Women's Retreat

I never wrote about how the Women's retreat went.. even though I asked you all to pray for me about it. my bad. I had been planning to but words literally escaped me. Then I figured I would just wait until I received the audio of my session so I could share it with all of you. Here's to hoping that audio ever finds its way to me.

I went hesitantly with the mind to serve. to be available, whatever that looks like within the women's ministry. Not gonna lie, it was so weird. "real" adults still intimidate me quite a bit. and the unguarded conduct of church ladies kinda freaks me out. I got to lead worship and hang out with some women that really mean a lot to me and I had to opportunity to share the Word with whoever wanted to come and listen to my message of hope. (i'll still try and pass along that audio if it every comes my way) What it boiled down to a few things: 1.a loooong list of funny and memorable quotes 2.the proven truth that Lord delights in our humility 3.and the challenge to see His people as He does and fight for the right to minister to them...even if they think they don't want it. I'll be honest, I think the majority of women's ministries today lack a strong biblical foundation and gospel-center all for the sake of catering to the masses. I do not approve. I did learn that I am wrong to assume that every individual woman even within such a ministry lacks that core though. I think lack of male leadership- husbands pouring into wives, women being taught to study and teach the word, and a strong accountability to explicit expectations from the whole of the male leadership is the primary cause of this problem. It becomes like children playing house.Cute and funny and quirky and at times extreme (once as a child we played school and I literally forced the neighbor children to write out spelling words 20 times each...they didn't want to play school after that ever again) and then ugly really fast when there's division. As women, we MUST be submitted to our own husbands and leaders within the church and learn to be submitted to even each other so that we can all share in a vision of ministry that honors the Lord and equips His people. That goes for any ministry. That goes for me in any area God calls me too. I had a good time. I had some enlightening moments about women & ministry but I left thanking the Lord for my pastors, for the opportunity I have as His daughter to study the Word and hear from Him and thanking Him for my friends-examples of godly submission and zeal.