on my experiences or expectations. Every time we hear or read anything, we are filtering that through our past experiences and relationships as well as our expectations. Not that these are wrong, but I do believe we need to become aware of them because they color all new information.

My favorite part of the play was the scene when 3 different actresses came to present their cause to the young doctor. The only speaking in this scene was the narrator, who quite eloquently explained what was happening in the scene. The narrator certainly did a great job, but I think I liked this scene because I didn’t have to try to figure out for myself what was being communicated! In the same way, too often I go to a commentary or the notes on the page in my Bible to find out what I “should” learn rather than interacting with God and His Word directly. Other teachers and resources are appropriate to use as a supplement, but we should never rely on them as a primary source of knowledge.

Last of all, while I did enjoy the play and laughed at the appropriate parts, I noticed that my daughter found it exceedingly funny and chuckeled at things that seemed like inside jokes to me. Because she knows these actors due to sharing life with them each and every week she could better appreciate their roles and the characters they played and so got much more out of the play. To me this applies to our small groups on Tuesday morning, or whenever else we gather. If we do not make the effort to build real and authentic community where we really know each other, then we are missing out on the ability to fully understand when a prayer request is spoken; or share in the excitement when an insight or application is revealed. When we walk alongside others in real relationships we can more fully appreciate the struggles and victories of real faith played out in real life.

Lessons from Tragedy

2009-11-10T18:55:00.000-08:00

Veteran’s Day (November 11th ) holds special meaning in our family. For 18 years I served as an Army wife with my husband retiring shortly before we moved here to WA. We still have many friends in the service to include some who currently serve at Ft. Hood and were directly affected by the tragedy that occurred there last Thursday. Though 13 people were killed and more wounded, it could have been a lot worse if personnel had not acted quickly and decisively to not only eliminate the threat but also to treat the wounded. It was as if they had been trained how to respond under stress. In fact they are. Soldiers are trained how to respond to life and death situations so they can function in a war zone.

By the grace of God, we don’t live in a war zone, but there still is a lesson for us from this tragedy. Living in a home with a military man means we have many phrases and sayings in our family that are a carry over from the Army. I can’t tell you how many times we have heard in our home the saying of “you train like you fight” meaning that you can’t expect to react correctly in a stressful situation if you have not trained over and over how you plan to react.

We are admonished in 1 Peter 3:15 to Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. We do not know when God will open the door for us to share the reason for our hope, but if we are not trained and prepared, we will not be ready to act decisively and respond appropriately.

How do we train? Practice, practice, practice. I think we would all like to say we could share our testimony at a moments notice, but when push comes to shove, we often find that we trip over our words and later on think “I could have said this, or I wish I shared that”. I challenge us all today to ask the question “What difference has Christ made in my life?” and go the extra steps to not only write it down, but share it out loud with a friend and use the opportunity to train yourself. Let us remember that as followers of Christ we are soldiers for Christ. Our job is to engage in the fight, but in order to do that, we simply must train like we fight.

Charlie Mike … Continue the mission.

Lessons from Technology

2009-11-03T19:18:00.000-08:00

One of the things I most appreciate about parenting is the way it keeps me on the growth edge. Something about interacting children and young adults keeps you right on the edge of your comfort zone – both in wondering how to handle different situations, to being confronted with my own stuff. It is rarely a comfortable place to be, but ultimately it is what makes life interesting and keeps me growing.

Our faith journey is much the same way. We desire to reach the point of glorification – but the reality is that between here and there is a process called sanctification where if we allow God to work in and through us, we are constantly being pushed to the edge of our comfort zone – this growth edge – where we have an opportunity to grow and be conformed more and more into the image of Christ.

Where are you being stretched to grow?

One of the areas I have been stretched with my teenage children is in the area of technology. With the exponential growth of technology the past decade, we have some interesting new words added to our vocabulary: text (used as a verb), google, facebook, and blog (all used as both a noun and a verb) – and there are many others. None of these are listed in my Living Webster encyclopedic dictionary of the English language that I received as a gift at my high school graduation.

Let’s focus for a moment on the word BLOG – which is a contraction of the words web and log. On the web, one can “log” regular entries. These entries are posted in reverse chronological order – i.e. the most recent ones pop up first and you can scroll down to older posts. (by the way, scroll used to known only a noun). A unique feature about blogs is that they are an interactive tool meaning the reader has the ability to leave comments. This is a useful tool to measure whether a) people are reading the blog content and b) if they find the information valuable or applicable.

Each week on Tuesday mornings, I share a “Lesson from Life” during our Coffee and Connections time before we break into small groups. Then I post that “Lesson” on the Westminster Women Blogspot. These Lessons are developed out of simple stories from everyday life occurrences can illuminate profound Biblical truths in understandable and relatable ways. The stories come from my day to day life because I believe God is at work all around us and that He speaks to us through Creation as well as through our circumstances. My hope is to challenge you, if you are not already, to be looking for Him in your everyday life.

Is God using these “Lessons” to inspire or encourage you? I’d love to hear some feedback and invite you to post a comment or send an e-mail to Holly Pankratz: hollyp@westminster.org. We would love to hear from you.

Lessons from Sweeping

2009-10-28T13:23:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the wind and rain of late I had an abundance of pine debris around my house, as I’m sure many of you have on your streets and driveways. I noticed that my neighbors use blower to clean up, but I don’t like the noise, nor am I very good at it - you might say I’m blower challenged. So instead, I opted for a big push broom and decided to enjoy the physical effort.

When I am doing yard or house work, I have a tendency to use my right hand – almost exclusively. It is my dominant side. That hand and arm are probably stranger and absolutely more accustomed to being used. In fact, I don’t have to consciously think about what I am doing. It just feels natural. Scientific studies have shown that when we do repetitive motions over a period of time the message pathways between the brain and the muscles actually get “hard wired”. One can actually stretch or exercise the brain by doing these motions or activities with a different hand, and establish new neural pathways. Think of your brain like a muscle and just like a muscle the parts that are used get stronger. On the other hand, the parts not exercised can atrophy.

To challenge my brain, I decided to use my left arm to sweep. At first, it felt quite awkward and I wasn’t very good at it. Very quickly my arm got tired and I wanted to switch to my right hand and just get the job done. I had to make very deliberate decisions to keep using my left hand. As I pondered the battle in my thoughts, I realized there is a spiritual principle here, so I have titled this “A Lesson from Sweeping”.

Do you ever feel like your spiritual growth is stagnant or stale - like you are stuck in a rut relationally or frustrated because you keep repeating the same mistakes even though you know there could be a better way? Perhaps it is a little lie; raising your voice in anger; allowing your mind to drift to inappropriate thoughts; exercising a judgmental or critical spirit; gossip; consistent mis-management of time; self-centered thoughts or behavior; distrust; fill in the blank. You may even feel that gentle nudge of the Holy Spirit, but let’s face it, when patterns are well established or hard wired, it is much easier to just go with the flow and do what comes “naturally” – that which has been practiced.

Romans 12:2 admonishes us to “not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds”. As followers of Christ we are called to submit ourselves to God; to die to self, practice humility, serve others, submit to authority, love and forgive. And most importantly to be not perfect in all of this, but in the process of being refined. Each and every time we feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit, we have a choice to make.

Without a doubt it takes more effort and determination to choose against what is “natural”. And even when we do make the right choice initially, it takes perseverance to stay the course. Each time we do choose to do what we know is right, we are exercising our obedience muscles so that the next time we am convicted, it will be a little easier to obey and as we continue to choose to follow Christ, it begins to feel a little more natural. The hope is that one day those right paths will be the hard wired ones and I can get working on some other ones. That is the lesson from sweeping.

Lesson from a Field Trip

2009-10-20T19:54:00.001-07:00

Today was my kindergartener’s first field trip. I never knew how anxiety producing a trip to a pumpkin patch could be! We’ve gone over the day dozens of times and I’ve answered every question more than once. Last night I heard the cutest thing – after both boys were in bed - I eavesdropped as the very wise 1st grader shared his “field trip wisdom” with his younger brother, patiently telling him what to expect and how things would go. The 1st grader may not have everything figured out yet, but he could sure speak to what he knew!

As I share today, keep in mind what my older son did for his younger brother. The title of today’s story is “A Lesson from a Field Trip”.

Years ago I was teaching a 4th grade Sunday School class and I wanted to challenge the students to learn several verses of scripture together. I chose Eph 6:14-18 which covers the Armor of God. I figured we could learn some hand motions as well to make memorization easier. But just memorizing the words wasn’t enough. We looked at each piece of armor, learning what it meant, how it worked, the Biblical principle behind it. To make it fun for the kids, we started off by tracing their shape on big paper and cutting out their individual soldier. Each week as we learned about the piece of armor and they made that piece to equip their soldier. I hung them up around the room and over the course of the lessons their “soldiers” became fitted with the Armor of God as they memorized the verses and got a grasp of their meaning.

Many of those armor pieces are truly an individual responsibility – the belt of Truth that must be learned, breastplate of righteousness and helmet of salvation that each must accept for themselves, and even the feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace – which I believe speaks of our personal testimony as well as being equipped for evangelism. Yet there is also a spirit of collectiveness and fellowship when we speak of the shield of faith. Yes, each of us is responsible to hold up our own shield, but we can also hold up our shields together and so help protect one another from the “flaming arrows of the evil one.” And there are “flaming arrows” because as Believers we live in a world that is in opposition to God. Chip Ingram sums it up well in The Invisible War. The Bible clearly teaches us that Satan is on a mission to destroy God’s people. And the problem is, Satan doesn’t telegraph his temptations and schemes. Instead, he’s very secretive as he attempts to lead Christians down a delicate, subtle, gradual path of deception. Satan wants to get an unnoticeable foothold in our lives by triggering relational conflicts; weighing us down with fear, anxiety, depression, or insecurity; increasing our selfishness; tempting us with escape mechanisms such as drugs and alcohol; and seducing us through the lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and boastful pride of life.” These sound like flaming arrows to me! Though we have confidence that the war has been won, battles are still raging all around.

If those battles are difficult for us, imagine how it for a young person who has less experience in the faith. This year the vision of those directing the Armor Bearer program is that each and every Junior High and High School student will be paired with someone a little older, and a little wiser and perhaps more experienced in the battle who can come alongside them and hold up their shield of faith on behalf of the student The amazing fact is that just like my first grader helped out his little brother just by being there and sharing from what he knew, we don’t have to have it all together before we can help another!

Just like the warriors depicted in movies like Gladiator and 300 who collectively held up their shields and were much more successful in standing against the enemy; protecting themselves and each other from the arrows, we have the opportunity to stand alongside a young adult and hold up our shield of faith. If you’d like more information about being involved in the program, contact Karen Friemel at friemelfamily@spamcop.net

A Lesson from Leaves

2009-10-13T19:23:00.000-07:00

Last week I was away with my family to celebrate our anniversary. Most days I don’t feel old enough to have been married for 21 years, but as I told my husband, it’s a good thing we’ve been married that long as we have a son who is 18 years old! Now that he is out of the house, we are in a new season of our family life as we adjust to the rhythm of our week and doing things as a family of 5 instead of 6 – and just like any change it is both good and bad, easy and hard.

We are literally experiencing a change of seasons as of a few days ago but I am sure for many of us here there are also figurative of seasons changing in our lives. One thing I have learned is that the only consistent thing in life is that there will be change! And typically change is hard. Wolf Blitzer has been quoted as saying “The only person who likes change is a baby with a wet diaper.”

Think for a moment about how the seasons may be changing in your life today.

Let’s go back to leaves. I learned some interesting facts about the color changes.
1. First of all, the carotenoids and anthocyanins that cause the beautiful colors are always present in the leaf. They are simply overshadowed by the chlorophyll that is produced during the growing season.
2. The primary factor for the timing of leaves changing is lengthening of the night. This is how they can predict fall colors on the calendar, by the shortening of daylight.
3. The brilliance of colors is mainly influenced by temperature and moisture. Warm, sunny days are followed by cool, crisp but not freezing weather which seems to bring out the most spectacular color displays. Yet, if a plant has endured a drought earlier in the season, the colors won’t be vibrant or bright.

What lessons can we learn from leaves?
1. As God brings change into our lives, sometimes a blessing and other times a trial, often it reveals what is inside us all the time. It can be something beautiful and vibrant, or it can be dull and dead.
2. Who is in charge of the rhythm of our lives? The Bible teaches us that God is the Creator of all things. He made the heavens and the earth and He causes the sun to rise at one end and make its way to the other. Ecclesiastes Chapter 3 speaks of seasons in life but my favorite verse to meditate on during a change is Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God” because it reminds me that no matter what is changing around me, He is still on the throne and in charge.
3. Insufficient watering in previous seasons will significantly influence the colors I bring forth as the seasons change. God refers to Himself as the fountain of living waters. This is a wonderful reminder to be mindful to drink often and long from His fountain so that as the seasons of my life change it can bring out His beauty in me.

Lesson from a Chipper

2009-10-03T09:45:00.000-07:00

One of the many things I’ve had to adjust to since moving here from El Paso is the rapid growth of vegetation – and the constant dealing with the weeds and fighting back the “wild”. This summer we decided to give it a radical cut to the wonderful laurel hedge along the back of our property. Chopping off several feet left me with copious amounts of limbs and debris in piles which would take me a year to stuff in the yard waste bins. And that is how we ended up with a chipper.

I’ve now spent more than a few hours with this chipper, and while not an expert I have managed to learn a few lessons:

1. Three inches was the advertised dimensions of what the chipper would be able to handle. In reality, limbs of an inch or so are about all it can handle. That would be my first lesson – reality is often not as advertised and this is true in life as well. There is a misperception out there that we can be all things to all people; that the busier we are and the more stuff we have, the happier we will be. What many of us have learned or are learning is that in reality doesn’t match what is advertised.

2. Newly cut branches are too soft and can clog the blades yet hard, dry, dead branches are hard to feed thru the chipper. They just aren’t pliable so they take a lot of force to push thru the chute. Often they get pushed back or bounce around not able to bend enough to fit. The best branches are seasoned yet still alive. The life lesson here is that while maturity is good we must be careful not to become so set in our ways that we are resistant to change.

3. More of a good thing really not better. I did find that the leaves on the branches allowed the blades to grab the stick and almost pull it thru so. In my zeal to diminish my pile I would often put too many branches in at one time. Then I would spend a lot of time and energy fiddling with the branches – pulling them up and down to try to make them fit. Honestly, my goal was to just keep shoving stuff in until something gave and it all went thru. Sometimes it worked – but more times than not I had to pull out some of the branches and start over. The times when I wasn’t willing to make adjustments, I would end up with problems and have to shut everything down to deal with the clog.
Life Lesson: you cannot keep adding commitments to your days and weeks just hoping it will all somehow fit through. Sure sometimes you can get away with it, but if you keep shoving more stuff in something will give … your health, relationships, joy, sanity …. We should periodically examine our commitments and honestly evaluate if there is something that needs to go. Matt. 6:33 says “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteous and all these things will be added unto you.”

A short summary of the 3 life lessons from a chipper:
1. Don’t buy the lies of the world.
2. Be cautious not to become dry and brittle. Maintain pliability as you season and mature.
3. Put first things first and be cautious not to just stuff more and more in.

Lessons from a Story Book

2009-09-24T08:45:00.000-07:00

One of the things I have most enjoyed in spending time with my children is reading to them – though I must also confess that their zeal for reading has not always been in alignment with mine. Frankly, by the end of the day it is difficult to keep my eyes open and my mind from wandering while I am reading – especially for those longer stories that they seem to so enjoy.

In order to expedite the process, I have a tendency to skip some of the words or even paraphrase some sections. I’m noticing that they are catching on to my schemes and sometimes the 1st grader will ask “is that their words or your words.” Very soon they will learn how to read for themselves and I won’t be able to get away with my shortening tactics!

What a privilege it is to have access to the written Word of God for ourselves. We should find great joy in the fact we are not dependent on someone else reading to us out of an out of reach book, or worse to be limited to a paraphrase or their edited version. In addition, we have the incredible blessing of gathering together each week to share our learning. So many times I heard and said “I do Bible study on Tuesday morning”. What a difference it would make if we truly shifted our thinking and our practice to: “I study the Bible and get together on Tuesday mornings to share with others what God is teaching me”.

Let’s enjoy our time in the Word this year, being diligently to read the Bible and study it for ourselves. Our time together on Tuesday morning will be rich with encouragement as we share our journey together.

Tennis Shoes and a Walker by Jeanne Warme

2009-08-17T14:12:00.000-07:00

I met two people today at church - people previously unknown to me, from different generations that I connected with in different scenarios. The first person was a twenty-something gal wearing bright “skater” shoes and facial piercings that I saw in the atrium while waiting for my coffee. It wouldn’t appear we had much in common to talk about, but a compliment on her shoes started a conversation and I learned she was newly “back” to church and this allowed us to talk about what is going on in the Westminster community. Later, during the question of the day in the service time, I met a gentleman who hadn’t been to church since the day he was married. By the looks of him and his walker, that was a few years ago. My conversation with both people was brief and yet more than a chat about the weather or a simple “hi, how are you.”

When I shared with my teenagers later that day about the people I had connected with in a small way their reply of “But Mom you are good at that” got me thinking that anybody could be “good at that.” I didn’t start out this way in my Christian life nor did I have it modeled for me. Beyond that, I can assure you that it certainly doesn’t come naturally. Rather what drives me to look outward is the realization of how painful it is to feel invisible and wonder if it matters to anyone that you exist. The experience of feeling completely alone and anonymous despite being in the midst of a crowd is a powerful motivator.

So how do I do I talk to complete strangers in various settings? While every situation is different and certainly not every interaction feels “successful”, there are a few underlying principles that are key:

1. Notice the people around you. Become a student of the people around you. Observe who seems to be alone. Do they look up at all and attempt to make eye contact? Do you notice anything about them that could be a good conversation starter? (i.e I sure like your flashy shoes!) Do you notice something you may have in common and focus on that? (i.e. You have a great tan, you must like being outdoors.)

2. Purposefully do not engage just with people you already know. The easy thing is to look for the familiar and move toward them, or to be in such a hurry to get to the next place that you keep your eyes forward and not even notice the room. You may have to push yourself out of your comfort zone – slow down and look around.

3. Once you have started in conversation, it is natural to ask: Do you normally come to this service? Depending on how they answer, there are many ways to go with this. You might discover they are new to the area; new to the Church; looking for ways to connect; or even that they’ve been coming a long time and you just haven’t crossed paths yet!

I hope my brief interactions on Sunday blessed the people I met as much as it did me, but more importantly, I hope they both walked away with the knowledge that someone noticed they were there that day and it mattered.

Summer Interest Groups

2009-05-23T10:13:00.000-07:00

For more information or to sign-up, contact Holly at Hollyp@westminster.org.

Tell Your Story with Photos.
Have you been scrapbooking for years, just starting out, or don't know where to begin? Do you create traditional scrapbooks or are you totally digital, or maybe wondering which might be the best fit for you? Join us two Wednesday nights a month during the summer to find out how to begin, what to do, finish a project, or just share your pictures and stories. We will meet at Westminster Chapel on Wednesday evenings twice a month. Check the web for specific dates.

Hiking.
Join other women for some exercise and fellowship. Hikes are currently organized for Thursday mornings at 9:30 beginning June 4th .

Book Club
Enjoy some summer reading and discuss your insights and questions with other women. Meets Tuesday mornings twice a month.

Gardening
Gather together to share gardening tips, ask questions, and learn from each other.

MOMS Park Days
Meet together with other moms of young children. Meet at a different park every Tuesday from 10am to noon. Check the website for the weekly location.

Parenting Discussion
A group especially for busy mothers of elementary-aged children to discuss the book “Instructing a Child's Heart” by Tedd and Margy Tripp. Women will need to buy the book or borrow it from their local library.
Meets 2 times during the summer: Thursdays, June 25th and July 30th, 7-8:30 pm at Panera Bread in Redmond, 17262 Redmond Way

Knitting, Sewing or Crafting
Practice your skill or learn a new one. The possibilities are endless!
Donna Hoover:

Biking
See the area from a new perspective and share the road with new friend. Rides will vary in length.

Tennis
Need a partner? See you on the courts!

Dinner Groups for Couples
Meet at a restaurant or rotate between houses.

Walk Your Dog
Not only exercise for you and your dog but you both can make new friends.

Card Stamping
Do it the old fashioned way and bless someone with “snail” mail and a hand-made card

Coffee and Connecting
Both morning and evening meeting times. A great way to check out some local coffee stops and meet up with some friends.

Summer Bible Study Offerings
Wednesday mornings
From June 24th thru August 26th, meet weekly from 9:30-11:30 to study 1 Thessalonians.

Wednesday evenings
From June 3rd thru August 19th, meet weekly from 7-8:30pm to discuss Rick Warren’s book Twelve Ways You Can Unlock God's Word.

Thursday mornings
From June 25th thru August 20th, meet weekly from 9:30-11:30 for Believing God by Beth Moore.

For more information or to sign-up, contact Holly at Hollyp@westminster.org

Dandelion's and Tea Cups by Jeanne Warme

2009-05-05T16:52:00.000-07:00

Last week I talked about how much I love spring and watching beautiful flowers burst forth. This week, I got a little NW reality check with the rain! It’s appropriate, because today I’m going to share a spiritual reality check. I’ve titled my comments: Dandelions and Tea Cups.

My son whose favorite color is yellow can’t understand why I don’t like them, and he does occasionally bring me bouquets of those lovely yellow flowers. The best thing I’ve discovered to do with them is to flick the heads off and make dandelion boats in the stream. These are prolific weeds that frankly have to be dealt with aggressively and consistently. I am constantly amazed at the fact that I can clear my yard and flower beds of the little fellas and feel pretty good about it and the next day a whole batch of new ones greet me with yellow blooms. There are several ways of dealing with them – all with some consequences. There are various tools to help you dig them out and this is a lot of work. There are chemicals and the accompanying issues. And there is even the possibility of ignoring them. The problem with that is though they appear to eventually go away, they spread their seeds which will lie dormant for a season and then bring an even bigger harvest next year.

My fleshly nature feels a bit like dandelions at times. It can be dormant for a season as I live under the power, influence and control of the Holy Spirit and then sometimes out of the blue my sin nature will rear its ugly head and I will think, saw or do something that I know does not honor God.

Just such a thing happened recently at Fred Meyer. It was a Tuesday afternoon after a great morning at Bible study (go figure). I took the boys for a quick stop for groceries. I honestly don’t know all of the details that ran together, but let me just say the cashier and I were a tad testy with one another and I was frankly inappropriate and rude. When I stepped back from it, I kept thinking “Where did that come from?”

And here is where the tea cup comes in. Consider a tea cup – a container made of various shapes, sizes and decoration. When that tea cup is tipped, whatever comes out of it is what was in it. Whatever tipped it does not influence what was in it. What comes out of it is only a result of what’s inside. It could be sweet soothing tea or hot tea that burns and scalds. This tea cup is your life. Scripture tells us that “out of the mouth, the heart speaks.” When our tea cup gets tipped, that is a great barometer of our spiritual health.

So where did my response come from? It came out of a root of selfishness, impatience, and probably self righteousness. Have I addressed these before – absolutely. But just like when I am digging up the dandelions, if I just take the flower off, another soon will follow. But even if I have dug down further, if I leave a small piece of the root, another plant will grow.

Our fleshly nature is very much a part of us, and it will be until the day we are in Heaven, yet still we are responsible to get out our weeding tools and get to work!

I leave you to ponder these questions: How is your spiritual yard looking? And what is in your tea cup?

Footnote: I made a special trip back the Fred Meyers the next day and apologized to the cashier. She thanked me for stopping in 

A Lesson from a Flower by Jeanne Warme

2009-05-01T14:05:00.000-07:00

I love spring - especially watching the earth wake up from its hibernation and literally spring forth with abundance and color. In our backyard right now are trees with gorgeous big white flowers on them. From a distance they look like white fluffy snowballs perched on each branch of the tree. In an effort to capture the moment, I thought it would be fun to dry some flowers and make pretty cards. To my disappointment, what I discovered on closer inspection is that each “large” flower is actually made up of many small white flowers. Separated out they didn’t have nearly the striking impact as when they were all together.

Each one of us can be like a flower in bloom – offering beauty and joy to those around us. Even isolated we can affect those around us. But just imagine the impact we can have in the world if we come alongside one another in community and bloom together! What a dramatic statement we, the body of Christ, can make to the world.

B...Inspired

2009-04-24T08:20:00.000-07:00

B. Inspired… Connection is Key for Westminster Women
By Holly Pankratz, Minister to Women

“There are so many interesting women at Westminster but I haven’t had a chance to meet them yet.” I recently heard this statement and having been at Westminster for just a year, I couldn’t agree more. I’ve had the opportunity to meet with some of you up close and personal but there are so many of your stories that I haven’t heard.

Our focus for Westminster Women this year has been providing opportunities to connect and grow through discovering one another’s stories. We began the year with a Real Women Conference in September sharing how God used difficult circumstances in the lives of four women to grow them and many others around them in amazing ways. Throughout the year, bible studies have allowed women in smaller groups to connect over the Word and to encourage each other’s faith while our mentoring program provided deeper one-on-one opportunities for many women. Each Tuesday morning I was amazed to walk into the Fireside Room and see the connections going on in MOMS. Even during the “cold” season the room was full of warm connections and learning. And each Friday the servant hearts of Helping Hands faithfully come together to sew items for needy people around the world. They share a sweet time of prayer connection in the middle of their time together. Finally, working women get connected at Women in the Workplace dinner events. I invited a woman from another church to a recent one and she marveled to her women’s ministry leader that, “the women at Westminster were so inviting and welcoming.”

You are invited and welcomed to join us on Saturday, MAY 16th from 9:30-4:00 in the CLC at our B Inspired…Connection is Key day retreat. We will have three speakers whom I can’t wait for you to hear: Shan Evans, Michelle Mordaunt, and Jorie Gulbranson. These speakers will not only inspire you but it will be a great time to connect with old friends and make new ones. I love the small groups at Westminster, but there is something about coming all together as women that helps me better understand Paul’s depiction of the body of Christ in 1 Corinthians 12. Along with being blessed by the speakers, you’ll have an opportunity to meet women with similar interests to your own. The cost is only $15 plus a salad ingredient that you pick when you sign up. It’s been awhile since we’ve gathered as a larger group of women, so I really hope to see you there. You’re an important part of the body, so if you aren’t there, something is missing!

What do you like to do with your spare time?

2009-04-07T10:13:00.000-07:00

We are looking into creating some "interest groups" to help women connect at Westminster and we need your help. What do you like to do with your spare time?
What groups might you like to see at Westminster?
Thanks for participating.
Holly

Change by Jeanne Warme

2009-03-25T10:52:00.000-07:00

Lyrics from a Bob Dylan song tell us “The times, they are a changin’” Most of us would say that we really don’t like change, and yet change is all around us, so how do we cope? More importantly, how do we not just survive but thrive in the change?

I’ve been making some changes around my house – mostly on the walls, though a little furniture has been moved around lately. In order to get the great results that I desire, the most important step is the preparation – filling the holes, caulking the cracks, smoothing the surface and gathering the right equipment. Only after adequate prep work is done and the right color chosen should I put the paint on the wall. The other very important part of the prep work is preparing the others who live in the house that change is coming! I’ve noticed that when I don’t get my family on board before I paint something I’ll get responses ranging from “Yeah, I like the color” to “What! I didn’t even know the wall needed to be painted”.

Have you ever noticed how frustrating it is when you are watching TV and someone else is in control of the remote? You are just getting into something, or your brain has just engaged with what’s on the channel and suddenly w/o notice the picture changes! Have you ever switched the channel while someone else was watching? That probably didn’t bother you as much because your brain had already made a decision to change so it didn’t take you off guard.

The bottom line is that change is hard – but it is a lot easier to deal with if you know its coming and have been prepared a bit. In studying the gospels I am struck by how many ways Jesus attempted to prepare the disciples for what lay ahead …. When He sent them out to preach the gospel and heal people He told them that some people would accept them and others wouldn’t. He told them that it was necessary for Him to die, and be buried. He told them – and us – that there would be trials and hard times. The other thing I noticed though is not only does He warn of change but He gives hope at the same time. When He sent the disciples out He told them not to worry about what to say for the Holy Spirit would give them the words. And even though He would die and be buried, He would rise again and later He said “I go and prepare a place for you and I will come again and receive you to myself”. (John 14: 3) And finally, we learn in the Word that we can take heart in the trials and struggles because when God allows them, they are for our good. For we know that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purposes. (Romans 8:28)

We may be living in changing and unstable times. But God is the same – yesterday, today and tomorrow. Let us be like the wise man who built his house upon the rock and when the rains and wind came, the house stood firm on its foundation. Not only do we not have to fear change, but we can walk in confidence knowing that God is at work and He will walk with us through it all.

St. Patrick's Day by Jeanne Warme

2009-03-17T14:00:00.000-07:00

St. Patrick’s Day is a strange holiday with little green men, shamrocks, parades and various concoctions of green food and drink. But did you ever stop and ask what exactly the day represents? If you are like me, you have heard some stories but have you ever wondered what the truth really is. Some things I’d heard were: he wasn’t even Irish (which is true) and he gave a sermon on a hilltop and drove away the snakes – let me explain.

Patrick (who was known then by another name) was a wild child who ended up being kidnapped by a group of hooligans. He was taken to Ireland and enslaved to work alone in the fields as a shepherd. During those years of isolation, he had a spiritual awakening and a growing desire to follow God. In a dream, God revealed to him that a ship was waiting for him up on the coast. Patrick escaped and walked a long distance and indeed found this ship. He took work on the ship tending the animals as they sailed to France where Patrick lived for years and studied religion and took his new identity - “Patrick”. He later returned home and took his father’s position in the church.

Then God told him in a dream to return to Ireland, his land of bondage, to deliver the people from spiritual bondage. At that time, Ireland was a pagan country controlled by the druids, sorcerers who oppressed the king and queen by telling them the gods would be angry if they did this or that. When Patrick came back to Ireland with the Truth about God, their power began to diminish. The story of the snakes is symbolic in nature. Yes, Patrick did preach sermons and share the Truth but the island of Ireland has no native snakes, so only metaphorically did he do away the snakes. Let’s remember how satan himself appeared in the garden of Eden. James 4:7 says “Submit yourselves to God, resist the devil and he will flee.”

As you might imagine, the druids were not happy to Patrick and tried to take his life. The story is told that he one evening he was dining with the king and queen. When the head druid returned with wine for them, Patrick said something to the effect of “Believing in your gods is as deadly as the poison in this cup.” The druid fled when confronted and told by the king to drink the wine himself. When Patrick told them it was God who had revealed that the wine was poisoned, the king and queen embraced the Truth about God and Ireland went on to become a Christian nation thanks largely to the work of this man who is now known as Saint Patrick. He died on March 17th.

Let’s look at some of the symbolism associated with celebrating St. Patrick’s Day:
Green: Ireland is known as the emerald Isle. It also represents spring and new life.
Leprechaun: This little man was added much later added for commercial appeal to the holiday.
Shamrock: A trifoliate leaf used by Patrick to illustrate the Trinity.
Parades: The first parade was in New York City. Early Irish immigrant population were largely oppressed and this celebration was an expression of embracing and rejoicing in their identity.

Today as I celebrate St. Patrick’s day I am reminded that instead of blindly following traditions, I need seek the truth that lies behind. Secondly, it is okay to embrace and celebrate my identity in Christ.

Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. . The life I live, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.

A great salad recipe

2009-03-11T15:14:00.000-07:00

This recipe is a great idea for a small group gathering. Everyone brings an ingredient or two and then you throw the whole thing together and it tastes delicious. Enjoy!

Cucina Cucina Salad
_________________1 head Romaine lettuce, torn
_________________1 head iceberg lettuce, torn
_________________2 cans garbonzo beans
_________________1 oz. basil, chopped
_________________16 oz. Roma tomatoes
_________________8 oz. grated Mozarella cheese
_________________4 oz. cubed Provolone cheese
_________________12 oz. diced cooked chicken
_________________12 oz. diced cooked chicken
_________________16 oz. diced salami
_________________Dressing
_________________Other
_________________Other
_________________Bread/Rolls & Butter
_________________Drinks
_________________Dessert
_________________Plates, Napkins, Cups, Flatware

Almond Biscotti by Jeanne Warme

2009-03-03T20:00:00.001-08:00

Almond Biscotti

Ingredients:
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp cinnamon
3 cups whole almonds (w/skin on)
3 TBL softened unsalted butter
2 beaten eggs
3 TBL pure vanilla

Egg wash:
1 beaten egg mixed with 1 TBL water

Put all dry ingredients in a bowl and beat with mixer to mix thoroughly. Add butter and mix at low speed, adding beaten eggs and vanilla. Mix just until dough holds together.

Put dough on a floured surface. Cut in half and roll each piece into a log (3 inches wide). Place one log diagonally on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Flatten slightly. Lightly brush the top of each log with the egg wash.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 25-30 minutes (or so) until firm to touch. Remove from oven and let stand a few minutes. Using a very sharp knife, cut dough diagonally into biscotti and place side down on a cookie sheet. Return to the oven at 300o until sufficiently dry – turning once.

Lessons from a Biscotti Part 2 by Jeanne Warme

2009-03-03T19:58:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday America said good-bye to a the radio legend Paul Harvey who coined the phrase many of us are familiar with … “ the rest of the story.” Last week I told you the story about my attempts to make biscotti by following a recipe shared by a friend. Despite following the written directions, consistently mine did not turn out as well as hers. So when she came for a visit, I asked her to walk me thru the process and share her hard earned tips of the trade. She came alongside me in the kitchen and the product was delicious. Several of you asked if I had brought samples to share and that, my friends, is the REST OF THE STORY.

I decided to make another batch of biscotti now that I’d been shown how to do it. I applied what I had learned – mixing the ingredients, kneading the dough and adding more flour to get the right consistency before shaping it into 2 rolls. My process wasn’t nearly as neat or easy as hers. I got my biscotti logs placed diagonally on the cookie sheet and in the oven with the timer set. She told me I’d have to add time and to watch them to see how much they needed. But how much was enough? What was she basing her decision on? It was so easy last week when I just followed her directions and did as I was told. It was so much different when I had to make the decisions on my own and this time I had so many new questions that I didn’t even know to ask last time.

It made me think of this concept of coming alongside – which literally means along or by the side, close to each other. It is not a one time happening where we just get or give instructions and expect the other to glean all the pearls and wisdom from experiences. Alongside is meant to be more of a side by side – sharing experiences, walking through life together. It involves availability, vulnerability, humility, teachability, compassion and appropriate boundaries. It is a give and take relationship where we open up our lives to one another in real and intentional ways. It is learning a bit, applying that truth in our life and coming back with more questions to receive a bit more.

That is what I think is the rest of the story – that coming alongside is a journey, an ongoing process and my challenge to us all is to ask ourselves these questions: Who am I walking alongside? And who am I letting into my life to walk alongside with me?

Lessons from a biscotti by Jeanne Warme

2009-02-26T08:40:00.000-08:00

When we moved to the NW almost 2 years ago, God put it on my heart an important ministry I could have for my family through food. I have had to learn how to consistently make home cooked meals. Thankfully I have been blessed to have a few women in my life who have modeled for me how to find joy in cooking. One of these gals is a dear friend from El Paso and she not only cooks good meals but she makes delicious biscotti. After coming to coffee country, I decided to try my own hand at biscotti so I asked her for the recipe. It is a simple recipe with butter, sugars, flour and nuts and it is relatively uncomplicated to assemble. Yet, though I followed the directions, several attempts were less than optimal; too soft, too thick or too crumbly and one time so hard I had to throw them out for fear of breaking a tooth!

Last weekend this friend came to town for a visit and I asked her to walk me through the recipe. In a mere hour I learned a number of tricks that she has picked up over time – the order to mix the ingredients and why, how much to knead the dough and what the consistency should be, how to roll out the log and how big it should be, how to place the log on the cookie sheet and monitor the time AFTER the buzzer to know when it really is done, what knife to use and how to cut it so the pieces look nice and finally just how long to do the 2nd cooking to get the desired results. Sure it was probably stuff that I could have eventually figured out after a lot of trial and error, but instead I was able to glean from her experiences and save myself a lot of trial and error. It was truly an example of coming alongside me in the kitchen and helping me in an area of need.

I am someone who tends to learn by experience especially if someone will show me how to do it, but I’m not sure I am completely alone in this. In fact, I think God created us to relate and learn from others through experiences. After all, He gave us a High Priest who was tempted in all things and experienced all the things we do as human so that we can relate to Him. And He places us in relationship so that we can learn from one another. Proverbs 27:17 says “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another” as we come alongside one another and share our journey. In Titus, the older women are charged with coming alongside the younger women to teach them from their experiences how to relate to others, particularly in their families.

We can probably fumble our way through life and learn many lessons the hard way, but why not come alongside one another, share experiences and walk this walk together!

Are you experiencing the Abundant Life Christ offers? Taking time to Hear His Voice by Dixie Tanneberg

2009-02-18T15:06:00.000-08:00

Jesus says in John 10:10 I have come that they may have life and have it to the full."

He precedes this statement by painting a word-picture of a Sheep Pen with a gate and the Shepherd who goes with his sheep into the safety of the pen through the gate. Apparently others try to get into the sheep pen by climbing over the fence and Jesus calls that person a thief and a robber. The Shepherd leads the sheep out and goes ahead of them and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. Then He says: "I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full."

The picture is of sheep that have everything they need for a full life; a shepherd to protect them, take them to green pastures and good water and bring them back to the safety of their shelter. Their life is full. That is the picture Jesus wants us to understand. He has come to give us life to the full.

How do we experience this abundant life, this life to the full? Is it by having all our needs met? I think Jesus is talking about something greater than that.

The Shepherd who leads and whose voice we recognize says: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. And Love your neighbor as yourself" He is addressing all areas of our self- Emotions, Identity, Will,and Actions.

The Apostle John who experienced a personal Jesus echoes His words: "God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us."

"Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us."
Jesus reminds his disciples of what love looks like when it is lived out: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
This kind of love leads us to joy as the following verses describe.

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." "Love each other as I have loved you."
And His love leads to experiencing peace.
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

I believe the fruit of the Holy Spirit is love-God's love for us; our reciprocal love for God and our love exhibited through the way we treat each other. "As I have loved you, so you must love one another." Joy and peace are tangible assurances of God's love and presence just as it was to Jesus when He was here on earth. Knowing the Father's love brought great joy to Jesus. That is the joy he gives to us so our joy can be complete. Complete joy!

When Jesus was revealing to his disciples that He was going to prepare a place for them, He gave them peace. "My peace", he said, "I leave with you."

Patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control are all displayed in God's character. The more we love God the more His character is displayed through us. This is how we love each other.

I am keenly aware that the quality of the time I spend with God is reflected in the quality of His joy and peace I have within me. When I don't take this time with God, it is reflected in the way I am with the people around me. The more I dwell on God's infinite love for me, the more thankful I am for the life He gives me and the more of His joy and peace I feel. The more peaceful and joyful I am the better I relate to the people around me. I complain less. I don't see others' faults so readily. I enjoy people more...I enjoy life more. I enjoy life to the full.
What I've come to realize is that this time with God often consists of what I term:
Barging and Bolting. Telling God what I need and then hurrying on my way.
I am learning to take time to rest in his presence. Taking time to breathe deeply and reflect on who He is and who I am to Him. Instead of barging into God's presence then bolting would you take a few moments to be present with Jesus.

Meditation
Quiet your mind and your inner self
Be present with God in this moment?
Dwell deeply in His love
Listen - God is speaking
"I love you with an everlasting love, I have drawn you with loving kindness."
"Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken"
"I will never abandon you-My love will endure forever"
"I came that you may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance-to the full until it overflows"

What response bubbles up within you? Take some time to write down the things He says to you in these quiet moments.
God says: "You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you and all the trees of the field will clap their hands."
"All men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another."

Learning the Basics by Jeanne Warme

2009-02-11T14:39:00.000-08:00

My daughter and I have embarked together on the journey of driver’s education. Preparing for her first official “drive” we’ve have spent time in the car getting her road ready by going over the basics. For those of us who have driven for years many of the basics happen almost subconsciously – yet still it affects our behavior. We rather automatically buckle up, check our mirror, drive defensively and obey the rules of the road. Well, maybe not exactly EVERY rule of the road. Nothing like a student of driving who is learning right from wrong to shine a light on how many bad habits have crept into my driving (rolling through stop signs, following too closely, neglecting to check the blind spot …. I could go on!) It has actually been good to be reminded of the basics and take inventory of my driving habits.

The problem with basics is that they are just that – basic – that they become commonplace and can be too easily neglected. Yet basics make up the foundation that everything else is built on. Michael Jordan who was quite successful in the pro-basketball circuit and made millions in the game believes in the importance of the basics. He has been quoted as saying “Once you get away from the basics, the bottom falls out of whatever you are doing.”

Many of us have been walking the Christian walk and living our faith for many years. Yet especially now when the world around us has been shaken a bit, it is a good time to come back to the basics of our faith – to ask the question “What are the foundations of my faith?”

1. God is in control
In Genesis 1:1 we read: In the beginning, God… and the same is true today. In February 2009, God …. We can also take comfort in knowing that “there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” (Romans 13:1)

2. God desires a relationship with you and me.
God is love and He demonstrates His love for us in sending His Son Jesus to die on the Cross that our relationship with Him might be restored. In this relationship, God communicates to us through His Word as well as prayer, and He uses people, situations and trials to grow us in our faith.

3. We aren’t in this alone.
We were made for relationships and fellowship - first with God but also with others. We are to walk this faith walk together and encourage one another. Encouragement is expressed as we come alongside one another hold each other accountable, carry one another’s burdens or simply “be there” for each other.

As the world around us is shifting and changing, it is a good time to step back and re-ground ourselves in the foundations of our faith. God is still on the throne and nothing is outside of His control. He is Trustworthy and deserving of our Trust and He has not left us nor forgotten us. Finally, remember no one is in this alone. So let us all look outside ourselves and our circumstances for ways to come alongside one another.

mapping the journey- by Tiffany Montoya

2009-02-07T20:29:00.000-08:00

The Journey 2008-09
Mapping the Journey: Starting Point
It is God who works in you to will and act according to His good purpose.--Phil. 2:13

Increasing God’s Reign in My Life…
Each of us is on a unique journey from spiritual birth to spiritual maturity. Some have been on the road longer than others, and we move at different paces. This journey is not a race against each other, but a race towards something greater: that God would be glorified in us and that we would reflect His glory as we let Him shape us into what He created us uniquely to be.

As with any journey, there are stopping points on the way to the final destination: places to rest, to refuel, and to re-focus on the road ahead. The beginning of a new ministry year is a great time to look back on where we’ve been, to take notice of where we are, and to chart a course toward where we want to be. As you move through this exercise, enjoy the view! Check your fuel gauge! Ask God to show you where He wants to take you next en-rout to the final destination.

✖Looking Back: God is always at work, but we don’t always observe what He is doing! Sometimes it is hind-sight that reveals His purpose for the road we have traveled. Take some time to ask God to show you what He has already done in your life in the past year. Record your thoughts here.
1.

2.

3.

✖You Are Here: Identifying your current location requires looking around for clues. A mountain here, a desert there, a mile marker on the roadside, or a sign “Timbuktu City Limits”. Ask God to use your answers to the following prompts to reveal your current state of being.
1. I am most thankful for...

2. I spend a lot of time thinking about…

3. I feel uneasy or fearful when…

4. I experience peace when…

✈Into the Future: There is a story about a man who sees a thief steal his car. The man goes running out into the street to stop him, but the thief is off before the man can catch him. The man jumps into another car and begins to pursue the thief--heart racing and a pit in his stomach. The thief sees the car following him and hits the gas, but the man remains a relentless spot of light in his rear view mirror. After hours of running, the thief finally stops--exhausted, hungry, perplexed. The man pulls up behind him, jumps out of his car and rushes to the window. “Don’t eat the crackers on the seat!” he exclaims. Confused, the thief answers back, “You chased me all that way for crackers?” “No” the man explains in relief. “I chased you all that way to save your life. You see, the crackers are laced with poison to take care of the rat problem in my garage. I was worried you might eat them, and although you stole my car, I don’t want you to die! I pursued you to rescue you! I’m so thankful I caught you in time!”

1. God pursues us to rescue us--not to punish or destroy us. Are there any areas of your life or relationships that keep you running from God?

2. When we have stopped running, God often draws us down the path he has for us by igniting holy passion in us. What do you feel passionate about?

3. When do you sense Gods pleasure?

4. Are there any gifts or talents that you would like to grow in or use?

5. What would you do if you weren’t afraid?

6. What things do you believe God wants to do in your life this year?

These things you’ve just written can be a springboard for setting a few spiritual goals for the year. Spiritual goals are simply a way to say to God: “God, I believe you want me to trust You in these areas you have revealed. I’m writing them down so that when you have worked in me I can look back and see what you have done. I choose to let you shape me in Your way. Help me to remember so I can continue to surrender these things to you!”

Take some time to pray about what you have just identified in the exercises above. Delight in what He has already done! Ask God to continue to reveal His desire for you. Ask Him to give you the desires of your heart! (Psalm 37:4--Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.)

Record your thoughts below. Consider sharing these goals with someone who can help you see your progress (your ministry partner?).

Proverbs 29:18 If people can't see what God is doing,they stumble all over themselves;
But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed.
-The Message

Lessons from a Quarterback-by Jeanne Warme

2009-02-03T16:09:00.000-08:00

The Quarterback Connection

Super Bowl Sunday has come and gone and football season has finally come to a close for another year. It’s a bit different in our home because I actually am a bit of a fan. I like rooting for the teams, though honestly I enjoy sharing that time and those discussions with my soon to be out of the house teenager. I even went so far as to make Friday laundry day so we’d have mounds of laundry for the weekend to fold together during the commercials.

I don’t know a lot about football beyond the basics of the game. Most positions escape my understanding or even interest except for one - the quarterback. Imagine standing behind your team and suddenly the ball is in your hand and it’s all up to you. Your job is to stay calm in the pocket; moving as necessary to get to the right position in order to pass the ball down the field to the right receiver. All around you are sounds of helmets crashing, players grunting, and a clock ticking in your head because you know that it is just a matter of time before someone from the other team gets through the offensive line and comes crashing toward you with the sole intent of pummeling you into the ground. You may wonder as I did how does the quarterback manage to stay calm and do the job against this sensory overload, especially after picking himself up off the turf after a sack?

Watch a good quarterback in action and you will notice that once he receives the ball he focuses his eyes down the field constantly scanning for his potential receivers. Instead of allowing himself to get overwhelmed by what is immediately around him, he chooses to keep his focus ahead on the goal. He is not oblivious to the imminent threat and sometimes he will make evasive moves but still he keeps his eyes down the field.

We live in a world where lots of things are coming at us all the time. We have a myriad of demands on our time, energy and resources. Not to mention complicated relationships tugging on our heart strings and a conflicting desire to carve out some “me” time. It can feel like an entire football defensive line charging at us with great intensity making us want to throw in the towel.

How do we keep it all in perspective and stay the coarse in what God is calling us to do in this season of our lives? Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2a) A wonderful example of this is when the disciples saw Jesus coming toward them walking on the water Peter stepped out of the boat to walk toward him. Matthew 14:29-31 tells us that “He walked on water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” He said, “Why did you doubt?”
I don’t know what God has called you to do in this season but I do know that the only way we can stay afloat is to Turn your eyes Upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face and the things of the world will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.

Going to the Dentist by Jeanne Warme

2009-01-27T10:34:00.000-08:00

Visiting the dentist is not one of my favorite activities. Unfortunately through the years I have spent a fair bit of time in the dental chair. Now decades after having a myriad of filings placed in my mouth they are at the end of their life span and needing to be replaced. Contrary to popular belief, I have a small mouth – that is my jaw doesn’t open very wide which makes it difficult to reach the tooth in the very back on the bottom. Sure enough, this was one that needed to be fixed.

And so I found myself reclining in the dentist chair, with bib on, mouth and tongue numb, ready to get it over with. The first step was to insert a rubber dam to catch the metal filings as they were removed. This lovely contraption is anchored between the teeth thanks to dental floss and some metal clasps. Next thing I knew the drill was humming, the smell was awful and I had not 2 but 4 hands in my mouth working on that back tooth. The hygienist hands were shaking with effort as she held the tool against my tongue to keep it from harms way. I felt panic coming over me like a flood as I gagged and gasped for air. Every fiber of my body wanted to scream and fly out of that chair hurtling the equipment out of my way.

This is in fact exactly what my son had done just days before when he went in for a simple teeth cleaning. No amount of soothing or explaining had calmed his fears. Like him I wanted to flee, but unlike him I made the choice not to. What was the difference between he and I? One word: trust. He had no experience or basis on which to trust these people who said “I won’t hurt you.” Especially when his last experience had been exactly opposite of that and in fact it had hurt (and tasted awful in his estimation!) I on the other hand knew that I could trust this dentist. Not only have I gotten to know him as a person, but since this was the third quadrant we were tackling, I had experiences that had proven him to be capable and trustworthy. I was confident that if he told me this needed to be done and that he could do it well that in fact it was the best decision for me even if it hurt.

Not everything in life is without difficulty or pain. In fact we are told in the Bible that we will have trials and it will be hard at times – even painful. Sometimes we might even feel like we simply can’t do it and every part of us wants to cry out and run from the pain. The bottom line is this “do you trust God?” Do you know enough about who He is to take Him at His Word? Have you had experiences with Him where you have trusted Him and He has proven Himself to be trustworthy?

So how do we get to know God? Just as you would get to know anyone, it takes time, communication and shared experiences. Read and study of the Word with the intent of getting to know our most personal and caring God. Dialogue with Him throughout the day; not only speaking but also listening and finally look for ways that He reveals His character by meeting us in our need. When He met the Samaritan woman at the well who was thirsty, He revealed Himself as Living Water. When He met Hagar, forlorn and forgotten in the desert, He revealed Himself to her as the One who Sees and the One who Provides. Many times He in the Old Testament He instructed them to leave a mark or build an altar so that they would remember Who He is. Today instead of building altars, journaling can be a powerful tool to make note of how God is working and how He is revealing Himself to you. Share these times with others and so encourage one another. Consider making your own list of the different aspects of His character that you come upon when reading the Word. Let these serve as a reminder to you of Who He is and how He has met you in your need. The next time you find yourself in a position where you feel the urge to panic, ask yourself these questions: “Who is in control? And “Do I trust Him?”

What I Have Learned from Composting by Jeanne Warme

2009-01-20T11:04:00.000-08:00

Friday is our garbage day in my neighborhood, so each Thursday evening someone in my family rolls the 3 bins down to the curb. It is probably the same at your house, the grey for garbage, the blue for recycling and green one for composting. Coming from another city, it has taken us awhile to get used to what goes in each can so we can use them effectively. The garbage bin holds anything that is simply discarded. The contents will go into a landfill, where it will accumulate but essentially serve no purpose. The recycle bin catches a lot of stuff. I frankly find it amazing that after sorting through the daily collection from the mailbox, or my child’s backpack and enormous amount of it goes straight to the recycle bin. This product will go to a sorting facility where it will eventually be turned into another product or use. Now the compost bin is the most interesting. Some of you may have a compost pile in your own yard. For those who don’t have first hand experience, let me tell you a few “rules of good composting”:

1. be careful what you put in the compost – only approved items should be added because the mix can be easily contaminated and rendered useless
2. composting needs time, moisture, and heat
3. you need to tend your compost pile and mix it occasionally – turning it over so that everything blends
4. when its working well, the compost pile will produce heat and it might even be a bit smelly

The goal of composting is to end up with a product that can be spread on your garden as a fertilizer – to promote good growth and increased production of your flowers and vegetables.

Now, I’m not for a moment suggesting the Bible is “garbage” but these bins gave me pause to consider how I handle God’s Word when it comes into my life. How many times have I treated it like the grey bin - simply receiving the Word using it for myself, discarding the leftovers with no concern for others. Or like the stuff in the blue bin - the times I’ve been given a message but not taken it in and applied it to my life my life or worse recycled it on to someone else.

Instead, I believe we are to take God’s Word in to our lives, think about it, chew on it, turn it over and let it “steep” for awhile. It might even cause a little “heat” and smell in our lives as it brings conviction. But just like a compost pile, the goal of receiving God’s Word is that it can be applied over our lives to stimulate growth and fruit production.

Psalm 119:15-16 says “I will meditate on Your precepts, and contemplate Your ways. I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your Word.”

Let us all become “compost pile” learners as we receive God’s Word even today.

First Christmas in the United States-By Ju Hyun

2008-12-19T11:01:00.000-08:00

I am so glad to have a chance to share my first Christmas in the U.S with you today.
I can describe the Christmas as two words, such as "the Snoring husband" and "the Empty apartment".
Now, you might be wondering what happened to me.

Let me explain to you.
First, " Snoring husband".
My family came to the U.S last Oct.15th 2003.
There was no family, no friends and no relatives in the U.S.
At that time, my husband was going to open his UPS store in Everret,so he had to get training sessions at the UPS store in Tacoma.
He had to commute long distance everyday and he worked so hard.
As you know, the Christmas is the biggest season to UPS stores.
On Christmas day, my husband was exhausted physically.
He kept sleeping all day long with the big snoring sound.

Next, " Empty apartment".
The korean moving company had kind of contract problems with its partner company in CA.
The company in CA held my moving container as a hostage until they solved the problems.
Whenever I contacted one of them, they blamed the other company and just postponed the delivery date.

In that situation, all I could do was entertaining my two daughters with the Barbie dolls.

The reason I talked about my sad Christmas is that I learned so important things from the Christmas.
I realized that without big Christmas tree, fancy gifts and Christmas party, I can still be happy and grateful.
I can count the blessing God gave me and the blessing reminds me of God's faithfulness and grace.
Besides, I can trust God's love and plan for me and the fact God always provides me not what I want, but what I need.

Now, my husband doesn't keep sleeping all day long on the Christmas day. He just takes a nap.
Moreover, my small apartment is not empty anymore.
I can add one more thankfulness to God in my prayer.
Thank you.

I hope you and your family have a wonderful time together in God's love.

Friday after Thanksgiving- By Jeanne Warme

2008-11-26T11:23:00.000-08:00

Friday November 28th the day after Thanksgiving is traditionally known as “Black Friday. It has also been declared as the National Day of Listening. A new book by the title “Listening is an Act of Love” causes us to ask the question of what is it about listening that communicates love?
Listening involves time, focused attention and being actively engaged with another. A great example from the Bible of a woman demonstrating good listening skills is the story of Mary when she was sitting at the feet of Jesus while her sister was busy about the house. She was commended for focusing her attention on Jesus, engaging with Him absorbing what He said. The contrast in this story was Martha being so distracted by activities and things on her to do list that she was missing the listening and something very important in the relationship. This tendency to be distracted by the needs around me became painfully clear to me after a recent experience.
My husband Winston and I had a wonderful opportunity earlier this month to get away for an entire week by ourselves. We brought Grandma to town to take care of the home front and finally were able to pull away from the house, alone in the car. Instead of planning a full week of activities, conquering some mountain or an adventure of some kind – we decided that what we needed was just time together to re-connect. As you might imagine, with 4 children our home feels like a bee hive at times – and the pace of our lives is fast. So, we turned the dial down and slowed down for our time away – hanging out, sharing activities at a slower pace, eating a meal in one sitting and visiting uninterrupted. One the way home as we were reflecting on our time away, we both agreed that the best part of the week was having each other all to ourselves.
An amazing transformation happened the moment we pulled into the driveway: my mind started moving into a higher gear thinking of the things that needed to be done. We unloaded the car and created piles that would have to be dealt with later, tucked in the kids, checked in with grandma, started on the pile of mail, opened the e-mail …. You get the picture. My husband walked in the kitchen and said “You are very distracted when we are home.”
Did you know that a woman’s mind has been described as a computer running with multiple windows open: (kids, husband, dinner, homework, projects, a friend’s phone call) and we are constantly jumping between programs. The problem is each open window is tapping resources from the computer (or our minds) and affecting the way it runs. Which brings me back to listening. If listening involves focused attention, purposeful engagement and time – whatever windows we have open will affect our ability to be in the moment and truly listen.
Clearly we are moving into a busy season for us as women and some of you even now have a list working in the back of your mind of the things you want to get accomplished after you finish reading this. Certainly there are things to do and the people around us appreciate the things we do for them – but I will go out on a limb and say what they probably would appreciate more is our time and attention and that we actually engage and listen to them.

What does it mean to be a Romans 12 Christian?

2008-11-07T11:38:00.000-08:00

Check this website out and see what Living on the Edge is saying about being a Romans 12 Christian.
http://www.lote.org/lotecommunity/r12/intro.php
Let me know if this blesses you like it has me.

Walking Peacefully

2008-11-04T16:25:00.000-08:00

If you don't already own it, I highly recommend the devotional called "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young.
This week has been extra crazy. I have often felt like there is no way to accomplish all that is expected of me and when I focus on this thought, I can get very discouraged and self focused. The entry from Nov. 4th in this book really spoke to me and so I thought I would share it with you. It is written as if Jesus were talking right to you.

Walk peacefully with me through this day. You are wondering how you will cope with all that is expected of you. You must traverse this day like any other: one step at a time. Instead of mentally rehearsing how you will do this or that, keep you mind on My Presensce and on taking thenext step. The more demanding your day, the more hlep you can expect from Me. This is a training opportunitym since I designed you for deep dependence on your Shepherd-King. Challenging times wake you up and amplify your awareness of needing My help.

When you don't know what to do, wait while I open the way before you. Turst that I know what I'm doing, and be ready to follow My lead. I will give strength to you, and I will bless you with Peace.

Exodus 33:14; Deuteronomy 33:25; Hebrews 13:20; Psalm 29:11.

Reflections

2008-10-31T09:58:00.000-07:00

I am continually amazed by how God so personally cares for each of us. This week He has especially met me in places of discouragement, reminding me of who He is and then who I am in Him. This reminded me of something that happened a few years ago at this same time of year.

My husband and I were shopping for perfume for my birthday. As we were looking around the salesperson asked us if she could help. When we told her we were looking at perfume, she said, "This one fits you." I thought that was an odd thing to say, but I was very intrigued to see which one she chose.

The perfume was called Live. She went on to explain it's characteristics. It has a sweet smell at first but after a few hours you are left with a deep woodsy scent.

We liked the smell and bought the perfume without thinking much more about it.
Then when I was in church that Sunday during worship the Lord clearly spoke to me,
"Holly, that was not an accident that you chose that perfume. It is the picture that I have for your life. You have been through much the past 2 years, and although it has been painful, I am wanting you to learn what it means to truly LIVE. When people are with you, you allow them to smell the "sweet" part of you, but I want you to risk letting them really know you...to smell the woodsy, organic part of who I have created you to be. This is also a beautiful part of who you are."
Needless to say I was humbled and broken. So thankful for His love and care for me. I long to hear His voice in my life, but often I am so busy doing my thing, that I miss Him.
But I find that when I worship, focusing on who He is, he gently speaks what I need to hear.
May you hear His voice today as you focus on who He is in worship and gratitude.

Lessons from a Carrot- By Jeanne Warme

2008-10-27T12:53:00.000-07:00

Last spring was the first time in years that I was able to think about planting a vegetable garden, so with my eager helpers (my 2 pre-school boys), some mud boots and packets of seeds we set out to start our garden adventure. We planted our various seeds and waited expectantly. Between the fickle weather, my inconsistent watering schedule and an abundance of weeds, we had some issues with what decided to sprout – so imagine our joy when little carrot tops began to peak out of the ground.

Directions for thinning are clearly written on the seed packets and experienced gardeners know that once the seeds have sprouted, you must go through your rows and do some thinning so that each plant has ample room to grow. I made some attempts to thin the plants, but found that when I pulled out itty bitty carrots, I lost my resolve and decided to ignore that step and let all of the plants grow as they could. And so my carrots grew side by side by side. And grow they did.

When it came time to harvest my carrots I loosened the soil and pulled gently on the tops. The strangest looking carrot things came out of the ground! Where plants were close together, they merged to form one large carrot with several “feet”, or one carrot would take over another and have an odd appendage. Other carrots completely grew around each other – accommodating their shape to compliment another’s. Ultimately, the neighborhood or environment where the carrots grew had a significant impact on the growth pattern and ultimately the shape of each carrot.

It made me ask the question: how is my growth being shaped and impacted by community I am in? In regards to my spiritual growth, am I choosing my community appropriately in order to enhance that growth?

I think of the verse my boys recently memorized: 1 Corinthians 15:33 “Bad company corrupts good character”. I am aware of and careful of the outside influences in their lives; the books they read, the shows they watch, the friends they play with. Am I being careful who (or what) I spend my time with?

But our growth is not just impacted by the negative influences in our lives. The Bible speaks of the positive aspects of community as we encourage one another, sharpen one another “as iron sharpens iron” and carry one another’s burdens just to name a few. We are even admonished to “not forsake the meeting together as some are in the habit of doing.” How easy it is to get caught up in the business and busyness of life and find that we are isolating ourselves from the very community that we need to help us grow in a healthy way.

And so, the lesson I learned from carrots is this: Our growth is affected by our community. What kind of community am I in?

Workplace Bible Study

2008-10-21T09:55:00.000-07:00

How do you serve Jesus Christ as Lord of the marketplace? How do you find time to grow in your walk with Jesus when work and family are always on a tightrope? Those are the very questions I still continue to wrestle with even as I have the privilege of facilitating a Tuesday morning Women in the Workplace Bible Study.

As women we try to juggle the demands of career while trying to bless our family, and the daily walk with our Creator is where we often run out of steam. My evenings are full of after-school activities or a business dinner here or there (perhaps you can relate?!). Yet I long to make my faith real and relevant by spending time in God’s word, growing personally and learning how to apply it in my toughest mission field – my workplace. So, that’s the motivation behind a morning Bible Study that can still get you to work on time!

Every other Tuesday, from 6:45-7:45 AM, you’ll find a small group of women gathered at Jitter’s Coffeehouse in Redmond (15010 NE 20th St). We primarily focus on God’s word in the workplace—how do I reflect humility in a high-achieving environment, how do I define success in my own life, what do I do when I make a mistake…all those and more - connecting our faith to our daily challenges.

I was struck recently by one topic we looked at...When is Enough, Enough? Sometimes God will surrender us to the endless pursuit we insist on. (Remember when the Israelites complained about the manna He provided?) As many of us know all too well, the quest for enough inevitably leaves us fatigued, dissatisfied, and unfulfilled. Still we press on. So then, how do we get to that moment when we experience relief, smile in peace, and quietly whisper, "Enough. I am satisfied." Contentment can be elusive at times, but I pray that like Paul I am able to say, "I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am."

We'd love to have you join us Tuesdays...the material makes it easy to join in anytime. You're first cup of coffee is on me!

Sarah Dziuk
sarahdziuk@hotmail.com

A Small Group Story

2008-10-17T12:11:00.000-07:00

I feel so blessed to have found a small group. Not only have I found a way to connect at Westminster, but I also discovered an immediate circle of friends. I had been attending Westminster for a little over a year when there was an announcement made that small groups would be starting up again in the fall. I contacted Pastor Matt Conrad to see if I could get involved with one of these groups. Matt directed me to Kristine Love's group and I have been a part of the group now for two years! It's so encouraging to meet monthly with a group of women who are in the same stage of life as I am. We spend our time eating dinner together, studying the Bible and lifting each other in prayer! By joining the small group, it was also a stepping stone for me to get involved in more ministry opportunities within the church. We have served at several events and now I have also joined the choir! Thank you, Kristine and the girls of our group, for making me feel so welcome!

Becky Sill

A letter from God

2008-10-15T10:16:00.000-07:00

Subject: Memo
To: YOU
Date: TODAY
From: GOD
Subject: YOURSELF
Reference: LIFE
This is God. Today I will be handling all of your problems for you. I do not need your help. So, have a nice day. I love you.
P.S. And, remember...If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do not attempt to resolve it yourself! Kindly put it in the SFGTD (something for God to do) box. I will get to it in MY TIME. All situations will be resolved, but in My time, not yours. Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold onto it by worrying about it. Instead, focus on all the wonderful things that are present in your life now.

A friend sent this to me recently. I've read it before, in fact I have a small plaque in my room that says something similar, but it came to me via email as a timely reminder of God's personal care for me. He knows how independently I try to live my life, but I am created for community first with Him and then others.

I think I'll even make a new file folder in my office marked SFGTD- and then wait to see how our GREAT and AWESOME God does more than I can think or imagine.

Scratching an Itch-By Tiffany Montoya

2008-10-07T11:08:00.000-07:00

Dog-on-it!
This morning I told God, "I want to know you, to walk with you in each moment, to sense your presence, to hear your voice, and to have an awareness that you indeed are here. I want to know you in a way that requires continual conversation--responsiveness. Can YOU be known like that?"
I opened my Bible and my eyes fell on Psalm 42. I'm using a new Bible--the pages are still sticky--so this was a peculiar passage to open 'coincidentally'. The song taken from David's words in this passage will be sung in Bible Study today. I think David was having some of the same thoughts as me when he wrote these words.
"As the deer pants for water, that's how my soul longs for you (but isn't yet satisfied)...I remember when I could praise you with abandon. Right now I feel a little abandoned. But I will again praise You that way--with that kind of intimacy." (my paraphrase of Psalm 42)
When David felt alone--out of God's direct communication and wondering where God went--he chose to remember how sweet their connection had been in times past. So I will do the same thing.
I have walked with God in ways that I knew he was my constant companion. He has used my tongue to speak on occasion. I have seen Him do things in my presence that only He could do. My God is a God of miracles.
My dog Bindi just now walked under my feet--which were up on the coffee table. She walked back and forth rubbing her back against my heals. I said to her, "Bindi Sit.", because I wanted to scratch her head and back in a way that would satisfy her itch better. But being a bit stubborn, she just kept walking back and forth trying to scratch herself on my heals instead. She only got my passive attention instead of my active attention because she chose to seek my scratches her way instead of mine.
Am I like that with God? "God I want to see You, feel You, hear You.", but when he commands I keep doing my own thing vainly attempting to feel His presence as I pass just beneath His hand? Would I experience Him in a new way if I would be still so He could 'scratch' me on His terms/
What are You saying to me, Lord? What do You want me to do--or not to do? How can I place myself more quietly in Your presence?
I will acknowledge that You are here--I will not seek You as if You were far away. I will wait for You to scratch my itch on Your own terms, and I will surely be more satisfied when You do.

What is a mentor?

2008-10-03T20:15:00.000-07:00

Next weekend we start our mentoring program. I have talked with a number of people at different churches who have tried to get a mentoring program to begin and flourish, but most have not been successful. I am continually amazed at what a strong mentorship program Westminster has, both women's and men's mentoring.
A friend recently brought a lot of clarity for me about our mentoring program. She said that mentoring would seem to naturally come out of bible studies and small groups that we participate in, but this so rarely happens. Since this doesn't often naturally occur, we must be much more intentional about connecting with others at a deeper level.
Our mentoring program provides the structure and ever ready help for mentors that can give them the confidence to step out and pour their lives into another woman. This used to happen more in an everyday context when women depended more on each other to survive. Now in our independent society, we need to be intentional about this happening.
It is risky for both parties to be willing to open up their lives to another, but I believe the benefits far outway the risks.
What about you, do you have a mentor? Are you mentoring someone? I'd love to hear your thoughts about mentoring.

What are you doing to celebrate fall?

2008-10-01T20:54:00.000-07:00

I love fall-maybe it's the elementary educator in me. When I taught I couldn't wait for the new class to come storming into the room. I love the new start that fall offers. I love the crisp fall mornings and warm afternoon sun.
One of my kids favorite fall activities is going to THE FARM in Snohomish and picking out their pumpkins. My favorite part of this adventure is stopping off at the bakery they have on site. I forget about how many calories I must be consuming and fully enjoy a fresh cinnamon roll.
What about you? What are your fall traditions?

Read any good books lately?

2008-09-26T10:58:00.000-07:00

I am reading a great book called How We Love by Milan and Kay Yerkovich. They do a great job of explaining attachment theory in everyday language with some interesting case examples. They explain that what happens to us as we grow makes an imprint on our life. "This imprint is like a song we know by heart. It plays over and over in our relationships, and unless we take the time to learn to hear it, we'll remain unable to do anything about it." (p 26).

I don't know about you, but I often get a tune stuck in my head and sing those words over and over...the problem is, lots of time I sing the wrong words. My husband couldn't stop laughing when I asked him who sang the song "Broken Arms" (It's “Open Arms” by Journey). I have emotionally learned things about my worth that I have replayed so many times, and when I hear something else, it feels like the wrong words. So I am in the process of learning new words about who God says that I am. I am grateful to be part of a community that is willing to struggle with me, addressing their own hurts and hangups. As much as I want to be independent, I was created for community.

new movie- Fireproof

2008-09-25T11:49:00.000-07:00

I just heard about this new movie called "Fireproof. " It's a Christian produced movie coming to theatres this weekend. If you go- please write some feedback about the movie for our blog. It sounded interesting.

Tuesday Bible Study

2008-09-23T17:14:00.001-07:00

Today was the first day of Tues. bible study. If you attended this day, what did you think?
What do you think about all of us meeting together at 9:30 before seperating into our separate groups?

When Fall feels like December

2008-09-19T10:36:00.003-07:00

When fall feels like December
Yikes! When did it happen? My September is starting to be as busy as, or busier, than December. Between back to school events, church ministries starting up, and the cleaning, cooking, homework, etc. I am exhausted. When I walked into Costco last week and saw all the Christmas stuff in the front of the store, my heart skipped a beat, already feeling behind. When I stopped to consider how so much in our society is pushing us to move faster (like putting up Christmas stuff in September) I began to realize that I was going to have to intentionally slow things down. Everything around me says, do, do, do. There are so many good things to choose from when you begin a new year, how do you choose?

When I take the time to reflect on what really brings me life, it is not the doing and the going and the decorating or the superficial conversations that I have at large group events- rather it is connecting with a few people at a time. I love to have deep conversations about meaningful things. I also love to read and study. I am realizing that in all the doing in September, I haven't taken the time for this lately.

I think a small Bible study is a great place to refuel. I met with five women this summer and we discussed "Christ Life" by Ruth Myers. I couldn't wait for Wednesday afternoon, knowing I would see these women and we would connect.
Last Wednesday night I popped into the Wednesday Evening Women’s Bible Study that meets at Westminster in the Fireside Room. It was great to see so many women come from work to connect and study God's word. It was great to see people reconnecting and embracing those who are new to the group. The thing I love about this study is that you can join at anytime as they study a new woman from the bible every 3 weeks.
I am excited that the Tuesday Morning studies will be starting this week. I love to see all the women streaming into the church that morning. Honestly, when I look at all the choices, I am a little confused--there is so much to choose from. I love the Beth Moore studies that I've done in the past, but the Discipleship Pathway is also very intriguing and unique. I don't know many other women's ministries that offer such an intentional way to grow in your faith. Plus the groups are smaller, so there is more opportunity for deeper connection.

So, I guess what I am seeing is that no one is going to slow my September down for me. I will have to look for ways to intentionally connecting with others. What about you? Where are placing your energy and time? What refuels your tank?

great fall soup recipe

2008-09-19T10:36:00.001-07:00

Butternut Squash Soup with Apple & Smoked Cheddar

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion, Halved and Thinly Sliced
¾ Cup Apple Cider ( I use instant apple cider packets)
One 1 ¾ lb butternut Squash peeled, seeded & cut into 1 inch dice (5 ½ cups)
Also sold at Whole Foods already diced in the frozen food section
4 & ½ Cups chicken stock or low sodium broth
½ cup heavy cream

salt & freshly ground pepper

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 McIntosh Apple, cut into ½ inch dice
½ cup coarsely shredded smoked cheddar cheese (2 ounces)

1.) In a large sauce pan, heat the olive oil . Add the onion and cook over moderate high heat, stiring occasionally, until golden, about 8 minutes. Add the apple cider and cook until syrupy, about 3 minutes. May take a little longer. Add the butternut squash and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Cover & Simmer until the squash is very tender about 40 minutes.
2.) In a blender, puree the soup in batches. Return the soup to the saucepan and stir in the heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm, but do not boil!
3.) In a medium skillet cook diced apple over high heat until the apple is tender and golden around the edges, about 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from heat. Season with salt and pepper.
4.) Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with smoked cheddar, sautéed apples, and serve.

Fall Into Fashion

2008-09-02T17:55:00.000-07:00

"FALL INTO FASHION" from your head down to your heels! Join us Saturday, September 20, 10:00 AM-Noon in the Community Life Center. There will be a brunch, a fashion show, seminars, an update on the fall ministries and raffle prizes. The cost is $15. Register here or at the Women's Kiosk on Sunday.

Also, don't forget to register for the upcoming Real Women: Authentic Love in Marriage conference for women on September 12-13. Register here or at the Women's Kiosk on Sunday.

End of Summer Celebration

2008-08-28T15:05:00.000-07:00

Join us this Sunday, August 31 from 10:30-Noon (service) and Noon-3:00 PM (food and fun for all ages) for the End of Summer Celebration-this year's Labor Day All-Church Picnic.

There will be food booths, live music, a vintage car show, inflatables and games. Be sure to look for Holly and Kristine at the Women's photo booth where you can have your photo taken with your family or friends.

See you on Sunday!

We want to hear from you!

2008-08-22T19:22:00.000-07:00

What are you most looking forward to this fall?

Real Women Marriage Conference

2008-08-18T09:47:00.000-07:00

What does it mean to be a real Christian woman in today's culture? What is authentic love? On September 12 and 13, four women will share their stories of pain and triumph, showing us that we are not alone in our struggles. God has a purpose and plan for our lives and marriages.

Please join us for Real Women: Authentic Love in Marriage, a conference just for women. It will be September 12 & 13, Friday 7:00-9:00 PM & Saturday 9:00 AM-5:00 PM in the Sanctuary & Community Life Center at Westminster Chapel. The cost is $15.

Register here or on Sunday mornings at the Women's Kiosk. For more information, contact Kristine at kristinel@westminster.org.

Homemade Guacamole

2008-08-07T13:41:00.000-07:00

3 avocados, peeled and diced
1/2 tomato, finely diced
1/2 onion, finely diced
1/2 habanero or jalapeno pepper, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
Dash of lime juice
Salt to taste

In a bowl, mush avocados until slightly chunky. Add tomato, onion, peppers, garlic, lime and salt. Mix together. Serve immediately with tortilla chips, vegetables or pita bread.

Breaking Free

2008-07-24T13:48:00.000-07:00

Beginning July 29 (thru September 16)
Tuesdays, 6:45-8:30 PM, Room 304

Join us for Beth Moore's "Breaking Free," a small group study based on Isaiah 61:1-4. We'll discover together the transforming power of Christan freedom.

Contact Kristine at kristinel@westminster.org if you are interested.

Women's Retreat 2009

2008-07-11T12:27:00.001-07:00

We are in the beginning stages of planning our next Women's Retreat (coming in March 2009). We'd like to know what you'd like to see at a retreat. What would make you want to come? What would hold you back?

Remember, you can send your comment anonymously (by selecting that option when you leave your comment) if you prefer. Please let us know!

Strawberry Bread

2008-07-10T15:19:00.000-07:00

I love making this in the summer with fresh strawberries! Let us know if you have any favorite summer recipes to share with us.

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh strawberries
3 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup applesauce
4 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cups chopped pecans or chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans.
2. Slice strawberries, and place in medium-sized bowl. Sprinkle lightly with sugar, and set aside while preparing bread mixture.
3. Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt and baking soda in large bowl: mix well. Blend oil, applesauce and eggs into strawberries. Add strawberry mixture to flour mixture, blending until dry ingredients are just moistened. Stir in pecans. Divide batter into pans.
4. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until tester inserted comes out clean. Let cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn loaves out, and cool completely.

© 2008 Allrecipes.com

Book Club

2008-06-25T14:43:00.001-07:00

Are you interested in joining a book club? Let us know what book(s) you'd like to read and when you can meet.

Book Reviews?

2008-06-25T14:41:00.000-07:00

Have you read any good books that you would like to share? We want to hear from you!

Scotcharoos

2008-06-24T16:06:00.000-07:00

Try this fast and easy summer dessert! Great for picnics and summer parties.

1 c sugar
1 c light corn syrup
1 c peanut butter
6 c Rice Krispies, Cornflakes, or Special K cereal
1 c chocolate chips
1 c butterscotch chips

Mix the sugar and light corn syrup in a pan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add the peanut butter. Then add the cereal, mixing thoroughly. Press into a 9" x 12" pan. Cool slightly.

Melt chocolate chips and butterscotch chips together over low heat. Spread on top of cereal mixture. Cool and enjoy!

Feel free to post any fun, easy recipes on this blog!

Tell me what you think

2008-05-20T16:09:00.000-07:00

We are excited to find out what you think! Feel free to write any thoughts, questions, or suggestions to make our women's ministry at Westminster a more inviting place to begin, belong, become and reach beyond.

Serving with you,
Holly Pankratz

Welcome!

2008-05-20T14:10:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the blog for Westminster Women! Bookmark this page and check frequently for information on news, events, and more.