A Year of Growth

Hey Everybody!

Long time no blog. :) We are at the halfway point of all our "Community Day" Bible Studies at Lee Park.  The Lord has blessed and we are all growing in the knowledge of His Word.  Tuesday's are so fun.  Please consider joining us for one in the Spring. We start back the third Tuesday in January.

I'm thankful for Kris Singleton.  She teaches one of our Nehemiah studies.  She and her husband Tim lead our First 5 Years Marriage LINK class.
Thanks to her for her blog and honesty.  She honors the Lord.

Love you all! 
Becky:) 

November 5, 2011 was a day I prepared 6 months for. It was a day I planned to check something off of my bucket list...and that thing was a body building competition. Crazy, I know...that's why I have only done one. :) I remember writing a blog this time last year about how the Lord is with us--even in the small things. I remember being extremely emotional about the strict diet I was on and giving Him the glory in my blog for calming my anxieties on the day of competition. It all seemed like such a big deal then.

November 5, 2012 is the due date my husband Tim and I were given at the doctors office in March when we got to see our cute little peanut on the ultrasound screen and hear the oh so sweet heartbeat. I remember thinking...oh how different I will look in one short year. :)

Well, just a few weeks later, the unthinkable happened. Our precious little baby went home to be Jesus. I remember crying in my husband's arms and wondering why this happened to us. As Tim prayed, I knew the same arms that were holding our baby, were also wrapped around us. God is so faithful and was so present in this time. Of course we were incredibly sad, but I had an unexplainable peace. That peace was Jesus. Honestly, it was so strong that I actually felt bad about it. I didn't know why I wasn't crying more and when people asked how I was getting through it, my only answer was GOD.

As I write this, on the evening on November 4th, with tears in my eyes, I am grateful how the Lord has grown my faith this past year. Knowing that just one short year ago, a body building competition was what I was praying for God's strength in. Maybe that's all I could handle last year. I am thankful for a church and a ladies ministry under the direction of Becky Justice, that encouraged me to get into my Bible and grow in a deeper walk with God. I didn't know what He was preparing me for, but I am so glad that He strengthens me and grows my faith daily.

So many women approached me after our miscarriage and shared that they had been through the same and offered such encouragement.  Recently, I actually had the opportunity to encourage some friends who were now dealing with miscarriage of their own. I am grateful the Lord has entrusted me with the tender hearts of these women and pray that my testimony will help them get through their difficult loss.

I pray that YOU know this God I'm talking about. I pray that you don't just know Him, but have a personal relationship with Him. I encourage you to grow in a deeper walk with Him and get to know His word because you never know when you will need that peace assurance that only He can provide.

I've Got Your Back

"I've got your back!"

That is the way I read one of my favorite verses in red, the words that Jesus spoke. I am convinced that were the Bible written in the 21st century, that is exactly what John 14:25-27 would say.....at least the SRV, the Susan Revised Version.

Jesus promised a Helper when He left this earth, and He always keeps His promises. Our Helper, the Holy Spirit, is always there to remind us of Jesus' words and how to apply them to our lives.

We all have moments when we forget that we have that Helper, but thankfully He does not forget us. Let me let you in on how this has worked for me recently.

For this school teacher, the year started with a bang! There was loads of paperwork and added responsibilities, and that was before the year even started!

Planning for a substitute teacher is one of my least favorite things I have to do, but I have to do it. It adds three hours to the lesson planning process. This year, I was required to get a sub for two days within the first three weeks of school.....so I could go to training classes. Wait, I am not done. On top of that, the first day of the training class was the biggest day of the Democratic National Convention. Would you like to guess where the class was? Of course, the class was in downtown Charlotte right in the middle of the convention. Stress, not peace, was the feeling that I had most.

That day away from school on Thursday could not have come at a better time. The traffic that I was fearful of, was nothing that day going into town. And the required training class, that I did not really want to go to, has made the planning process easier for me.

That's when I remembered.

"These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful." John 14:25-27

Helped, even before I knew I needed it,

Susan Seward

She's a writer now...

Representing the Ladies Ministry, Mary Armstrong, will be teaching a study that she wrote on her own beginning this Wednesday, September 5.  Come join us!

GOD EMBRACE: A JOURNEY THROUGH THE BOOK OF HABAKKUK

          My family and I have been blessed to be members at Lee Park for almost four years.  During this time we have been encouraged in our walk with Jesus and our faith has grown.  One of the many areas that God has used to serve this purpose in my life is through participating in and teaching ladies Bible studies.  It has been instrumental in growing me closer to my Lord and developing godly relationships with other ladies.  

     I am thankful for our church leaders that not only provide opportunities for us to grow personally, but also exhort us to share in ministry as we serve others.

     Grateful and humbled is how I feel about an upcoming opportunity to teach a Wednesday night ladies study centered in the book of Habakkuk.  I appreciate the willingness and support that Pastor Chris and Becky have offered by allowing me to write and teach this study.

     Habakkuk is probably not your most familiar Bible read.  This fact was brought home to me a few years ago when Pastor Chris stated that he had told someone he would be preaching from the book of Habakkuk only to have them reply, "I thought he was someone on Star Wars."  Case in point!  

      It may be tempting for you to shy away from the smaller and less familiar books of the Old Testament.  Such was the case for me, until several years ago, when I read a book that had a chapter in it dedicated to the book of Habakkuk.  Within those pages I "fell in love" with this minor prophet that I had previously known nothing about.  I was surprised to find that as I read his story I had more in common with him than I could have ever imagined.  

     Habakkuk was a man that God used to serve Him and the nation of Israel.   Yet, he wrestled with the same hard questions of the faith that can plague you and me......."Where is God when bad things are happening all around me?"  "How long am I going to have to endure this hardship?"  "Why does God allow pain and suffering in the lives of His children?"  Maybe, like me, you have asked a few of these questions yourself.   If so, we are not alone.  As we study together this book of the Bible that bears his name, we will feel Habakkuk's despair, see his wrestlings and watch him pour his heart out to God.   We will also get to see God do what only He can do...turn a worrier into a worshiper and transform a fearful man into a man of faith.

       In fact, Habakkuk's name means "embrace" and that is exactly what this man of God learned to do--embrace his God in the midst of painful and difficult circumstances.  As we delve into this study in God's Word, we too, will learn how we can more fully "embrace" our God and grow in our walk of faith.  I hope that you will join me as we move together toward a "God Embrace."

What's Missing?

Hey Ladies!

We are busy getting ready for the "Ladies Bible Study Fall Expo,"  Tuesday, September 18th, at 7:00.  We are trying to convince you, our friends, that in-depth Bible study and time with other ladies is what is missing in your life.  If we can help with any questions, please email us here on the blog.

Today, meet one of our newer teachers, Kim Bass.  Kim and her husband, Jeff, serve faithfully at Lee Park.  She is in the Ladies Ministry and He is in the Men's Ministry.  She and Jeff run their Insurance Business.  I love to shop at my local Harris Teeter and see their picture on my cart advertising that business.  I'm thankful for Kim and her willingness to serve.  She is always so caring to her students that take one of her studies.  She has snacks:).  

Thanks Kim for writing this blog. 

Do you have time for God?  Within our busy days, how many times do we ignore God? With a million things on our minds, having to be in 3 places at one time, when God spoke to us did we hear Him?--Probably not. We need to be aware that God is near, watching us and loving us.

Sometimes to experience God we just need to be still. To feel a cool breeze on a hot summer day, or to see the white billowly clouds floating aimlessly in the deep blue sky or even to hear the birds chirping in the early morning, that should bring God to your mind.  To know that He is near.

He delights in our conversation with Him, but how do we know God?

Through His Word is the place where we will find Him. Taking time to read and study His Word, not only will enrich our lives, but will be pleasing to our God.  How much joy and peace can the Creator of the Universe bring you?  As He takes care of the birds in the air, how much more would He take care of you?

To be in a Bible study is the answer.  Our great God wants to spend time with you.  Don't let life bring you down, turn toward our God for the fulfilment in life that only He can bring you.

Hope to see you September 18, at our Ladies Fall Bible Expo!!!

What Bible Study Has Done For Me

My name is Shannon Hill. I am a wife to an amazing man, Mark, a mother of three, Parker, 5, Kessler, 2, and Riley, born in January. I am also a part time hair stylist. I was honored, (after the terror wore off) to be asked to lead a Bible study at church. I love the ladies ministry and the godly woman who run it that I look up to. When asked to write a blog for our ministry,I was very unsure of what to share, or what not to share, but after much prayer, I hope the words that follow are from Christ and not me.

I will never forget my first day of my Bible study, “So Long Insecurity”. The walk from the parking lot to the doors at Lee Park was almost enough to make me turn and run to the comforts of my home. I was fairly new to Lee Park, very new to Monroe and even more new to the idea of Bible study. Every insecure thought I could have raced through my mind at once, (funny how God works, He was already preparing me for what was to come).  I felt more insecure walking into a room full of Christian woman for an insecurity class than I did my first day of high school. I soon realized that I was not alone!! That study was just the beginning of my freedom through Christ. It was also the beginning of a better marriage, a better home life with my children and a better relationship with my mother.  It led to a much desired, much deeper relationship with my Creator. I enjoy Him now like I never knew I could. 

My Bible study “walks” have gotten much easier, and I haven’t missed an opportunity to be a part of one since. I have found deep friendships and awesome role models. These studies have not only changed me, but the Lord has worked on so many of my loved ones through the knowledge I obtained during these studies. Instead of casting judgment on my mother, which I had done for years, I now wanted to call and encourage her, to tell her how much God loves her and longs to have her back. She went from ignoring God and condemning herself to joining us on our ladies retreat and feeling closeness with the Lord that she had not felt for years! What a blessing it was to so many of us to hear her testimony on that trip. But wait, it gets better!! My sister, who is six years younger than me and who always looked up to me, even when I was living a life the opposite of what God intended for me, she found Christ a little over a year ago! I am so thankful that the Lord let me have a hand in that, and even more thankful for the forgiveness He has given to me! It just goes to show that He knows what He is doing, even when we don’t. He let me choose my own path, make my mistakes and then helped me realize how much I needed Him to choose my path for me. And even after all the years of turning my back on Him, He so graciously still chooses to bless me with so much.

I’m not saying life is perfect, I don’t expect perfection this side of heaven. What I am saying is that life is worth living with Christ leading, and not just worth it, it is overwhelmingly enjoyable. I am just a sinner, saved by grace, trying every day to live in this world and not be of it and praying hard that others see more of Him and less of me!

I pray that these studies touch you like they have touched me; I pray you will choose to make “the walk” through the doors and I pray you will always find open, loving arms waiting for you on the other side, just as I did.

Much Love,

Shannon

Ladies Ministry Fall Bible Studies

Here is a list of our upcoming Fall Ladies Ministry Bible Studies!  We wanted to put this list out now so that you can be praying about which one to take.  Sign-ups will be at our Fall EXPO, “Designed By God” on September 18, 2012 at 7 p.m.  Mark your calendars now and if you have any questions, please call our church office at 704-289-4674.

A Woman’s Heart God’s Dwelling Place (A great follow-up to the Patriarchs)

A Woman’s Heart explores the building of the Old Testament tabernacle. It looks at the significance of its intricate design, its pivotal role in God's eternal plan, the grand fulfillment of its purpose by Jesus Christ, and its variety of meanings for your walk with God today. This is a video driven study. (Offered in both the AM and PM)

Believing God by Beth Moore(The Bible study that we believe everyone should do)

Originating from a concept introduced in Isaiah 43:10, Believing God examines what it means to believe God rather than only believe in Him. Participants study the lives of Abraham and others from Hebrews 11 as examples of people who believed God. This study parallels a personal journey Beth took in coming to understand what it means to believe God.  This is a video driven study. (Offered in both the AM and PM)

Breaking Free by Beth Moore (Offered each year and great for first-time in-depth study)

Breaking Free leads you through Scripture to discover the transforming power of freedom in Jesus Christ. Themes for this study come from Isaiah, a book about the captivity of God's children, the faithfulness of God, and the road to freedom. It draws parallels between the captive Israelites of the Old Testament and New Testament believers in Jesus as the Promised Messiah. This is a video driven study. (Offered in the PM)

Brave by Angela Thomas

This study speaks to us about deep feelings that all women have at one time or another. Angela looks boldly at some of the fears and struggles of being a woman and she helps us see how we can be brave in the face of those challenges. It takes a brave woman to ask these questions and dig into these topics alongside other believers. We've all got insecurities, flaws and struggles that we're afraid to address but if we can be brave enough to raise the questions, God will answer us. You've got questions. God's got answers. Be brave.  This is a video driven study. (Offered in the AM)

Cookies on the Lower Shelf by Kay Arthur (Flexible levels, great for anyone!)

A Precept Inductive Bible Study Series that covers the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation in three, 10-week segments. This series is designed to help you see the Big Picture and give you the context needed to get the most understanding from future studies!  This particular study will be Genesis through Ruth and then we pick in the Spring with I Samuel through Malachi and then again in the fall with the New Testament. This is book study. (Offered in both the AM and PM)

Daniel by Beth Moore  (For those looking for more in-depth study)

Join Beth in a faith-building study of prophecy and learn how to live with integrity in today's self-absorbed society resembling Babylon. The prophet Daniel faced unbelievable pressures to compromise his faith, to live in a hostile culture, and to confront temptations and threats. Today, believers in Jesus Christ face many of the same trials.  This is a video driven study. (Offered in the PM)

David: Seeking a Heart Like His by Beth Moore

A compelling women's Bible study of David. In this examination of the "man after God's own heart," David will delight and disappoint you. If you've ever experienced doubt, temptation, loss, family problems or personal inconsistencies, this study is for you!  This is a video driven study. (Offered in both the AM and PM)

Every Body Matters by Gary Thomas

This study is about how proper eating and an active lifestyle can affect how we serve God. Gary Thomas reaches all the way back to the apostle Paul, who wrote that we need to prime our bodies to become, 'an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. In every instance, Thomas makes a direct connection between the physical challenge and its spiritual consequence. This book is a must read for anyone seeking new and compelling motivation for strengthening their bodies and fortifying their souls.  This is a book study. (Offered in the PM)

Faithful, Abundant and True by Kay Arthur, Beth Moore and Priscilla Shirer

God is faithful.  His provision is abundant.  His promises are true!  Join these three amazing women from live recordings at a Deeper Still event as they share How God is faithful, how we can live an abundant life even when we are in the middle of an impossible situation and to live by every Word that God says. This study is taught similar to their previous study--Anointed, Transformed and Redeemed. This is a video driven study.  (Offered in both the AM and PM)

God’s Story by Anne Graham Lotz  

God's Story begins in Genesis with Creation, Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, and Noah and the ark.  Join Anne as she thoughtfully illuminates each moment of Creation with inspiring insights and probing reflections, leading you to know God, the Creator of us all.  
This is a video driven study. (Offered in both the AM and PM)

Nehemiah by Kelly Minter  

Nehemiah's heart was so broken for those in need that he left the comfort of his Persian palace to help them. This study challenges women to let God break their hearts for a hurting, lost world and move them in compassion to lead people to Jesus. This is a video driven study. (Offered in the AM for all and PM for Youth)

Return to the Garden by Kay Arthur

This interactive Bible study is an honest, redemptive call to recognize and return to God's standards for purity. Kay's straightforward lessons from Scripture focus on love, sex in marriage, purity, modesty, and examples of how men and women should relate to each other. These timely messages are for women, whether married or single, mother or daughter.  Kay writes from the perspective of one who has experienced God's grace and voices heartfelt concern for a sex-saturated society that has forgotten how to blush. From the beginning of time, our sexuality and distinctiveness as women has been front and center with God. We are designer goods, designed by God, no less! And when it comes to our sexuality, He has much to say to us.  This is a video driven study. (Offered in the AM for all and in the PM for College/Young Singles)

So Long Insecurity by Beth Moore  

Beth speaks truth into the lives of readers, showing them how to deal with their innermost fears, rediscover their God-given dignity, and develop a whole new perspective. Women of all ages and backgrounds will resonate with this message of security and discover truths that will free them emotionally and spiritually and lead them to a better life as they walk with God. This is a book study. (Offered in the AM)

The Patriarchs by Beth Moore (For those looking for a deeper understanding of the Old Testament)  Discover God's pursuit of a relationship with man, and marvel as His plan to bless all people unfolds. Full of twists and turns, ruin and redemption, revelation and mystery this Bible study keeps participants captivated by the God who stars in it! Explore concepts such as blessing, covenant, and promise, and the bearing each has on a New Testament believer's life today.  A wonderful picture of how God keeps His covenant with His people. This is a video driven study. (Offered in both the AM and PM)

Peace in the Storm

We are just back from a two-week family vacation.  We had such a great time with our dear friends, the Pressley’s.  Clint and Connie (Mac and Nate) have been our friends for many years and we typically go with them to an Island in Florida around this time of year.  This year, as we headed down to Florida after Sunday morning church, we learned that the island had been closed due to a Tropical Storm.  The island was without power for about a week and we were searching for new vacation plans. 

We met our friends in Tifton, GA and made it our ‘new vacation’ place for the week.  Tifton isn’t generally considered a vacation destination but we didn’t spend much time complaining.  Family time and good friends made the location insignificant.  God blessed our time and our small town vacation was actually pretty fun.  We went to the Tifton bowling alley – the Tifton movie theatre – the Tifton Waffle House (actually there are two Tifton Waffle Houses)– and the Tifton Chick-fil-A. 

In our time there, we also walked the downtown area.  On one particular walk, we crossed a railroad track and Clint remarked that he and his oldest son were thinking of running the railroad tracks on one of our afternoons.  That thought is probably harmless for most people, but standing on those railroad tracks sent my mind to thoughts of my brother, Tommy -- thoughts that stayed with me the whole two weeks.

Tommy was my great-looking oldest brother.  He was 25 and I was in the third grade when he died.  In fact, I was in Mrs. Nelson’s class at Darby Elementary in Ohio when I was told about Tommy.  (I love Mrs. Nelson so much to this day.  She was a comfort to me then and still cheerleads me and Chris via Facebook.)  Tommy was hit by a train in the middle of the night.  He and his girlfriend were laying on the tracks hanging out late at night right behind her parent’s home.  She went inside, he stayed outside a little longer and fell asleep on the tracks.  The train came through and Tommy tried to escape, but his clothes got caught in the tracks. 

My parents were in the thick of raising kids at that time.  My brother, Steve, was in college; my sister, Cathy, had just given birth to her first child; my sister, Karen, was ready to start her first day at Ohio State and my brothers, Mitch and Johnny, were in Middle School.  My dad was an over the road truck driver and out on a run in another state.  My mom was working as a supervisor for the State of Ohio.  The police came by that morning to have someone identify the body and my sister, Karen, was the only one home.  She is the sweetest girl, my heart breaks knowing she was asked to do this at such a young age. 

How could any family be prepared for what my parents would have to deal with?  My parents, who were saved as adults and started a church in their home (that would later become Southwest Community Church of the Nazarene – and still stands today) would be forced into a situation in which their faith would be on display like they couldn’t possibly have prepared for.   But the way they displayed their faith has been a remarkable testimony to the peace that can only come from the Lord. 

I love time to reflect.  Bedtime is the best time for me to reflect.  I go over the day -- repent for feelings, thoughts and behaviors.  I ask the Lord to purify my heart and draw me close to Him.  These two weeks away allowed for great reflection time.  I would start reading something and then my mind would wonder and I would think of my extended family.  I love them all so much.  However, there are many things we have done as a family without Tommy.  For me the list includes: the day I got married, the day I had my first child and the day we bought our first home.  Every big event and even some simple ones, quickly make my heart remember that Tommy did not get to experience those things.  He was so much older than me.  He was really more like an uncle.  He went into the military and I have no memory of us living in the house together. 

I have just one memory of him.  Breaks my heart – but it is the truth.  He and his girlfriend came out to the house one evening and took Johnny and me to the drive-in movies.  It was an incredible night.  I enjoyed it so much and he was so handsome like my father.  I loved every minute of being his kid sister that night.  He reeked of cool!  Once I got my license, I would drive over to that same drive-in by myself just to remember him and then go to his graveside.

My parents put “First One Home” on his gravestone.  I love that.  That one act from my parents brought great peace to their children.  My parent’s resolve to honor God and trust Him sealed any doubt I had.  I kept looking, for years, for a chink in that resolve -- I never saw it.  Their kindness to the conductor of that train will be an incredible testimony I will tout for the Lord for all my days.  The man feared facing my parents and he desperately needed them to relieve some of his grief.  My parents quickly did.  They prayed for his relief when they prayed for their own.  Faith in the midst of a trial, faith in the midst of lasting heartache -- my parents found a very faithful God.  He sustained them, kept them, pursued them and rewarded them with peace and comfort. 

I remember finding my mom, yearly, on Tommy’s birthday and the date of his death, seeking time alone with the Lord to calm her sad heart. 

Teach your kids this kind of faith.  Someday they may be called to serve Him and your faithfulness might be what keeps their faith on track.  My parent’s undeniable faith has encouraged me on countless days. 

I love the Lord.  His peace is real and true. 

I will serve Him all my days.

Praying for my siblings who don’t confess a faith in Jesus.  Praying they repent and believe His promises – and remember the undeniable testimony of our parents. 

I love you all!!!

It is so good to be home and in love with Lee Park.

Becky ;)